Boston Legan Finale

It was with great sadness that I watched the season finale of Boston Legal. Over the past few years I have grown to love the characters on the program,especialy Denny and Alan and their friendship. The season finale was written by David Kelly and included a visit to the Supreme Court, a Chinese take over of the firm and two weddings. I guess I am in the age demographics that do not matter anymore to the sponsors of the program. Of course they may be right that the "Boomer" spending habits may have just diminished due to the economy and the crashing of our porfolios. So what is next, I guess I will just have to jump on the reality TV band wagon. With the actors going out on strike that may be all that is left.

Pirates

I went on my first cruise this summer and did have some concerns over hurricanes and pirates. Everyone laughed at my concerns. A hurricane did hit the islands we had just visited just one week after we returned home. Cruise ships that were in the area were redirected to other areas and added a few "fun days a sea." (Basically you are trapped on the ship with 3000 of your friends.) Well today there is a story about pirates trying to hijack a cruise ship. I was glad to hear that the captain gunned his engines and out ran the pirates. I have a hard time understanding how the pirates in little boats take over big ships! So hats off to the captain of the cruise ship for outrunning the pirates.

Black Friday

Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States and is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season. It is an unofficial holiday due to the fact that many people have the day off. According to reports consumers were out in full force to get deals and start their Christmas shopping. I found the few stores that I visited in my community were not very busy. I am trying to support the stores in my community. It is tradition for me to decorate my house for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving. I needed to refresh my candles and buy a few strands of lights for the tree. I took my mom to the local TJ Max on Friday and took advantage of the 25% off sale at Chico's. I have not shopped for my kids yet. This year I offered them a day of shopping after the holidays. They are young adults and I have no idea what to get them. So despite the ecomony tanking it looks like people are still out shopping for deals for the Christmas season. We are trying to do simple things this holiday season. We started last night by getting together for a simple dinner and playing a game called Apples and Apples. It was fun and inexpensive.

25 billion dollar bail out!

The auto companies are standing in line waiting for their bail-out. $25 billion is a lot of money for companies that have no plan other than the "same old" thing. My husband has been a supporter of American vehicles most of his life. He had a Mercedes for a year and gave it to me. I drove into the ground with over 180,000 miles on it. My son and wife have a Ford Hybrid and so far they love it. We have a 1998 F-150 double cab red truck sitting out in front of the house. Whenever we think we will sell it someone borrows it. So we continue to insure it and make sure we change the oil once in awhile. We believe in American cars but like my children I would never just give them money without a plan. A plan to how they were going to spend it and a plan as to how they were going to pay it back. Advice from Mom!

Tips to saving money

In looking for ways to cut costs I came across a web site with hundreds of uses for vinegar. My son just commented last week on how cleaning products were very expensive. I purchase a jug of vinegar every couple of months for my cleaning lady. She uses it for everything. when I was working in an allergy clinic I learned an inexpensive way to rinse clothing - a vinegar rinse. No the clothing does not smell like vinegar. I did learn that a spray of venegar can get perspiration marks off clothing. Mustard and ketsup or spagetti spills can be treated with a spray with vinegar before washing. The article had garden tips. Vinegar can be used to work on ants and slugs in the garden. Wow! Vinegar has tons of ways it can be used and if you get an off brand it is incridble inexpensive.

Obama President Elect

Obama is the president elect. I must say I was totally consumed the last few weeks leading up to the election. My husband and I were both studying the positions of McCain and Obama trying to make an informed vote. My husband and I are both registered Democrats. I would have to say that the party has left me in recent years. I guess in reality I am a Libertarian. I believe in limited government and personel responsibility. I do not like all the spending done by the current administration, but I do not like all the promises Obama has made to the American people. How can he posible make everyone happy. It seems that people believe he will solve all their problems. When I walked into the voting booth on Tuesday I did vote for McCain. I could not support a party that is proposing increased goverment control over every aspect of my life. Now that the decisoin is made I will support the new president but I will be keeping an eye on what is happening in Washington. The new presidnet has a mountain of problems to solve and hopefully he can do it.

Gas Prices Down

If you are looking for something to smile about. Go fill up your car / truck at the local gas station. We have an Ford F150 truck that is used from time to time by members of the family. We purchased in 1998 for cash and our middle son drove it until 2 years ago when he purchased a more gas conscious small car. It is in good shape and the insurance on it is about $400 dollars a year so we keep it around. In the summer when we were doing some landscaping we used it a lot and the fill-up was just under $100 a tank. We have adjusted our driving and will not be going back to being high gas consumers. Now that out 401K accounts are down and our portfolio looks pathetic we still need to save for retirement. Plus it must be better for the environment to conserve a bit.

Fireproof

I was at a meeting yesterday with a group of women and we were taking about ways to bring us back together as a group outside of the workforce. Our conclusion after a spirited discussion is to have a movie afternoon. Since we are a very vocal group we decided it would be best to rent / download a movie to watch at someones house since as a group we might be disruptive in a movie theater. We were looking in the line of "chick" flicks or movies that our husbands would never never have an interest in viewing. Today I came across a movie "Fireproof" that explores marriage. I like it because it is a low budget movie, it has Christian values, and was made by people who are passionate about the movie. Despite its limited release it is doing well in theaters.

Rage on the Campain Trail

The current election seems to be going on forever. I have listen to a few of the debates and have been following the economy very closely. I am still listening for a PLAN from the candidates. Of interest is a video that was shown of a McCain supporter in Wisconsin basically stating he is angry about potentially having a "socialist" party running the country. John McCain has not expressed his economic plan strongly enough to have it heard. The promises that Obama is making absolutely scare me. The general population does not realize that we are the government and with the recent financial collapse many people making $250,000 dollars are year are now worth a lot less and some have even been downsized from their jobs. People with money in saving have usually accrued a healthy savings plan by putting away small amounts over the years. Right now I angry at all the politicians who have spend my tax dollars on projects that the government has no business funding. Maybe we all need to get a little angry at our leaders and at least get out and vote.

Is it time to revolt against the government?

The stock market just slipped below 9000, my TIAA-CREF has dropped, our three adult children are out on their own but their jobs could disappear in a second. We all gathered to celebrate my husbands birthday on Sunday and all decided that Christmas would be simple this year. NO presents! Downsizing Christmas is not the only change we are making. We started brewing our own coffee months ago, we carpool to our workout place, we pack our lunches, we are staying out of department stores and malls. Why are we all just quietly suffering and cutting back when our politicians have managed the country so poorly? It is not just the Bush administrations - we have had a Democratic congress for at least 4 years! Maybe it is time to stand up and storm the government offices and demand answers to the current financial mess we are in.

The banking world as we know it has collapsed!

What a mess! The market has collapsed due to congresses inability to come to consensus about what to do. I guess my question is: Do the people in congress have the ability to come up with a plan that will work. The last I looked a majority of the senators voting on the bill are not business people or have degrees in finance. I have been asking a friend who teaches finance and he seems to understand it but was unable to explain it in simple terms that a non-business major such as myself can understand. I am still concerned that we would potentially be bailing out people that had no business having loans on over-priced housing. We have lived in the same home for 28 years. We have fixed it up a bit but the next step up seem just out of our reach. In my own little area I would watch young couples buying the bigger more expensive home than we own and wonder how were they able to afford the down payment and monthly loan payments. I guess the answer is they couldn't. We saw the market plummet in October of 1986 and here it goes again. We survived the last drop I guess we need to tighten up and survive this crisis.

America's Worst Breakfast Foods

I love to eat a fun breakfast. Most days I either have tea and a high fiber breakfast bar or a bowl of cereal. Days when I am not working I love to eat breakfast at about 10 am. My typical breakfast 2 soft eggs, 1 slice raisin toast and fruit on the side. I do love bacon and hash browns but I do not keep them in the house. I have been known to order eggs and bacon when I eat out. I found this article on msn: America's Worst Breakfast Foods and was quite surprised by the calories and fat count in a sample of breakfast foods available. One of my old favorites is a cinnabun. My daughter and I use to go to the local mall and split a giant cinnabun with extra frosting. I quit eating them a few years ago but was shocked to learn that they contain 813 calories / 12 grams of fat / 49 carbs - the calories equivalent of 7 bowls of froot loops. I have never been a fan of smoothies. A drink called Smoothie King Grape Expectations is 1,102 calories / 256 grams of sugar and 740 mg of sodium - sugar equivalence of 12 Haagen Dazs Ice Cream Bars. No wonder people are getting fatter. I guess I will stick to my simple breakfast choices.

AIG Government Bailout

Last week the day-to-day financial news was like riding a roller-coaster. The topic of conversation everywhere was about the financial mess the country is in. At the club I work out at there are a number of financial advisors etc who were affected by the recent closing or bail-outs of various financial institutions. I am almost afraid to look at my TIAA-Cref retirement fund. I had dinner with a friend last night who teaches finance in a MBA program as USC and he was able to explain a bit clearer than most. I listened to Business 101 on KNX 1070 and Bill McCormick explained the crisis in simple terms that non-business majors can understand. I will be reading and listening to everything I can this week. Bottom line: don't quite your day job.

Poof! There go American Dreams

I looked at the Stock Market Values today and had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I think the visual of schredding money sums up my feelings. I am afraid to look at my money market funds or my retirement funds this morning. It is a bit more than Poof! There go American Dreams I have digigently saved for years so I would have a comfortable retirement and now I wonder if I will need to work forever. How did we get into this mess? Who was watching our backs as the banking industry walked away with billions of dollars? When will it all end? How come the government is using tax money (my money) to bail out the banking industry? What a mess! I don't want to hear candidate retoric about how to solve the problem I want to know specifics. The candidate that can give me that has my vote.

USC versus Ohio State

My husband and I spend the day at the Colisium to view the much anticipated USC Ohio State football game. We arrived four hours before game time to find the area already quite packed with fans. The tail gate parties were impressive. We found a little stand outside the Sports Arena that served great grilled hot dogs and tocos. We shared a cold brew with some young fans while watching the UCLA game in the lobby of the Sports Arena. We talked to a few Ohio State fans about what the term Buckie (apparently it is nut) means. We entered the stadium 2 hours early and watched all the festivities on the field. USC fans mingled with Ohio State fans in what promised to be an exciting match. As the game progressed we became embarassed by the actions of some USC fans. The jabs at the Ohio State fans became less than friendly. One person in front of us stood up most of the game blocking the view of Ohio State fans trying to watch the game while talking non-stop about the USC dominance. Comming from Michgan I have no love for Ohio State but did want to sit and enjoy the game. I may need to put the disruptive fan number on auto dial on my cell. Oh wait there was no cell recption on my phone, only the guy in the front row who taliked almost not stop to someone on his phone. I wonder what service he had?

Pig with lipstick

I can't believe all the media coverage of a presidential candidate's comment about a pig and lipstick. For the last 48 hours that is all that has been talked about on talk radio. But it seem Senator Obama is not letting it go. He tries to explain himself on Letterman tonight. I am getting a little upset over the junior high behavior of the Democrats. I think if a student would have made that kind of commetn in the junior high they would be in the principles office for inappropriate comments. I want to hear Obama talk about real issues not just comments referring to McCain as the "pig" and Palin as the "lipsitck". Grow up and talk about the real issues!

McCain Palin Ticket

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I walk with my best friend weekly and today we talked about Governor Sara Palin's speech last night. Last week as we walked we discussed the Obama speach. She was far more enthusiastic then I was about his acceptance speech. Something just struck me about how he delivered the speech. In 2004 when he talked at the DNC I made a comment to my husband that we would see him again. Little did I know it would be 4 years later as a presidential candidate. I am a registered Democrat but have always voted the candidate and not the party. Today my best friend and I felt that we were a little rebellious ourselves and a bit like Sara. In fact today she said compared to Governor Palin's speech Obama speech sounded insincere. Tonight my di-hard Democratic husband stated that he is leaning toward McCain. Only time will tell.

Laura Bush and Cindy McCain

St. Paul Minnesota may not have President Bush or John McCain but Laura Bush and Cindy McCain have been busy holding down the fort at the Republican National Convention. I love it, leave it to a few good women to take hold of a situation and make it a go. They came together as Americans to give assistance to the people disrupted by the hurricaine. I think it was great that Mike Duncan asked delegates to take out their cell phone and text donations to the American Red Cross to help victims of Gustav. Talking about turning lemons into lemonade. Kudos to Senator Barack Obama for telling the media that "I thinks people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits." in response to the announcement that Sara Palin's daughter was pregnant.

Olympic Gold Volleyball

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Kudos to NBC for excellent coverage of the Summer Olympics. My husband has been glued to the TV watching every sport since the opening games. We just spent a few days with friends and they were not watching the Olympic games prior to our arrival on Friday evening. The wife got into the games immediately and her husband took a bit more encouragement until the USA Volleyball team of Misy May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh started playing. The team is absolutely incredible to watch; beauty and athletic ability in motion. The final sets against China last night were absolutely riviting to watch. Congradulations to the American team.

Wal-Mart End of an era

Is the Wal-Mart supercenter with one-stop shopping hitting the end of its reign. The pricing gap has narrowed between Wal-Mart and rivals. Some of the reasons for the demise are: consumers are demanding more freshness and choice, inability to attract the more affluent buyer and the Internet. I have gone to Wal-Mart a few times and I get overwhelmed with the choices. I have found that Costco stores have opened everywhere and they tend to organize all their stores in a similar layout so I do not have to wander around looking for things if I go into a new store. I have purchased everything from bulk foods, to wines, fresh produce, electronics and OTC drugs. I have heard they pay their employees more and treat them better. I was on Kauai a few months ago and a young musician said he works at Costco in the daytime and plays music at night since they offer health benefits and flexible hours. The Internet offers another alternative. Just ask the next generation. So Wal-Mart look out.

Madonna Turns 50

Madonna turn 50 years. Madonna is one of the performers that I actually have listen to over the years and one of the few who have kept a image that attracts new fans. 50 is not old anymore. As I reach the next decade I agree that 50 is young. But I have seen people in their next decade and older doing things to keep themselves young. My husband and I are both exercising more, eating better, traveling more and re-adjusting work schedules. Our children are in the work force and are earning enough to live on their own. It does give us more time to play. Although when asked to golf in a senior golf tournament my husband at age 59 3/4 wanted to be paired with the 60+ group than the 50-59 group. I must admit I used my ID to get 10% off on purchased at TJ MAX for the 55 years and older population.

Long Term Care Insurance

I found this article about long-term care insurance. It seems that many boomers are reluctant to buy the insurance since it means they are getting old and it is expensive. My policy bill just came in and my premium is $1900.00. I always grumble when the bill comes in but I when I think of the alternative I pay the premium. Of course the biggest question is: Will the insurance you buy today pay for the type of care you will need in the future? We have a neighbor who is probably in her early 90's and I see her being cared for by 2 caretakers, each doing a 12 hour shift. Her family member come and visit her often but they are not carring for her 24/7. Our three children are just getting started in their careers and I would hate to have them have to assume care for an aging parent. My parent are both 84 and living in their own home but I do wonder what will happen when they cannot function independently. So I pay the yearly premium and hope it will meet my needs in the future so I will not be a burden to my children.

Ohina's kiddie gymnasts

I watched the Olympics last night to see the munchkin Chinese gymnastic team perform. I know their passports said thy were all 16 or at least turning 16 in 2008 but I like others have my doubts. In most females at around 12 to 16 years of age hormones are activated that cause body changes (breast tissue, curves, height). I did not observe any of these changes in a majority of the team. Adolescents also do not have "baby" teeth. I tried to see the size of the girls teeth and they went through their routines. I guess the IOC will turn a "blind eye" to possible age discrepancy. I know the USA team definitely had their problems but they do look like their stated ages.

Olympic Chinese Singer

I have been watching the Olympics and reading about the age controversy surrounding some of the young athletes. This morning I heard about the young talented singer who was replaced by a lip-sinking little Chinese actress because she was not "cute" enough. The Chinese officials are not even apologetic about the incident. The Olympics is all about image and replacing a little girl with a great voice and crooked teeth with a pretty girl with no voice seemed like a logical choice. I guess we are teaching a nation of children that cheating is good if it helps maintain an image. I think the little girl on the right looks more typical of an 8 year old child. In fact she looks a bit like the "sixteen" year old girls competing in the Olympic gymnastic events.

Crocs or Dorcs

I just came in from doing my 1 hour of gardening and left my bright orange crocs at the door. When I went on line to check my email I found this article about Dorcs. I agree with the author that every little kid in the world seems to be wearing these bright little shoes. All the nurses at work wear them. I purchased my orange crocs a year ago. I was going to work out after work and discovered I had forgotten my tennis shoes. I had my spinning shoes but nothing to wear walking into the gym. I stopped at a Costco near my office and went to buy a pair of tennis shoes. The bright crocs were in a bin next to the tennis shoes. At $9.99 they were a real bargain. I wore my brightly colored crocs into the gym. My spin partners chuckled at my choice of shoes. They are very comfortable and slip off an on very easily. I currently have two pairs: hot pink and orange. I keep one pair in my car and on pair at my back door. They have their use. I must say they are a bargain compared to tennis shoes and socially acceptable in most settings.

What's really killing the land-line business?

I found the article on home-based telephones very timely since my husband and I were close to cancelling our home phone. We have two land lines in the house. One for the home and one for the fax/business office. Until a few weeks ago we had the 2 telephones and a DSL line through AT&T. Our DSL line was so old we could not get someone to service it so we decided to take the plunge and switch all our services to Charter cable services. We added high speed internet, cable TV and the free home phone line (they were able to keep our current home phone number). We calculated all the old bills from AT&T with out new plan and the new plan is less plus we have faster internet service and HBO. If Charter had not included the land-line for free I would seriously think about going the way of the new generation and depending on cell phones only. After the earquake yesterday it was interesing that the cell phones were jammed and our land-line worked. Guess, we will keep the land-line.

Earthquake Los Angeles

Today LA had an earthquake. It registered as a 5.4. I was just passing through our dinning area when it hit. It came as a define jolt followed by some side to side swaying for 30 seconds. A few little items rolled off the fireplace mantel, but other than that no damage. We have a emergency shut off valve on our gas meter but the earthquake was not hard enough to shut the gas off. Having lived through the Northridge earthquake this was minor. The biggest inconvenience was the lack of cell phone service. Apparently thousands of people hit their autodials to check on their loved ones immediately after the earth settled. Verizon was overwhelmed with the increased cellular use. It did remind those of us who live in LA that the big one will come just like the hurricane did come to New Orleans.

Pedal vs Metal

With gas prices soaring more people are taking to the road on a bicycle. The increasing number of cyclists has caused conflict with motorists. In a recent Newsweek article the city of Portland Oregon is having increase problems with road rage between the two groups. We had our own incident in Los Angeles a few weeks ago when a driver slammed on his breaks in front of two bicyclists causing them to crash and suffer injuries. I only ride a stationary bike but talking to my fellow spinners they talk about the increase in bike riders who do not know bike etiquette. I have cut down my driving but have not resorted to bike riding. My kids all have bikes and use them for week-end activities. My oldest son would like to eventually ride to work. My words of advice: Be Careful Out There!

Funny Bike Accidnet Video:

Low-carb Diet

I have read the article Low-carb diet beats other diets in study on line and in the LA times and still do not completely understand what the researchers are trying to say. According to the authors Atkins regimen and a Mediterranean diet rich in fish and nuts produces slightly greater weight loss than a low-fat program recommended by American Heart Association dietary guidelines. The other factor studies was HDL (I call them the Happy Cholesterol) or the good cholesterol. It seems that people who avoid beads and pasta have a greater increase in the HDL levels. One reviewer of the study was unimpressed with the findings. I thought the best comment was made by a Nutritionist "East Less, Move More". Since my husband has re-directed his work interest (notice I did not use the term retired)he has been able to exercise more, and guess what he has lost 10 pounds in two weeks.

Trash Recycling

In California we are encouraged to put all our recyclables in a separate bin on trash day. with the failing economy and rising gas prices apparently people are driving around on trash day and going through trash cans taking all the items that can be recycled and taking them to the recycle centers for cash. I have been taking my bottles and cans to the recycle center for last two years to buy books for my daughter in laws first grade classroom. The lines have increased dramatically over the past few months. I noticed today that someone had taken a few items that I had put out in the trash. I guess if someone needs something I have put at the curb is it really a problem?

Urban Smores

One my favorite treats in the summer is the Smore. I found this funny little video about making smores / fondue. Enjoy!

See more recipes and videos at Eat Drink or Die

Aging Brain

Aging Brain Can Learn New Tricks.

The study was published in the July 9 issue of Journal of Neuroscience. the study involved learning the art of juggling. The juggling involved keeping three balls in motion for a minimum of 60 seconds. None of the participants could juggle prior to the testing. After a 3 month teaching period about a quarter of the 50 + age participants were able to master the skill. When the subjects were test 3 months later, if the group failed to practice the skill they lost the ability to juggle. I have no desire to spend 3 months on learning to juggle but I did learn I have to continue to use my brain to keep the hand-eye coordination functioning. I would have to add that even as younger person I was never able to juggle three objects for 60 seconds without losing focus.

Hands Free in California

As of July 1, 2008 one can get ticketed for talking on a cell phone while driving. I found a video on line:

driving "hands free". During shooting, Skyler drove his car with no hands on the wheel around Los Angeles while Brandon Kraines, the director shot from the front seat and Michael Abbott, the producer sat in the backseat feeding dialogue from the script, and handing Skyler props. Enjoy!

Hands Free Driving

Cell phone distractions

As of July 1, 2008 is is illegal to drive while talking on a cell phone. In California you can be ticketed if you do not use a hands free device when talking on a cellular phone while driving. I have not hooked up my telephone to the blue tooth in my car yet. I tend to ignore the telepone while driving since my kids are grown and out of the house. I found this video on YouTube that shows how distracted one can get when trying to drive and talk on the phone at the same time. Since it is a simulation not real people were injured in this simulation.

Blue M & M Sued for 6 million!

Talk about frivolous law suits! It would take a real stretch for me to belive that the cowboy dressed in a hat, boots and skivies looks anything like an M & M. But I guess a New York judge believes the naked cowboy can carry the law suit forward. I does make me think a before I choose a blue M & M. Somehow I can't get the image of the naked cowboy out of my head.

Brain Fitness

Aging boomers fuel 'brain fitness' explosion I do not fear physical ailments as much as I do 'loosing the ability to think. Sometimes when I am having a senior moment I get nervous that it is the beginning of something worse. My parents, both in their mid 80's play scrabble, card games and bingo to keep their minds sharp. I am not much of a card player and certainly not a bingo player so I have to think of something new to stimulate the brain cells. Nintendo has come up with Brain Age 2 to keep the boomer brain exercised. I remember introducing my kids to the first Pac Man Nintendo game years ago (20 to be exact). So maybe I need to try the new games and exercise my brain. Maybe with enough hinting I can get a Nintendo game for Christmas.

New Ways to Guzzle Gas

GAS PRICES are up to about $5.85 for premium at the local Chevron dealer. The topic of conversation in every venue has been the price of gas. My oldest son purchased a used Lexus (MPG 22) and his wife has an Hybrid Ford Escape. My middle son lives within walking distance of his office in downtown LA and leaves his Infinity parked most of the week, using the train when he needs to get around the city. My daughter has odd hours so she does not waste gas sitting in traffic. Stealing gas from gas stations and parked vehicles has become more prevalent in recent weeks.

I found a video on YouTube that was quite funny.

Cell Phone Myths

Common Cell Phone Myths

I found a fun little web site call mythbusters today. The article talks about cell phone myths. I guess you cannot start your car with your cel phone. I found a video on-line today that showed a group a young adults popping popcorn with their cell phone.

Down Day in the Market

It was painful looking at the market going down more than 400 points. We have been meeting with a financial planner to try and map on some strategy for the future. It is hard not to start to panic a bit. Just what does one do as they see their retirement saving dwindle down month by month and cost of living go up month by month. In southern California I saw a gas price for premium jump 7 cents overnight to 4 dollars and 60 cents a gallon. I wish I had a cristal ball.

Airlines and luggage

How much luggage can you take on your next airline trip? Not much if you are flying on United Airlines. On our recent trip to Hawaii we knew we would be limited to two checked bags and two carry-on bags. Since my husband likes to golf, his golf bag accounted for one bag. We got a little bigger bag so we could pack our clothes and toiletries together. We were able to pack the bag and still be under the 50 pound limit. Coming back was the problem. We arrived at the airport and our bag weighed 53 pounds. We were asked to redistribute the weight or pay $100. We re-arranged the bags and avoided the extra $100 dollar fee. I was still a bit miffed when we got on the airplane and watched our fellow travelers board the airplane, many of them quite overweight. I wondered aloud when they will be weighing us and charging by the pound to fly. Today I heard the same comment on the radio. Another reason to keep going to my daily work-out.

Dumpster Divers

Dumpster Divers. During my childhood my Uncle was a Dumpster Diver. I was a young child and times were rough. My uncle use to go into dumpsters looking for canned foods and day-old bakery items. I do remember having a dinner of canned goods without labels. It was like playing a game. Sometimes the can contained something like peas and carrots and other times canned fruit. As a child it was just a little game. My parents never went on welfare during hard times. The new Dumpster Jumpers scrounge around for items that others just throw out or abandon because they cannot use them or move them. I know the feeling as we filled a few trashcans full of "stuff" we had in out shed. I put aside a slide projector and carosels that I used to present lectures with. Even my daughter-in-law a first grade teacher said was obsolete in the classroom.

Clean-up Sunday

We just had some outdoor bricking and stonework done. We were on vacation when the workers put the final touches on the backyard so today was the first day we set out to put the backyard back together. I picked up some new patio furniture at Costco and had some umbrellas and chair pads in our shed in the side yard. Well, when I went to open the shed there was a slight problem the new walkway blocked the door to the shed. My husband tried to remove the door. I said maybe we should just keep it as a time capsule. Someday our children can pry it open and see what we stored in it for years. Oldest son to the rescue. I knew if I gave him a problem there was no way he would leave without solving it. Well five hour later we had organized the shed. Our son filled one large trash with computer stuff that was outdated and left with a handful of boxes he wanted to sell on Craigs list. I have a pile to donate out and the ski and water toys went back in. We screwed to door back on until the next time.

Portion Distortion

Portion distortion: Know how much you're eating

I took the test and failed it miserably. The super sized bagel was the only one I got correct. I have been working out quite faithfully and loosing inches but no weight in a year. Over the weekend by daughter-in-law was being very conscious about her calories intake and when I asked her why, she said weight watchers. She is concerned about gaining the newlywed pounds. I was shocked when we started going over portion size and calories count. One of the things that shocked me was the points in a Quizno salad. I just had one of their little salads and thought it was very healthy. Wrong is was equal to 27 points. 2 points over my allotted average for the day. Since I failed the Portion distortion quiz I am concerned that my lack of weight loss despite daily exercise has to do with portion size. So this week I started looking at portion size and mindless nibbling. I will keep you posted.

The Price of Gas

The price of gas at my local gas station is now 4.29 a gallon for premium. I had 40 dollars in cash last week when I pulled into a local station and the fill up was just about 9 gallons. Have I altered my driving? Yes! I try to cluster my errands. My husband and I carpool to our workout. When I can, I walk in my community. To compensate for the increased price I brew my own coffee at home and pack my lunch. The increase cost in food has not effect us much since our two big guy eaters have moved out. We have noticed that our kids do come over on Sundays for dinner.

Forever Stampa

I though my husband was kidding when he said he purchased $500 in stamps. Since we run a small business from the home and I do not pay all the bills on line we do have to mail items. As of May 12 2008 the price of stamps goes up yet again by 1 cent. So I checked on line and sure enough the Forever stamp is inflation proof.

Seven Vaccines You Need

Immunizations are not just for infants and children. Research has shown that some immunizations people received as infants and young children wear off, putting adults at risk for childhood illnesses. Whooping cough or pertussis can be prevented by getting a Tdap booster. Even if you have had chickenpox there is an increased risk for shingles after age 60. There is a shingles vaccine: Zostavax. If as an adult you should also check to see if you have had measles, mumps and rubella. You can have titers drawn to verify if you have had these childhood diseases in the past. If your titers do not verify you have not had the disease you need a MMR immunization. Remember to get you annual flu vaccine especially if you are into travel in groups or cruises. Don't forget Hepatitis A and B. To see complete article: Seven vaccines you need.

Germs on the keyboard

What's Dirtier than a toilet? Interesting heading for a computer photo. I have said this for years. I hate when I have to use one of the communal university computers. I am always wondering who's hands have been there before me and where the hands have been before they touched the computer keys. Being in the medical profession I am a compulsive hand washer. Just last week there was an article in one of my journals on the spread of germs in schools via computer labs. Since little hands are notable dirty! I do not touch the key boards on unless I absolutely have to. So a note to all you computer nerds. WASH YOUR HANDS before and after you use a communal computer.

Blogging can be group therapy

I have not blogged in a bit. Life has been quite hectic. Now that I am on my summer academic schedule I will have a little more time for blogging. I did read an article this morning on blogging as therapy. I am hardly at the point of desperation as the young woman mentioned in the article, but I must admit that my blog site is a method of communicating my thought to the one or two people that may read my postings. So much to talk about so little time. The Obama /Clinton race is heating up. I am re-landscaping my backyard. The economy is stagnant. The stock market dropped 208 points today. Keep posted for thoughts about all of the above from the reluctant boomer.

Massive Ice Shelf on Verge of Breakup

According to CNN a 220 square mile hunk of ice collapsed in Antartica and and ice shelf about the size of Connecticut is "hanging by a thread". What is the threat to Americans? Nothing according to the British scientists. Ok, so I guess some plants and animals may need to adapt to the warmer climate. The ice collapse is not expected to cause any costal flooding. Yes I am concerned about global warming. I have the special light bulbs in my house. I try to walk in my community on my days off and cluster erands around my commute to and from work. I turn off lights, and have low flush toiets. Quite frankly it would be very expensive to put solar panels on my roof and become energy efficient. Somehow if everybody did the little things we might reduce global warming but I still wonder if is is just a natural cycle.

Tremors

You will never know when you need a gun to protect yourself! Temors has become sort of a cult film. The movie staring Michael Gross and Kevin Bacon was a fun series of low budget movies made in the 80's. Our son just sent us a posting from Youtube of our favorite scene: You have just broken into the wrong "rec" room. Oh, did I happen to mention that Michael Gross is a "boomer" born in 1947. Looks like Kevin Bacon at age 50 is just the tail end of the boomer generation.

Millennium Wine Drinkers

I thought the boomer generation was the true connoisseurs of wine, but I may be wrong. According to some new research (my kind of research) the millennium generation is re-defining the types of wine we may be drinking in the future. The Millennium Wine Club is made up of 20 something wine connoisseurs. Wait! at age twenty all we drank was "Ripple" and "Gallo" wine in a large screw top jug! It was cheap and readily available to the college studentand young professional. If we had a few extra dollars we might purchase "Chianti" in a bottle with a basket bottom and use it as a candle holder after we drank the wine.

5 Good Reasons for Going on Hormones

Hormone therapy or HRT has been given so much bad press lately that I was considering turning in my "patch". I exercise at least 4-5 days a week (not just a little walk but spinning or a weight class) and keep a reasonable diet with a glass of wine nightly. Last week I was a bit freaked out by the lung cancer hormone possible link. I was in NP school in 2002 when the study came out linking hormones to breast cancer, strokes heart attacks and blood clots. At that time doctors just discontinued all hormone therapy to their female menopausal patients. In reviewing the article: 5 good reasons for going on hormones I figured I had 4 out of the 5. The feel better is what I call "fuzzy brain". Not sure if that was because of the hot flashes, sleeplessness, and night sweats. But I wear a little hormone patch that I change once a week. It does the trick. My rational for choosing HRT was that it makes me feel better and as a young women I never did hormonal therapy birth control. Each year I re-evaluate my status with my internist and try to choose a healthy life style.

What's a Life Worth?

What is the first thing that you should do when a person collapses with a cardiac arrest: A. Call 911 B. Use an automatic defibrillator
The answer would be B. Use an automatic defibrillator Whether it is a young athlete who collapses on the field or some one working out in the local gym, or someone on the golf course the use of a defibrillator in the first minutes while waiting for paramedics may just save a life. The device is easy to use and will only shock the person if it is needed, but if it needed it could save precious minutes. At my workout place I located the device the first week I joined the club. My husband and I have thought about keeping one in the car: the cost $1500.00 if it saves a life: Priceless

Gladiators' Season Two

Los Angels Times writer Roy M. Wallack tried out for season II of the American Gladiators. He is a boomer and I hope he makes the final cut. In my previous posts you have seen me bump up my physical exercise to stay in shape for the the same reasons. Diabetes type II is up to crisis level in our population. What can prevent Diabetes Type II: diet and exercise. So someone like Roy with a familial history deserves to be a representative of the boomer generation on the American Gladiators. I also like his comment about "age related deterioration". I blog to keep my brain sharp and spin and exercise to keep my mind and body functioning at its best. So Roy I hope you make the cut to show the world that just because you are are a boomer and a writer that you can "beat young bloods" half your age. If you make the final cut I will cheer for you. Go Boomers!

No Hugs over 2 seconds

What is the world coming to. No hugs in schools is the new rule. I have been donating time in a first grade and have had to learn the new rules. I can only touch the top of a child's head or a slight tap on the shoulder. When I am walking around the class room helping out the little ones I find myself holding my hands behind my back to keep from giving them any encouragement by showing any affection. Now a high school has put a ban on hugs lasting more than 2 seconds. I do wonder if we have gone a bit to far in forbidding any kind of affection in the schools. My daughter and her friends would have been in real trouble. They are all young professionals now and I still enjoy greeting them with a hug. Are we raising a generation of young children who are deprived of any affection at all.

Los Vegas

Did you ever hear the expression: "What happends in Vegas stays in Vegas!" I do not like the casinos or gambling but Las Vegas does have some great areas of interest including the beautiful Bellargio Botanical Gardens. Apparently the casinos and the site seeing isn't all that persons visiting the area may have been exposed to. Headlines today: Thousands exposed to illness in Las Vegas clinic found to be using the same syringe on numerous patients in a local clinic. If there is any chance that you are one of the persons exposed please seek medial care and be tested for Hepatitis C.

Health Care Hits a Boiling Point

I have been listening to (via talk radio KABC 790) the results of the debates but have never sat through a full debate. I was cruising the web this morning (another source of information)and came across a portion of last night debate posted on the Washington Post web site. I am interested in the solution to the health care insurance crisis. My daugher has an individual policy through Blue Cross of California for the healthy young person. She received an option to buy group insurance through her work but is was about $350 dollars more than she is currently paying for her individual policy. My husband and I encouraged her to keep her individual policy while she was young and healthy. Our one fear is if she ever really needs the policy will they find a reason to cancel it. It is why I wanted to listen to the segment of last nights debate called: Health Care Hits a Boiling Point.

My Dad is Better than Your Dad #2

I was cheering for the Navy Seal dad and son to win tonight. I like to cheer on the men that are leaving family and friends to serve our country. But, I did like the Li Team. I just read a review on Yahoo and they thought the show was "cheap and dull". The show is a great family viewing together type of show. Although my kids are grown I would rather see young families watching something wholesome together and good sportsman ship. If you want "dull" what about the Oscars last night!

MacBook Pro.

Today at the very busy Apple Store in Pasadena I played with the iPhone. I actually viewed a part of a TV show while waiting for my daughter to finish her purchase of the new MacBook Pro. I am amazed at the capabilities of her new purchase. I work on an portable computer issued by my University. The best part of my computer is that it is free. It does get the job done for my purposes. But, I did love the iPhone. I am locked into a two year contract with Verizon but when it expires I think I will be ready to make the transition.