Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

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.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

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.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

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

Monday, March 3, 2008

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!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

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.