reluctant boomer

Skinny Jeans

2009-08-10T14:09:00.001-07:00

I wear jeans for the mature figure. I have found Jag and NYDJ fit me better than most other jeans. This year my workout has focused more on the abds to get rid of the "muffin" top or "luv handles". Today I found this work out for the women who want to wear skinny jeans. I was getting frustrated with losing inches but no pounds. My daughter linked me up to a program call livestrong and when I entered all my calories per day I was surprized that I was rewarding myself for my hour workouts. Nothing major: a few jelly beans, a glass of wine in the evening, a handful of M&Ms etc. So I was expeding more calories but ingesting just as many as a reward. So I set my mark for one pound per week and I have lost 2.5 pounds. I just have to be careful not to reward myself for the weight loss.

DNA Testing for Talent

2009-08-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

In China parents are having their children (only child) screened for talent. I know about testing DNA for disease but I did not know you could also predict talents, temperament, and IQ. This seems like parenting to the extreme. The Video shows little kids being evaluated by a team of people to see what their talents are as toddlers. One segment shows a child about 4 or 5 going through a vigorous work-out for gymnastics. No wonder our gymnasts never have a chance at the Olympics. I wonder how many rebellious teens they are going to have in the future. What ever happened to allow you child to explore and find their gifts?

Health Care like Congress!

2009-08-03T09:59:00.001-07:00

The LA Times this weekend had an article about the generous benefits package, subsidized by taxpayers that lawmakers receive. President Obama keeps on placating the public by saying that their health care will be just like theirs. The plan favored by most federal employees costs about #1030 per family. Sounds a bit high? Well we the taxpayer picks up about $700 of that amount. I calculated that if all Americans had that type of plan it would cost 5.2 trillion dollars per year. Interesting!

Cash for Clunkers

2009-08-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, what next? I actually thought about turning in our 1998 Ford F150 pick up truck for cash (and another car), but it did not make good financial sense at this time. The truck is in good condition, it runs well, burns a little gas but we just add a little extra oil as needed. The cost to insure it is about $400 dollars per year. It is driven occasionally by every member of the family. Sometime you just need a pick up truck to haul things around. I read about a guy who traded in his old truck this week. He felt this was his chance to get a new vehicle at a discounted price. He had lost his job and used all of his saving to do this. Of course he did not mention the increased cost of the car insurance of the new vehicle or the fact that he had used all of his savings to purchase it. I guess now he will get unemployment to pay his bills and health care subsidized by working people. What next?

Social Security and Medicare

2009-05-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

It seems that two major programs the government is currently in charge of our running out of money. Social Security and Medicare funds will be depleted in 2016 and Medicare will be involvent by 2017. These dates fall in the years when the bulk of the "Baby Boomers" will need the programs. Is this the time for the government to get involved in providing health care for all the able bodies persons in the US? Who is going to fund all this? The children of this generation can't even get into the workforce let alone support all the "Boomers." We have been a generation who have spent freely on real and projected earnings but who will support us. Another story talks about a 50 year old upset because he cannot retire to golf and write a novel in 5 years. The just turning 50 will just have to get in line or find another career path for the golden years. Hopefully the young, energetic eco-boomers and gen X's will solve the problem. The government can't do everything.

Swine Flu

2009-04-28T09:50:00.001-07:00

Are you nervous about the potential "pandemic" swine flu alerts? My husband has just finished a book on the plague and we were discussing the book when the next morning our friend sent us an email about the swine flu outbreak. Of course with the news media outlets we have been able to track the new cases on an interactive map. My first inclination was to get provisions and stay indoors. Last week a student and her son had flu like symptoms and fever. She return to class with a cough. Was it really the swine flu? My daughter-in-law had a flu like illness with fever for three days last week, was it the swine flu? Not every person suffering from flu like symptoms seeks health care. So, I thought maybe I have already been exposed to the dreaded swine flu. Today I am wondering if the media is just stirring the pot to make us grateful that President Bush hoarded the medications needed to treat a massive outbreak of the flu. (Yes I did say President Bush)President Obama made it sound like he actually mixed the batches of the medication himself and has subsequently released the miracle drug to the public.

Susan Boyle

2009-04-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

I was brought to tears watching a youtube copy of Susan Boyle performing on Britains Got Talent. It is a British version of American Idol. I must admit I have been following American Idol this year. I got tired of all the heavy news about the economy and job loss. I must say I like Simon Cowell. His comments although often caustic are usually right on. The "don't judge a book by the cover" seemed to apply in the case of Susan. Simon was rolling his eyes as she answered the preliminary questions. It appeared that the panel of judges assumed that she would be a "dud" due to her dowdy appearance and 47-years-of age. Being a "Boomer" I loved watching their faces as she belted out a song from Les Miserables. Please enjoy, Susan Boyle.

Multigenerational Families

2009-03-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

The current economy has been affecting families in various ways. My son has friends that have lost their jobs and are moving back home. I have a neighbor whose daughter, husband and 3 kids who may lose their home do to the husbands job loss. Today I read about seniors who are being forced to move in with their sons and daughters. Actually my best walking friends mom may just have to do that. People in their 80's + do not have the time to re-coup their losses. Staying in the work force is the topic of conversation where I work. I am up to renew a 5 year contract and some days I wonder if I will have the energy to work at my same pace for the next 5 years. I love the job security but have to admit I am not as young as I use to be.

Eating Healthy on a Shoestring Budget

2009-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

I just got back from a walk to the local farmers market. My friend and I love to walk on Saturday mornings and this morning she had a limited time to walk so we went to the farmers market to talk while we shopped. Today they had great looking berries. I picked up some veggies to finish up a three bean soup we are making today and a loaf of fresh baked bread. When I got home I was browsing the web and found an article by CNN correspondent Sean Callebs who has just finished an assignment where he lived on the equivalence of food stamps for a week. The thing he missed most was his diet soda. Amazing after a month without it he lost his taste for the diet drink and felt he may have lost a few pounds and felt pretty good. Cooking meals at home takes some thought and planning. I did have to soak the beans last night and get a few fresh ingredients but the three bean soup should be good for a couple of meals. A child of the 60's I did not eat in a sit down restaurant until I was a senior in high school. The only fast food I had was an occasional White Castle Hamburger. Maybe this generation needs to learn how to cook.

Cutting costs

2009-03-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

When the kids were young I clipped food coupons weekly. I gave up the practice when they grew up and our food bills decreased. Well, as a cost cutting move I started clipping coupons again. Last week I saved $42. I don't think I would be able to save this much weekly because my pantry is filled and I have back-up laundry soap, dish soap, tootpaste etc. Yesteday an older women was slowing the line with all her coupons and the person in front of me was getting a little impatient. I made a comment on how much I saved the week before and the woman looked at me for a second and commented "that much". She than proceed to tell me her son graduating this year from college had no job prospects in sight. She was frustrated for him. Yes, our young adult children are suffering from the down ecomony even more than us old timers. We at least had an opportunity to enter the workforce and work our way up in the world. It seems the world as they know it is collapsing. In my opinion we are headed back to the late 1970's to early 80's went interest rates were 12.5% and I sewed my kids clothing and clipped coupons weekly. Maybe we will all benefit from going back to simpler times.

Do Finances Count?

2009-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have 3 children who are all done with school and in the workforce. They graduated from college dept free and are all trying to put some money away each month. We have taught our children to be financially responsible and that their yearly goals should include financial goals. Even in this tight economy people who cut back and save for the future will land on top. This week-end was Valentines day and I saw this clip on CNN about the question: Do Finances Count? I pondered the question for a bit. My husband and I have been married for 31 years and have weathered many a storm (including financial) by setting yearly goals. I am always astounded that women do not financially plan for the future. All three of my kids and our daughter-in-law have IRAs. There have been years that we have had to help them out a little but they have all consistently put money away. Since I teach college I encourage my students to put money away for their future. It is hard to ask the questions about finances during the dating period but I think finances play a huge part in a couples ability to stay married for a long period of time.

Bottle Shock

2009-02-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

I have decided during this economic downturn I would continue to support the local businesses in my community. We have a video / DVD store that has survived the arrival and subsequent demise of a Block Buster Video Store. This evening the owner suggested a little movie called Bottle Shock. The movie is directed by Randall Miller and is a story of the early days of California wine making. The movie stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman and Chris Pine. So I settled in on this cold rainy California evening with a glass of wine and my big screen TV. What a pleasant surprise. It was uplifting and encouraging for people who want to follow their dreams. Hopefully the huge stimulus package our current government is proposing does not destroy the American Dreams of the small business people.

Flight 1549

2009-01-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

I heard the announcement about an airplane down in the Hudson River on Thursday while driving around doing errands. We are frequent flyer's and often request the bulk head or exit rows since they offer a little more room. On a recent flight from Hawaii I was seated right by the exit window and when the steward came by and asked me if I could do the task I said yes. I read the instructions a few times and visualized what I would do if I was called to action. The same day passengers on a flight out of Denver had to open the emergency exits and on Thursday passengers on Flight 1549 had to do the same. I have pondered whether I should volunteer to sit in the strategic aisle on future flights. Size is a factor but so is the ability to keep a cool head. I suspect in the future passengers might be more vigalent about listening to the safery instructions before take-off.

Happy 2009

2009-01-03T09:14:00.001-08:00

I for one was quite happy to see 2008 end. I am all about new beginings and hopefully 2009 will be better than the end of 2008. The end of January we will have a new president. Hopefully he will be able to fullfill all the promises he made during the campaign. The stockmarket on January 2 did a little turn around. It sounds like some failing institutions are being purchased by people with money. I do wonder if this would have occured naturally if big government had not stepped in. If the housing market continues its downward spiral maybe our children can actually get into the housing market it 2009 or 2010. I don't do resoolutions. I try to do something positive for myself each year. My goal this year to come out of my comfort zone a little. Not sure what this means yet but I have 352 days to try something new in my life. Stay tuned!

Boston Legan Finale

2008-12-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-02T13:16:00.001-08:00

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

2008-12-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-08T19:55:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-24T14:39:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

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

2008-09-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-04T20:51:00.003-07:00

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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.

2008-09-04T20:51:00.001-07:00

Laura Bush and Cindy McCain

2008-09-01T19:24:00.001-07:00

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

2008-08-21T10:46:00.001-07:00

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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

2008-08-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-16T18:05:00.001-07:00

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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

2008-08-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-07-30T11:08:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-17T10:48:00.001-07:00

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

2008-07-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-15T20:44:00.001-07:00

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

FONDUE - GIRLS GONE GRILLING (CAMPING EDITION)recipes and videosEatDrinkorDie.com

See more recipes and videos at Eat Drink or Die

Aging Brain

2008-07-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-08T12:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-01T21:47:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-06-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-12T22:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T15:58:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-02T21:48:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-16T12:57:00.001-07:00

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

2008-03-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-03-04T21:49:00.001-08:00

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

2008-03-03T13:13:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-01T22:11:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-27T11:05:00.000-08:00

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

2008-02-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-02-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

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.

American Idol

2008-02-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, I said I do not watch reality TV and here I sit watching the American Idol. I watched the womens competiton tonight and I do believe that there are some pretty lively young ladies in the running for the next American Idol. They were fun to watch. I have my votes for the first two I would vote "off the Island." Amy and Kady. I guess I will have to tune in next week to see the results.

Gaining Weight in the Workplace

2008-02-20T08:31:00.001-08:00

I find when I am working the tendency to gain weight it greater. Add in cold wet weather and the temptation is even greater to eat! eat! eat! Comfort foods such as meat loaf and mash potatoes, stews with french bread on the side are the foods of choice. At work it seems someone is always leaving goodies in the break room. I work out almost daily but as my trainer reminds me you need to decrease calories intake to lose weight. Thus the struggle. I have tried all the suggestions in the Gaining Weight in the workplace article and still I struggle with passing up the goodies. When I am stressed I just love a buttermild donut with my tea to perk me up.

Core Body Work-Out

2008-02-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

Work out with the big blue ball or the New Years Resolution. I have been doing a spin class for over 6 months and decided after the first of the year I would go out of my comfort zone and try some of the classes offered by the Equinox health club I belong to. The first weeks I was quite sore and struggled to maintain balance during the basic exercises. Just when I have learned a new routine a new movement is introduced. I must admit despite being quite sore for the first few weeks I feel my balance has become a lot better and my strengh is increasing.

My Dad is Better Than Your Dad

2008-02-18T21:45:00.001-08:00

I have not been a big fan of reality TV although I did watch American Idol and the Film Maker Show (forgot the name already) but with my daughter being part of the production team I tuned in tonight for the premier. It has been fun to watch. I guess if you need a bonding experience with your child this would be fun. My daughter fell in love with the kids.

100 Years Within Reach

2008-02-12T20:36:00.001-08:00

Live to be 100! According to the Archives of Internal Medicine with aggressive treatment of the elderly even those with long term health problems is a real posibility. Although I would love to live another 40 plus years I hope that I would still be able to live independently and have a functioning brain. Today I feel old. It has been an exhausing day (no the photo is not of me) and I wonder if 40 years from now I will have any energy left. I teach college age students and somedays it is just plain hard to keep up with their high energy level both physically and mentally.

Cost of the land-line telephone

2008-02-11T08:15:00.000-08:00

Reduce your land-line monthy bills. My husband and one of my sons have the Iphone, my other son some blue tooth phone device and my daughter and I cell phones. The land line in the house rings occasionally and we have a couple of messages per week left on the answer machine. I looked at my AT&T bill last month and it was over $50 per month. When it came in this month I looked at it to see why the high price tag for such limited us. Our basic plan was about $29 but all the little extras such as a second line, call waiting and call ID added up to the additional costs. Part of me wanted to discontinue the line all together but we do use the line to send fax messages. I called the helpful representative at AT&T and we got the bill down $25 dollars per month. So keep an eye on the monthy bills and critically look at how you might save a few bucks.

2008-02-09T20:07:00.000-08:00

My husband and I so enjoyed going to the movies last week that we decided to look at the current movies showing. My daughter-in law suggested No Country for Old Men. They had viewed the film and rated it as one of the best movies of the year. Tommy Lee Jones is a great actor and there is not much that he has done that I have not liked. The movie was not showing locally so we will have to wait until it comes to DVD and view it on our big screen with surround sound.

The Bucket List

2008-02-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

My husband and I do not go to the moview very often but we were out with friends in Palm Desert last weekend for lunch and and a movie. After viewing a variety of choices on their IPhones the guys suggested The Bucket List. We went to the late afternoon viewing in a theater filled with boomer plus age group. The film was very entertaining. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman played two crusty old men diagnosed with cancer who use their remaining time to complete a list of things they wanted to do before they died. Although the film was given only two stars out of four the four of us enjoyed it. Maybe it was because as boomers we realize we will not live forever and we need to enjoy ourselves a bit.

Super Bowel

2008-02-03T21:52:00.000-08:00

Todays Super Bowel Game was the first game in years that I would classify as an exciting game to watch. I was grading papers during the game (especially the first three quarters). The last quarter was especially exciting. Of course the commercials are always a big draw. I was up and down during the commercials and was delighted to be able to view them on-line. My favorites Jackie Moon and the E-trade baby.

China Ice Storm

2008-02-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

What do the people in china have in common with the people in LA. Neither group of people can drive in rain and snow. According to the news Bejing China had a $10,000 car pile up. Trust me the last couple of weeks with all our rain and pile-ups on the freeways. I often envisioned something like tanks comming in and clearing the roadways. Life use to be so much simpler when there were a couple million less cars on the LA freeways.

Pretty in Pink / Boston Legal

2008-01-31T20:03:00.001-08:00

What does the movie Pretty in Pink and Boston Legal have in common. The answer James Spader. I have just completed viewing the DVD 1st season of Boston Legal and have ordered two more seasons on amazon.com. Maybe the writers strike has a bright spot. It has forced me to revisit the earlier years of Boston Legal. I have watched the show from time to time and enjoyed it but have really enjoyed watching the first season to see how the characters have developed. My husband will not watch the series due to his love of William Shatner as Captain Kirk in the Star Treck series. I loved Candice Bergen in Murphy Brown and am pleased to see that a boomer age female can play a sexy smart lawyer on TV. I saat at lunch with a group of female lawyers and Boston Legal was the talk of the table.

Cloverfield

2008-01-27T10:54:00.001-08:00

The new Cloverfield movie is filmed in the "shakey" camera mode. I am surrounded by film critics in my family and they have loved the film. My husband can't stand the hand held camera mode. He gets totally disoriented and sightly nauseated when watching movies shot in this manner. See the trailer. Is this type of filming going to be the division between the young and the old film viewers.

2008-01-24T08:49:00.001-08:00

Are You An Obnoxious Patient?

Being in medicine for all of my adult life this article posted on cnn.com intrigued me.
Don't demand medications over the telephone. This may sound pretty basic, but patients do this all the time. If the patient has been seen recently this can be an acceptable practice. If the person has not been seen recently the physician will most likely ask to see you.
Don't come in loaded with Internet articles. I saw this all the time in the pediatric population. Not the kids but the parents. Anytime there was new information on line or an article in the LA Times Health section I would be prepared for parents to ask about the information presented in the article.
Organize your questions. Sometimes I feel like I am on an archaeological dig trying to find out exactly while the patient has come in to be see. If you are a first time patient you may actually request more time. The last suggestion: please be kind to the health care provider - we are people to and are doing the best to give each client the time and attention required.

Bloomer Blogger

2008-01-23T19:31:00.000-08:00

Is the younger generation intimidated by the "boomer" plus generation use of technology. My family loves it. It is raining in Southern California. The freeways are at an absolute standstill, but do to text messaging. I know my husband is waiting out the freeway standstill at my daughters condo and my daughter is spending the night at her brother and sister-in-laws house a few minutes from her work. My college age students love the fact that I text. I suspect they are happy that they can reach me anytime, anywhere. My ability to text message and use the computer is directly related to my ability to type. I keep on having flash backs to my high school days when my high school teacher encouraged me to take typing in my senior year. The goal at that time was to be able to type 70 words a minute to I could work as a secretary. Boy did I fool them: a college degree and two graduate degrees later. According to an article on CNN some youngsters feel that the "older" generation is invading their private space. Move over youngsters....we are not ready to give up our toys.

Stock Market Worries

2008-01-23T10:57:00.001-08:00

As a Boomer what is one to do with the rapid stock market decline. I am nervous about looking at my retirement plan. I am beginning to sound like part of the "older" generation. I am not particularly worried about the housing market, even if the "value" of my house has declined a bit. The market has been totally overpriced in Southern California anyway. My husband and I have been discussing what to do with money we would put in savings monthy. Maybe putting it under the mattress is not such a bad idea.

Text Messaging

2008-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas I decided I needed to learn to text message. My husband and 3 adult kids (plus daughter-in-law) all keep in touch with each other by text messaging. I went to my local Verizon dealer and asked a young salesperson for a phone that had a separate key board so I could type in a message and send it. It seconds she picked out the perfect phone. One side is a telephone and when flipped open becomes a keyboard. The next day I announced to my college students that I was entering the 21st century with my ability to text. Sure enough the next morning a student had texted me an inquiry about a grade. While on a trip to Kauai over the Christmas break I was able to keep in touch with my kids via little messages. I assisted by daughter in buying gifts for her sibling via photos sent to me on my new device. I LOVE it. If I can adapt to the new technology any one can.

2008-01-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

2008 Resolutions

I know I have not posted in a bit but today seems as good a day as any. I have done a few new things in the past few weeks:

1. I text message
2. I started a new "body sculpting" and "step" class
3. I made a photo calendar thanks to I-photo on the Mac computer

Quite a list of accomplishments for the reluctant bloomer.

2007-11-17T21:32:00.001-08:00

Drivers Test!
If you had to take your writen drivers test over again today could you pass it? I have been able to automatically sign up to get a new drivers licence since 2000. My licence expires in November to 2008 and I hope I am not going to be one of those randomly chosen people who have to re-take the written portion of the Drivers exam. I would have to study the little booklet again. As a member of the Boomer generation I do worry at what point the government will question my ability to operate a motor vehicle. I live in LA and we have no public transportation to speak of. Maybe in the next 10 yeats or so they will actually link the train lines so I can get around the city in my old age.

2007-11-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Has the Writers Guild effected you? A week a ago I would have commented NO. But my son posted an article about viewing TV programs on line and I hit the link to view The Office.(Counterfeitgirlscoutcookies.com) I have watch The Office via TVO but had never viewed a TV episode on line. I suspect I will continue to do so. I went to www.nbc.com and was able to view an episode of Chuck that I had missed last week. Now I know why the writers want a piece of the action. My son and his wife do a large percentage of their TV viewing on line.

2007-11-11T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hi-tech Melt Down!

I am quite literate with computer use. I have my own web page, I blog and I have done a few text messages on my husband Iphone. This week I had a total "melt-down" when my hand held Targus mobile presenter did not work. This is my second hand-held presenter. I unfortuntely misplaced my first one two weeks ago. The Targus brand is different than my first one, but I was desperate and did not want to go to numerous stores. My problem: the new device had to be installed. The fist day I took it to class I could not get it to work! Of course I had lost the directions. My last device just worked when I plugged it in. One did not have to take "steps" to help the device and the presenter connect. I tried calling the 1-800 help desk. After talking with someone in India for about 30 minutes I gave up. At that point I got into my car, computer and device in hand and went back to the Office Depot where I had purchased the device. I am sure when I asked for the manager (lap-top computer and device in hand) they thought what a "crazy" lady. After playing with the device and the computer for a few minutes the manager managed to help the two connect. THANK YOU! Now if I can just remember where I put the device from week-to-week I have conquered another "tech toy".

2007-11-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Decade-by-Decade guide to exercise. I have been exercising pretty regularly most of my adult life. I enjoy movement and find that when I am tired or stresses exercise energizes me. But I do know that the work-out I did years ago is not what I can do now. Oprah does a nice overview of exercise for various decades. With a birthday comming up in a few weeks I can't turn back the clock, but I can keep myself moving and feeling good. At my spin class last week a fellow spinner (30 year old) was amazed that I had three adult kids. Her comment brought a smile to my lips and more power to my old legs.

2007-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

California Fire Season

Southern California has four seasons: earthquake, floods and landslides, riots and fires. My second son was born in November of 1980. When he was four days old I found myself without electricity, howling winds, fire in the local hills and two babies under 18 months. We had just moved to a new neighborhood and did not know any of our neighbors. As I huddled with my two babies in a house with no heat a neighbor invited me to sit in her kitchen where she had a gas stove so we were able to cook a simple meal. Today I was cleaning up the yard and the same neighbor was out raking up the leaves and branches that had fallen in the recent wind storm. We talked about how fortunate we were to be unaffected by the fires (other than the smoke filled air). I looked towards the Angeles Crest Mountains to the North of my community and said a little thank you that we had been spared a major catastrophe.

2007-10-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Super Bug!

S. aureus bacteria are amongst the populations of bacteria normally found existing on ones skin surface. However, over time, various populations of these bacteria have become resistant to a number of antibiotics, which makes them very difficult to fight when attempting to treat infections where MRSA bacteria are the responsible pathogens. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. What can you to protect yourself. WASH your hands with soap and water when you can and with water free anti-bacterial anticeptics when water is unavailable. If you have a skin infection that appears to be getting worse seek medical treatment.

MRSA

Home or Illusive Dream

2007-10-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Home or Illusive Dream!

We have been out house hunting with our son and his wife. What an ordeal! We have lived in the same house for over 26 years and have done 4 remodels to date. (We have one more planned for the master bedroom in the Spring of 2008.) So, we have not looked at housing for quite a few years. We live in Los Angeles County where home prices are totally inflated. We have looked at homes for a half a million dollars that are total fixer uppers. We saw tile that we removed 2 remodels ago still in bathrooms and kitchens. We have seen leaking water heaters, water damage, old electrical outlets, vintage kitches appliances etc. It was quite depressing. My son and wife are savers but we do not want them going into finiancial debt to buy the "Illusive Dream." I believe the market has outpriced the average buyer. A combined income over $100,000 dollars a year will not even get you into a 900 square foot house in Southern California. I watch HGTV and know all the tricks.

2007-10-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

Fear you are losing your marbles?
Some days I really believe I am losing my marbles (memory)! I keep on telling myself that it is because I have jammed so much into my brain there is no more room. But the article on Tricks to help your memory intrigued me. I read a lot and exercise almost daily so I am on the right path to keeping my memory intact. Playing mah-jongg sounds interesting. Mah-jongg is a chinese memory game. When I have a spare minute in my life I may actually try it. It took me 5 years just to find the rocket ship in Tetris.

2007-10-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

Study Rates Heart Health of Popular Diet Plans

Not all diet plans are equally healthy. Diets that emphasize fruits and vegetables scored better than those that emphasis heavy proteins. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School ranked the various diets: Ornish Plan, Zone Diet, Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach Diet, New Glucose Revolution and 2005 MyPyramid Plan. The Ornish Plan (I have no idea what this diet is!) earned the most points. I was disappointed that the 2005 Pyramid ranked sixth. Today is football watching Saturday and I just finished making some good old fashion chicken vegetable soup. So far my husband and daughter have eated a bowl and declared it delicious. I will leave the kettle on the stove simmering all day and I suspect the next group of young adults that wanders through the house will take a cup. So my contribution to health in a kettle of vegetable soup simmering on the stove.