Ok, I'm Gonna Say It

Good thing about being a senior, or nearly one, is the ability to just say it. Lay it out there, let the chips fall where they may.

The one good thing about Donald Trump and his republican debut is we no longer have to suffer with so much Sara Palin. The woman makes me nuts.

I love a good debate, especially one with smart people talking real facts. It's down right painful to have to sift through the lies and hyperbole to arrive at some semblance of reality.

Please, quit all that silly jargon, Sara. Just can't take listening to that "hopey changey stuff" you throw out at the American Public.

So, I've said it. I voted for Obama, and he's had a long hard road. Handed two wars, a trashed economy rife with scandals, bail outs, and fraud, a health care system for the rich and a mess of international affairs, the guy is trying.
It's a crazy recession, one they try to tell us actually ended. Well, I'm not feeling it.
So, bottom line, Donald, you are entertaining and preventing the Palin from gaining traction.

What a comic relief, if nothing else.
And that's my rant for today.
Happy Easter and Royal Wedding.

Keep Your Hands Off Social Security

We keep hearing about the budget, the main drains being Medicare, Social Security and Defense.

We know somethings got to be done, but what I want them to know, them being rich politicians who sure as hell wouldn't take a pay cut, a furlough with out pay, cut in benifits, loss of perks or any other such sacrifice we are expected to make in the name of a sane affordable future for our kids.


What kills me is the word "entitlements". Anyone nearing the gold years of collecting some social security knows they've paid in to the system. Every pay check, every year you raised kids, paid taxes, voted, volunteered for civil projects, we baby boomers are expecting to get back some of that.

I know AARP has stats on this, but what percentage of seniors are living solely on social security?

What percentage of seniors need this social security as a vital part of their budget?

We baby boomers are a huge voting block. Don't go taking away our hope of a decent life when we retire by choice or default.

Now that they've gotten us used to no cost of living increase, we're hearing there is actually inflation going on.

It's time to demand some respect. Baby Boomers, Seniors, social security is the investment we've made over 60 years of life time. We want it. We're not donating it to pay off the bail outs of bankers and corporations who don't even pay taxes, who boast billion dollar quarterly profits.

I get it, some youngsters collecting on the social security disablement clause could get a little more scrutiny. Those making huge bucks need to continue paying a percentage into the fund, forget about a cap on taxing their gross income.

If you take away money from seniors, it has to come some other way. We won't be going out to dinner, buying clothes, going on trips, giving grandkids presents.

Is that what politicians want to see happen?

And thats my rant for today.

That Huge Easter Basket

With Easter right around the corner Wal Mart's got the Easter baskets in the main aisle. Those prefab, wrapped gift baskets look like they belong at Birthdays or Christmas.

I mean, when you were growing up, did you get a fluffy 20 inch stuffed bunny in your basket. One had a basket ball in it!
These baskets are going for ten to twenty bucks.
I remember the small colorful wicker basket with plastic grass, ninety percent jelly beans, a few chunky white filled eggs, a real hard boiled egg, one or two fabulous chocolate cream filled eggs, maybe a Peep, rarely, I 'm saying very rarely a chocolate 3 inch bunny.

What has happened here?
Every holiday is overwhelmed with junk. Driving into town I see actual plastic eggs hanging off a deciduous tree. Please, have mercy.

Time for us to down size and get back to the Basic Basket. No toys, no electronics. Just good old fashioned candy, of manageable size.
How can we keep up with the Jones if the Jones are constantly buying all the biggest baskets for kids who have so much crap, anyways? Continually upping the gifting is going to bite in the long haul.

Just saying.

Liev Schreiber is Fantastic

I truly enjoyed Liev Schreiber's work in Defiance, a true story of the Jewish resistance during World War II. I know I've seen his work before. Wikipedia to the rescue returned stunning information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liev_Schreiber Like many artists, his family has some wonderfully weird history. Not your domestic tranquility or boring American family. Free Love, lobotomy, LSD, all the makings of interesting lineage. Recently I saw Sum of All Fears. Liev is brilliant here as well. He's got that don't mess with me, totally capable warrior thing going on. I love it. I'm not a celebrity groupie. I don't care what anyone does in their off time. But this guy's bio caught my attention because he just does his stuff so believably. That is important in good film. If the actor isn't believable, the story falls apart. Thats my take, anyways.

The Japanese call it Ikigai

Reading the latest issue of AARP, yes, I qualify to be a member, we find the good Doctor Mehmet Oz reminding us that it's important to stay active in senior-hood.

I really enjoy Doctor Oz's approach to life, an exploration of possibilities and laughter.
He writes: Instead of treating retirement as a time to take it easy, I purpose a different path. In Japan they call it ikigai, which means "the reason for which we wake up in the morning."

Doctor, I get up each morning because it hurts too much to lay there any more. All the aches, pains, and stiffness that goes with staying in one position too long make me approach mornings with zest.
I get up , brew some coffee, read , and plan the day's adventures. Stretching helps.
Not wanting to overdo the Tylenol, I take the natural path.

Does that count?
Use it or lose it applies to cognition as well as large muscle groups. Keeping plenty of options open is my strategy:
hike to the river, or hike to the cave,or hike to the spring,or hike to the road.

Life doesn't have to be boring. Some days I get out of bed on the right side.
Some days I choose the left.

What's Up With Elf Ears?

I don't get it.
Why would a person be allowed to mutilate another person's ears?
I understand why kids would do it: get a rise out of us oldsters, be part of the herd while making a bold statement, turn heads, cry for help without cutting their wrists.

I met several kids working in Yellowstone who had enormous, we're talking two inch diameter, rings embedded in their ear lobes instead of your every day pierced ears. Sort of African Bush.

Kids forget one day they'll be looking over a senior coffee, reading the town blotter, fighting a spreading waiste line, drawing on eye brows and plucking rouge hairs.
Like the rest of us.

Then, how are they gonna feel about the ears that were clipped at the top, sewn back together, allowed to heal in a definitely pointed Elfshape?
Body art, common tattoos and multiple piercings just don't rate anymore cause us Near Senior-hoods are doing it too. Clearly the way to discourage stupid behavior.

So, my solution?
All of us with less than half a century of life expectancy go get your ears mutilated.
That will stop this trend dead in its tracks.

Five R Survival Strategy

The Five Rs I've identified for the Survivalist are:

Reduce the clutter, the obligations, the amount of stuff you own.

Reuse the things you have until they are worn completely out.

Repair the things you have to prolong their use.

Recycle everything you can by remaking it into personal use items, donating them to a thrift store, or to a recycle center.

Redefine the things you need in life for comfort, safety and emotional well being.

Redefining your needs is a long term project if you've been raised in a middle or upper class environment. I take it one day at a time. It doesn't mean buying cheap stuff. Maybe it means buying one good thing, and spending more on it.

These skills are earth friendly and lower your carbon footprint.
In a true survival situation that wouldn't be the primary concern. Right now I can afford to care about the planet.


Each of these Rs will have a day of its own to be really explored. Please stay tuned, share and comment.

Drugs for Seniors

I read an article that dealth with older folks getting on so many medications they were causing complications leading to dementia, feebleness, and depression.

Its depressing enough just being on one drug. Right now I'm taking metrodidazole, a generic form of Flagal.
The list of side effects range from blindness to nausea, bowel problems, dizziness, persistent nerve problems, loss of appetite, and more.

Nausea and dizziness are acceptable. A person's got to get an infection under control. But Blindness?

Got me scared. My appetite is fine, thanks. No dizziness, but if I wake up screaming cause I went blind, the shtf, if you know what I mean.

Dummy Pills-the Dumbing Down of Language

"... also appeared to be less common in women who'd taken estrogen than among those on dummy pills. An editorial accompanying the study notes that those findings contrast with many studies linking estrogen"--from an article on Estrogen studies.

Dummy Pills?
What's up with that? In my day they were called Placebo, a pill without drugs used to do comparison studies with other drugs. A placebo tests the "mind" affect, the possiblity that a person's belief that they are receiving medication will actually give them the same benifits as the actual drug.

Our bodies are amazing. Given the right atmosphere, the right foods and emotional support, they will heal. The article talks about using drugs to alliviate symptoms. How about we try natural things like flax seed (found in the baking aisle), sunshine (vitamin D is found to reduce cancer, stroke and a host of other problems), exercise (improves mood, flexibility, joint pains).
I'm all for taking personal responsibility for our own health, and limiting drug exposure. Sometimes you got to do it, I understand.

So why can't we use the proper words? Have American's become so dumb that they need the easiest word, words even a two year old can understand?

This excellent article had a lot of useful information, but using the term "dummy pills" repeatedly turned me off. This is medical information. Can't we use real terms and quit dumbing down the English Language?

O.K. I'll take a deep breath.
That's my rant for today.

Sex and the City 2- A Movie Review

Samantha is a whopping 52 year old going through menopause with a bucket of pills and creams to ease the journey.

Kari is having marriage issues with Big, who we now can know as "John" and as a rookie in the game, must be cut some slack.

Miranda changes jobs to be more appreciated and learns arabic.

Charlotte has a braless nanny worth her weight in gold because of her talent for the ever crying two year old.

This movie is two and a half hours of make believe. I watched the series when the girl friends were out on the town, facing real life as they saw it in a Shoe Filled world. Bad examples, they slept with random men, even on the first date. In my day, it was scandolous to even kiss a guy, much less let him get to second base.

What are the messages here? You gotta love the cast of guys, husbands, loving and tolerant of these spoiled fancy pants women.

I'm not your typical gal approaching senior-hood. I'm way more basic and down to earth. You'll not catch me running around the house in four inch heels, don't care how cute as kittens they are.
A dress, on your day off? You're kidding me. I feel about dresses the way a guy feels about a suit coat. I feel about nylons and heels the way a guy feels about a tie.
Its for special occassions.
We fell in love with our four gals on the HBO Hit Series Sex and the City.
Not so much on these last two movies.
But, what ever, I'll still watch them when I get around to it. Not something I would buy, rent or see twice, however.
Just me.

FaceBook Skills

Everything I know about my grandkids, my kids, their friends, their LIKES, I learned on Facebook.

Its not really That bad, but interestingly each morning I turn on the computer, I can see new photos of the grandkids playing with toys, wearing each others shoes, saying silly things.

The cutest ever.
And, my kids will post stuff about coffee preferences, stuff they bought at the thrift store, who they're watching on t-v, all sorts of things you'd never imagine.

Its easy to join Facebook. Keep your privacy levels for friends only, don't put out your personal travel schedule, or post addresses or phone numbers online, and you're good to go.

I know, this new web thing can get intimidating. I read sucessful people never say they hate the internet.
I can see a love-hate relationship, for sure, kinda like the hubby.