Monday, May 24, 2010

Senior Tips on Making Whoopee

1. Wear your glasses to make sure your partner is really there.

2. Set timer for 3 minutes, in case you doze off in the middle.

3. Set the mood with lighting. (Turn them ALL OFF!)

4. Make sure you put 911 on your speed dial before you begin.

5. Write partner's name on your hand in case you can't remember.

6. Use extra poly-grip so your teeth don't end up under the bed.

7. Have Tylenol ready in case you actually complete the act..

8. Make all the noise you want....the neighbors are deaf, too.

9. If it works, call everyone you know with the good news!!

10. Don't even think about trying it twice.

***I love emails like this that make their way into my mailbox***

Saturday, May 22, 2010

The Very Next Time...Consider This

This morning I received a blessing in a blog post. It came from my Fabulously 40 and Facebook friend, Tori Fisher. She reminded me of how important it is for us not to be so quick to pass judgement on others and to be thankful for what we have.

Seeing this post this morning reaffirms how important social media has become in my life---where someone I've never met who lives hundreds of miles away can touch my life in a special, positive way.

Here's a portion of her blog post:

The very next time you get upset because someone cut you off in traffic; consider that they might be rushing to get to a loved one who needs them…

The very next time a clerk is rude to you at a grocery store, consider that they just received their paycheck and it’s been confirmed that they simply cannot feed their children…

The very next time you say something hurtful, mean or just downright ignorant to someone, consider how that might make you feel if someone said it to you or your mother…

THANKS TORI!

To read her entire post, please click on the title of this post and it will take you directly to her blog.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Gym Etiquette for Baby Boomer Women

In my aerobics class today, one of the women broke her beaded bracelet while swinging her arms to the beat of the music. As a result, beads flew all across the floor, creating a possible hazard for anyone who would've stepped on them during our dance step routine. As she proceeded to pick them up she said, "I knew this would happen." I thought to myself, "Then why did you wear it in the first place?"

I am always amazed at the boomer women who come into the Duke Center for Living for a workout. As a fellow boomer, I feel I must've missed the memo on the appropriate attire to wear because I am no where near looking like they do. Nearly every women who comes in has on make-up and is loaded down with very nice jewelry. It's almost as if they're afraid to be seen in public without being made up and they fear robbery if they leave their valuables at home.

I even saw one woman in the locker room actually putting on eyeliner BEFORE she began the aerobics class.

The purpose of going to the gym is to get a good workout so you can increase your endurance and burn some calories. It's not about what you look like going in....but rather what you feel like after the workout.

Besides, makeup and sweat just don't mix.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Image of Bill Cosby

Let me start off by saying, I am NOT an image consultant but I do feel qualified to say what I think looks good and what doesn't.

That brings me to the reason for this post and my thoughts on the attire comedian Bill Cosby chose to wear while speaking to the graduating class at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC this past weekend.

I did not attend the graduation but I did see a news clip and I was stunned at his appearance. He wore a long sleeve tee-shirt and sweat pants. I was so shocked by his dress that I had difficulty listening to his message. It looked as if he had just gotten off a plane and ran right over to the Stadium without time to change. I'm not sure what message he was trying to send but it wasn't a good one in my opinion.

Here is a man who is constantly speaking out about the negative images in the black community and how parents must take reponsibility for their children's behavior. I totally agree with him on that, however, Mr. Cosby must own up to what he says by portraying a positive role model for young people. Dressing down may meet them on their level but it sends a wrong message.

Someone suggested to me that maybe he dressed that way as a joke. If that was the case then the reporter failed to do her job in explaining that.

Would Mr. Cosby have gone to Duke, Temple or Princeton dressed like that? Maybe so, but the point is no matter who you are you should set a positive example to young people who look up to you---and not just with your money.

Maybe I am really out of touch but I can't imagine speaking to any group of young people in similar attire---unless we were on some type of outing event. What do you say?

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Shame on Lawrence Taylor and the State of New York

I don't know which is more shocking----the fact that former NFL player Lawrence Taylor would allegedly have sex with an underage girl or at the laws in the state of New York.

For those of you who have been living in outer space for the past couple of days, media reports allege the former NY Giants star paid a 16-year-old girl to have sex with him in his hotel room. The girl, according to reports, was delivered to his hotel room by a pimp.

She had been reported missing by her uncle, who called the New York Police Department saying he had received a text message from her. That message led police to an address in the Bronx where the 36-year-old alleged pimp was arrested and charged in the case.

Not long afterwards, Taylor was also arrested at his hotel room.

The 51-year-old faces a maximum of one year in prison on the solicitation charge, which is considered a misdemeanor. The maximum sentence for third-degree rape, a felony, is four years.

I don't know whether this baby boomer is guilty or not, however, my second thought when I heard the news was why would he need to stay in a hotel if he owned a home nearby--especially since his wife was staying at their second home in Florida?

My first thought was how could the State of New York think a convicted rapist of a CHILD should only receive the maximum sentence of four years in prison?

Perhaps that's why we have so many perverts running around.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Parenting Your Parents

If you are not already, you may someday find yourself taking care of your aging parents. It is not an easy task by any means, but one that is necessary in order to ensure their quality of life remains intact---especially if they become disabled. As primary caregivers for our parents, my husband and I have gone through a crash course on the subject.

I'd like to offer some tips on elderly care:

If you are not in a position to take care of your parents, make sure you do as much research as you can on nursing homes/assisted living facilities. They are NOT all the same.

Stay on top of your parent's nursing home and medical care. Visit as often as you can to let staff know you care about what's going on. Sadly, many elderly are "dumped" into nursing homes by family members, who rarely come back to visit them.

Know what medicines are being prescribed. If you don't know what they're for, ASK.

Know the medicare and medicaid laws as it relates to your state. What we discovered is some laws are different from state-to-state. This is especially important to know if you must transport your loved one to a different state.

Don't be afraid to challenge the system. When my mother-in-law sustained some bruises that no one could explain, we filed a grievance with the County Social Services and then the State. As a result, one nurse was fired---another resigned and my mother-in-law was watched much more closely. Of course, we weren't the most liked family after that but you do what you have to do in order to protect your loved one and ensure their safety and well being.

Know your parent's history. I think this is especially important if you're loved one has dementia because they won't be in a position to answer for themselves. When my husband tranferred his mom from one facility to another, he was asked a lot of questions about her and her family history. Some of it he knew--some he didn't.

Keep a journal. Don't count on your memory to remind you of things. Write it down and you'll know for sure and be sure to always get names of people involved in your parent's care.

If you have anything else to add, please feel free to do so.