ADJUSTING TO NEW SURROUNDINGS – traveling while old!
Posted: September 21, 2018 Filed under: Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized Leave a comment »
One of the hardest things for old people to do is to adjust to new surroundings. Especially if they involve internet technology, which means anything from an extension cord to a toaster and beyond. Everything is too complex for me. I can still remember when our phone number was Black 200 and we were on a party line. I could pick up the phone and ask the operator if she knew where my grandmother was.
Today, it is way too complex. For example:
We rented a condo in Florida, which is also rented to families with kids. I was faced with
The TV system which included three large TVs, a CD player, another player, cable, regular TV, and of course, NO radio.
SINCE I WROTE THIS, AND AFTER HAVING TROUBLE MAKING THE TVs WORK, I DISCOVERED, BY ACCIDENT, OR DUE TO MY AGE, THAT 3 OF THE CLICKERS DID NOT HAVE BATTERIES AND IN ONE, THE BATTERIES WERE DEAD. AFTER A TRIP TO THE DRUG STORE FOR NEW BATTERIES, THE CLICKERS WORKED AND I WAS ABLE TO MAKE ALL THE TVs WORK. I THINK THAT THIS SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT MY AGE. MY GRANDSON WOULD HAVE FIGURED IT OUT IN A MINUTE. (9/29/18)
Some of them you have to subscribe to. Some only work in conjunction with other systems. Some don’t seem to work. The TV in the living room does not get CNN, so we had to move to one of the two bedrooms to watch CNN.
Then you have to hook up to the internet, which means a series of numbers, letters and signs typed into a small key pad that you can’t see using old fingers that either hit the wrong key or two keys at the same time.
And, I forgot to mention the key lock box at the front door. It was set low and hard to see in the dark. It had little number that were not the size of my fingers. But, we got it done.
Where are my grandkids when I need them.
The closets were packed with beach paraphernalia, so, of course there was no storage space. Stepping over inflated, but non-deflatable, large toy inner tubes may be hazardous to my health. But, it ended up on top of the huge TV which was on top of a large cabinet which was in our bedroom and which got CNN.
There were several toasters, 4 coffee pots and the usual assortment of pots, pans, dishes, etc collected over the years reflecting the status as an AirBnb site.
The lights and fans (3 of them) were controlled by at least 2, and sometimes 3 switches each.
There were rules, of course. The one I liked the best said: “no hanging towels over the railing on the porch.” The best part was that there was a clothes drying rack ii the corner of the porch. My kind of place.
All in all, it is a nice place, but we are just in the first 24 hours, which is adjustment time. We have 27 days to go, along with the remedial construction on the building, since this is the off-season, and it is our third year in this building. At our age, we are afraid to try anything new and the off-season is cheap and more interesting than the rest of the year.
I come from Kansas, and tornadoes, so hurricanes interest me – sick, I know, but am still fascinated by the sea, the clouds and the storms.
THINK OLD!
EXERCISE AT THE YMCA – ANYWHERE – An essential part of elder travel!
Posted: September 19, 2018 Filed under: Florida, geezerTrips, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: exercise, YMCA Leave a comment »Traveling for long periods of time, or staying in one new place for a period of time, requires a routine if you are old. A necessary part of that routine is exercise. The YMCA, the club of our childhood, provides the setting.
The YMCA is available nation-wide, is usually open for long hours, has skilled instructors, and a variety of programs. If you are old,it can be free.
The trick is to have a Silver Sneakers membership through your insurance plan. Free at home means free at most any place you travel in the US, and if you are visiting children and grandchildren, you need some place to go and something to do during the day. The Y provides that; without worrying about walking on strange and often busy streets. Exercise is the key to successful aging.
The best bet is an insurance-paid Silver Sneakers plan. This is good nation-wide at YMCAs and many health clubs. You have no excuse.
If you belong to a YMCA in your hometown, either through Silver Sneakers or with a paid membership, you can ask to have your name put on the Nationwide Membership List, which can be accessed by any YMCA in the country.
If you don’t have an insurance-paid plan, you can always pay a small fee to use the Y. It depends on the place, but most of them seem to have fee schedules topping out at about $75 per month. The schedules also seem to only go to age “64 and under,” so as an old person, it may be free anyway.
We are in Florida, for a month and checked into the Clearwater, FL YMCA. We were on the Nationwide Membership list, courtesy of the Albuquerque YMCA, which meant that we had a home YMCA and were eligible to use other facilities; however in Clearwater, it was limited to a max of 24 days, and the Y suggested we use our Silver Sneakers membership, giving us unlimited use of all facilities and access to all classes.
The Clearwater Y is a new and modern facility and has every class you could imagine, including Silver Sneakers exercise, chair exercise, yoga, pilates, Tai Chi, etc. In addition, there is a pool, a hot tub, basketball court, a complete weight room and every sort of exercise machine.
If you don’t believe me, check out the Clearwater Y.
It also provides numerous trips to local restaurants for lunch, other events, and classes on topics that should be of interest to old people.
If you want to go outdoors, there is a 1/4 mile walking/running track, but if you come from New Mexico, it is better to walk on the beach, which is also free.
Trainers are available for a reasonable fee.
Sources:
Nationwide-membership in the YMCA
THINK OLD!
LEAVING THE GROUND IN NEW MEXICO – the sky’s the limit!
Posted: July 9, 2018 Filed under: geezerQuests, geezerTrips, My Backyard, New Mexico, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: Baloon, hang gliding, helicopter, parachute, plane rides, tram Leave a comment »New Mexico is the place to go if you want to get off the ground. Last week-end we went to the glider field at the Moriarty Airport, 50 miles from Albuquerque. There we saw dozens of gliders and several tow planes. A 15 minute glider ride from Sundance Aviation costs $105 and you fly with an FAA approved, experienced pilot. The only downside is that you have to weigh less than 220 pounds and be under 6′ 5″.
Near by is the US Southwest Soaring Museum which unfortunately was closed on Sundays.
Naturally this got me to thinking, and I discovered over Albuquerque via Google:
Trike Flights – This is an air tricycle. You can get a 30 minute ride for $100 with a licensed Sport Pilot. For an additional fee you can have a video made showing you in flight. I frequently see these mechanical trikes while I am walking along the Rio Grande.
Plane rides at Vertical Lift Aviation.
Parachute jumping. Starting at $375 with Albuquerque Sky Diving.
Hang gliding with High Desert Hang Gliding.
All near or in Albuquerque and while I have only taken a balloon ride, the others have intrigued me. I have not taken any but the hot air balloon ride, an Albuquerque must, but am intrigued at 77 and sorry that I missed them earlier in my life. I am toying with the glider ride.
More my speed is the Sandia Peak Ski & Tramway which will take you on a 2.7 mile tram ride to the top of Sandia Peak from Albuquerque. There is sking, a restaurant and great hiking. At your age, watch the altitude which is over 11,000 feet. You can always sit in the restaurant and enjoy the view with a glass of wine.
The big draw in and over Albuquerque is the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta held for a week every October, where up to a 1000 balloons participate in a mass ascension, among other events. And of course, there are hot air balloon rides then and the year around. The traffic is horrible, but if you have an RV, there is great RV parking next to the grounds. Balloon pilots and their chase crews are hard to keep up with at my age, especially in the evening.
There is also the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Foundation Museum.
Most mornings I can see hot air balloons following the Rio Grande River behind my home, which is about my speed.
It is worth soaring above the New Mexico desert, there is no age limit, and it gives you some great stories and pictures to impress your grandkids with.
THINK OLD!
ROUNDING UP BISON IN NEW MEXICO with Ted Turner Expeditions
Posted: June 12, 2018 Filed under: geezerTrips, My Backyard, New Mexico, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: bison, hot springs, Ladder Ranch, Sierra Grande Lodge, Ted Turner Ranch Leave a comment »
On Friday, January 26th, 2017, I followed hundreds of bison being rounded up on Ted Turner’s Ladder Ranch, near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The tour was sponsored by Ted Turner Expeditions and was the 2nd annual Bison RoundUp. The tour part of the roundup lasted for 2 days and the bison on the 250 square mile ranch had been collected over the last several months. This was the last collection of bison and herds of 200 to 500 bison were driven into pens where they would be weighed, tagged and checked before being released.
The roundup lasted about 5 hours each day and involved 4 cowboys on horseback and 4 on ATV’s keeping the bison in line. The bison followed a truck that they mistook for a feed truck. Behind the herd, 15 of us who had signed up for the tour watched from ATV’s.
The 28 Turner Ranches are home to 51,000 bison.
The roundup is not advertised and will become an annual event. I received an e-mail invitation since we had stayed at the Sierra Grande Lodge in T or C, New Mexico, which is owned by Turner. The first class restaurant serves bison and the Lodge has natural hot springs spa tubs available to guests along with massages.
Turner Expeditions offers numerous other tours on the various ranches; all directed toward conservation and the preservation of natural habitats.
The Ladder Ranch has no paved roads, is 29 miles from T or C, and is near the Amadaros Ranch, another Turner Ranch. It is also near the NM Spaceport and Elephant Butte Lake. There are several vineyards that produce good wine. Turner’s Vermejo ranch is in Northern New Mexico, near Philmont Scout Ranch, where I first ate Bison in 1955.
The cost was $175 plus tax for a 7 hour day including driving time to the Ladder Ranch.
The guides were great and informative – they knew all about the flora and fauna on the ranch and a lot about the history.
The bison roundup is fascinating; with real cowboys and bison that are genetically pure .
In addition to bison, we saw a 40 Elk in a line and numerous birds. The ranch is a wildlife paradise.
I was told that there were about 27 bison bulls for 1500 cows, and that last year all but two of the cows had calves; however, I was unable to verify this.
And, of course, if you want to eat bison, the Sierra Grande Lodge serves it.
or, it is available at Whole Foods.
Sources:
LIBRARIES – 8 things for the older (and other) traveller
Posted: December 18, 2017 Filed under: geezerTrips, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: age, aging, elder, elderly, geriatric, lifespan, old age, old people, retirement, senior, senior citizen Leave a comment »Every town has a library. When you travel, a library can be your best friend. You can find:
- Information about the town you are in.
- Wi-Fi
- A bookstore that will sell books that the library no longer wants or which have been donated for as little as $1 for hardback and 25 cents for paperbacks, many of them recent best-sellers.
- Frequently they have cafes where you can get a coffee and food.
- They have computers that you can use.
- They have interesting programs and sometime trips for anyone who is interested.
- Local and national magazines; see what is going on in town and read the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal.
- And, finally there is a huge magazine rack with the latest magazines; most of which you don’t get, and which take you out of your comfort zone.
SHOULD THE GEEZER BE A PRISONER?
Posted: December 15, 2017 Filed under: AGING, COPING, geezerAdapts, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: age, aging, elder, elderly, geriatric, gold coats, lifespan, old age, old people, prison, retirement, senior, senior citizen Leave a comment »
A photo of where the geezer might spend his last years. Better than the street???
The geezer seeks bank support for admission to the Federal Prison system.
In the US there are 26,200 prisoners over 65 in state and federal prisons and 124,400 over the age of 55.
The geezer, who is 75, and an “opportunist” is thinking outside the box; or perhaps ‘inside the box.” If I have no money, little social security, no home, no assets, no family; and have to line up at the soup kitchen for meals and the free street clinic for medical care, maybe there is another way.
At 75, what do I need? My sex life is a thing of the past; there is no one to take care of me, I am frequently wet and cold; I am regularly exposed to every type of riffraff; and, can no longer fight off street predators. How can I live out my days in some comfort, be warm, eat regularly, and have adequate medical and dental care?
The answer is to rob a bank.
The sentence seems to be 10 years plus an extra 5 years if you have a gun. I need to check to see if the gun has to be loaded; wouldn’t want to hurt anyone. The 15 years takes me to 90 which is about my life expectancy on a good day and I don’t have to0 many of them. If I got in a fight or two, I can avoid good time.
The big problem is that I might get probation since I don’t have a record; so, I might have to rob the same bank twice; or, even three times.
Given the economic and social future of the elderly, prison doesn’t sound too bad; and, it can’t be worse than a nursing home; even if I qualified. If you can’t pay, Medicaid is the only answer. Assisted living is out of the question without money or long-term care insurance.
There is probably a downside, but I am having trouble seeing it.
The food can’t be worse than most senior institutions. If I have a room(cell)mate, he would probably be about my age. I would probably be in some sort of minimum security facility, but, given the gun I might be in a maximum security facility. The friends I would make would probably be better than the ones on the street.
Would I be safe? Probably. I am sure that most Federal Prisons take care of old people; albeit, reluctantly. There are work programs in most institutions and perhaps I could care for other old people if I couldn’t get assigned to the library. Win-win.
The New York Times has an article on California state prisons that have caregivers called ” gold coats.” These are inmates, usually murderers, who in exchange for a “gold coat,” and other privileges, look after the elderly; especially those with dementia. They protect them from the other prisoners, get them food, make sure they don’t fall; and, in general act as highly trained caregivers. They sound better than some in nursing homes I have visited.
Do I want to go this route? I suppose it depends on how cold and hungry I get; and, if I am competent to rob a bank when the time comes.
Or, maybe it would just be cheaper and better to move all of us old prisoners and “Gold Coats” to the “abandoned” military bases where they are keeping illegal immigrants.
THINK OLD!
ACOMA SKY CITY – a simple life that has endured for a thousand years
Posted: December 8, 2017 Filed under: geezerTips, geezerTrips, My Backyard, New Mexico, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized | Tags: Aroma, New Mexico, pueblo, Sky City Leave a comment »ACOMA PUEBLO – SKY CITY
On Saturday, May 14, 2016 I visited Acoma Pueblo Sky City located 370 feet above the desert on a mesa 65 miles West of Albuquerque, NM. It has fewer than 50 permanent residents living in homes on seven acres of New Mexico mesa top.
Catholic Church on top of Acoma Pueblo mesa. Sky City.
San Esteban del Rey Mission dominates Sky City. Established in the early 1600’s, it now has no priest. A service is held yearly on September 2 and is open to the public. The church was started in 1629 and completed in 1640.
There is a still-used cemetery in front of the church, with burials in dirt hauled up from the desert floor. The church’s is 150 feet by 40 feet and has a dirt floor. It is simple inside and is undergoing some reconstruction, but is still 95% original.
The streets in Sky City are dirt. At intersections cisterns collect rain water. There are no utilities. No water, sewage, gas or electricity. There are some generators and port-a-potties everywhere. They were installing a huge water tank on Saturday, so the water problem may be alleviated.
Cistern to collect water at Acoma Pueblo, Sky City.
Commercial port-a-potties have replaced the outhouses suspended over the edge of the mesa that I remember from 40 years ago.
Until the 1920’s there was no road to Sky City, just a single-file path cut into the steep side, which made it easy to defend. A movie company agreed to put in a dirt road in exchange for the right to film. In the 1950’s a second movie company paved the road. Today it is used for busses and on the week-ends for residents cars and trucks as they work on their houses.
The Acomas are matrilineal and the homes in Sky City are owned by female tribe members. The youngest daughter inherits. They cannot be sold. Non-Acomas cannot stay overnight and of course there is no Airbnb.
Road to top of Sky City, Acoma Pueblo.
The residences are from one to three stories, and usually reached by means of ladders.
Each family is responsible for their own repairs and the only restriction is maintaining the earth colors, so in repairing the homes, concrete block, insulation and modern roofing is used.
Traditional Food can be had in the cafe at the visitor center.
Fifteen miles away, on I-40, is the Sky City Casino owned by the tribe and which provides income and tourists. The Casino has a hotel and an RV Center.
At the visitor center you buy your tickets, visit the museum and gift shop and eat at the restaurant.
You board a small bus and make about a 10 minute trip to the top with an articulate and knowledgeable guide. You can also walk up and down, but… remember your age.
Residence at Sky City.
- Tours: daily on the half-hour
- Location – 65 miles west of Albuquerque, NM, off of I-40.
- Hours: 9 – 5
- Cost – $20 for seniors
- Casino and Hotel –Sky City Casino Hotel
- Bus to top- Small bus
- Pottery- see museum and tables set up by residents.
- Toilets – Nice at Center on desert floor, port-a-potties on the mesa
- Museum – small but impressive – lots of excellent pottery
SENIOR TIPS:
- The streets are dirt and rough. You can fall.
- Hot in the summer. Take a hat and water. Buy a bottle from tables
- Toilets are port-a-potties.
- Senior rate is $20.
- Senior Centers have tours at various times of the year – check bulletin boards and senior magazines at centers.
- There is an RV park next to the Casino.
SOURCES:
- Never forget local Senior Centers. In Albuquerque, the Manzano Mesa Multigenerational Center, has a trip to Sky City Cultural Center $ Haaku Museum on May 25, 2016. Depart at 8:00 am – return at 5:00 pm. $9.50 for transportation and $20 admission.
- See the ABQ 50+ Activities Catalog.
- Sky City Cultural Center.
- New Mexico True
TEN REASONS TO TRAVEL WHEN OLD!
Posted: September 20, 2017 Filed under: geezerTrips, Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized Leave a comment »Until we are old, most of us travel to vacation, to visit relatives or for business. After 60 there are other reasons to travel and to seek experiences that we did not seek when we were younger. This is not an exhaustive list, but simply the list of one old geezer. You should make your own list with this proviso: by definition travel is about the journey, not the destination; especially when you are old.
Geezer walking the Camino de Santiago 500 mile pilgrimage route at age 60.
Here are 10 ideas; none of which involve television. All will change you. They might even make you more interesting. Not the usual vacation.
- Pilgrimages – There are a number of great ones in addition to the Camino de Santiago. Try the Hajj Pilgrimage, Japanese Shikoku Pilgrimage, etc. Google: “Pilgrimages”
- Health – Spas, yoga camps, Blue Zones. Google: “Health”
- Genealogy – Don’t just trace your family history by sitting at a computer; trip it. Visit the homes of your ancestors; discover their environments. Visit their homes, schools, work places and cemetaries.
- Physical adventure – You can do more than you think. Road Scholar – Senior Olympics
- Out of your comfort zone. – Visit black churches, Mosque, Catholic Churches; 7th Day Adventists, etc. Visit nursing homes, assisted living facilities in various states – usually a free meal in exchange for the sales pitch. Find out what you have to look forward to.
- Volunteer – Habitat for Humanity, church groups, national parks, museums, nature centers, the list is endless.
- College – Seniors can usually get reduced tuition and in the summer dorm rooms. Try the London School of Economics for a summer dorm room.
- Reunions – What has your family, college, or town done since you left 50 years ago.
- Family – track down your living, and dead, relatives
- Political – Local, state and national – Indivisible – Remember the political activism of the 60’s. There is still a need and now you are older, smarter and richer. You can make a difference again!!!
Roma recycling discarded construction materials at Habitat For Humanity site in Macedonia.
THINK OLD!
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GEEZER-POLLS FINDS 17 MILLION REPUBLICAN VOTERS DID NOT RECEIVE TREATMENT AFTER SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT!
Posted: July 15, 2017 Filed under: Out of my comfort zone!, Uncategorized Leave a comment »[subscribe2]
Infected Republican foot with self-inflicted bullet hole wound.
GEEZER-POLLS just announced that 17 million Republican voters who shot themselves in the foot in the last election have been denied medical treatment due to lack of medical insurance coverage. All refused Obama-care, and existing medical insurance has been cancelled due to proposed legislation that has confounded actuaries. The 17 million did not receive emergency room care, follow-up medical care, or psychiatric care due to being trumped six months ago. Many are wearing the bullet they used on a chain around their neck.
The most interesting part of the poll is that 15 million of the 17 million plan to shoot themselves in the other foot in 2018; even though none of the prior wounds have been medically treated and most are infected. Many have developed a red rash around their neck.
Republican members of Congress had, and have, concierge medical coverage and have been treated; however, each has a hard-to-see scar on their foot due to the fact that they keep their wounded foot in their mouth. All refused recommended psychiatric treatment.
Geezer-polls has a margin of error of plus or minus 99 %.
THINK OLD!