EXERCISE STRAPS – a way to tone your muscles while watching TV!!
Posted: October 7, 2017 Filed under: geezerHealth, geezerTrips, Uncategorized Leave a comment »Exercise straps are great for old people and people who travel. They are cheap, easy to use and provide muscle tone; always a problem with seniors.
Exercise bands are available at Amazon. for $8.99 or Wal-Mart for $6.99. See the videos on how to use them on the Amazon site.
Silver Sneakers has a web site on how to use the bands if you are a senior.
If you are concerned about the safety or health benefits, take a look at: Mayo Clinic suggestions for using resistance bands; or, the University of Arizona Life and Work Connections Department web page on using resistance bands by seniors complete with pictures and suggestions. They also cite the research on exercise bands if you are really interested.
The bottom line is that it is universally agreed that old people need to do some resistance training if they are going to maintain muscle tone. Resistance bands are an easy way to do this and the bands travel well and don’t take up less space than a t-shirt.
So, if you can’t make it to the gym or are traveling or just want to get rid of a bit of excess flab, try exercise bands.
And, of course, you can sit in front of the TV and stretch the bands all night, much to the dismay of your spouse.
THINK OLD!
RANCHO DE CHIMAYO IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO
Posted: September 30, 2017 Filed under: geezerTrips, My Backyard, New Mexico, Uncategorized Leave a comment »Sopapillas at Rancho de Chimayo in Chimayo, NM
New Mexico is full of small out-of-the-way interesting places. Chimayo and Truchas in Northern New Mexico doesn’t really qualify as travel since Truchas is only about 130 miles from my home; however, it is worth discovering since it about 50 miles North of Santa Fe, a popular tourist destination.
Truchas is home to about 1200 people and dates to around 1750. Chimayo has about 3000 people and the Catholic Church, El Santuario de Chimayó, is the goal of Good Friday pilgrimages. It is known for its weavers, the Chuch, which is a National Historic Landmark, artists and Rancho de Chimayo, a great restaurant.
A friend’s art exhibition took us to Truchas one Sunday; and since we were in the neighborhood, we couldn’t pass up the restaurant in Chimayo, always crowded and always good. The food is traditional Northern New Mexico.
Courtyard and entrance of Rancho de Chimayo
Statue at the entrance of Rancho de Chimayo
Courtyard dining room at Rancho de Chimayo
Rancho de Chimayo has been around for more than fifty years; is a James Beard Award Winner; and, Florence Jaramillo, the owner, recently received the New Mexico Woman Restaurateur of the Year Award.
For me, you can’t beat the Huevos Rancheros. (Two eggs on a corn tortilla topped with cheese and your choice of red or green vegetarian chile. Served with refried beans and rice.) I usually have the green chile; however, the Christmas is good. (Red and green chile mixed.) And, of course, I think the Chile comes from Hatch, New Mexico, the chile capital of the world.
The rest of the menu is equally good and is topped off with the sopapillas with New Mexico honey.
Never miss a chance to stray from the beaten path.
THINK OLD!
TEN SIMPLE THINGS YOU NEED TO DO TO MAXIMIZE YOUR OLD AGE!
Posted: September 29, 2017 Filed under: AGING, Aging-in-place, geezer hints, geezerTips, Life Style, SIMPLICITY, Uncategorized Leave a comment »In this day and age there is too much information; and too much of it is false. I am buffeted by ads, politics, etc. At 77, I decided to take a look at what I really needed to know. There are 10 things, not perfect, but that will at least make my present life better and protect me from the stress of old age.
You are going to die anyway, so why worry about that. Figure out how to make today as comfortable and as interesting as possible.
Here is my list:
- Walk – Almost anyone can do this and it keeps you fit physically, mentally and socially.
- “Eat food, mostly vegetables, not too much.” Michael Pollan
- Wine with friends. Not too much.
- Index your investments. Unless you are too smart to be reading this blog, you can’t beat the market, so go with Index Funds, which beat most investment advisors and most funds. Set them to pay out the IRS Required Minimum Distribution each year on your birthday.
- Have a mentor. Mentors, or advisors, younger than you, are more important in old age than when you are young. You need someone to keep an eye on you. Think scams, illness, long-term care, etc.
- Socialize – if nothing else, sit out on your front porch and wave at people going by. Become a fixture. Most of us can at least get to the front porch; and, there are free shuttles to take you to church, clubs and the senior centers.
- Simplify – Life is way to complex for an old person. Reduce everything to its simplest form.
- Follow the money – In any situation, where is the money going. Check charities, investments, etc. Most things you don’t need and most investments are too good to be true. Old people are a target of scammers.
- Weights and exercise bands. – Do a bit while you are watching TV, etc. You need to be fit and you need muscles.
- Simple default protective devises. You should automatically grab for the grab bar when you get out of the shower; the rail on the stairs; your glasses when you drive. Default solutions can protect you. Some need to be learned like the new devices on cars; but, maybe you should not be driving anyway.
THINK OLD!
WHAT DO OLD PEOPLE REALLY DO ON A BEACH VACATION?
Posted: September 26, 2017 Filed under: Florida, geezerTrips, Why Am I Here? Leave a comment »These old people follow Hurricane Irma in. We have a tendency to want to see coastal storms which don’t occur in New Mexico, so this is the second year that we have been right behind a hurricane. We are attracted to the Gulf Coast in September, hurricane season.
We sit on our balcony, drink some wine and watch the cloud formations in the evening.
We walk on the beach in the morning.
We end the day with a glass of wine and walk to dinner.
Bird at the beach.
Sometimes being old is not all bad.
THINK OLD!
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“BASIC ECONOMY FARE:” the geezer packs
Posted: September 25, 2017 Filed under: geezerAdapts, geezerTrips, SIMPLICITY, Uncategorized | Tags: minimal, packing, Travel, trip, trips, vacation Leave a comment »
Travel Bag for “Basic Economy”
American Air Lines has introduced its Basic Economy Fare. Other airlines, except Southwest, are charging for checking, carry-on, and for anything that you can’t stick under the seat.
This is great. I am cheap. Now I am forced to travel as a minimalist, which is better for me. I can enjoy the journey; and, not worry about dealing with luggage.
Have you ever seen an old person trying to hoist their bag into an overhead bin? Not a pretty sight. Have you seen an old person dragging a large suitcase through the airport? Do old people really need to dress up when traveling?
I have written on this before. But now, I am forced to take a new look.
I like Rick Steves and have taken 4 trips with his organization. He sells the Euro Flight Bag (14 x 13 x 8) and it fits under the American Airlines seat with room to spare. I don’t need as much seat room since I have lost an inch or two in the last few years, and expect to lose a bit more as my pending osteoporosis develops. This bag should fit under any airline seat.
For any length of trip:
The jeans that I wear. Acceptable anywhere I might go, if clean and neat. Better than the checkered pants with the zipper that didn’t work of previous generations.
7 black t-shirts
7 under-shorts
7 pair of socks
Shoes that I wear
Light weight travel pants.
Light weight pants that I can sleep in, or use informally.
Toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, aspirin, ibuprofen
Tai Chi slippers
I-pad with over 500 books, NY Times, Albuquerque Journal and magazine subscriptions’
Pack-It Jacket with internal pockets.
Emergency rain jacket -ScotteVest
Notebook and pens
Handkerchiefs
Medicine
Glasses and hearing aid
3 shirts – long-sleeved or short-sleeved depending on weather.
Turtle neck
Money belt
Cell phone with camera and Google Maps
Watch
Questions to ask:
- Can I wash my clothes for the cost of checking or the carry-on fee?
- Can I lift a bag into overhead by myself?
- Do I have to pack anything different from what I wear at home?
- Will anyone laugh at me? Do I care?
- Can i wear this on a cruise ship?
- Will this work in winter? What do I need to add, besides a heavier jacket and gloves?
- Am I going to a place with stores?
- Do I need anything else?
Airline baggage limits are a positive. Like a lot of parameters they benefit you in unintended ways. There is a lot to be said for not traveling with a lot of stuff that you don’t need when you are over 75. Keep moving, but reduce your load.
THINK OLD!
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TEN OFF-THE-WALL RETIREMENT OPTIONS – LIVE CHEAP and EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW!
Posted: September 24, 2017 Filed under: AGING, geezerAdapts, Life Style, Uncategorized | Tags: creativity, living Leave a comment »You may need to earn a bit of extra money; simply support yourself, or just want a cheap new experience. Consider one, or all, of the following; some interesting, some practical, some simply offering a minimalist life style. You need to be creative if you are going to find a place with board and room, little stress, not too difficult and available.
The most important think is that you are challenging yourself.
You can locate these alternative living situations, by googling them and including the place you want to live.
1. Nursing Home/Assisted Living. These require round-the-clock care and in the smaller ones you can even sleep. Work a deal for room and board in exchange for the night shift. You might even get a small salary. Check state statutes and contact a few places.
2. Animal shelter – These require people to feed and care for animals. Pick one with a room for night caretakers.
3. Monastery – A lot of monasteries and nunneries have extra space and older priests and nuns. Trade caregiving, or some other skill, for room and board.
4. Security guard – A lot of places need someone on duty overnight. Might be some danger, but usually you are locked in, have a telephone or alarm, and might have to do a few rounds. Ideally you can live on the premises. A lot of school systems will allow you to park your RV or trailer on school grounds to provide a round-the-clock presence.
5. Camp ground – All camp grounds need help; especially in the summer. If you have your own trailer or RV, you can find work in private camp grounds or in the National Parks. A great opportunity for the summer is to manage a Refugio or pilgrim hostel on the Camino de Santiago. The American Pilgrims on the Camino offer training as a hospitalero in how to manage a Refugio. You can find out if you like this by walking the 500 mile Camino de Santiago.
7. House sitter – People with expensive or remote homes frequently need house-sitters; especially those with pets. If you are a minimalist and don’t mind moving to different places, this is a way to travel and to live for free. Take a look at housesitter.com.
8. Off-season manager – A seasonable tourist area requires someone to look after things off-season. Google “off-season manager.”
9. Companion – a lot of old people need a “companion.” They have large homes that they don’t want to leave. You can swap care, driving, shopping, cooking, etc. in exchange for board and room plus a small salary which will make your Social Security go a lot further. Google “senior companion care jobs near me.”
10. Cruise ship staff. If you have a skill that you can teach or if you are an older man who can dance, it is possible to get a job on a cruise ship. Think cooking class, investment advice, dancing, pottery, genealogy, computer skills, etc.
THINK OLD!
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“AMERICA’S TEST KITCHEN” COOKING CLASS ON THE MS VEENDAM!
Posted: September 22, 2017 Filed under: Canada, geezerTrips, Uncategorized | Tags: Canada, Cooking, cruise, learning, Travel Leave a comment »One of the best things about our cruise on the Holland America, MS Veendam from Monteal to Boston was the cooking class. It was held three times with a professional chef from Cook’s Magazine cooking in a professional kitchen with seating for about 100.
The only downside is that we didn’t get to taste what the chef prepared. But, we did get recipes and an entertaining and educational 45 minutes on three different occasions.
This was our first cruise; and worth it just for the cooking class.
Test Kitchen Plates
Another Test Kitchen Plate – Tofu for the vegetarian.
Apparently all of the Holland America Lines ships have these cooking classes.
THINK OLD!
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TEN OLD AGE HEALTH TIPS FROM THE GEEZER!
Posted: September 22, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »THINK AHEAD!
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO AGE!
You should not be trying to prolong life; but trying to make your present life better. Statistically, most people die. It seems to me that there are a few simple rules that you can follow that will make your health and life better, even if it does not extend your life.
My purpose is to have a few more interesting, non-painful, experiences. There is nothing interesting about having dementia or being in a coma. I think that doing the following will help.
Remember! I have no medical expertise and don’t really have a clue what I am talking about, so TRUST, BUT VERIFY!
- Walk – almost everyone can do this in one way or another. Do it every day. You may have to do it in a wheelchair or with a walker, but do it.
- “Eat food, not too much, mostly vegetables.” Michael Pollan
- List all the medicines that you take. Ask your pharmacist what they are for; how they react with each other; and, what the side effects are. Then ask your Doctor, why?
- Simplify – You don’t need much to be old successfully. Food, shelter and clothing – plus a few friends and a purpose or two; all of which can be obtained simply. You don’t want to be taking care of a bunch of junk that you are not going to take with you; and, you don’t want to be falling over it or fearing that someone will take it away. Besides, there is not much storage space in your assisted living room.
- Problem solve! – Think! Old age has definite parameters. Your whole life has had rules and parameters; what is so different about old age? All sports are based on rules. All societies have rules. Learn the parameters of old age and then play the game. You will live longer and happier.
- Drink a glass of wine daily, while socializing. The wine and the company will stand you in good stead.
- Don’t use the emergency room unless it is a real emergency. A drugstore clinic can triage you as a walk-in; and, if there really is a problem, they will get you to the hospital with a preliminary diagnosis. A lot less stress and a lot less waiting.
- Don’t fall. It is no surprise that falls are the main cause of physical problems for old people. Yoga, grab bars, no clutter and no slippery rugs.
- Recognize your disabilities and deal with them. I am really deaf, so I have state of the art hearing aids, am carefull where I sit in relation to people who I am interested in listening to; and, and avoid situations where I need to hear.
- Have a contact person if you live alone. I have known people who have fallen, had a stroke, a heart attack, but who were not found for several days. A daily contact or a lifeline or medical alert necklace/bracelet that you can wear in the shower can be a life-saver. Too many people take off their lifeline when they take a shower, grab for the towel bar when they get out of the shower, slip, fall and are not found for too long.
THINK OLD!
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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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TEN LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR SENIORS; and, others
Posted: September 18, 2017 Filed under: AGING, geezerLearns, geezerTrips, Uncategorized | Tags: Abluquerque, learning, schools Leave a comment »Learning something new is one of the most rewarding aspects of aging. (It may be the only one.) There are opportunities everywhere; near and far. You can learn anything and it can be much cheaper than learning as a kid. It is frequently free and usually you don’t have to sweat grades, tests or degrees. You are learning for the sake of learning; to keep your mind active, and to meet new people.
One of the most important things you need to learn is how to work your computer. (Remember, when I graduated from college, we all walked around with slide rules hanging off our belts.) Computer classes are available close to home; in my case the computer room at the North Valley Senior Center in Albuquerque, NM.
Using your computer, search for a class on-line, close to you, or in a place that you are about to visit. Click on any highlighted words to see some of my learning experiences, then adapt the search for what you are interested in.
1. Cooking School. Any time you are on vacation, consider a cooking school. My granddaughter and I learned to make Macarons in Paris. (The highlight of the trip.) I recently attended three cooking lessons on a Holland American cruise, and have taken cooking classes in Paris, New Orleans and San Francisco.
2. Meetup. This is Tampa, but you can search most any city. I attend one in Albuquerque on WordPress.
3. Habitat for Humanity. We have volunteered, after age 60, in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Albuquerque and Macedonia. You learn about construction and about people. The people you are building for help on the job.
4. College. Most colleges have discounts for seniors. Google one near you. The University of New Mexico lets you take a class for $5 per credit hour if you are over 65, taking fewer than 6 hours and register. Parking is a pain, so get a senior bus pass.
5. Genealogy. Most towns have genealogy societies with free advice, lectures and access to computers and on-line genealogy services. Try Largo, Florida and Albuquerque, New Mexico; or just google your town plus genealogy. Take a road trip to discover your ancestors.
6. Community Colleges are always a good learning source for senior citizens. The are cheap, have interesting classes and you are around young people with different ideas. Central New Mexico Community College offers $5 per credit hour tuition if you are over 62. Again, learn how to use your computer and Google. A number of years ago, my 90 year-old father and I took early morning computer classes at CNM and then had breakfast together.
7. Oasis. this is a national lifelong learning adventure for older adults. A variety of classes that usually last for 2 or 3 hour. You can even teach one if you have some expertise. You can also learn about things that you don’t want anyone to know you are learning about, such as: Advance Planning: Avoiding Guardianship, an Albuquerque classes.
8. Apple Store. Buy an Apple Computer and get access to classes and the Genus Bar.
9. Senior Centers are a gold mine. Art, wood-working, book clubs, photography, computer centers, cell phone training, legal help, investment advice ……… In Albuquerque you have the choice of a large number and they have trips; such as a bus trip to the Crown Point Rug Auction, where you can buy hand-woven rugs from Native Americans on the Reservation. (If you go, pass up the meal on the bus and wait until you get to Crown Point and eat the Navajo Fry Bread and the Navajo Tacos that they sell.) Senior centers also offer breakfast for about $1.25 and coffee for 25 cents. Plus, there are free books that people donate.
10. Road Scholar – You can travel and learn with your contemporaries. We did the Panama Canal this way; an eye opener.
THINK OLD! or at least think!
Habitat For Humanity in Macedonia!
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