The Boomer Chronicles

Although I’ve always been a newspaper junkie and I also like reading the results of studies, I especially like to talk to ‘real people’ to find out what’s really going on in the world. Let me give you an example. The other day I was in my friend Jeff’s bike shop in Jamaica Plain. It’s a small shop that seems to specialize in Fuji bikes. Anyway, I was waiting for a bell and a basket to be attached to my bike and I got talking to one of his customers. It was a woman from the neighborhood, 75 years old, who had pulled her old bike out of the basement and was getting it overhauled so she could start riding again. She told me she hadn’t ridden a bike in years and years. I asked Jeff later, is this customer an aberration? Nope. Jeff told me that since gas prices have gone nuts he is seeing more and more older people (baby boomer-plus) either taking their old bikes out of the garage or basement, or buying new ones. It’s a godsend for him, and for the planet, too.

I have pretty much stopped buying bottled water. As you know, I have a seltzer maker that I love. And when I want to drink ’still’ water (as they sometimes call tap water in fancy restaurants), I use a Brita filter on the kitchen faucet. Turning my back on bottled water is part of a very positive trend. Whole American cities, in fact, are curbing their use of it. I keep a heavy-duty plastic bottle (the kind you find at a camping store) filled with water and in the freezer at all times. I take it out when I need it, and refill it and put it right back in the freezer when I’m done. I have to admit, it took some getting used to. I would forget to take it with me. But we shouldn’t be paying for water. We should be drinking from water fountains or bringing our own. Or saying “Tap water, please,” in restaurants. Remember, bottled water is often just tap water, in bottles (think Aquafina and Dasani). And it’s shown to be no safer than tap water.

And you? Where do you get your water from?

AARP, the organization best known as torturer of 49-year-olds, turns 50 this year. Born in the same year as Yours Truly, tomorrow AARP kicks off its big annual convention in Washington, D.C.

You may recall that last year I liveblogged the AARP event when it was held in Boston. I had a blast! I never thought I would say that about an AARP event, but there you have it. I wish I could go to their event in D.C., which is called Life@50+ National Event and Expo and goes through Saturday (Sept. 6), but I’ve traveled a lot this year and needed to cut back. But I highly recommend it! Here are a few of the celebrities who will be there: Maya Angelou, Judy Collins, Magic Johnson, Martina Navratilova, Shirley MacLaine, Regis Philbin, Cal Ripken and Quincy Jones. Last year I got to see Lily Tomlin and Earth, Wind and Fire, among a lot of others.

While we are on the subject, AARP Magazine’s Faces of 50+ Real People Model Search is happening again. They are looking for men and women ages 50 and over to enter for the chance to be selected to model in AARP Magazine. You can enter online until September 15.

I read Tayloropolis, the blog of a dynamic 25-year-old woman from Alabama who now lives in my great state of Massachusetts. She’s a history nut. Today she wrote a comeback in response to a statement made by Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin in 2006. Palin wrote in response to the question, “Are you offended by the phrase ‘Under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance?”: Palin: Not on your life. If it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me….  My friend Taylor writes:

Today is a very special anniversary in American History.  Did you know that? On September 3, 1783, the United States and Great Britain signed the treaty that officially ended the Revolutionary War… An especially happy Independence Day to Sarah Palin, who thinks that the founding fathers said “…One nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”  Side note to Sarah Palin: that “under God” bit wasn’t added to the Pledge of Allegiance until 1954, and the whole caboodle wasn’t written until the 19th century.  Even so, had it been written in their time, most of our founding fathers would have been horrified by the inclusion of that short phrase into the Pledge.  When they said separation of church and state, they actually meant it.

If you’re counting on the equity in your home to fund your retirement or you’ve borrowed against your house, take heed:

According to a recent report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a Washington, D.C. think tank, the collapse of house prices that started in 2006 has wiped out more than $4 trillion in home equity, putting a sizable dent in the net worth of millions of baby boomers. Among its more ominous findings: By next year, the average net worth of households headed by homeowners age 45 to 54 will be almost 25% less than it was in 2004.

Here’s the rest of the CNN/Money story on houses and retirement.

While the Democrats and Republicans are battling over VP picks and other issues, I’m going to let you in on a little secret today. It has nothing whatsoever to do with politics or anything else of importance. I was able to secure a 2008 Roadtrek Versatile 190 RV for a short trip this fall. How did I do it? I contacted the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and expressed my interest in RVs and blogging, and flaunted my blemish-free driving record. Actually, it took a bit more than that. But, anyway, the RVIA is the national trade association representing recreation vehicle manufacturers and parts suppliers. So I’m shilling for the industry. But that doesn’t mean the posts about my trip will be snark-free. Banish the thought! (By the way, did you know that the average age of today’s RV owner is 49 years old?)

Anyway, as you may know, I don’t own an RV but have long been fascinated by the idea of traveling in a self-contained vehicle like the Roadtrek. My trip will take place in early October. The route begins in Virginia, Reston, to be exact, where the RVIA is located. I will drive to the Shenandoah area, then probably Charlottesville and Floyd. Then I will visit a new friend, Pam, in Eastern Tennessee. Pam is one of the Baby Boomer Divas, a group (or should I say a ‘movement’?) organized by Beverly Mahone. Pam is eager to show me her beautiful state. We are going to a famous storytelling festival in Jonesborough and she says she’ll cook some Southern specialties. I am so there! Then on to Asheville, North Carolina, and some other spots in that state and then back to Virginia.

I am looking for some suggestions for interesting towns to see in North Carolina and Virginia that will roughly have us traveling in the correct direction to return the RV in Reston. I have been considering Greensboro and Appomattox. What say you? Anyway, this should be a blast! At 14 mpg.

The weather has taken a turn. Although the days are still warm, the nights are decidedly cooler. Are your kids going back to school this week? Your grandkids? Yourself? Living in Boston, ‘back to school’ always means a lot more undergrads around, lots of mattresses lining the streets on garbage day, and a busier environment at the ol’ day job. What, if anything, does back to school mean to you?

So I was walking my Canine Prince the other day in Boston’s Arnold Arboretum when I spied a flyer that said the local community theater was searching for a dog to play “Sandy” in their upcoming production of the musical Annie. I was excited to take my boy. I realized he looked nothing like the dog in the play, but I thought it was worth a try. So yesterday we joined dozens of other dogs for the auditions. The theater company, the Footlight Club, based in the Jamaica Plain section of Boston, happens to be the oldest community theater in America.

The auditions were held at the Eliot School, which has a large enclosed grassy yard. Each dog signed in and received a tag with a number. My boy was No. 15.

The judges perambulated through the crowd and met each pup. Soon they would announce finalists.

The future possible theatrical stars included Millie, accompanied by her humans, Arlene Fortunato, 52, and Darcy Pfeifer, 33, and daughter Nina, of Brookline. The cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles mixed with poodle) had their full support. “I believe in Millie. She’s a pretty well trained dog,” said Darcy.

An 85-lb., 20-month-old Great Pyrenees called NuNu was accompanied by her human, Maria Miller, 47, of Jamaica Plain. They showed up because “somebody chased me down with a flyer,” said Maria, when the two were spotted in the neighborhood.

Taiko Bruchi, a 7-month-old Shih Tzu who was contestant No. 7, appeared to be the smallest dog auditioning, but his owner, Vivienne Frachtenberg, 61, assured everyone, “He’s a little linebacker. He plays hard.” Even though Taiko doesn’t look anything like the dog in the play, Vivienne had her hopes up. “Would anyone believe I’m nervous about this?,” she asked no one in particular.

Carol Flinn-Roberts, 59, and Robin Flinn-Roberts, 54, brought Falcon, the terrier mix they got from a shelter in Puerto Rico. This pup bore a strong resemblance to the dog in the musical.

When the doggy semi-finalists were announced, they lined up, and guess what? The judges were definitely going for the authentic Sandy look. There were no Lhasa apsos or poodle mixes among them. The young actress who will be playing the part of Annie called each dog to her. The ones that responded became the finalists.

The winner will be chosen after the finalists spend some getting accustomed to the stage, the actors and the grueling rehearsal schedule. Then, it’s on to doggy stardom this November.

Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, 44, has been named the Republican vice presidential nominee. I have to admit, I knew nothing about her. I had to go online to learn more. She sounds fascinating. Here are a few facts from a CNN report:

Palin is known for her support of drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.

Her past occupations include commercial fishing company owner, outdoor recreational equipment company owner and sports reporter.

She is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association

She fishes and hunts.

She was born in Idaho and is a longtime Alaskan.

Her husband is an oil production operator. They have five children.

She was born Feb. 11, 1964, just making the baby boomer generation.

Here’s a little video of Sarah Palin.

Remember, Friends Don’t Let Friends Vote Republican.

Last night I went to a little party at a friend of mine’s house to watch Barack Obama deliver his speech accepting the nomination of the Democratic National Convention. I was with a group of friends that included three white Jewish people (I was one of them), three black women, and two South Asian women. We all agreed that the speech blew us away. To my mind, even if Obama is not elected, I think his nomination can help turn the tide on race relations forever in this country. I loved seeing the television cameras’ images of the faces of the delegates, especially when a white man or woman was clearly enthralled with Obama’s words. It gives me hope.

Here’s some coverage of the Democratic National Convention from a boomer’s perspective over at Brent Green’s Boomers site. Hat tip to The Boomer Blog.