Cruising – Just for Old Folks?

Posted on September 4, 2012 by Mrs. BBT

(Author’s note: I am currently cruising around in the Caribbean, and so my internet access is spotty enough – and expensive enough – that it’s a challenge just to get a blog post up. Pictures are out of the question, but I do have some good pictures and I’ll be uploading and updating when I get home at the end of the week. This also means I don’t have good enough internet access to do any meaningful research on any topic, so this post is full of my own impressions and that’s pretty much about it! Wish you were here!)  Update:  Home now; here’s where I’ve been!

Sitting in the library of the Carnival Triumph last night, I was hiding from the overwhelming loudness of the featured on-stage performer just outside the door, and enjoying eavesdropping of a sort on a table full of twenty-somethings talking about their cruise so far. It was only the second night of a five-night cruise, but they were fully in the swing of the activities. The thrust of their discussion was about how to get the perception of cruising changed from being an “just for old folks” activity to something cool for the only people that count (aka: them). From their looks, I am guessing they had anything north of 45 in mind when thinking “old folks.” So, I got to wondering: why IS cruising considered to be an old person’s activity, anyway? Maybe it makes sense to think that of the old-fashioned cruise liners like Cunard, where standards of dress (and especially decorum) are held to a high and strict standard. But on a modern, active ship like the Carnival Triumph (and all its sister ships) or Royal Caribbean, I can’t imagine what hold they think the “old folks” have on “their” cruise, anyway. As a matter of fact, some of the things I have seen on this cruise make me wonder whether we old folks are even welcome, though, as the generation with the most disposable income (at least for now) I like to think we still have a little bit of clout with the cruise industry.

However, because of the facts of life regarding mortality and all that accompanies it, it really is important that cruising have plenty of appeal for younger people and families, or the industry will die and a lot of stockholders will go under with it.

To that end, on this ship I see lots of families together, of all nationalities, even though school is in session (I have to wonder what these parents are thinking, pulling their kids out of class at the very beginning of the school year, but that’s another post entirely). There are lots of college-age students as well, but college hasn’t officially started yet. The hairy-chest contest appears to still be in full swing, too. Although I haven’t “enjoyed” observing it myself, I did hear a lady older than I am rhapsodize over all the fun on the lido deck where those types of competitions are played out. And it’s a given that the beer industry is well situated into perpetuity, if for no other reason than cruising. I walked by the pool today and honestly didn’t see a person over 21 in or out of the pool without a beer or a drink of some kind in their hands. There is certainly more than a nod made to the elevator-music industry in the buffet, area, though, with hits from every era, and last night at the dining room they played one selection, Moon River, about a hundred times. Literally, they played the same song over and over again for the entire time we were dining, and now, just having come from the dining room, I can tell you they played…Moon River over again, and again, and again.

So, what’s the future of cruising? I don’t really know, but it appears to me that there’s still plenty of disposable money in the hands of those who are interested in buying a cruise, both young and old, and the kids coming up are going to figure out how to make sure it happens for them, too. Literally, there’s something for all of us, both young and old – not just the old folks. So, here’s a salute to the young, but also a hope that they don’t think they can just take over the cruise industry, at least not just yet.

There’s still a bit of cruising left in this old gal, and probably the same is true for the hundreds of baby boomers I see on the ship today!

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High School Reunion Time – Did You Go?

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Mrs. BBT

I just got back from my 45th Year High School Reunion, the Class of ’67. It’s only the third reunion I’ve been to. I went to the 10th, but not the 20th or 30th. When 40 rolled around, I had a brand new life, so I worked up my courage and went – and it was a lot of fun! What I discovered at the 40th was something that wasn’t yet apparent at the 10th: these people are really nice, and they don’t all hate me because I’m different. They are all different – each in his own way, but now it’s OK to be that way.  Well, they were nice at the 10th, but I think we all were still working through the class hierarchy as it existed ten years before.

My high school days were really hard on me, as I am sure they are for most people who are still growing up. I have some memories that I had even forgotten about until I started searching my mental history for this post. And I’m so glad those times are in the past! It’s almost like some of that happened to another person! I hope she’s okay, wherever she is, but I honestly hope she doesn’t ever come back to visit!

After the 40th high school reunion, my classmates (and I) began to realize that life didn’t go on forever, and the list of “classmates we’ll miss” was getting longer and longer. That’s why we decided to go ahead and have a 45th instead of waiting the full ten years. Sure enough, we had to add more deceased classmates to the list in just the past five years, and who knows who will be missing by the 50th?

I think the best part of the reunion was meeting people that I didn’t realize even knew me and that I had admired from afar. Turns out they were delighted to see me, as I was them!  Growing up does wonders, doesn’t it?

Other observations, in no particular order:

  •  The men, poor guys, weren’t nearly as “well preserved” as the women, for the most part.
  • Some of the women (as my husband observed) weren’t nearly as sexy looking at 63 as they thought they were.  But then again, some were!
  • The sun is really hard on your skin, especially after being out in it for 60+ years!
  • People remember things about you that you won’t remember, and think of you in ways you had no idea they thought!
  • You will remember things about other people that they will think you made up.
  • The skinny kids don’t always stay that way.
  • The fat kids don’t always stay that way, either.
  • The rich kids…are pretty much still the rich kids, and the poor – some of them did really well, too.
  • The music from those days was much more fun to listen to back then. Now I just need earplugs.
  • While our class is full of doctors, lawyers, public performers, and CPA’s, they weren’t always the ones we were so sure would be the “successful” ones.
  • Some of our classmates didn’t grow up fast enough – drugs,drink and fun times killed them before they had a chance to mature.

Summertime is when most schools have their class reunions – have you been to yours? What did you think of it?  Will you go back again?

 

 

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My Electric Pressure Cooker is Great for Making Jam!

Posted on August 5, 2012 by Mrs. BBT

I can assure you that when I got up this morning, I had absolutely no plans to make strawberry jam, nor did I even think about pulling out my electric pressure cooker. I already had a full plate of items to attend to, so to speak, with only one day left before time to go back to work, and I fully intended to check the items off my list like a good little mechanical girl…but that’s not what happened!electric pressure cooker

Hubby and I had planned a quick trip to the local Farmer’s Market.  Now this isn’t your every day gathering place for farmers, where they bring food out of their fields in the back of their trucks and bargain with the passers-by.  Nope, this Farmer’s Market is really probably a Farmer’s Market only because it is named as such.  Yes, they do buy their produce regionally, but the prices are pretty upscale, and maybe that’s not so bad, considering the quality of product they provide.  They are open year-round and they are located in a shed, which at least can be closed to the elements in the winter, but is quite warm in the summer.  Aw, heck.  What am I saying?  It’s hot as blazes in there!

It has been a long-standing tradition at my Farmer’s Market that produce left over from the day before is frequently marked down to $1.00 for a good-sized bag.  These are often squash, onions, bell peppers, potatoes, your typical produce.  But if you know when and where to look…sometimes you will find strawberries!  Beautiful strawberries that just happen to be a tiny bit overripe. Just perfect for, for example, strawberry jam!

And I found six bags of these gorgeous, marked-down strawberries this morning!  Quickly I checked to see what other customers were around; there was one couple.  They weren’t making a bee-line for the marked-down produce, so I took that as my clue that they didn’t care whether I bought them all or not.  I didn’t waste any time asking!

It just so happens that I recently bought a fantastic new electric pressure cooker, and since I bought it I have been kicking myself, wondering why on earth I waited so many years to get one!  Yes, they are more expensive than the stove-top kind, but now I realize how much easier they are to operate…I am still kicking myself!

It was practically no time at all before I had the strawberries hulled, crushed, and sweetened, and the jars getting sterilized.  It only took a little while longer to cook the jam, fill the jars and in 30 minutes they were ready to take out of the pressure cooker!  What fun!  What ease.  NO sweat and no lost heat in the kitchen!  One of the nicer things about the electric cooker is that you can put it anywhere there’s an electrical plug, even outside, and it doesn’t lose nearly as much heat as a standard stove-top pressure cooker.  It’s a winner all around!

I was all done in about an hour and a half, and a good part of that time was just waiting on the cooker to cook and then cool down.

I love my new electric pressure cooker and you can bet I’m going to be haunting the Farmer’s Market for other marked-down produce next weekend.  Let’s see….strawberries, peaches, plums. This is one summer I am going to remember fondly all winter!

(As an aside to those who know me:  No, I haven’t lost my mind!  There is not one iota of added sugar in this jam!  I used a combination of sweeteners like stevia and erythritol and a package of pectin for no sugar added jams!) 

 

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Giving Up the Car Keys Can Be a Difficult Step

Posted on July 25, 2012 by Mrs. BBT
Giving up the car keys

Giving up the Car Keys is Hard

Many boomers find themselves contending with one of the most distressing problems they will ever have during this time of their lives, and that is helping their parents understand that they soon will be giving up the car keys and their driver licenses. The reason it’s important to understand how, when and why to make this big change is because – our turn is coming!

It’s more than a little distressing for me to think of not being able to drive. This is due to a number of reasons:

  • I want – in fact I need – to be independent
  • I live in a location where public transportation is either nonexistent or difficult to find – will I be able to walk where I need to go?
  • Change is hard – always – and this change will affect every area of my life

It’s reasonable to expect that our parents would also have the same or at least similar feelings about this important life change. So, what is the best way to handle this (almost guaranteed to be difficult) problem?

First, since we know this is a situation that – given we live long enough – is coming to us, a great starting point is to consider how we would like to be treated at this time. The golden rule is always applicable!

It’s also a good idea to keep the following considerations in mind when planning this move. How can we make our parents continue to feel independent, help them understand any transportation alternatives that are available, and help them feel like they are capable of making this change in their lives, all the while giving up the car keys? How can we make sure of this for ourselves down the line? If we are able to plan this move ahead and understand the dynamics involved, this may also make the burden on our children much easier, too. And if we don’t have children to help us in the future, that makes these preparations even more important!

Second, one of the things we really shouldn’t do is to make this appear to be a unilateral dictate (because people are always more amenable to a decision they helped make). Also, be really ready with a list of the alternatives that will help make it easier for your parents to get around, and emphasize the positives, both for the elderly driver and yourself in the future. (Positives might include less stress, more time to read or converse or listen to music, and the lack of worry about getting lost. Don’t worry about naming any negatives – your parents will be able to do that all on their own – and so will you, when the time comes.) Taking these steps in advance will make the changes easier to handle.

Finally, remember that your parents (and you) need to retain as much dignity as possible during this difficult time. Please don’t switch their keys out for a non-working set, or otherwise try to fool them. Don’t put an alarm on their vehicle, hide the vehicle, or sell the car without their permission. The only time I would suggest doing any of these things is if your parent truly has lost their ability to reason, such as if they are afflicted with Alzheimers or other cognitive disease. In other words, if they become a danger to others and lack the capability of understanding the danger they present, then if they cannot be convinced to leave this area of their lives behind, it might be necessary to engage in some subterfuge.

Unless that is the case, though, please be gentle and remember how you will want to be treated yourself when – not if – the time comes for you to take this step.

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Hepatitis C Testing – The Final Edition (I think)

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Mrs. BBT
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/s...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After jumping back and forth about Hepatitis C testing in my previous blog posts here and here, and learning that I DO need to get tested, because I took RhoGAM injections (a blood product) in 1971 and 1974, before they were screened for Hepatitis C starting in 1992, I have done one more about-face and ended up kind of in the middle.

Because blood products  such as RhoGAM and Gamma Globulin were not tested for many serious diseases, including Hepatitis C and the HIV virus, it’s reasonable and necessary for baby boomers, especially those with risk factors, to be tested if they have received either of these products, or had a transfusion (and see the other risk factors below).

As a recap, RhoGAM is a blood product injected into mothers with RH-Negative blood, and who give birth to RH-positive children.  The injection is given within 72 hours of the birth of the child, to prevent the mother’s body from creating antibodies to the RH factor which is present in the child’s blood.  This does nothing to help the child that has just been born, (nor does it need to), but may save the life of the next child to be conceived.  Since no one actually knows for sure whether they will have another child, the injection is given to prevent any possibility of these antibodies being generated.

Gamma Globulin was frequently used to treat Mononucleosis, and is also a blood product that was not tested before 1992.  In my own case, I also received a Gamma Globulin injection in my early twenties, so I have been exposed more than once.

If, like me, baby boomers forget – or never realized – that they had been exposed, they might NOT get the test, thinking they were safe in the absence of other risk factors.  So, even if baby boomers think they are safe, they should be tested anyway, because liver disease is very serious.

Now I have discovered that, instead of having to stay awake at night and worry, I realize that I most likely do not have Hepatitis C, simply because I donated blood more than once since 1992, and if I had tested for ANY serious disease, including Hepatitis C, I would have been notified and banned, probably for life.  Given that I haven’t been notified, and haven’t been banned, I think it is reasonable to conclude that I do not have Hepatitis C or other serious blood disease.  BUT…it’s still a good idea to be tested specifically for Hepatitis C, just to be safe.

I just won’t be pacing the floor worrying over it, like I previously was when I learned I had been exposed due to the RhoGAM injections.

(Just in case you wondered, it is absolutely forbidden for a person to attempt a blood transfusion with the intent of being tested for Hepatitis C, HIV, or any other disease.  See your medical professional for proper testing, because if you did indeed have one of these diseases and the testing produced a false negative, you could spread disease far and wide before the mistake had been caught.  Please be responsible!)

Just to wrap up, I’d like to mention one more time the risk factors for Hepatitis C, just in case you forgot or never knew.  From http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hepatitis-c/ds00097/dsection=risk-factors

Your risk of hepatitis C infection is increased if you:

  • Are a health care worker who has been exposed to infected blood
  • Have ever injected illicit drugs
  • Have HIV
  • Received a piercing or tattoo in an unclean environment using unsterile equipment
  • Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992
  • Received clotting factor concentrates before 1987
  • Received hemodialysis treatments for a long period of time
  • Were born to a woman with a hepatitis C infection

And now you can add to that:  If you are a Baby Boomer.  Take heed, folks.  Get tested if you have a risk factor.

(Nothing in this post is intended to be medical advice.  Please contact your medical practitioner to determine whether ANY of this information applies to you.)

 

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