Celebrating the strength & diversity of senior citizens and defending their right to make their own damn decisions — whether others approve or not.
No, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. Even if you were never an athlete before, you can train and compete against others your age and gender (from 50-90+).
I’m planning to do it — so join me! Here’s how to pick a sport, get the qualifying numbers, find a trainer, and…
Continue reading “Your goal for 2019 — compete at the Senior Olympics!”
Some psychologists/psychiatrists are just beginning to discuss the idea of rational suicide. That a person forced to live an intolerable life — with absolutely no chance of improvement — might rationally wish to end it. Journal articles are being written, and there’s even an academic book – Rational Suicide in the Elderly — Clinical, Ethical, and Sociocultural Aspects published in 2017.
However… this idea is far from being accepted. In fact, just voicing to your physician that you might consider suicide in the future — even if you state you are not considering it now — could be enough to find yourself involuntarily committed to a mental ward. At the very least, you are likely to be referred for psychiatric evaluation. And once you’ve been evaluated, that will become a permanent part of your medical record — which could color how hospitals/physicians see future actions of yours. Continue reading “Rational Suicide vs. Forced Intolerable Life”
About 2 years before her death, my mother fell. She lived alone in her house with one phone — up on her desk in the kitchen. And though she didn’t break a bone, she still was not able to get back up and/or reach her phone.
She sat on the floor for two days before a neighbor knocked on her door and she was able to call out to her. Those two days gave her a bed sore on her behind, which never went away. If you know a nurse — ask them about bed sores. Not getting a bed sore will become one of your most desired goals in life! Continue reading “What happened to mom ain’t gonna happen to me!”
Is your dog rambunctious? Does he or she love toys? Chasing a ball? Consider setting up a cheap & easy agility course for your dog. It will increase your bond with each other — and give you both more fun, more laughs, and more exercise.
However, if you have a lazy dog that just wants to sleep and snuggle — this probably won’t work. I have one of each type dog and my snuggle dog STEPS over the jump — he’s not willing to jump even for treats(!) My other dog LOVES the jumps.
Note you do NOT have to be able to physically run like the following video shows to have fun in this sport! If you set it up in your garage (photos at the end) you barely have to move at all. It’s your choice how much exercise you get — fun is the #1 goal!) Continue reading “Agility training — fun for you and your dog!”
You did everything right. You picked a doctor within your health plan network. You made sure the hospital was in your network. Yet you suddenly face a bill for thousands of dollars for doctors or anesthesiologists who were not in your network. Bait and switch, anyone?
Only about a quarter of the states have even the smallest protection for this. A few states — California, Connecticut, Florida and New York — have passed laws since 2015 giving stronger protections. If you live in another state — your politicians care more about donated campaign money from insurance companies than they care about you. Continue reading “How your state lets insurance companies screw you”
Before panicking, we need to know exactly how much is coming in and how much is going out.
Money you receive: This consists of your social security, any pension (if you have one) and interest income. It also includes what you can take out each year from your investments. See How much $ can you withdraw each year without running out?
Money you will spend: See You need just 3 numbers to Budget Expenses for Retirement.
The result: Can you live on the net of these two? If so, congratulations! If not, read on…
Continue reading “What if Your Retirement Income Isn’t Enough?”
As the number of seniors grows, so grows our attractiveness to crooks. The following struck me as so important I wanted to get it out to you, even though this doesn’t follow the normal type of postings here.
If you are between 66 and 70, and have not applied yet for your social security benefits — please, please read this posting from the excellent Satisfying Retirement blog.
Apparently crooks, armed with your details from the Equifax breach, are going after people in this age range. They’ve found they can apply online with social security and get back benefits in your name (thousands of dollars worth!) — all before you can find out what happened.
Please check this out — and be vigilant. This not only screws up your social security, but will also force you to fight it out with the IRS and with medicare(!)
Nobody wants to spend a ton of money launching a new business — only to discover they might as well have set it on fire. It’s doubly true if you’re a senior — as you won’t have as many years to recover financially.
CB Insights (a venture capitalist database) examined what contributes to the failure of new businesses. “After analyzing 101 startup post-mortems, they found that 42% suffered from a lack of demand for the product or service being offered. They used a harsh phrase to describe this cause of failure: ‘no market need.’” (Source Harvard Business Review)
Fortunately, you can determine this market need (or lack thereof) BEFORE you spend the big bucks! Continue reading “Discover if your new biz idea will succeed — BEFORE you launch!”
My excuse is… I never grew up around rivers. I first got in a boat of any kind (a kayak) in my late 30s. But it still takes an astonishing lack of wisdom to underestimate Mother Nature.
She and I fought this past weekend, and I’m very lucky to be alive. And still have both my dogs alive.
Like most of you, I feel guilty I don’t exercise enough. And the only kind of exercise that doesn’t feel like being forced to scrub floors on my hands and knees (thanks mom & dad!) — is sports. So when a friend suggested we go kayaking last weekend — it sounded great. Continue reading “Proof that age doesn’t always bring wisdom”
You can’t have a business today without a website — no matter how local and how small you are. But you can save yourself a LOT of time, angst, and money by picking the right hosting company and formats.
There are certain “must haves” that will make your business life much, much easier. They are: Continue reading “Start Your Own Biz: WEBSITES”