Exercise plans for 60+ — Beware personal trainers!

~ marlene ~ Leave a comment

Yes, we need to exercise(!) Yes, it’s shown to help prevent/delay Alzheimer’s, strokes, heart attacks, and pretty much any other body ill except, maybe, toe fungus. Yes, people who moved to 10,000 steps a day were found 46% less likely to die in the next 10 years than those who stay sedentary.

exercise with trainer_shutterstock_1667248963

But… what does that mean for your body and your health? There are 80-year-olds running marathons. And others who can’t walk across the room. So what’s possible — and what’s reasonable to expect? Continue reading “Exercise plans for 60+ — Beware personal trainers!” →

Never Retire! Jobs that won’t kick seniors to the curb

~ marlene ~ Leave a comment

african-american-businessman-smiling-on-grey-picture-id1138563417If you’re considering a late career job change, why not switch to a job that is less likely to force out seniors in order to replace them with cheaper labor?

Yes, it’s come to this. The baby boomer generation who was determined to “Never trust anyone over 30” is getting the same (or worse) disrespect from Gen Xers. Worse because they want to fire us, not just insult us(!)

Should you WANT to never retire?

You can make a good case for never retiring. One reason is your life expectancy. There’s no percentage consensus in the research, but studies have found everywhere from a 20-37% increased risk of early death from those who “retire early” — meaning before 65. Continue reading “Never Retire! Jobs that won’t kick seniors to the curb” →

Are we all crazy?

~ marlene ~ 1 Comment

Paranoia_shutterstock_266683784Have you heard the theory that COVID-19 was cooked up in a lab by Democrats who were so upset they couldn’t get rid of Trump through impeachment — that they decided to poison the world and kill off 200,000 of us just to influence the coming U.S. election?

This was just explained to me as fact by a friend of mine. He also told me other “facts” — some of which the NY Times reports are disinformation being spread by Russian trolls to undermine America.

Another friend recently warned me about 5G for wireless phones. She sent me this: Continue reading “Are we all crazy?” →

Empty Calendar Syndrome? Time to Draw up Your Bucket list?

~ marlene ~ Leave a comment

I’m just stunned as I write this. It’s a Friday, and Monday will be my official retirement date. This is not a surprise — I gave my notice (as academics do) almost 11 months ago. But I just opened my calendar to the coming month and what did I see?

Absolutely nothing.

It really gave me a chill — which is bewildering. Because, duh! That’s what retirement is, right? No job. No meetings. No assignments. Just — to quote some of my retired friends — complete freedom. Continue reading “Empty Calendar Syndrome? Time to Draw up Your Bucket list?” →

Letting Go of Your Job

~ marlene ~ 8 Comments

LettingGo_shutterstock_1430480705It turns out that deciding to retire from a job is a very different thing from actually doing it. No matter that you know it’s time to move on. No matter that you’re ready for something new. Those last couple of months before you’re gone carry a number of shocks.

As a university professor, I expect to miss the interactions with colleagues. I know I’ll miss getting to know and advise each new group of students. What I didn’t expect were the assumptions my ego made about influencing the future — until this last month exposed them to me. Continue reading “Letting Go of Your Job” →

Dental Emergencies(?) During COVID-19

~ marlene ~ 1 Comment

We’re all human, which means we can’t expect perfection. But… who decides what is a “dental emergency” and what isn’t? And how can I appeal those decisions?

tooth pulled out_shutterstock_90060997Those of us who teach at Pennsylvania universities have been practicing social distancing for almost 6 weeks now. For myself, that means I order & pay for my groceries online once every couple of weeks, then park outside the store while someone puts the bags into my open trunk. My daily trips to the post office are now once a week — complete with gloves and mask. My one big risk is going through a Starbucks or Panera drive-thru once or twice a week when I’m desperate for something I haven’t had to cook myself.

So you can imagine my dismay when a tooth started causing problems. Continue reading “Dental Emergencies(?) During COVID-19” →

Waaaayyy too much time on my hands(!)

~ marlene ~ 7 Comments

I’m one of the lucky ones who still has a job, in my case teaching marketing to college students — now entirely online. But we’re going into the second month of staying at home way too much for my sanity.

Probably like you, I’ve spent too much time thinking, worrying & obsessing about health, politics and world peace. To get away from the angst, I’ve lately been reduced to re-reading the thousands-of-pages-long Diana Gabaldon Outlander books. Which I love, don’t get me wrong. But how many times can one re-read these books without feeling you’re burning through your life?

Hair — frivolous AND constructive?

Looking for something both frivolous AND constructive, I decided to focus on my hair. Continue reading “Waaaayyy too much time on my hands(!)” →

Living Alone in Coronavirus-ville

~ marlene ~ 4 Comments

If you’re a senior, you are much more likely to die if you get Coronavirus. According to Stat, analyzing the 72,314 Chinese who first contracted the disease, the fatality rates by age are:

  • 2.3% — average of all confirmed cases
  • 0.2% ages 10-39
  • 0.4% ages 40-49
  • 1.3% ages 50-59
  • 14.8% ages 80+

So… given the risks, many seniors are self-isolating, myself included. Fortunately I’m able, as our university has cancelled Face-to-Face instruction for this month. Likely it will remain in effect the rest of this school semester.

The problem with self-isolating when you live alone Continue reading “Living Alone in Coronavirus-ville” →

Should senior citizens start dropping acid? Some new studies say “yes”

~ marlene ~ 1 Comment

Hippie_acid_shutterstock_1121041799Recent studies by leading organizations are finding psilocybin mushrooms lower rates of psychological distress, help overcome alcoholism, and show lasting beneficial effects to ease anxiety in cancer and/or terminal patients. Who knew??

Three leading organizations — Johns Hopkins University, New York University, and Harvard Medical School have recently researched the effects of LSD to ease anxiety in cancer and/or terminal patients.

Continue reading “Should senior citizens start dropping acid? Some new studies say “yes”” →