Empty Nest

Billy Mays and Gale Storm

Pennie — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:17:12 +0000

Well, it seems I was a bit mistaken on my last post. I inadvertently left out the death of Ed McMahon which threw off my mention of Hollywood’s three-death rule.

If we add Ed to the timeline previously created, we now have three deaths in one cycle - David Carradine, Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett.

We have two more deaths to add today, to that of Michael Jackson. So now we have in the second cycle: Michael Jackson, Billy Mays and Gale Storm.

Billy Mays, 50, was the pitchman of all time, hawking such things as cleaning products and lately signing on with the Discovery Channel to do a show called “Pitchmen” about, what else, pitchmen. Gale Storm is a TV sitcom star from the 1950’s and was quite well known back then for “My Little Margie” and “The Gale Storm Show”. Most empty nesters will probably remember her. She was 87.

So I think I have my lists all up-to-date now and if they’re right, we may be finished with this rule for awhile. At least until another celebrity passes on.

David Carradine, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

Pennie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 01:39:54 +0000

Farrah Fawcett, 62, and Michael Jackson, 50, both died today although under very dissimilar circumstancs. Farrah succumbed to cancer after a 3-year battle during which she became almost a hero. They don’t seem sure what caused Jackson’s demise; it is under investigation.

Farrah went from pin-up girl status to someone with a lot of fortitude and determination to live as long as she could despite her illness and to give others in like circumstances courage to continue their fights as well.

Jackson went from being a child star to a rather goofy grown-up-little-boy-wannabe. Dangling his small son off a balcony, undergoing all sorts of medical procedures to alter his appearance, and of course being accused of horrific child molestation charges. It will be interesting to hear what caused his death.

Actor David Carradine passed away on June 3rd, about three weeks ago. An old superstition holds that when one celebrity dies, two more will soon pass away as well. I have tried to keep track of this over the years and it does seem to happen this way, for whatever reason. Now we have three to finish off this cycle - David, Farrah and Michael.

Getting a Second Opinion for Medical Problems

Pennie — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:43:13 +0000

For those empty nesters who hate to get a second opinion for fear of making their doctor mad or are afraid insurance won’t pay for it, think again. There are several good reasons to get a second opinion and if your doctor is any kind of doctor, he/she shouldn’t be put off because you want to make sure what you’re hearing from him is right. Also there may be other ideas out there for treating what ails you, so go for it. And generally insurance will pay although you can always check ahead of time to be sure.

Here are some times when you should really get a second opinion:

If surgery is prescribed, see if another doctor agrees or if there are other options available that the original doctor may not have thought about
If what you’ve been diagnosed with is a life-threatening condition, assuming you have time to make some decisions, get another opinion for help with these decisions
If you keep going to the doctor and you’re not getting any better, look elsewhere for some help
If your current doctor can’t seem to figure out what’s wrong with you, seek help from someone else
If you and your doctor aren’t on the same wavelength and you don’t feel comfortable discussing your health with him or her, find a doctor you are comfortable with
If you have lots of medical things going on at the same time, you may want to get help to sort it all out

Even if you don’t find any better healthcare suggestions, at least you can be reassured that what the original doctor wanted to do is probably right for your medical situation.

Packing Your Hurricane-Preparedness Kit

Pennie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:13:10 +0000

A couple of days ago I posted some hurricane-preparedness tips. Now I’m posting a list of some things you may want to have ready in your personal hurricane-preparedness kit:

A first-aid kit with important everyday medicines

Your personal prescription medicines

One gallon of water per day per person

Battery-operated radio and flashlight and some extra batteries

Driver’s license, Social Security card, insurance cards, insurance policies - in general all your important paperwork and put them in a waterproof container. If there are things that are important but that you wouldn’t need such as family pictures, negatives or CD’s of photos, marriage license, and birth certificates consider putting them in a lock box you can rent at your bank.

Cash (this is always nice to have even if there’s no storm coming!)

Well-charged cell phone (in case the electricity is off, at least it’ll work for awhile)

There are other things that I’m sure you’ll think of as you fix up this kit. One year we packed our whole trunk full of personal memorabilia (family pictures, special knick knacks, and the like) that I felt like I wanted to protect. You can also stash things in your refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer. Just don’t start them up after the storm is over without taking out your special stuff or you may have more damage than you would’ve gotten from the hurricane.

Wedding Day for the Older Crowd

Pennie — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 04:35:20 +0000

Young folks may not think old folks ever get married, but they do! In our retirement community where we live, it’s a regular Peyton Place. (The youngsters probably won’t know what I’m talking about!) Anyway, there are a lot of weddings around here and they’re much more relaxed affairs than first weddings for young people.

There’s the wedding first, of course, and then it’s party time. Most wedding parties gather in the main hall of the community clubhouse. There’s a kitchen there so they can have food and drink and there’s room for dancing and all sorts of wild goings on!

We’ve had birthday parties, going away parties and holiday parties there too. It has room for a good crowd and the rent is cheap ($0.00). And the pool is just outside the door so if anyone needs doused, there it is. Don’t laugh but I know of one woman, in her 60’s probably, always has the perfect hair-do, dressed in street clothes, who found herself gently pushed into the pool one night. I’m not sure she even got mad!

Getting Ready for the Hurricane Season

Pennie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:13:31 +0000

The hurricane season is upon us (well, those who live in hurricane-prone areas, at least) so I thought I would mention a few things about being ready if a hurricane happens to come your way.

One important thing to determine before hurricane season arrives is where the nearest hurricane shelter is that you will be evacuating to if evacuation becomes necessary. Check local newspapers and local hurricane-preparedness websites to locate the best one for you. Make sure you know how to get there and if there is a special evacuation route you need to take, learn what it is before the hurricane is bearing down on you.

If you have a pet that you want to take to the hurricane shelter with you, check ahead of time to make sure they will be welcome. If not, many local veterinarians are usually willing to take pets on a first-come, first-served basis. They will probably need their own cage, water and food supply, and bowls for eating and drinking. All vaccinations will need to be up-to-date and be sure they have ID tags.

While the weather’s nice outside, be sure you know where and how to turn off your water, gas and electricity if necessary. Also take a look around your yard and figure out what will need to be moved inside if a hurricane threatens. Be sure you have somewhere to put everything that could become a projectile in a high wind.

Hopefully, we won’t need these precautions this hurricane season, but it’s much better to prepare ahead of time.

Bonny Eagle High School Denies Diploma

Pennie — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:22:45 +0000

I just read this article about a Bonny Eagle High School senior being denied his diploma because, as he went onstage to pick up the diploma, he blew a kiss to his mother. The school was apparently just trying to keep things calm and horseplay to a minimum.

Sounds good, but give me a break here. This kid went through 13 years of school to get here and they’re denying him his diploma for a kiss blown to his family and friends? The school says the kids had all agreed to limit the goofing around and they’re only enforcing the rules.

I understand that rules can make for a better ceremony perhaps but this can’t have been all that violent a kiss, can it? This school is in Maine, where I would think school officials would have a modicum of common sense. Maybe I’m wrong.

Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease

Pennie — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 03:28:30 +0000

Something everyone fears these days is Alzheimer’s Disease. In case you’re wondering, here are the 10 warning signs of Alzheimer’s Disease:

1. Memory Loss. This is generally concerned with forgetting recently learned things, and not just phone numbers and names.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. These tasks include things that most people do without even thinking about how to do them.

3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer’s Disease may forget even simple words or substitute unusual words, thus making him or herself difficult to understand.

4. Disorientation to time or place. Patients may get lost in familiar surroundings.

5. Poor or decreased judgment. Alzheimer patients may dress without regard to the weather, give away large sums of money, or buy things they don’t need, especially when confronted by unscrupulous sales people.

6. Problems with abstract thinking. They may not remember what numbers are and how to use them.

7. Misplacing things. Not only do they get lost themselves, but those with Alzheimer’s may actually put things in very unusual places, such as placing the iron in the freezer or their wristwatch in the sugar bowl.

8. Changes in mood and behavior. This involves very rapid mood swings from one end of the scale to the other.

9. Changes in personality. The person may become someone you no longer feel you know. They may be confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent.

10. Loss of initiative. The Alzheimer’s patient may not want to do anything, may sit in front of the TV for hours or sleep more than usual.

A Cheap Week at Grandma’s House

Pennie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:20:54 +0000

Our kids and grandkids are planning on a visit in July so I’ve been looking at air flights and have seen a few things I’d rather not. For instance, on the airlines I was looking at, they charge $15 for the first bag of checked luggage, $25 for the second and $50 for each bag over two. I guess you can still have a free carry-on although I didn’t look it up so maybe that’s not true either.

Then taxes and such turn a cheap-looking ticket ($58 one way) into a $78 ticket. Plus $15 more if you want to take a bag and it’s $93. So much for a cheap flight. Now, more craziness, a non-stop flight is less expensive than one with a stop because there are extra landing charges. And you didn’t even want to land! This doesn’t seem right!

Now they’re looking into renting a van to avoid putting so many miles on theirs. But that would be just as much if not more than flying! Plus gas!

Maybe I’ll check the train or a bus for them. How about hitchhiking?

Studies Show the Country May be Getting Less Windy

Pennie — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:50:41 +0000

I was just reading an article that was discussing the possibility that there isn’t as much wind out there as there used to be. Of course, they attribute it to global warming but none of them are really sure. They have all these scientific instruments that measure wind speed and such. My only comment is they don’t live in a retirement community or they wouldn’t think there was less wind (or hot air) out there.

There’s lots of wind here. All the wind that these old guys have to spout about every subject that comes up. And what about the wind after eating beans or onions. OOH. The wind from all the snoring has bed covers fluttering all over the place. You can almost hear the swish of the blankets after it gets dark.

If only we could harness all this “power” we could be rich empty nesters.