OK, I decided to brave the heat this morning and take another trip to the Duke Trail. For those of you who don’t know, this is the place where the REAL exercise warriors go. It’s a rugged three-plus mile course, complete with it’s version of Heartbreak Hill. Trust me, by the time you make it up that hill, SOMETHING IS DEFINITELY BROKEN!!!
Anyway, just as I was preparing for my workout, here comes a fellow baby boomer looking like she just came from a make-up session at Nordstrom’s. AND it was the SAME WOMAN I saw on the trail earlier this week. Her face was completely done up in make-up again! She smiled as our eyes met. She looked beautiful with her matching outfit and there wasn’t one drop of sweat anywhere that I could see. I wanted to ask her what was the deal with the face-paint but just kept on walking.
Is there a new trend among baby boomer women that has us working out looking our best from head to toe? I had a similar encounter when I went to the gym yesterday. A fellow boomer was also wearing make-up and was completely color coordinated right down to her tennis shoes. Are my beat up shorts and non-matching T-shirt no longer acceptable? Oh, and let’s not even talk about my hair. If you saw me, you’d think I had just been in a fight!
Well, I don’t know what’s going on with some of these blooming boomers but I can tell you one thing for sure, it’ll be a cold day in hell before you see me walking that trail in make-up....but I will try to dress a little better though :)
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Too Much Cardio Can Make You FAT!
OK…so now I know what my problem is. I’ve been exercising TOO MUCH! I went to the gym this morning and saw a big sign hanging on the wall that read, “Did you know too much cardio can make you fat?”
Well, golly gee---I didn’t know that at all. And here I thought I was doing my middle-aged body some good by burning off all of those excess calories. My gynecologist told me my metabolism started slowing down at 30. I figure at 50 it barely moves so a good shot of daily cardio would be just what the doctor ordered. But not so, according to gym employees who are apparently inspired by the increasing numbers of out of shape, downright fat baby boomers who keep walking through their doors.
The sign went on to inform me how I could learn more about getting rid of excess fat by signing up for a personal trainer. Oh! So that was the catch. It’s not enough that they have all of these machines in the gym to workout on. They want me to spend even MORE MONEY to hire a personal trainer to keep me from exercising so much.
But you know what? I don’t need a personal trainer for that. This baby boomer diva can come up with plenty of excuses on any given day to keep her from working out. You see, I've got something called MENOPAUSE on my side!
Well, golly gee---I didn’t know that at all. And here I thought I was doing my middle-aged body some good by burning off all of those excess calories. My gynecologist told me my metabolism started slowing down at 30. I figure at 50 it barely moves so a good shot of daily cardio would be just what the doctor ordered. But not so, according to gym employees who are apparently inspired by the increasing numbers of out of shape, downright fat baby boomers who keep walking through their doors.
The sign went on to inform me how I could learn more about getting rid of excess fat by signing up for a personal trainer. Oh! So that was the catch. It’s not enough that they have all of these machines in the gym to workout on. They want me to spend even MORE MONEY to hire a personal trainer to keep me from exercising so much.
But you know what? I don’t need a personal trainer for that. This baby boomer diva can come up with plenty of excuses on any given day to keep her from working out. You see, I've got something called MENOPAUSE on my side!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Hot Flashes in this Heat!
Is it just me or is anyone else trying to figure out if they’re having hot flashes while exercising or is it just this unbearable, intense heat wave we’re experiencing?
I woke up this morning at 7:15 am---I was going to head out to the Duke Trail to get my morning walk/run in. I turned on the TV. It was already 77 degrees and the humidity was over 80! OK…I had to ask myself, “Am I going to go out there and perspire like a pig like I did yesterday?”
Yesterday’s temperature was 75 degrees when I woke up but the humidity was in the lower 70s. I figured I could handle that so I took my bottled water and off I went. I hadn’t even walked a quarter of a mile when I began sweating profusely! I thought I was having a hot flash! I took a swig of water. It was hot enough to make tea. People were passing me left and right. One woman passed me wearing makeup! And to top it all off, she didn’t have a drop of sweat on her face. I figured she must be testing a new product because it made absolutely no sense to be wearing makeup in that heat. Or maybe she was hoping to catch the eye of one of those sweaty baby boomer men who came running by.
Well, I decided not to go to the trail today. Besides, I have a gym membership so this would be a good day to use it---even if I have to drive 15 miles to get there. Another thing…I’d much rather have a hot flash in the gym because of a thing called air conditioning.
I woke up this morning at 7:15 am---I was going to head out to the Duke Trail to get my morning walk/run in. I turned on the TV. It was already 77 degrees and the humidity was over 80! OK…I had to ask myself, “Am I going to go out there and perspire like a pig like I did yesterday?”
Yesterday’s temperature was 75 degrees when I woke up but the humidity was in the lower 70s. I figured I could handle that so I took my bottled water and off I went. I hadn’t even walked a quarter of a mile when I began sweating profusely! I thought I was having a hot flash! I took a swig of water. It was hot enough to make tea. People were passing me left and right. One woman passed me wearing makeup! And to top it all off, she didn’t have a drop of sweat on her face. I figured she must be testing a new product because it made absolutely no sense to be wearing makeup in that heat. Or maybe she was hoping to catch the eye of one of those sweaty baby boomer men who came running by.
Well, I decided not to go to the trail today. Besides, I have a gym membership so this would be a good day to use it---even if I have to drive 15 miles to get there. Another thing…I’d much rather have a hot flash in the gym because of a thing called air conditioning.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Robin Roberts' Breast Cancer Diagnosis is an URGENT Wake-Up Call
This week’s announcement that Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts has breast cancer came as a complete shock to me.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news!. I always thought of Robin as the epitome of good health but this just goes to show you that cancer can strike anyone at anytime.
In her own words, Robin outlined how she came to discover the cancer:
“It all started a few weeks ago. We had gotten the news that our dear colleague and friend Joel Siegel had passed away and we began preparing for our special tribute show for him. I did a piece about Joel's courageous battle with cancer, reporting on the way my friend had lived his life and been such a successful advocate for the importance of early cancer screenings. That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump.
At first I thought, "This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman." Nevertheless, I faced my fear head on and made an appointment to see the doctor. Much as I was hoping the doctor would say it was nothing, she did a biopsy and confirmed that the lump I'd found was indeed an early form of breast cancer. Hearing the doctor say those words out loud was surreal.”
Just last year I was so excited when Robin agreed to read a copy of my book Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age. I named her one of my “Spectacular Baby Boomer Divas” in the book.
I'm really glad she caught her breast cancer early because that may have saved her life and her actions should be a wake-up call for ALL women---especially African-American women. We must be vigilant when it comes to our health. What happened to Robin can happen to any one of us and if we ignore it we are doomed.
I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news!. I always thought of Robin as the epitome of good health but this just goes to show you that cancer can strike anyone at anytime.
In her own words, Robin outlined how she came to discover the cancer:
“It all started a few weeks ago. We had gotten the news that our dear colleague and friend Joel Siegel had passed away and we began preparing for our special tribute show for him. I did a piece about Joel's courageous battle with cancer, reporting on the way my friend had lived his life and been such a successful advocate for the importance of early cancer screenings. That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump.
At first I thought, "This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman." Nevertheless, I faced my fear head on and made an appointment to see the doctor. Much as I was hoping the doctor would say it was nothing, she did a biopsy and confirmed that the lump I'd found was indeed an early form of breast cancer. Hearing the doctor say those words out loud was surreal.”
Just last year I was so excited when Robin agreed to read a copy of my book Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age. I named her one of my “Spectacular Baby Boomer Divas” in the book.
I'm really glad she caught her breast cancer early because that may have saved her life and her actions should be a wake-up call for ALL women---especially African-American women. We must be vigilant when it comes to our health. What happened to Robin can happen to any one of us and if we ignore it we are doomed.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Online Dating has its Pitfalls
Beverly Mahone, author of the book, Whatever! A Baby Boomer's Journey Into Middle Age, says not everyone is giving a thumbs up to internet dating. In her latest podcast, Ms. Mahone interviews an Ohio woman who says all of her on-line experiences have been negative. “While there have been many success stories involving sites like match.com, babyboomerpeoplemeet.com and findlovehere.com”, says Ms. Mahone, “on-line dating doesn’t end happily-ever-after for everybody.”
This week’s 56-year-old guest tells Ms. Mahone the majority of men she met on-line were only interested in one thing---sex. She also says she met a number of men who were already married but looking for a chic on the side.
While researching the topic for her show, the baby boomer author and expert discovered over seven million people have used an on-line dating service and the numbers are rising rapidly among middle-aged adults.
Ms. Mahone says although she personally had good fortune with internet dating because that’s how she met her current husband, she also realizes it can have its drawbacks. “I was skeptical in the very beginning because there are a lot of kooks out there and you really never know who’s who.”
Please check out my podcast on the lower right side of this blog.
This week’s 56-year-old guest tells Ms. Mahone the majority of men she met on-line were only interested in one thing---sex. She also says she met a number of men who were already married but looking for a chic on the side.
While researching the topic for her show, the baby boomer author and expert discovered over seven million people have used an on-line dating service and the numbers are rising rapidly among middle-aged adults.
Ms. Mahone says although she personally had good fortune with internet dating because that’s how she met her current husband, she also realizes it can have its drawbacks. “I was skeptical in the very beginning because there are a lot of kooks out there and you really never know who’s who.”
Please check out my podcast on the lower right side of this blog.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Who's Responsible When Young Black Men Kill?
How much blame rests on the shoulder of my baby boomer generation for the destructive behavior of the YZ generation?
News from the Friday, July 20 edition of the Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Southwest: Aric Lexing, 26, and Scott Grant, 40, both black men, were shot to death in a double homicide in the 4000 block of Stevely Drive in lower Baldwin Hills at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, July 20. Both men died at the scene. They were seated in a parked vehicle when they were shot. One of the victims got out of the car with a gunshot wound in his chest, made it about 40 feet and collapsed. The second was lying dead in the passenger seat. Police seek help. (213) 485-2417.
Aric had just received his Master's Degree from a College in Louisiana and moved to the Los Angeles area to be closer to his mom and other family members while waiting to find out if he would be accepted to the Police or Border Patrol Academy. He would never find out due to his senseless murder.
His mom, Ora Stearns-Smith is a dear friend of mine. She is like a sister to me--a baby boomer diva in every sense of the word---a woman who reminds me how wonderful God truly is even when I have my doubts. She didn't deserve to have this tragedy happen in her life. She's suffered enough. Just last November she lost her brother to gun violence. He was murdered by some foster children he had taken in---over a cell phone---Two years ago she lost her oldest daughter to a brain tumor.
What in the world has happened to the YZ generation of children who seem to have no fear and no regard for human life? Are we, as baby boomers, somehow responsible for not reaching out more in some way?
I used to believe in praying for the lost soul---but I'm more and more convinced that some lost souls just don't give a damn about being found.
News from the Friday, July 20 edition of the Los Angeles Times:
LAPD Southwest: Aric Lexing, 26, and Scott Grant, 40, both black men, were shot to death in a double homicide in the 4000 block of Stevely Drive in lower Baldwin Hills at about 3:30 a.m. Friday, July 20. Both men died at the scene. They were seated in a parked vehicle when they were shot. One of the victims got out of the car with a gunshot wound in his chest, made it about 40 feet and collapsed. The second was lying dead in the passenger seat. Police seek help. (213) 485-2417.
Aric had just received his Master's Degree from a College in Louisiana and moved to the Los Angeles area to be closer to his mom and other family members while waiting to find out if he would be accepted to the Police or Border Patrol Academy. He would never find out due to his senseless murder.
His mom, Ora Stearns-Smith is a dear friend of mine. She is like a sister to me--a baby boomer diva in every sense of the word---a woman who reminds me how wonderful God truly is even when I have my doubts. She didn't deserve to have this tragedy happen in her life. She's suffered enough. Just last November she lost her brother to gun violence. He was murdered by some foster children he had taken in---over a cell phone---Two years ago she lost her oldest daughter to a brain tumor.
What in the world has happened to the YZ generation of children who seem to have no fear and no regard for human life? Are we, as baby boomers, somehow responsible for not reaching out more in some way?
I used to believe in praying for the lost soul---but I'm more and more convinced that some lost souls just don't give a damn about being found.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Passing the Torch from Baby Boomers to Millennials to Gen Z
Whether baby boomers can accept it or not, a changing of the guard has taken place with millennials and the up and coming Gen Z generations...
