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MAKING THE CANCER CALL 2026

Ten years ago I got the cancer call.
Me: Hello.
Doc: Are you sitting down?
Me: Yes. (I was in the bathroom.)
Doc: The tests came back. You have cancer.
Me: That’s not good.
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OPENING NIGHT AT THE ROSE GARDEN

I watched the Rose Garden, home to your Portland Trail Blazers, rise up on the Northeast bank of the mighty Willamette River.
From opening night until now it’s been . . . thirty-one years?
As long as the Memorial Coliseum stands, the Rose Garden will always be the new kid on the block.
And now it’s old and tired?
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A LIFE CELEBRATION

Remember the guy who took shooting pool to a whole ‘nother level?
Who knew where to find a good table and fifty cent beers?
That was Rob Brown in Eugene when we went to UofO.
While he had a drive to succeed, he knew how to take a break.
In that sense he was a host who understood how to pull people together.
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RETIREMENT WARNINGS FOR BOOMERS IN THE FAST LANE

You’re in the fast lane and know it when you pull up on a Waymo car.

 

Waymo has named the Rose City as one of the next locations welcoming its own fleet of self-driving vehicles.
As part of the announcement, the company revealed it will start manually operating the cars on Tuesday to “help familiarize the Waymo Driver with Portland’s distinct streetscapes — from its iconic bridges to its bustling, rain-slicked corridors.”

 

I saw this rig in town and thought, ‘The future has arrived.’
Who is ready for the future? Baby boomers are ready.
Sort of?
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ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR REMINDER FROM VETERANS ADMINISTRATION MAILER

As a veteran of the President Gerald Ford Army of 1974-76, I feel I know what acceptable behavior is without a reminder from the Veteran’s Administration in 2026.
I knew the program way before joining the Army.
Where did I gain such valuable information? The Boy Scouts.
This all rings true from Acceptable Behaviors listed on the mailer:
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toughen up

DIVORCE NEW NORMAL: “WAS IT ANOTHER GUY?”

    Older people, a goal baby boomers are moving toward at hyper speed, have heard more joy and heartache than anyone else. We’ve got at least ten thousand hours in each encompassing most every possible outcome.   At recent bar stop I learned a whole new take on divorce for modern times. It came […]

WINNING THE PAIN GAME

Beat The Pain Game, Then The Withdrawal Game. One of the regulars came in today, though not on his cherried out Harley. Wet and cold is no way to ride a hog if you don’t have to. Said he’d been out a couple of weeks for shoulder surgery. Five places on his shoulder got opened […]

CANCER ESSAY GIVES DIRECTIONS TO ‘CANCERLAND’ AND BACK

    The ties that bind us are few and far between. Instead of vines like Tarzan’s jungle swing time, they’re more like rope climb in junior high gym class.   You get to the top and back down and collect your honor: another chance to climb to the rope top and touch the roof […]

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boomer years

ORGANIC FOOD DELIVERY: INGREDIENTS FOR LIFE

  Where’s the organic food? All I see are fruit and veggies. Overheard in a grocery store produce aisle: “Let’s head to the deli and get something to eat, this is just ingredients.” Ingredients for healthy food? The top image is a box from Organics To You. They promise “Farm Fresh Home Delivery.” Not Meals […]

HOW BROKEN HEARTS STAND

Future Nobel Prize winner Bruuuuce nails broken hearts. Badlands, you gotta live it every day Let the broken hearts stand As the price you’ve gotta pay Broken hearts happen all the time. Hearts break next to you and you don’t hear a thing. Bruce Springsteen sang about broken hearts in Badlands. It fit the song, […]

GILLASPIE LOVESEAT TO HONOR AMERICA. IT’S FRAGILE

    Who hasn’t been accused of making last minute presents? My specialty is carving names in oak with a router.   It takes practice, at least more than a last minute panic to produce something meaningful on Christmas morning.   I’ve been the object of such accusations, and while correct, there is a bigger […]

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buckle up

The Baby Boomer Face Of Spain During An Emergency

Who Do You Call The best way for Baby Boomers to learn a language is living it. My kids did it. My wife did it. Now it’s my turn? Spain seemed like the best place to learn Spanish since that’s the language’s origin, as I’ve been told. But it sounds different in Spain than it […]

BECK’S IN PORTLAND BEER CITY

A Euro-problem For Portland Beer? Or Just Me. In the beginning there was Blitz, the baby boomer’s original Portland beer. You can still see the remains of that other urban brewery around NW 12th and Burnside’s Brewery Blocks. It’s a nice re-use of an area instead of complete tear down. What isn’t around is the […]

YOSEMITE IN AUGUST

Is It Worth The Time And Money To See Yosemite In August? The short answer is yes, but don’t pack your bag just yet. It’s a long drive from Portland to Yosemite, so careful plans are in order. You’ve planned a trip before? Sure you have. At least you’ve been on planned trips, so you’ve […]

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