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BEST BUY TACTICAL COMMANDO

July 3, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I made a birthday run to Best Buy for my wife’s birthday. Married people do this all the time. Maybe just husbands? The difference was, my trip was on the birthday, which some people call irresponsible, tactless, whatever. But I knew what I wanted and where to get it. And I knew the timeline. How […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: armed guard, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, Best Buy, birthday, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, commando, deadly force, geek squad, glock 19, kef muon, tactical, tactical commando, writer, writers, writing

MY TOP JULY FOURTH: 1976

July 2, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

In 1976 July Fourth found me living in Philadelphia, of all places. I was standing in the audience listening to President Ford address the nation from the Liberty Bell. I was a regular Army private two months from being discharged after two years. My uncle, a career Marine, was with me. It felt different than […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 4th of July, Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, facebook, family, July 4, July Fourth, liberty bell, Marine, philadelphia, president ford, Social media, wife, writer, writers, writing

PIECES OF A LIFE TOGETHER, AND ‘THE PAST’

June 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

If you spend enough time with someone you may eventually get the feeling of living a life, of sharing a life, together. With that in mind, why wait until the last minute to get, or give, the flowers. Is there a plan for how to do that? How do two people put those pieces together? […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, education, facebook, family, feeling, fitness, good husband, history, husbandry, learning, life together, living a life, Love, MARRIAGE, marriage husbandry, married, millennials, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, sharing, Social media, story, the past, together, tranquillity, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

WALK THAT LONESOME VALLEY, OR BABY SHARK, PICK ONE

June 28, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

You know you’ve got to walk that lonesome valley. That’s just how it is. The part about walking it by yourself? I’m not so sure about that. I tried walking it by myself and got pretty far, even though I wasn’t alone. Technically.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, baby shark, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, lonesome valley, North Bend, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, Social media, story, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF NATURAL MEDICINE: THE DOCTORS ARE IN

June 27, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

From a distance the ribbon cutting for the National University Of Natural Medicine appeared as yet another civic event in Portland, Oregon. Speakers spoke, ribbons cut, cheers all around. It was all of that and so much more, like overcoming impossible odds. And yet . . .

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, doctor, education, history, learning, Love, millennials, National College of Natural Medicine, natural medicine, nature, Naturopathic Doctor, naturopathic medicine, ND, Oregon, oregon renaissance, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, ribbon cutting, writer, writers, writing

THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE TO WRITING AN EVERYDAY BLOG

June 25, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

An everyday blog is just what it sounds like: Every. Day. Like most things worth pursuing, it takes tenacity and creativity to make something worth writing into something worth reading. No problem, write. Right? But, there’s more.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Army, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, creativity, culture, culture shock, dream, education, English major, everyday blog, facebook, family, history, late seventies, learning, life, Love, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, proper perspective, Social media, tenacity, travel, wax museum, wife, writer, writer dream, writer's block, writers, writing, youtube

BEER BELLY, BEER GUT, THEN WHAT

June 24, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

I’m working on a beer belly reduction plan, which means what? Drink less beer, what else? I was lamenting my loss after meeting a new guy who fixed broken guitar amps in his garage. Me: I think the signs are lining up to loose my gut.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, beer, beer barrel, beer belly, beer drinkers, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, bruges belgium, Costco, Deschutes Brewery Inc, drinkers, drinking beer, education, friends, history, kirkland lager, learning, Love, married, pilsner beer, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, stella Artois, story, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

BEING USEFUL LIKE ROBERT FULGHUM

June 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

This isn’t Robert Fulghum, it’s me being useful in my Robert Fulghum beard which has gone the way of every beard that dared show itself on my face. He is probably a better beard steward than me. My enthusiasm for grooming an extra pet in the house lasts about six months. The last dog lived […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, banality, be useful, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, continuity, education, family, keep writing, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, rational answer, repetition, Robert fulghum, Social media, story, tedium, travel, useful, well known, worth knowing, writer, writers, writing

A SECOND LOOK AT “THAT AIN’T RIGHT”

June 22, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

What’s a second look at this garage arrangement tell you? What’s missing: a fitness area with a treadmill, squat rack, work bench, maybe a couple of cars stacked on a lift, and a designated music area with guitars, drums, and amps all ready to go. Not to say this garage is lacking anything, but it […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accidental hoarder, aspirational goal, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomer please, boomerpdx, clutter, education, family, generational clutter, goal, mt hood, mt.st.helens, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, portland mountain, second look, story, writer, writers, writing

HISTORICAL FATHER’S DAYS 2026

June 21, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Historical Father’s Days in the olde country where I watched my children roam like Vikings conquering a new land. Corfe Castle fell to my marauders. The locals didn’t like our style of exploration. The walkway through the ruins led to more investigation off the path. “How would you like it if we went to your […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, college, college graduation, corfe castle, father, father's day, graduation, happy father's day, hay tor, HISTORICAL FATHER'S DAYS, history, kids, Love, MARRIAGE, married, North Bend, wife, writer, writers, writing