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BOOK BUYBACK AT POWELL’S BEAVERTON

May 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

A book buyback trip to Powell’s Beaverton store usually hurts my brain. This time was no exception. Ouch, my head. Out of four bankers boxes full of books this is the shot of what they bought back. Am I buying the wrong books?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, beaverton, book, book buyback, books, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, buying, buying books, education, history, learning, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, powell's, Powell's beaverton, reader, reading, reading books, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

HELPING OTHERS DO THEIR JOB?

May 26, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Helping others has always been a trend. We are remembered if we help others and you want to be remembered don’t you? Remembered for more than your stunning good looks and colorful repartee? Be helpful. But not too helpful. There is a standard, after all.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, caregiver, customer service, education, family, family caregiver, help, helping, helping others, history, learning, Love, Oregon, over Dave, people pleaser, raving kook, Social media, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

Time beginning, the MIDDLE, and end

May 23, 2026 by David Gillaspie 1 Comment

Where is time beginning every day? Somewhere in England. I was there during one of my drives through the English countryside in a tiny Vauxhall with my wife and two gigantic teenagers inside. Did they enjoy their historical moments in the olde country, their strolls along legendary paths? Yes, they did.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: boomer blogger, boomerpdx, Death, education, end, end of time, English countryside, family, history, kids, learning, live it up, Love, MARRIAGE, middle, new ways, Oregon, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Social media, time beginning, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

REMEMBER TO VOTE: BE SOMEBODY

May 19, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Remember to vote at this late date. Late? Well, this is the last day to drop ballots at collection sites. Mine dropped yesterday. Felt pretty good.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, boomers, dolled up, education, family, learning, Oregon, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, remember to vote, Social media, travel, vote, vote today, wife, writer, writers, writing, your house

HIGH SCHOOL CLASS FOR PLUMB, LEVEL, AND SQUARE

May 18, 2026 by David Gillaspie 2 Comments

The high school class I regret not taking? Shop. Woodworking. Construction. Why the regret? I bought a table saw. It’s piece of machinery people in their thirties and forties buy because there’s something missing in their life: They’ve never built anything. The table saw is also famous for kick-backs that send a piece of lumber […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, carpentry, construction, construction industry, education, framing, high school, history, kids, learning, level, Love, lumber, plumb, Redmond High School, safety, square, trades, useful, wood, woodworking, writer, writers, writing

SHARING SPECIAL DAYS, EVERY LAST ONE

May 9, 2026 by David Gillaspie Leave a Comment

Special days have special meaning which don’t hit the same for everyone. For some it’s repeating, “Why bother,” for the fortieth time. Others like to say, “I thought we’ve moved past all that.” But you still find those looking for something special in every day, and keep looking until they find it. Hell or high […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: anniversary, Baby Boomer blogger, bliss, boomer bliss, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, dear readers, education, family, fingers crossed, gift ideas, history, learning, Love, love notes, MARRIAGE, Oregon, party, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, readers, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing, youth culture

DIFFERENT SOLDIERS? HOW DIFFERENT

May 2, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The men in uniform during WWII were different soldiers, different kind of people. The Axis powers carried an extreme devotion to duty, an extreme devotion to their emperor, and an extreme devotion to cruelty over helpless victims. By the way, this isn’t new, not breaking news, but a reminder for short-memoried morons who ought to […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: America, Baby Boomer blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, different soldiers, education, extreme devotion, germany, historical, history, holocaust, illegal orders, japan, kadena air base, learning, men in uniform, moral clarity, moral superiority, ramstein air base, soldiers, surrender, travel, writer, writers, writing, WWII

RECLAIMING MY TIME ON SOUTHERN OREGON COLLEGE SIXTY-FIVE YEARS LATER

April 30, 2026 by David Gillaspie

Southern Oregon College Graduating Class of 1960: My dad. He transferred after two years at Central Oregon Community College in Bend. It was a well used path to the first college degree in his family. He was thirty years old, an old 30. Back then thirty was older, fifty was a grandparent. Hit sixty and […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: advanced degree, ashland oregon, baby boomer, blog, blogger, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, davidpdx, education, GI Bill, higher education, historical recreation, learning, Love, Oregon, Oregon shakespeare festival, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Shakespeare, southern oregon college, southern oregon university, travel, wife, writer, writers, writing

GAINING CONFIDENCE, losing confidence

April 29, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The thing about confidence, gaining confidence, is making it personal. Something bothers you until you do something about it, then it doesn’t bother you. As much. Whether you fixed a problem, or not, you did something. That’s a win in the davidpdx book, blog, post, something. It’s win.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: accumulation sickness, Baby Boomer blogger, Baby Boomers, boomerpdx, confidence, confidence builder, education, facebook, fitness, gaining, gaining confidence, great man, learning, losing, losing confidence, never satisfied, Oregon, poetry, Portland, PORTLAND BABY BOOMERS, Portland Oregon, self confidence, self destruction, sports, story, wife, writer, writers, writing

THE LEADING AGE, I MEAN LEADING EDGE

April 27, 2026 by David Gillaspie

The leading age comes after long years of experience, and putting it into practice for the benefit of others. The best blacksmith in town learns to pound steel into the correct form and he teaches others the same skill before his elbow sidelines him. The best woodworker shapes stock into useful pieces and helps others […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Baby Boomer blogger, blue collar, boomer blogger, boomerpdx, business leaders, ceo, coach, construction workers, davidpdx, decision makers, education, ELECTED OFFICIALS, google AI, history, learning, MARRIAGE, married, mentor, money, money guys, prime, tradesmen, travel, wife, workers, working class, writer, writers, writing