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WAY OF LIFE. WHOSE WAY OF LIFE?

February 20, 2026 by David Gillaspie

I hear the words ‘way of life’ and automatically think of tribes deep in the Amazon who have never been out of the jungle. Instead of the variety of life found in America, I go straight to pre-contact indigenous people, who of course have had contact since we know of them. Pre-contact? Amazon jungle? In […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: air quality, America, Baby Boomer blogger, Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, blog, blogger, BOOMER, boomerpdx, breathing, clothing, common needs, Costco, debilitating disease, disease, education, food, history, inner city, learning, MARRIAGE, Maslow's hierarchy, New Seasons Markets, new york, old guy, older, older adult, paris, precolumbian, recontact, Robert Moses, shelter, sleep, story, urban, water, Way of life, wife, writer, writing

LIFE CHOICE MAKES YOU GREAT

July 26, 2025 by David Gillaspie

One life choice can make all the difference. Things were tough on the Oregon Trail and people needed a break. The Donner Party started with a little known shortcut through the mountains. If you don’t know the story, click here. It turned out to be the wrong choice.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: blogger, blogger life, boomerpdx, earth, education, explore, failure to communicate, family, following orders, france, German leadership, history, human awareness, life, life choice, living life, millennials, paris, shameful reminder, space, tank man, writer, writing, writing life, WWII, your life

“I HAD NO IDEA?” OK BOOMER

June 13, 2025 by David Gillaspie

At some point ‘no idea’ or ‘I have no idea’ is the wrong answer. You can use it as an excuse up to a point, up to a certain age, and it isn’t seventy. Too often I feel like I should have an answer to the hard questions, something better than raising the white flag […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: art, baby boomer, BOOMER, college, college degree, college education, education, granddad, grandkids, history, history of art, IDEA, knowledge, learned, learned answer, math, no idea, ok boomer, paris, qualification, resources, saint denis, science, works of art

EXTRA EFFORT WHEN IT MATTERS

August 5, 2024 by David Gillaspie

Extra effort often gives a big win in sports, at work, in life. Or you get lucky. After a big win you don’t need to do anything extra. So why do people ask, “What’s next?” after a big victory?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: athletes, authority figure, basketball, big win, blog, blogger, extra effort, let it fly, olympians, Olympics, paris, permission, reporter, reporters, sports, sports reporters, story, table tennis, USA, victory, what's next, winners, writer, writing

PARIS OLYMPICS: TIME TO GET IN SHAPE

July 9, 2024 by David Gillaspie

With the Paris Olympics coming up it’s not too late to get ready, to get in shape. No matter the event, you’re a competitor, a contender, an expert. What if it’s something you’ve never seen before? Still an expert. Does it sound too dumb yet?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: 2024, champion, competition, fit people, fitness, motivation, NBA champ, olympian, Olympic team, Olympics, ordinary people, paris, Paris olympics, Social media, sports, Sports fans, track and field, world champion

REIMAGINE, REUSE, RECYCLE, BABY BOOMERS

June 19, 2024 by David Gillaspie

What’s the best example of reimagine, reuse, recycle? Old tires? Worn out shoes? Tea towels? Last I checked there’s a way to reuse old paint if it’s not dried in the can. What about old baby boomers who aren’t dried in the can?

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: adventure, adventure plans, adventurous, baby boomer, Baby Boomers, BOOMER, boomers, driving, education, history buff, Joe biden, london, Oklahoma, paris, passion, recycle, reimagine, reuse, road trip, Spain, thediscover, travel

WRITER WORKING ON CASU-11

March 9, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The writer working on Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 11 is William Little. The official title of his book is MECHANIC ON THE WING, The Untold Story of Carrier Aircraft Unit Eleven (CASU-11) 1943-1946. I first heard about it in 2019 during a Rick Steves tour of Paris. There was something about meeting a former Navy […]

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: author, baby boomer, Baby Boomer blogger, blogger, book, book writer, books, BOOMER, boomer blogger, casu-11, casu11, Hawaii, history book, kailua hawaii, memoir, naval officer, paris, real guys, William Little, working, working writer, writer, writer working, writer's dream, WW2, wwii history

SEATTLE FREEZE WARMS TACOMA

February 4, 2023 by David Gillaspie

The Seattle Freeze in February isn’t about the weather. It’s not about the weather in July or August, either. If it’s not freezing weather, then what is it? Attitude, a chilly attitude.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: Amazon, beer, belgium, boeing, culture, English, English culture, English explorers, high tea, history, identity, logging town, london, microsoft, non-fiction, northwest, pacific northwest, paris, philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, seattle freeze, seattle identity, Tacoma, travel, west coast, writer, writing

BEST TOMB WITH A VIEW

November 21, 2022 by David Gillaspie

Even the best tomb has something in common with every other tomb: Death and remembrance. This is Napoleon’s Tomb. It’s a tomb with something for everyone. Overhead view, ground level view under the curve. It’s got it all. And family in the house. The surroundings are gorgeous. The Alexander Bridge is across the street.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: best tomb, blogger, british, Death, Europe, lenin's tomb, lord nelson, napoleon's tomb, paris, remembrance, spanish armada, St.Paul's cathedral, tomb

MARRIAGE FORECASTING: WHAT TO EXPECT

October 15, 2022 by David Gillaspie

Marriage forecasting includes the same elements as the weather: Sunny days, cloudy days, some rain, some more rain, more clouds. But we only remember the sunny days, so keep that in mind.

Filed Under: What's Up Tagged With: best friends, divorces, long marriages, manhood, MARRIAGE, marriage advice, marriage forecasting, married, married people, paris, separations, soul, soul mates