Voting is Your Right & Responsibility

      Early voting began yesterday here in Utah. There are several selected locations around the State where one can vote early and avoid waiting in line of November 5th.

Is your vote heard, does it really count?

      How many times have we heard these sentiments? Yet there are those who have fought for the right to vote, given their lives for the rights of others to vote in their countries, and whose sole focus is on protecting that right for future generations in America. Can we really be so disengaged as to ignore our small part in Democracy and fail to participate in an action that is at the core of what our Country stands for?

We have to salute the courage and bravery of those who are risking their lives to vote and those brave Iraqi and American soldiers fighting to protect their right to vote.
Hillary Clinton 

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.
Franklin D. Roosevelt 

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” ― Abraham Lincoln

      I cherish this right and power. I will not hand my vote over to others because I failed to participate. No matter how small the ballot, no matter how seemingly insignificant the issues, my vote counts and I will voice it! 

      Take a bus, ask for a ride, carpool, walk, do an absentee ballot, do what ever it takes, but VOTE. 

Today's Funny!

      I would say this is the Ultimate in Leisure Services!!

Tear and Air vs. Clean or Cling?

      My husband Blair and I had to go to Southern California on business about a year ago. We drove and as usual, we stopped along the way to spend the night (rarely do we drive all the way in one stint now). We stopped at a nice hotel in Mesquite (the only nice hotel there), parked at the front of the hotel where the Bell Hop station is located. Walked all the way through the Casino, stood in line in the check-in area, walked all the way back through the Casino to the front to the hotel to get our things out and park the car when the Bell Hop approached and whispered to Blair; "Are you aware that you have a tear in your pants?"

      A tear in his pants! It was more like the opening to a Circus Tent! It went from the top of his back pocket to his knee! His whole backside was hanging out! I can't believe he didn't feel the breeze. I had to walk behind him practically attached to him, all the way back through the Casino to get him to our room. That should have been an omen of what our trip would be like.

      The following day, we were in Orange County, CA at the famous OC Swap Meet. If you haven't been there it is HUGE; with thousands of people, crowded aisles, about 400-500 exhibits, and lots of music, food, and bargains. Well, the gallon or so of Diet Coke I had consumed along the way was taking effect and I made one of my customary ten stops at the Women's room. Afterwards, we enjoyed about 30 minutes of walking, shopping, laughing and mingling with the crowds. Suddenly a young woman tapped me on the arm and said; "Are you aware you have the toilet seat cover hanging from your pants?" Am I aware??? The only thing I could say since I was already embarrassed beyond belief was, "Well, at least people know I use one!" I thanked her profusely and tried to be discrete in it's removal. It's one thing to drag toilet paper around that is stuck to one's shoe, but to walk around with a toilet seat cover hanging from one's waistband is slightly more humiliating.

      We have to BE AWARE and work as a team at this age, check each other out to make sure we are in one piece and haven't put on one blue shoe and one black shoe. Keep active and make sure Silver is Sensational!

Stay Sharp after 50!

      The more you want to use your brain - and the more you enjoy doing it - the more likely you are to stay sharp as you age. This is according to findings recently published in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences by a team of researchers from Concordia University's Department of Psychology.

The new study has three major findings that can help forecast cognitive ability in one's golden years:

1.  1. The more one seeks out and enjoys cognitively demanding activities, the less likely one is to experience cognitive decline later in life.
2.  2. Doing a variety of different cognitive activities helps boost brainpower post-retirement.
3.  3. People who exhibit even mild signs of depression are more likely to show a decline in brainpower once they leave the office for good. 

      Consider life-long learning. Enroll in Community College classes; get another degree; learn a new craft or hobby; write your life story; do genealogical research; participate in physical activities of many kinds; remain social or get social; learn to ballroom dance; LIVE LIFE. It is a beautiful thing. Make every day of being Silver Sensational!

Obama Care

      Today I discovered some new costs in Obama Care. While one could acquire a policy for $200 a month as an example, there is a $6000 deductible on medical care and another $6000 deductible on prescriptions. So the policy that you thought was $200 a month is now $2400 (annual amount of monthly); $6000 for medical care deductible annually; $6000 for prescriptions deductible annually totaling a whopping $14,400 a year!!!! Not the $200 a month you thought you were getting. That also does not include regular Dr. visits which are not covered.

      Make sure you read the fine print before you sign up for any plan! (that is if you can get on the site to actually attempt to sign up).

Job Hunting

     This is the first of many conversations about the incredible opportunities that await those who have hit those magic numbers over 55. I have greatly enjoyed my life in the new world of being a "Senior" but there have also been some challenges that I will chronicle and hopefully help others who may experience similar in their Silver Years.

      We are living much longer than did our parents, we are healthier, more active, more engaged in life, and probably still working, or looking for work. I have been the latter. I went back to school 5 years ago on a whim, thinking I was fulfilling a portion of my "bucket list", not realizing that when the down turn hit the following year, I would really need the education I was gaining to find a job that would be appropriate for someone with my level of experience in the business world.

      I have spent the last 8 months aggressively looking for a full-time job. I have filled out over 200 applications online and have had only 3 interviews. I have a tremendous resume of business and personal accomplishments, I have completed my Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and fit every criteria on the list of requisites for every job I was attracted to. What seems to be the problem? I am healthy, educated, skilled, and anxious to work hard. I KNOW I will be an asset to any company smart enough to hire me......but nothing! No responses, no offers, not takers!

      I finally realized it had to be my age. But what of the law against age discrimination? Legally an employer is not allowed to ask your age, but some still do. Legally an employer is not allowed to discriminate because of age but they do. "How do they know your age?", you may be asking. Well, on EVERY application the employer asks; "What year did you graduate from High School?", not hard to figure out one's approximate age from that question.

      If it were me hiring a new employee, I would like the best person for the job, not the youngest, not the "fresh from college with no experience" person, not the person with no life experience. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be valued. We are calm under pressure, we are highly skilled in many areas, and most importantly, we have no distractions in life that will keep us from doing the best possible job for which we were hired. We are not having babies, we won't have any childcare problems as empty nesters, we came from a generation that believed in a full day's work for a day's pay, we are generally loyal to our employer; (it's a product of our generation), and you won't see us wasting time on FaceBook or Twitter.

      I may not run the '50' in 2 minutes, give me 4 and I can do it. However, I also can multi-task; counsel a heavy heart that needs comfort; sell a product or service to 10 people in the time it takes a new salesperson to sell 1; type a proper letter with proper grammar, spelling, and syntax without one single LOL in the verbiage; and learn new social media marketing skills quickly where needed.

      I will keep you posted on the job hunt and how I overcome this age barrier. I will overcome it and hopefully I can help a few of you along the way. I would love to hear your job hunting experiences and any comments on how SilverIsSensational!