Adam Lambert

ENTERTAINING...SEXY.....PASSIONATE!

ADAM LAMBERT was all that and more last night at the American Idols concert in St. Louis.

Sure, it's called the American Idols Tour but Adam Lambert steals the show and that's who everyone came to see. The others might as well have been his back-up singers! Until he hit the stage the audience was rather subdued.

When Adam appeared, the crowd went wild! The screams were deafening. Say what you want about the man.....as many people dislike him for being gay.......BUT Adam Lambert is the most versatile entertainer I've ever seen. And I've seen them all from my very first concert featuring Bobby Darin in 1960 (anyone remember him?) to Yanni, this year.

Whether he's singing "We are the Champions" or "Tracks of my Tears", the man entertains the crowd like no one else! He's the best I've seen since ELVIS!

Adam Lambert - just remember the name! You'll be hearing a lot more about him.
Check out his videos at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAwFpWXQYT4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9g-jDV5K3o&feature=related

You'll see why I'm hooked!

How many candles on your cake?

Don't you just love birthday parties?

My passion for fun BD parties goes back to my childhood. Somehow my overworked mom organized a birthday party for each of us 9 kids with a traditional Italian ricotta cake and lots of relatives at the party.

A very-good friend of mine, Lily, turned 75 this month. Her family threw a huge, western-themed BD party for her. It was quite a shindig with hayrides, a square-dance caller, a DJ complete with a mirrored disco ball for dancing under the stars, games for the kids and even Texas-Hold’em .

What made the event most special were the people....almost 100, ranging in age from 1 to 85. The best-dressed woman at that party was the 85-year-old Boomer!

Hate getting older? Just be glad you’re still on the top side of the dirt and throw yourself a theme party. (p.s. – with all those candles, don’t forget to have the fire extinguisher handy)

For some great cake ideas: http://www.coolest-birthday-cakes.com/cake-decorating.html

Salida, CO

Salida, Colorado is rapidly becoming a hot retirement spot for active Boomers!

It’s a quaint town nestled in the midst of 3 breathtaking mountain ranges, with activities for the most adventurous souls…whitewater rafting, spectacular hiking, mountain biking, and fly fishing.

If you're more culturally minded, Salida has it all with 10 art galleries and a small theater group. I recently went there for the annual Riverside Fine Arts Festival. It was a fun event, with more than 100 artists. What I liked best was the wide variety of art ranging from jewelry to outdoor garden sculptures with most of the art very reasonably priced.

Salida, located just 3 hours from Denver, is great for a weekend getaway. The drive alone is worth the trip…with the scenic views of the Arkansas River and mountains.

For info on upcoming events:

http://www.salidachamber.org/events.html

For retirement info on Salida: http://www.retirenet.com/location/overview/24-colorado/1-active-lifestyles?city=81201-salida

Rocky Mountain Winter Games

Are you a fit Boomer athlete who still has the passion to compete?

If so, then it's not too soon to start thinking about competing in the Rocky Mountain Senior Winter Games scheduled for February 2010.

The tentative schedule for 2010 is: Pasta dinner, Sunday, Feb 21; ice skating and alpine events, Monday, Feb 22, and the Nordic events for Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The pasta dinner and awards will be held at the Senior Center in Frisco Colorado. Mark your calendars and check out the 2009 website for more information on what to expect at the events. http://www.2009seniorgames.org/

For additional info on the senior summer games scheduled for next June: http://www.greeleygov.com/RMSG/default.aspx

Julie & Julia

Entertaining flick!

Streep is just brilliant in this role and steals the movie!

When it comes to transforming herself into a character, there's no one like Meryl Streep!

It's so hard to believe she's the same woman who went from Donna in "Mama Mia" to the nun in "Doubt". Here she effortlessly gives us Julia Child right down to the voice and mannerisms!

Amy Adams gives a good performance as the unfulfilled Julie. But she doesn't quite own that character because while watching her, I saw too many of the same characteristics that she displayed as Giselle in "Enchanted".

Whatever you do.........eat well before you see the movie or the food will make you feel ravenous!

MY LAST ____________________

I'm retired, but don't feel old yet!

However, living in a retirement community there are many people here 5 to 10 years older than me. It seems lately that I'm hearing a lot of "I just bought my last _____________(car, living room set or house)".

It's just so depressing to hear that!

It makes me feel like they must have an "expiration date" stamped somewhere on their backside, because they know they'll never need another car.

Frankly, I'm a firm believer that your attitude not your chronological age will determine how well you fare in your golden years. When you start thinking like that, you're already programming yourself to die at a certain age.

I just don't get it, because while their thinking in terms of buying their 'last ___________"; I'm busy still trying to figure out how to get my movie made!

ROD STEWART

I'm a concert junkie and especially love the older rock'n'roll artists not just for their music, but because they're growing old with me.

While Rod Stewart put on a fast-moving show, covering his best, crowd-pleasing hits, he's definitely showing his age (64). He just didn't command the stage like he's done in past concerts and his dance moves were quite stilted. In comparison to Mick Jagger who's even older, he just doesn't measure up. Jagger still struts the stage like a mating peacock!

Still, I'd recommend the concert because Stewart's voice is holding up well. You can just feel his pain in "First Cut is the Deepest". He had the crowd on their feet most of the night and ended the concert with his biggest hit - "Maggie May".

Check out his concert schedule at: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rod-Stewart-tickets/artist/736200

OBAMA's Health Plan

I voted for Obama and supported his platform of "Universal Health Care" because I sincerely believe that everyone should have access to medical care regardless of their income. But now comes the hard part -- what's going to be covered and who's going to pay for it?

As the oldest of 9 kids, things were often financially difficult for my family. We did without a lot of extras, but my parents always stressed the importance of health insurance. They provided medical care for us through Blue Cross (which they paid for) and a medical clinic paid for through my father's union dues. Since we always had our medical needs met, I just assumed that everyone got to go to the doctor or hospital when they were sick.

But as I try to wade through the numerous articles and many emails I've received regarding the confusing Health Care proposal, I have several very serious concerns:

1. Will it cost me more than my current plan?

2. How will the doctors and hospitals absorb the work load created by the sudden influx of new patients?

3. Who's picking up the tab? Will middle American taxpayers bear a larger share of the financial burden?

4. Should abortions be covered? If not, are we penalizing low-income women who may need need one but can't afford it.

5. What about the "right to die" ? Should a final stay in an Euthanasia clinic be covered?

BUT my #1 concern is the potential loss of my freedom in selecting my health care providers and selecting a plan I feel best meets my own needs. That's probably the biggest worry for those of us who have coverage, because under the current legislation being considered in the House, it will eventually force all Americans into a government-approved plan after a 5 year grace period. I'm definitely against that!

How about you?

Have you taken the time to review the Health Care Reform proposals?
Are you concerned enough to contact your representatives? If so, you can find them at:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

Let's be sure our opinions are heard during this critical time or we might find ourselves paying a higher price for health care that provides us with less coverage!

Summer Concerts

I love summer concerts! It's just so much fun sitting outside with friends and listening to my favorite acts blasting out their greatest hits.

Recently, I went to see the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at the Hudson Gardens which is a beautiful outdoor setting in Littleton, CO. A picnic dinner and stroll through the gardens is a great way to spend a Sunday evening. Weekly concerts showcase either local acts or well-known goldie-oldie ones like the Dirt Band.

It was a great show! I loved it when they did one of my favorites "Mr. Bojangles". They played for 2 hours with no opening act or breaks...so they definitely pleased the sold-out crowd!

Withdrawal

The last few weeks I've been without my laptop and I've just felt so lost without it!! How did we ever get along without all the modern day electronic gadgets that have become essential parts of our everyday existence?

I admit it - I'm addicted.

I love checking email, researching new topics on the Internet, playing the EONs crossword puzzle and now I'm on FACEBOOK which I'm finding is very time consuming. I find it fascinating and am still trying to learn all the bells and whistles, but I love the challenge. It's really fun to hear from friends that have been buried in the woodwork for years........and I'd go, "Wow, I wonder what happened to...." and now I know.