the U. S. Census reports that on July 22nd an important aviation record was made on this date 77 years ago, as noted aviator Wiley Post landed on Long Island, New York, completing the first solo flight around the world. In a feat of endurance, he made the trip in just under seven days, 19 hours, flying a Lockheed Vega monoplane called the “Winnie Mae,” now in the National Air and Space Museum. Post, blind in one eye, was an aviation pioneer who also held high-altitude records, flying in the first ever pressure suit. Today, extremely long flights are commonplace. In the U.S., 741 million passengers board the nation’s airliners annually. That works out to more than two flights a year for every man, woman, and child in the country.

So what’s holding you back from taking that much dreamed about trip? Checking off  an item on your bucket list? The economy? time? or ?

Doing things when one is still young enough and able to enjoy them is important. Way too many people  end up watching “one day I’ll go to…”  pass them by, and they are not longer able to enjoy travel.

Yes, the cost is a factor so be sure to shop around and talk to friends to find out where they have found good travel deals. Nothing better that an spectacular vacation at a bargain price!

The baby boomer generation may be well into their 50s and 60s, but that doesn’t mean they’re ready to concede their looks just yet. In fact, many “boomers” are determined to maintain their once-youthful appearance.

According to a recent survey by the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, anti-aging procedures such as facelifts and blepharoplasty (eyelid lifts) are on the rise. So are botox and fillers. The bottom line is that baby boomers are aging but they don’t want their looks to do the same.

“The baby boomers are getting older but they still feel young and they want to look that way too,” said AACS President Mark Berman, MD. “With anti-aging procedures, people tend to feel much better about themselves afterward.”

Facelifts rose 44 percent from 2008 to 2009 in procedures by AACS members, totaling 34,455 in ’09. Blepharoplasty procedures went up 42 percent, from 42,602 to 60,507. Similarly, non-invasive anti-aging procedures such as Botox (up 157 percent) and fillers (up 245 percent) rose exponentially.

In procedures performed by AACS members, the average age of facelift patients is 54.1 years. The average age for blepharoplasty is 52.3 years. In addition, the average age of patients receiving Botox is 46.6 and fillers is 46.8.

“I think this might come as a surprise to the public when they see just how many baby boomers are trying to slow down the aging process,” Berman said. “As a surgeon, these numbers aren’t surprising because we see older patients all the time.”

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is a professional medical society whose members are dedicated to patient safety and physician education in cosmetic surgery. Most members of the AACS are dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons – all of whom specialize in cosmetic surgery. AACS is an organization that represents all cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association through its seat in the AMA House of Delegates.

Source: American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery

CONTACT: Jeff Karzen of American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery,

Take a 3 day weekend cruise or four day cruise to cruise away the blues.  We recently went on the Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas out of Cape Canaveral, Fl. It was easy to find an airfare sale to Orlando, Fl and than hop the shuttle off to the port.  We hadn’t been on a cruise for several years so we were plesantly surprised by the improved system to embark and disembark the ship. Much faster and easier with online check in before the cruise and a system that actually works to get passengers off the ship and through customs with minimal delays.

The best part of the cruise was Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean’s  private island, We lounged in beach cahair  and on water loungers, snorkeled out to see the sunken airplane, tasted barbecue and rested in the afternoon in the shade of palm trees.  What a great refresh after the long cold winter!

We also visited Nassau, Bahamas and avoided all the downtown shopping, vendors… by taking the ferry to Paradise island and hanging out all day at Atlantis. I actually went down one of the water slide that goes into the shark pool (you are inside a clear plastic tube, so it is safe).

How wonderful to have time and freedom to do this and it was easy on the budget too!

The ride to Whistler along the new highway is beautiful. Ocean shore, bays, mountains and evergreens, even some snow. The first week of the Olympics saw unseasonably warm weather even in the mountains. Whistler is a delightful ski town, lots of stores, restaurant, ski shops and fun.  It was filled to the brim with Olympic fans from through out the world. 

The Swiss  were especailly happy having won 2 Gold Medals that day.  The Swiss  restaurant which included large screen TV’s, Swiss fondue’s, beer and hot chocolate was the busiest place in town next to the official Olympic merchandise store which sported a line around the block.

One can watch skiers come down the mountain from the middle of town, right near the Blackcomb Gondola.  We shopped ’til we drooped, had fondue and soaked up the international flavor or and fun!

Wow what a fun, loud and ruckus crowd at the Hockey arena. Canadians do love the game, even when Canada is not playing. We watched Finland and Belarus in hotly contested game. Later that night we went  to see Curling after a delightful dinner with friends and a walk through action packed downtown Vancouver.

Luckily, I sat next to my Canadian friend who explained the game of curling to me. There were three matches going on at one time so trying to focus, to understand a game I knew little about was challenging.  After the 4th end ( each team has had 4 turns) I finally began to understand scoring and little bit about the strategy. It is an amazingly strategic game which takes lots of intelligence and physical fitness too!  Kind of  like chess on ice!

We watched China and Switzerland, Sweden and Great Britain, Denmark  and Russia curl away the evening.

The large oval speed skating arena in Richmond was specially built for the Olympic Games. It has a  wonderful wood ceiling that is appealing and very eco-savvy. Made from evergreen trees which had died due to the evergreen beetle. We watched the women’s 500 meter speed skating. The crowd was wonderful and applauded for everyone no matter which country they were from.  There was also a lot of national pride shown when a skater zoomed by form your country.  the dutch are the best speed skating fans, loud, ruckus and entertaining, they even had a Dutch band play during the breaks between rounds.

We also went to  women’s hocky at  the BBC University arena, the Finland women were very impressive in the game we saw.  Hard to belive they can set up plays while ice skating and being chased by others on ice skates!

We had dinner a Maxie’s with some friends and thoroughly enjoyed the day! One of our friends is an Olympic volunteer, affectionally know as the blue coat squad by the tourist. One seems to be on almost every corner, giving directions and helping people find their way form one event to the next.  Well done Canada!

The Vancouver Sky train and Canadian Line trains make getting around the city and to the event easy and fast. We had mainly short waits to board trains.

So as you probably saw on TV, they lite the torch inside and then went outside to light the one on Vancouver Bay. Spectacular opening ceremony, we beat drums and lite battery operated flashlights and candles and overall had a great time.  They gave each spectator a white paper poncho to wear so the special effects in the arena were awesome.  The big news here in Canada is that one of the legs to the torch at the end of the ceremony did not work, a failure in the hydraulic lift.  The media is very divided about how important that actually was, at the ceremony we didn’t even notice!

Such sad news about the young man from Georgia that was killed at the luge training, The whole audience spontaneously arose when the Georgian Team came in and applauded them to let them know we were with them in spirit.

We didn’t have tickets for any events on the Day 2 so we wandered around downtown Vancouver, truly a cosmopolitan city, young , hip and vibrating. Lots going on in the streets: shows, large screen TVs and entertainment.  We went to see the outside torch and to the ticket booth to get more tickets. We have an action filled agenda, hockey, speed skating, figure skating, curling and a victory ceremony. We were unable to get alpine skiing tickets but we are going to go to Whistler and hope there are some for sale the day of the event.

One the best things about having an empty nest is doing the things you have always dreamed of doing but couldn’t. Because you needed the money for the kids college, lessons etc., or just didn’t have the time because you were busy running a household, working…

So here we are  living a dream at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.  I had to pinch myself to see if it is really true, as we watch the torch be carried by in the neighborhood, Burnaby, where we are staying.   We are looking forward to the opening ceremony tonight.  It is being held in a wonderful enclosed stadium.  The big question here is, how are they lighting the torch at tonight’s ceremony in a enclosed building when the Olympic rule is that the torch flame  must be able to be seen outside.

I’ll let you know hos they did that!

Habitat’s Gift from the Heart program gives you a opportunity to give a tax-deductible donations
of any amount to be given in honor of a family member or friend. Gift from the Heart recipients will be
notified of the giver’s generosity with a card informing them that afamily in need of simple, decent and affordable housing will benefit  from a donation made in their honor.

Habitat’s Gift Catalog – Honor loved ones by giving donation amounts based on the cost of typical items used to build a house. From construction tools and materials to rooms and whole houses, the gift catalog symbolizes what a donation can buy to help real families in need.

The holiday section of  Habitat for Humanity’s Store Online offers many gifts for less than $20, including a limited-edition stuffed animal, The American Red Fox, and a new book, If I Had a Hammer: Building Homes and Hope with Habitat for Humanity about the real-life stories of Habitat homeowner families and volunteers around the world.

The American Red Fox, the fourth in a series of plush animals representing areas of the world where Habitat works, celebrates Habitat’s 34 years of building in the United States and features the Habitat logo embroidered on its stomach, as well as the Habitat logo and flag of the United States on a medallion on its collar.  The fox measures 11 inches high by 21 inches long from nose to tail and has a hand-numbered hangtag that shows its designation out of 1,000 in
existence.

With a foreword from former President Jimmy Carter, If I Had a Hammer, captures the entire Habitat experience for young readers from the perspective of Habitat’s most famous volunteer and others touched by Habitat’s work. The 160-page hardcover book is divided into eight chapters featuring stories of Habitat homeowners and volunteers at
build sites in the United States and around the world and is stunningly illustrated with full-color photos. If I Had a Hammer also tells the story of Habitat’s early beginnings in rural Georgia and explores topics from interesting home design (like using window bars in India to keep monkeys out of houses) to the emotional rewards of helping to build a house from the ground up.

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry that welcomes to its work all people dedicated to the cause of eliminating poverty housing. Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has built more than 300,000 houses worldwide, providing simple, decent and affordable shelter for more than 1.5 million people. For more information, visit www.habitat.org.

As the Holiday Season Approaches, Heed These Pet Tips From the American Humane Association

Gone are the green days of summer, replaced by the changing leaves of autumn — a reminder that it’s the perfect time to refresh your pet IQ before any holiday-related dangers come to haunt you! Most savvy pet owners know the usual pet-safety tips about poisonous items in the home, like poinsettias and chocolate. But, as many veterinarians can tell you, that is just the beginning.

Many holidays are celebrated between the months of October and January, meaning that extra food, guests and dangers for pets are right around the corner. Keep these tips from the American Humane Association in mind as you prepare your holiday festivities.

Ringing Doorbell = Nervous Breakdown?

Many pets are agitated by the sound of doorbells, especially since their hearing is much more sensitive than ours. If your dogs bark, run and jump when new people arrive at the house, or if your cat runs for cover, consider disengaging the doorbell and putting a sign on the door to ask guests to “knock please.” Provide an open cage large enough for your animal to stand and fully turn around in, and place it in a quiet room away from the hubbub so your pet can choose when to join your party. This will also help keep your pet from running away during the frequent opening and closing of your door if you keep the cage closed.

“No” to the Five-Second Rule

Sometimes we forget what can fall on the floor when we are cooking for a holiday crowd and there’s a pet around. Some of it may be OK, but other things, like bread dough, can cause problems. When an animal ingests dough, its body heat causes the dough to rise in its stomach, leading to bloat or worse. It’s best to let your pet snack on familiar favorites instead of unfamiliar holiday goodies like candy and other people’s food.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Cats and other animals may seek out your car engine for warmth during the winter months, so honk the horn or bang on the hood a few times before starting the engine.

Adjust Your Pet’s Diet

Most pets spend more time indoors during the winter, which means their activity level drops and they need less food. However, if your pet does spend a lot of time outdoors in cold weather, he will need more food as he burns calories to keep warm. Talk to your veterinarian for advice on the proper diet for your pet.

Ice, Snow and Salt

Your pet may like taking a stroll outside when the temperature dips, but many people use powerful salts on their sidewalks to combat the ice. Clean your pet’s paws after your outing to prevent its pads from becoming irritated and dried out.

Don’t Forget Your Feathered Friends

Getting ready for holiday gatherings usually means extra cleaning before guests arrive. Fumes from rug shampoo, furniture polish and oven cleaner can be fatal to a bird if they enter its delicate respiratory system. When using these products, keep them away from birds, and open your windows to let the air flow.

Just Because It’s Cold Doesn’t Mean They Can’t Catch a Bug

Mosquitoes and other bugs can be a year-round problem. Remember to keep your pets on their regular heartworm, flea and tick preventive medicines, even during the winter.

In Addition to Poinsettias …

Holly, amaryllis, mistletoe and pine needles can be harmful to your pet’s stomach. Go for the fake versions to keep your traditions, and your pet, alive.

If They Like Toilet Water, They’ll Probably Like Tree Water

Both cats and dogs may find Christmas-tree water irresistible, so if you add a tree preservative to the water, make sure it is pet friendly. Better yet, use a tree stand designed to prevent pets from accessing the water, which can harbor bacteria.

More Temptation Lies in the Tree

With its glittering lights and natural climbing area, the Christmas tree may offer a new place for your cat to play. Hang your most valuable or breakable ornaments near the top and cat-friendly ornaments on the bottom.

The American Humane Association wishes season’s greetings and a safe holiday season to all pets and their families. For more information on keeping pets happy and safe during the holidays, go to www.americanhumane.org/petholidays.