Howdy, Mongolia!
We did it! February 24, on our six-month anniversary (yes, it does sound like something high school sweethearts would say), we did what connivers always do: we professed our affection, and our thanks, and then asked for something in return. Specifically, we asked our good readers to help us reach just one reader in Mongolia....
Another outdoor pursuit
While not conducive to the healthiest of lifestyles, the lowly cigar has become the last refuge of a population entirely comfortable with politically incorrect acts. Stereotypes die hard (and usually of cancer) but as I took on the art of the cigar it became clear that this was indeed an outdoor pursuit. When my favorite...
British couple lacks the stamina to cruise for a full 40 years
You could spend what remains of your life collecting stories about engaging people who have chucked over their rat-race lives, bought a sailboat, and cruised the world for a year or a decade or longer. That’s because a lot of people actually do this. There are communities of cruisers, in boats of varying degrees of...
Sunday hash: February 26, 2012
Odd lots and bolt ends from the past week: As pointed out in an earlier post, research demonstrates that “exercising with an interactive computer game improves brain function among the elderly.” Now comes news that you might not need the exercise part of that: a study by North Carolina State University...
Help us find our first Mongolian reader!
Gentle reader, if you have at your disposal some way to forward a link to this web site to a kind soul in Ulan Bator, or anywhere else in the fine high country of Mongolia, please do so. Here’s why: As of today, we’re six months into this experiment and reasonably...
Paraphernalia redux
We have become a nostalgic lot. This morning I was Googling, recollecting the back-of-the-calf supports that were slid into or otherwise added to old ski boots. All I came up with were Jet Stix, the lame supports that losers strapped to their Rosemount boots. (Who used Rosemount boots anyway?) I...
Good design turns our head (again)
When it comes to basic survival needs—like potable water—it is irresponsible to recommend a product based on anything less than functionality. So we are not recommending the CamelBak All Clear UV Microbiological Water Purifier, because haven’t tested it. (Yet.) We can only say this: if it reliably does what it claims it...
Century-old Frenchman (with the body of a 75-year-old) sets biking record
There are many, many things to say about this, and there is nothing that is necessary beyond the following: at the age of 100, Robert Marchand—citizen of France, former inhabitant of Venezuela and former Canadian lumberjack—has just ridden a bike 15.1 miles. In an hour. That sets a new record because it...
Are pot-blocking seniors starting to waffle?
As we approach the end of national Medical Marijuana Week, it seems like a reasonable time to review where older people stand on this issue and the larger matter of a more comprehensive legalization. The research shows what you already know: on pot, people seem to have difficulty making...
The Sweetest Valentine (for your bike)
Typical: We’re a tad late for Valentine’s Day. We thought about trying to let it slip by, without saying anything, but then we came across this touching video from British Cycling. Sure, it’s corny. Love’s like that. The organization asked readers to confess whether they spent more on their bikes or...
The problem is that everything will hurt you
If you lift weights you can rupture an aneurysm. If you sit calmly at work or at home, you risk increased coronary disease (which is why some people insist on saying that “sitting is the new smoking”). If you run or play volleyball, you can damage your knees. There...
French equestrian village for old horse people is simultaneously encouraging and disturbing
The Villages Group, which develops and operates retirement communities in locations around the world, has announced that it will build France’s first equestrian village. It will be “aimed at buyers in the over 50 age range who want to live in a community with sporting and outdoor activities.” While horseback riding is...
