November 2011
HOME | LIFESTYLE
Thanksgiving Recipes
HEALTH | FITNESS
Climbing to New Heights
‘Local Hero’ Michele Straube Goes Into the Heart of the Alps to Let the World Know Atrial Fibrillation Can be Cured
You Make Me Feel Like Dancing WORKPLACE | CAREER
Fifty and Forgotten
ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT
Surviving Black Friday
TABLE OF CONTENTS
14 COVER STORY
5 Ways to Preserve Your Family History | There are many ways in which to record and preserve your family history. Gone are the days where only the famous publish biographies or documentaries. Today, there are many ways of documenting the lives of our parents, grandparent’s and as we age, ours too.
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HOME | LIFESTYLE Giving Thanks for New Recipes | Tired of the same old pumpkin pie? Try a Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake instead.
HEALTH | FITNESS 06 | Climbing to New Heights | Local hero Michele Straube goes into the heart of the Alps to let the world know atrial fibrillation can be cured. 10 | You Make Me Feel Like Dancing | Dancing with the Stars has shown us that dancing is not only a great way to lose weight, but that you can have lots of fun doing it.
16 WORKPLACE | CAREER
Fifty and Forgotten | How to Find your Next Job When No One Wants to Hire You
18 ARTS | ENTERTAINMENT
Black Friday, A New Tradition | Friends and family have embraced Black Friday as a new holiday tradition.
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Editorial
Publisher.....................Utah Boomers Magazine, LLC Managing Editor..........................................Teresa Glenn Contributing Writers................................Kathy Wilets
Tucker Mays
Bob Sloane
Photography.......................................................Mark Crim Advertising Sales info@utboomer.com media kit www.utahboomersmagazine.com Webmaster Claye Stokes, New Shoe Media
Dear Fellow Boomers, The Holidays are officially on us and we are already showing the signs of stress. In an effort to create the perfect holiday, we are always disappointed to find it doesn’t exist. People never live up to the picture you have in your head. Experts tell us that in order to avoid stress, we must lower our expectations. I agree. The most fun you can have is to “roll with the punches” and find humor and joy in the hijinks of family and friends. Remember too, we live in the most powerful country in the world, and still, 1 in 6 of our citizens go hungry. If you are able, please contribute to the food bank or the charity of your choice that focuses on feeding those without. And speaking of being the most powerful country, don’t forget that Friday, November 11 is Verterans Day. Please remember those who have served our country, especially those of our age group who served in Viet Nam. Lastly, I want to remind you that all of our past issues are archived at http://utahboomersmagazine.com/archives. The articles contained in these issues are as applicable, and helpful today as they were a year ago. Have a safe, and happy Thanksgiving.
Until next month, Utah Boomers Magazine is published monthly for the baby boomer population of Utah. The information contained in this publication my be contributed by independent writers and does not necessarily reflect the views of Utah Boomers Magazine management. Copying or electronic distribution of any content within this publication is strictly prohibited without the written permission of Utah Boomers Magazine and the author. For reprint permission, editorial or submissions or comments, email teresa.glenn@ utboomer.com.Questions and suggestions: info@ utboomer.com
Teresa
Archives November 2010 Honoring Our Viet Nam Vets Blended Families | Holiday Blues Yoga | New Careers | Reverse Mortgage Holiday Traditions | Holiday Travel
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Giving Thanks for Side Dish
Oat-topped Sweet Potato Crisp WHAT YOU NEED 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 1 can (40 oz.) cut sweet potatoes, drained 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped 2/3 cup chopped cranberries 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked 1/3 cup cold butter or margarine 1/4 cup chopped Planters Pecans MAKE IT HEAT oven to 350째F. Beat cream cheese, potatoes, 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon with mixer until well blended. Spoon into 1-1/2-qt. casserole; top with fruit. Mix flour, oats and remaining sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake 35 to 40 min. or until heated through. Healthy Living Save 30 calories and 3 g of fat per serving by preparing with Philadelphia Neufchatel Cheese.
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Tired of pumpkin pie and green bean casserole? Try something new and refreshing.
New Recipes... Dessert
Luscious Four Layer Pumpkin Cake
Appetizer
Artichoke Cornucopias WHAT YOU NEED 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, quartered 1/4 cup Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard 16 Kraft Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Slices 16 slices Oscar Mayer Hard Salami MAKE IT Toss artichokes with mustard in medium bowl. Wrap 1 cheese slice and 1 salami slice around each artichoke quarter to resemble a cornucopia. Secure with toothpicks. Place in airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve. SPECIAL EXTRA Add 2 Tbsp. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese to the artichoke mixture before using to make cornucopias.
WHAT YOU NEED 1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin, divided 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup oil 4 eggs 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided 1 pkg. (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed 1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping 1/4 cup chopped Planters Pecans MAKE IT Heat oven to 350째F. Beat cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, oil, eggs and 1 tsp. spice in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round pans. Bake 28 to 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove from pans to wire racks; cool completely. Beat cream cheese in medium bowl with mixer until creamy. Add sugar, remaining pumpkin and spice; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP. Cut each cake layer horizontally in half with serrated knife; stack on serving plate, spreading cream cheese filling between layers. (Do not frost top layer.) Drizzle with caramel topping just before serving; top with nuts. Refrigerate leftovers. How to Slice and Stack Cake Layers Place 1 of the cooled cake layers on serving plate. Make 2-inch horizontal cut around side of cake, using long serrated knife. Cut all the way through cake layer to make 2 layers. Remove top layer by sliding it onto 9-inch round cardboard circle. Frost cake layer on plate with 1/3 of the Cool Whip mixture. Slide top half of split cake layer from cardboard circle onto frosted layer on plate. Place the remaining unsplit cake layer on a cutting board. Cut into 2 layers as done for the first layer. Repeat process of transferring cake layers to stacked cake layers on plate using the cardboard circle. Microwave 10 KRAFT Caramels and 1 Tbsp. milk in microwaveable bowl on high 2 min. or until caramels begin to melt. Stir until caramels are completely melted. Drizzle over cake just before serving; top with nuts.
Photos and recipes courtesy of Kraftrecipes.com
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Climbing to New Heights
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Local Hero Michele Straube Goes Into the Heart of the Alps to Let the World Know Atrial Fibrillation Can be Cured
Two years ago, Michele Straube was out of breath and dizzy every time she went up a set of stairs or walked uphill.
include cardiac medications and blood thinners or surgical procedures.
For more than 30 years, she suffered from atrial fibrillation (afib), a heart rhythm disorder that affects six million people in the U.S. and contributes to more than 66,000 deaths each year.
University of Utah Health Care is conducting pioneering research into the treatment of afib under the direction of Dr. Marrouche and his team, who are using MRI to test each patient to determine the best course of therapy. Many patients, such as Straube, receive a catheter ablation, which uses energy to cauterize or ablate the heart tissue. This blocks the abnormal electrical signals and promotes a regular heartbeat.
She was told her only treatment option was medications, but they didn’t prevent her condition from progressively worsening. By 2009, the lifelong outdoor enthusiast was easily fatigued, often housebound during red air days, and at her wit’s end.
“I want to let the world know that atrial fibrillation exists, it’s dangerous, and it can be cured.” “I decided I needed to switch doctors and found out about Dr. (Nassir) Marrouche through my Internet research. He said, “I think I can fix you,’ which nobody had ever told me before,” said Straube. “Now I don’t need the drugs I had taken for 30 years. The day I had my procedure (November 12, 2009) is a date I will celebrate all my life.” During afib, electrical signals stimulate the upper heart chambers (atria) to contract in a very disorganized and abnormal manner, which increases the likelihood that blood will pool and/or clots will form and makes the disease a leading cause of stroke. About 15 percent of strokes occur in persons who have afib. Common afib symptoms include palpitations and heart pounding, as well as or other effects that may not seem related to the heart such as lightheadedness, fainting, headaches, shortness of breath, weariness or exercise intolerance. Treatments may
Since 2010, Straube has been volunteering her services to support the University of Utah’s Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research & Management (CARMA) center’s efforts to educate the public about this often insidious disease. As she wrote in her first blog on the CARMA web site, “I want to let the world know that atrial fibrillation exists, it’s dangerous, and it can be cured.” To attract this attention, Straube began her “Into the Heart of the Alps” campaign focused on promoting afib education and providing fundraising opportunities for afib research. Last summer, she and her husband, Bob Adler, completed the first leg of a multi-year hiking adventure along the Via Alpina (www. via-alpina.org) trail in Europe, reaching elevations of nearly 9,000 feet. They plan to return each summer for the next three years to hike another portion of the trail network between Monaco and Trieste, Italy. continued
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Her trek received considerable coverage in local and national media, including a profile in the Salt Lake Tribune. For her activism in raising awareness of afib, Straube was named a “Local Health Care Hero” by the Utah Business Journal.
with its spectacular view of glaciers. It’s a long way from having difficulty climbing stairs to hiking 1500 miles through the Alps. But, as she wrote last summer, Straube won’t be deterred from reaching her destination.
At every opportunity, the 56-year-old Salt Lake City resident helps CARMA educate others about atrial fibrillation and its risks. She’s particularly concerned about the estimated 30 percent who have afib but don’t realize it because they don’t have any symptoms. Undiagnosed afib is dangerous, because individuals with the disease are five times more likely to suffer a stroke.
“I had a lot of time [while trekking] to think of those who inspire me with their courage and ability to overcome great odds. Thought a lot about other afib survivors and two friends who have just completed extensive cancer treatments … Funny how survivors and trekking put things in perspective—no benefit to having great angst about the long haul, putting one foot in front of the other (taking each step of treatment) and taking each breath is what gets you to the end of the stage, every time.”
“A lot of people don’t even know they are at risk,” says Straube. A former environmental attorney, Straube also has renewed her love of the outdoors and the active life. She rides her bike (something she wasn’t able to do for 15 years), hikes in the mountains (loving every uphill) and takes an adult ballet class.
Kathy Wilets is the Public Affairs Manager of University of Utah Health Care. Previously, she worked in television news, producing the daily “Healthy Living” segment for KUTV.
Of course, she’s also getting ready for the second leg of what she calls her “grand adventure,” which will begin in Vallouise, France
Remember When.. Following Thankgsgiving, downtown Salt Lake City was transformed into a magical place with the ZCMI wonderful window displays and Main Street draped from pole to pole with evergreen swags? When Main Street was still open to vehicles and you could pile the entire family into the station wagon, and we weren’t so desensitized by Christmas lights that they were still special and worth ooohing and aaahing over?
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you make me feel like
You really slipped me a potion, I can’t get off of the floor All this perpetual motion, You gotta give me some more You make me feel like dancing, I want to dance the night away Leo Sayer, 1977
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W
hat do famous baby boomers Kirstie Alley, Marie Osmand and Nancy Grace have in common?
They danced their way to huge weight loss, better muscle tone, and improved health on the hit TV show, Dancing With the Stars. Sixty-year-old Kirstie Alley had to have her opening night dress taken in a whopping 38” for the closing episode of Dancing With the Stars.
Dance Ballroom (slow) Ballroom (fast) Disco Twist Swing Hip Hop General
Fifty-one year old Marie Osmand lost over 40 pounds on her way to the finals in season five. Fifty-one year old Nancy Grace dropped 15 pounds by week 3 in season thirteen. Dancing with the Stars has shown us that dancing is not only a great way to lose weight, but that you can have lots of fun doing it. In fact, Nancy Grace is quoted as saying “If you would have told me five to seven hours of dance practice was fun, I would have never believed you, but it is.”
Physical Benefits Low-impact aerobics are those movements involving large muscle groups used in continuous rhythmic activity in which at least one foot contacts the floor at all times. As a low impact aerobic exercise, dancing strengthens the skeletal system without harming it. In fact, low impact aerobics can help to build bone density. If you suffer from bone and joint problems, dancing is the sport for you. Depending on your chosen intensity any given dance, your heart
Calories Burned per Hour 207 378 394 326 306 465 300
rate can be elevated to an aerobic level. But, of all the health concerns you want to concentrate as a boomer, balance should be high on your list. Yes, it’s more important than memory or strength, because good balance will help prevent disabling falls. Dancing provides balance in spades.
Social and Mental Benefits
Ballroom dancing or “Dancesport” has become more and more popular for baby boomers. Not only does it provide a great way to stay in shape, but provides a great social opportunity. Martin Skupinski, owner of BallroomUtah Dance Studio in Salt Lake City says that their motto is “You don’t stop dancing when you get old, you get old when you stop dancing”. Skupinski instructs students young and old in the art of dancesport. Each Friday the studio hosts a Social, open to students and former students, where they can go and dance from 8:00 til 11:00 pm. As Gloria Miley puts it, “Dance is all encompassing—freeing your mind from the day to day. It is as more than just a physical exercise, but is such a mental release. You can come to dance lessons or the Social, exhausted from work, and dance for hours, totally invigorated. It’s also a great place where you can have non-threating contact with partners of the opposite sex.” Most Utah dance studios offer socials where you can go “cut a rug”. You will find people of all ages and backgrounds who share one thing—the love of dancing.
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The Perfect Gift...
Great Ways to Preserve Your Family History 12 |
M
y mother modeled for Auerbachs to pay her way through college. My dad was one five sons serving during World War II, making them a five star family.
How do I know this? Sadly, I experienced these small glimpses into my parent’s lives after they died; snippets at funerals, phone conversations with relatives, and reading their personal papers. I wanted to hear more. I don’t know how many times in the past 10 years I have experienced the pang of regret for not sitting them down and asking them to tell me more about their lives. While raising six kids, my parent’s had a lot more on their minds than telling us too much of their personal lives. As with most small children, we were arrogant enough to think that only our lives were important. As we grew, married and had children of our own, our lives were full of raising our own arrogant little humans. Our parent’s were always around, and in our estimation, always would be. But, to quote Mortimer Adler “Love wishes to perpetuate itself. Love wishes for immortality.” While our loved ones aren’t immortal, you can make sure their story lives on forever. Fortunately for us, there are many ways in which to do this. Gone are the days where only the famous publish biographies or documentaries. Today, there are many ways of documenting the lives of our parents, grandparent’s and as we age, ours too.
Printed Biographies Personal biographies are becoming more and more popular. With the printing technology available today, you can create your own leather or fabric hard-bound book in small quantities. At Your Story Preserved, a Utah based company, they believe that every life story is inspirational, funny, tragic, and above all, interesting. Being able to print a loved one’s biography in book form, assures that future family members will be able to share in that interesting life story. “We had a client who’s family decided to created a biography of their father’s
life. As the book was coming off the press, the family patriarch fell ill and was taken to the hospital where after a brief stay, passed away. His family was so grateful to have the book complete and enough copies to distribute to his large extended family.” With the prevalence of journal writing in Utah, many biographers have all of their content in place. It is just a matter of assembling the it into chapters and include photos that are desired for the publication. Most low run biographers choose to have photo pages rather than pay the added expense of running the entire book in color.
Narrative Biographies It starts with a simple, “Tell me about your life”. A narrative biography can be done at home with your own recording device or with a professional who uses a script that allows them to steer the content. Be sure your subject is on-board with the project. Set them down and let them talk. You may need to do it in several sessions and end up with hours of information, much that won’t end up in the final project. Don’t act frustrated. Be patient, and prompt them gently, and you will get wonderful stories. There are many easy-to-use audio editing software packages that when used will make your product sound as if it were edited by a pro. All of these products will enable you to remove background noise, enhance the sound, add music to the background, and save to a file format that best serves your needs. If you are on a Mac, you can use Garage Band. If not, Adobe Audition is a cross platform package. There are also free solutions such as Audacity or Kristal Audio Engine (see review http://www.techsupportalert.com/bestfree-audio-editing-software.htm#Quick_Selection_Guide).
Documentary Style Biographies If a video documentary is more appealing, Historiologie, another Utah based company, creates personal documentaries that the average person may not think is possible. Fortunately, modern technology is changing that. “At Historiologie we believe everyone has a story tell,” says documentary filmmaker and PBS producer Marcy Brown. “After conducting hundreds of hours of personal interviews on camera, we know that every life has a message worth continued
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sharing. You don’t have to walk on the moon or make it big in Hollywood to have something important to say something that will be cherished by future generations.”
provide the service, and it’s an inexpensive solution. In many cases you can purchase a 20 page 5” x 7” soft-cover book for under $20. But the sky is the limit, design-wise.
Jon Tuttle, of Draper found out about Historiolgie from a family friend. Intrigued, he contacted his 6 siblings and they decided they wanted to move forward with a video biography of their 91-year-old mother. The final product was more than they could have wished for.
At shutterfly.com, you can choose books up to 12” x 12” and add to the 20 pages that come standard with each order. They also offer a variety of hard-back options, including leather and cloth.
According to Tuttle, “The experience was priceless. How can you put a price on watching as your parents tell the story of their lives?” They learned a lot about their mother they would otherwise have not known. So pleased with the final product of their mother’s documentary, the siblings decided to make another—their parent’s lives through the eyes of their children. They played the documentary at a family reunion and Tuttle said there was laughter and tears at this tribute to his parents.
Story Books If you believe that a picture is worth a thousand words, then you should explore the idea of creating a story book. A story book can be done entirely online using one of hundreds of available templates that best suit your needs. Some templates are more flexible than others. The wonderful thing about creating a “coffee table” book is you can show your loved one the photos and let them provide the story in their own words to go along with each photo. Choose a template that allows text on the photo pages. There are hundreds of available websites that
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For a list of photobook providers and reviews go to http://photo-book-review.toptenreviews.com/
Blog Though not necessarily in the “gift giving” category, blogging is a great way to create a family history register. The beauty of blogging is you can open your site up to siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins to add to the memories and share family ancestry. Most blogsites will allow you to upload photos, audio, and video selections. Starting a blog can be very easy considering all of the free blogging sites out there. Make a list of all the features you would like to be included on your blog, and then check out the options available. According to www.blogtap.net/the-best-blogging-sites-andplatforms-top-blog-sites/, Wordpress is the most popular blogsite. You can choose from hundreds of templates and easily begin blogging. You do not need any coding experience to operate a WordPress blog. The number 2 site is Google Blogger and is probably the most user friendly blogging platform out there.
Conclusion There you go. Five options to document the life of a loved one for posterity. With Christmas coming, can you think of a better gift to give your parent, grandparent, siblings or children than the gift of documented memories? References http://www.infoplease.com/cig/writing-well/life-line-personal-narratives.html http://genealogy.about.com/od/publishing/a/blogging.htm
YOUR FAMILY’S MEMORIES ARE PRICELESS. DON’T LET MACULAR DEGENERATION TAKE THEM AWAY. Blind spots or blurry vision aren’t necessarily signs of old age. More than 10 million Americans are affected by Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in people over 50. There is hope, but early detection is key. The Foundation Fighting Blindness provides information about diagnosing and managing AMD. Learn more about preventions and treatments
A CURE IS IN SIGHT.
so your family can continue to make lasting memories across generations. You can help. To learn more and for a free AMD information packet, call 800-434-1974 or visit FightBlindness.org.
Fifty and Forgotten
How to Find your Next Job When No One Wants to Hire You by Tucker Mays and Bob Sloane This article is written for you and the thousands of other executives across America who are age fifty or over and lost their jobs. The unemployment rate for this age group is now higher than that of any other and at the highest rate since the depression. Why is it that America’s most skilled and experienced workers struggle to find work? Although they will never admit it, most recruiters and companies admit privately that they are significantly less interested in hiring executives when they reach the age of fifty. There are many reasons for this bias but the most important are: inflexible management style, difficulty reporting to a younger boss, high compensation needs, and lack of computer skills. In order to overcome these objections and maximize your experience, you need to follow a three-step plan. First, prepare counter arguments against these four objections. Second, leverage your age as an asset. Third, revise your job search tactics.
I. Overcome Objections Management Style During interviews discuss how you modified your management approach to fit different challenges in different business cultures. Specifically, describe how you had to revise your style when working on special projects that required you to adjust to changing priorities, make quick decisions with limited information, produce results with fewer resources, and manage an ad hoc team of individuals who did not directly report to you.
Younger Boss Cite examples during your career when you enabled a younger superior to succeed, grow and advance their careers. During an interview, emphasize that you will manage what your boss wants to get done now, so that he or she will have more time to work on what should be done in the future. Also, convey that you are as committed to their success as well as your own.
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Compensation Needs You will have a significant advantage over younger job candidates the more you are willing to accept less salary up front in exchange for a greater performance based bonus. Companies prefer individuals who are willing to take some risk to prove themselves, and ‘bet on the come”. For executives over 50, compensation flexibility can be a key factor in getting a job. A reduction of up to 20 percent from your previous salary is reasonable.
Technology Skills As every aspect of business continues to be impacted by our fast changing technology environment, it is important that you know the latest technologies that are specific to your managerial function, whether it be general management, sales, marketing, finance, operations or HR. To do this, it is advisable to attend industry or functional group training programs or conferences, and also to consult with trusted colleagues in your field.
II. Make Your Age an Asset At age fifty or over, you have developed special abilities, highly valued by companies that offer significant advantages over less experienced younger executives. These are problem solving, people management, judgment, and leadership.
Problem Solving Since you have faced more challenges and solved more problems, you can solve most problems faster than younger job seeking competitors. This is a critical skill companies are in urgent need of in today’s fast paced world. Therefore, try to find examples where you quickly identified key drivers slowing impacting performance, and developed solutions that achieved improved results in record time. Examples might be delays in new product introduction, late shipments, cost overruns, or declining quality control.
People Management By the time you reach age fifty, you have discovered how to quickly and accurately assess who should stay and who should go, and how to make those who stay even better. When interviewing, give examples of people you managed who went on to successful careers, and others who struggled, but flourished when you changed their responsibilities to better match their abilities.
Judgment From who to fire and who to hire to where to cut and where to spend, you’re in a better position to make the right decisions than most who are younger than you and less experienced. You can further strengthen your candidacy by discussing decisions you made that others either avoided or doubted that were successful.
Leadership As few individuals are born leaders, this critical trait takes time to develop. Accordingly, most executives over 50 will poses greater leadership credentials than their younger counterparts. It
is important during interviews to describe examples where you led cross functional teams, initiated new program and projects, spearheaded a company’s shift in anew direction, or motivated your people to achieve record results. Finally, job seeking executives over fifty must understand that the job search strategies which worked for them during their thirties and forties are no longer as effective. They should not rely on recruiters, friends, and published job leads to find jobs in growing mid-to-large size companies.
III. Change Your Search Strategy Recruiters Executive recruiters now account for less than 10 percent of all job opportunities, and have a reluctance to recommend unemployed executives over fifty to their clients for the reasons previously addressed in this article. Therefore, you should spend no more than 10 percent of your time working with recruiters, and only engage with those you know, have worked with, or to whom you have been referred.
Published Job Leads The competition is so intense that you should only respond to leads with job specifications that are close to a perfect fit with your skills and experience. Given the low probability of gaining a job via this route, spend no more than 5 percent of your time responding to published job opportunities. Network to the unpublished job leads, for which there is far less competition.
Target Companies Larger companies usually have built in succession plans and hire from within nearly 90 percent of the time. In contrast, smaller companies usually hire executive talent from the outside as they grow. Further, there are 20 times as many companies in the U.S. with sales of under $ 100 million as there are above. They are less concerned with your age, highly value your experience, and make faster hiring decisions. Therefore, focus your search efforts on smaller companies. In order to overcome the strong job market bias against hiring executives over 50, you must develop compelling arguments to counter job market concerns behind the bias, cite the key reasons why your age is an asset, and use different job search strategies in order to find you next job faster. About the authors: Tucker Mays and Bob Sloane are Principals of OptiMarket LLC, an executive job search coaching firm they co-founded in 2001 to help executives over 50 find their next job in the shortest time possible. Tucker and Bob have also co-authored the book Fired at 50: How to Overcome the Greatest Executive Job Search Challenge. For more information, visit their web site at www.optimarketllc.com.
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Black Friday The New Tradition
Football is playing on the television, the leftovers are carefully packed away, and the over-indulgence of Thanksgiving dinner is leaving us sated, sleepy and content. The tradition of gathering to celebrate the harvest is over. But for many families and/or friends, a different tradition is about to take place— for some, far more important than the Thanksgiving meal that will fortify them for the hours ahead—Black Friday. At the Mestas’ family home in Holladay, the entire family gathers at the now cleared table and opens the abundant Salt Lake Tribune. By now, experts in the art of Black Friday shopping, they spread the paper, get a writing pad and pen, and start to map out a plan. “We go through the ads, store by store, and make a list everything we are interested in. Then, I have to confer (take orders) and coordinate with some of my friends. I go through the ads several times, but most importantly, take them with me when I go.” says Melanie Mestas. “We have been doing it for as long as I can remember, and the best part about it isn’t really the deals to be had, but the fun of being out and about with your family and friends. It is so crazy, and sometimes so cold that you can’t help but laugh yourself silly!” Before he became to ill to participate in the shopping, Melanie’s father, Tom, would drive, dropping the shoppers at the front door and joining them in the frenzy after finding the elusive parking place. “He went with us until the year before he died.” Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is often considered the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season. Called Black Friday, because many retailers hold hope that on that day, with the overwhelming consumer spending, they will finally turn a profit for the year—putting their books in the black. Most retailers open there doors in the early am. It seems to get earlier every year. This year Toys R Us will be open with their doorbuster sales beginning at 10 pm Thanksgiving evening. Two hours later, you can head to Target, where for the first time, they will provide shoppers with a jumpstart on Black Friday deals by opening at midnight on Friday, Nov. 25. If pouring over the newspaper is not for you, sign sign up for one of many websites dedicated to Black Friday. They provide up-to-date ads from retailers and will email you with all the current information. (See below.) Me? On Black Friday you can find me curled up in my jammies with a hot cup of coffee and leftover pumpkin pie. I take the easy way out—find a friend who participates, give them cash and a list, and violà, your shopping is done! Black Friday Websites http://www.theblackfriday.com/ http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/ http://bfads.net/ http://www.blackfriday.us/
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RESOURCES Advocacy
Senior Centers
AARP of Utah 801.561.1037
Most Senior Centers supply transportation and meals. They are open Monday through Friday, and the hours varies. Call your center for times.
Utah Dept of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS) Phone: 801.538.3991 www.hsdaas.utah.gov/ Utah State Courts Estate Planning & Probate www.utcourts.gov/howto/wills/ Phone: 801.578.3800 Social Security Administration 1.800.772.1213 www.ssa.gov SAGE Utah Services & Advocacy for GLBTQ Elders www.glccu.com/programs/lgbtqelders-50
Dental Services Legal Services Utah Legal Services 800.662.4245
Healthcare Resources Alzheimer’s Association of Utah 801.265.1944 American Cancer Society of Utah 801.483.1500 American Chronic Pain Association 800.533.3231 American Diabetes Association-Utah 801.363.3024 George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84148 Phone: 801.582.1565
Respite Care Medical Home Portal www.medicalhomeportal.org CHTOP Chapel Hill Training-Outreach Program chtop.org/ARCH/National-Respite-Locator.html
Davis County Autumn Glow Center 81 East Center Kaysville, UT 84037 Phone: 801.544.1235
9228 West 2700 South Magna, UT 84044 Phone: 801.250.0692 Midvale Senior Center 350 West Park Street 7610 S Midvale, UT 84047 Phone: 801.566.6590 Mount Olympus Senior Center 1635 East Murray.Holliday Road Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Phone: 801.274.1710
Golden Years Center 726 South 100 East Bountiful, UT 84010 Phone: 801.295.3479
River’s Bend Senior Center 300 North 1300 West Salt Lake City, UT 84116 Phone: 801.596.0208
Heritage Center 140 East Center Clearfield, UT 84015 Phone: 801. 773.7065
Riverton Senior Center 12891 South Redwood Road Riverton, UT 84065 Phone: 801.254.7609
Salt Lake County Columbus Senior Center 2531 South 400 East Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801.412.3295
Sandy Senior Center 9310 South 1300 East Sandy, UT 84094 Phone: 801.561.3265
Draper Senior Center 12350 South 800 East Draper, UT 84020 Phone: 801.572.6342 Eddie P. Mayne Kearns Senior Center 4851 West 4715 South Salt Lake City, UT 84118 Phone: 801.965.9183
South Jordan Senior Center 10778 South Redwood Road South Jordan, UT 84095 Phone: 801.302.1222 Sunday Anderson Westside Senior Center 868 West 900 South Salt Lake City, UT 84104 Phone: 801.538.2092
Friendly Neighborhood Center 1992 South 200 East Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801.468.2781
Taylorsville Senior Citizen Center 4743 South Plymouth View Dr. Taylorsville, UT 84123 Phone: 801.293.8340
Harman Senior Recreation Center 4090 South 3600 West West Valley City, UT 84119 Phone: 801.965.5822
Tenth East Senior Center 237 South 1000 East Salt Lake City, UT 84102 Phone: 801.538.2084
Kearns Senior Center 4850 West 4715 South Salt Lake City, UT 84118 Phone: 801.965.9183 Liberty City Center 251 East 700 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 Phone: 801.532.5079
West Jordan Center 8025 South 2200 West West Jordan, UT 84088 Phone: 801.561.7320 Washington County Council on Aging http://www.washco.utah.gov/ contact
The Washington County Council on Aging provides services for senior citizens 60 and older. These include classes (pottery, painting, aerobics, yoga, square dancing, and computer training) tax assistance during tax season and other services. Nutrition is a main focus of the senior centers. In-house meals are served as well as Meals on Wheels. The following centers are supported in part through the donations of those patrons who use the facilities. Gayle & Mary Aldred Senior Center 245 North 200 West St. George , UT 84770 435.634 . 5743 Washington County Senior Citizens 150 East 100 South Street Enterprise, UT 84725 435.878.2557 Hurricane Senior Citizens Center 95 N 300 W Hurricane, UT 84737 435.635.2089
Volunteering Utah State Parks Volunteer Coordinator 1594 W North Temple, 116 Salt Lake City, UT 84116 (801) 537-3445 robinwatson@utah.gov The Nature Conservancy in Utah www.nature.org/wherewework northamerica/states/utah/volunteer/ Volunteer Match www.volunteermatch.org United Way www.unitedwayucv.org/volunteer Utah Commission on Volunteers volunteers.utah.gov/
Magna Center
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