Category: Big Boy Cartoons…Senior Wisdom

Mixing Politics and Investment Strategy…Sound advice?

This might be insider information but I have it from a knowledgeable source… the Seniors at Big Boy, “Bull Pucky” is on the rise.

The cartoon idea came from one of those tongue-in-cheek conversations about maybe it was best to supplement your Social Security by putting your money in Casino slot machines.  Not the companies that make them… a “direct deposit” so-to speak.  It seems a safer bet than trusting Wall Street these days. Continue reading Mixing Politics and Investment Strategy…Sound advice?

29… AGAIN!

I have a friend (hard to believe, isn’t it?) who happens to share my birthday…Today, April 21st.  She is old enough to get her Senior Discount card punched at Big Boy but insists she’s 29…again.  I couldn’t let it go, so I drew her this cartoon.  She might not be 29 in chronological age but her spirit is.  She’s a joy to be around and constantly reminds others that it’s not the calendar but your attitude that dictates your age.

Now, for me it’s different.  I’m getting all these “Happy Birthday” greetings on Facebook today.  I’m at that age where Happy and Birthday should not be in the same sentence.  I’m still a legend in my own mind… I just forget what it means!  I’d like to tip my hat to Marge but I can’t remember where I put it.

Growing old is an Art Form… and, I’m having trouble drawing inside the lines.

THE SENIOR “MASH UNIT”… YOU’VE GOT TO BE TOUGH TO GROW OLD!

Its not easy…  getting old is not for sissies!

I eat breakfast with a group of Seniors most mornings at the local Big Boy Restaurant.  As often happens with Seniors, today’s conversation centered around the ailments, aches and pains of growing old.  We had it all…. hip replacement, carpal tunnel, arthritis, open heart surgery, hearing loss, walking cast, oxygen tank…  You name it, someone has had it or is going to get it soon.

These are tough people!  With soft hearts.  The best kind of people.  I didn’t have the courage to bring up my latest physical woes… How, after listening to their stories, do you mention that your body hurts everywhere and you’re so stiff you can hardly move?  Injuries sustained playing golf on a Wii Gamebox with a three year old! These are people who laugh at adversity and remain active no matter what.  My “injuries” wouldn’t gain  a lot of sympathy…   So, I listened, kept a low profile and didn’t complain.  You know, toughed it out so-to-speak.

But, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I was eating breakfast in a MASH UNIT!  In the spirit of companionship and support, I drew this cartoon.  Tomorrow, when I take it to Big Boy and show it to them, I’ll face the heat…  Like I said, “Growing Old is not for Sissies!”


A BIGGER DOG-WARMER…

What won't we do for our pets?

Jim, a regular at Big Boy, got a new dog…”Wilson”.  Jim, a retired GM guy, drives a Cadillac Escalade with every option known to man.  One day, in the dead of Winter, I was walking by Jim’s Escalade and it started.  Now, you have to understand what was happening… Jim  takes Wilson with him almost everywhere he goes.  At the Big Boy, he backs into his parking place so he can see Wilson and Wilson can see him.

It’s cold in Northern Michigan in the Winter, so Jim uses his remote starter to periodically turn up the heat for Wilson… Not that Wilson is in any danger of freezing to death!  Jim has a sheepskin-lined, raised bed between the bucket seats in front so Wilson can see out and also covers him in a warm blanket.  Often, all you can see is Wilson’s nose peeking out.

I realized immediately what was happening when Jim’s car started and commented to him inside that “That has to be the world’s most expensive dog warmer!”  “Yeah,” was his reply, “and it’s burning Premium gas!”

Well, I couldn’t let that go!  I thought of the next “logical” step for Jim to pamper Wilson and drew this cartoon.  For the record, Jim still hasn’t gotten a motor home for Wilson.  Animal Rights Activists… relax!  Wilson doesn’t seem to be suffering in the Escalade.

THE DEAD ZONE

The problem with taking your cell phone with you...

The Seniors at Big Boy Restaurant in Traverse City solve a lot of problems… every day!  On one particular day, one of the regulars announced he planned to take his cell phone with him after he died so he could “keep in touch with my kids.”.

Naturally, the discussion then centered on the logistics of how he could keep his battery charged, etc.  As I reflected on the conversation,  I had a mental image of his gravesite and how it would look to make his cell phone operational.  The next logical step in the thought  process was to think about how it all might work.  Anyone with a cell phone should relate to the problem.

I wonder if his kids would accept a collect call?

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