Retirement Party Ideas Knowledge Base
Retirement Party Ideas for a Classic Car Fan? I am planning a retirement party for my step-father and he likes classic cars. I want to have something in Philadelphia PA but it seems like most places that house classic cars are either really far away or charge per person. I envisioned a place with some catering stations or pass hourdevours while he and his friends can check out the classic cars. If I can't pull this off, I just need some quick ideas. He retires the end of May.
I need Retirement Party Ideas? My siblings and I are having a retirement/birthday party for our dad. We're renting a restaurant for the evening and having around 80 guests. We're serving dinner and that's all lined up. I'm looking for ideas for decorating. However, what I really need are ideas for activities we can do to keep it lively and fun. Though we're not settled on a theme, we were thinking maybe Vegas or Gameshow (Dad loves gameshows). Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
I need any airline pilot retirement party ideas! Help!? My husband is retiring from Southwest Airlines in mid June and I need pilot specific retirement party ideas! Any help would be greatly appreciated!!! Thanks
What are some good combined retirement and birthday party ideas? My mom retires Friday after 33 years at her job as a secretary.My nephew's 5th birthday is on the same day. I want to throw them a small, family only party. I want to have my sister, her husband, my niece (age 6), my father and boyfriend attend. I plan on having the party at my parent's house (my apartment is too small) on Friday evening. I want it to be more elegant for my mom but also fun for my nephew. I would like to serve appetizers and cook a special dinner something kid friendly yet elegant (chicken parmesan or salisbury steak). Maybe separate cakes (vanilla for mom, chocolate for nephew), cheap champagne to toast the retirement and sparkling cider to toast the birthday, etc...(this is where you fill in your ideas on things)
Retirement party ideas? i am helping my mom plan a retirement party for my grandma. we were thinking of having it a luau theme but we need ideas of how to keep the guests entertained... and we are pretty sure its going to be "open house"... where people can come and go as they please... we are having it at our house in the backyard... food is already taken care of...any ideas?
Good retirement party ideas? We are a very small group and our admin is retiring from the company after 22 years. Anyone have any ideas on a low cost party? A theme maybe? Any surprises? Not sure what direction to take this in as I have never had to plan this type of party before.
Please offer inexpensive ideas for a retirement party.? I am throwing a retirement party for seven people in my department. I have a very small budget. Any inexpensive ideas for decorations? We have the food covered.
Do you have any ideas for a police officers retirement party? We are planning a surprise retirement party and we would like have very creative ideas for the party--decorations--gifts for the guests--invitations?? Any ideas would help a lot.
Any Ideas for a retirement Party? I am planning my Dad's retirement party for next weekend. I have invited guests and asked them to bring "honey Do lists" only changed to "Harry do lists" for my dad's name. I am planning on reading them off at the party. I am also making a ham and have a lady making appetizers. I would love ideas on how to entertain the guests. My dad is 58 and still dirt bike rides, and he was a earth moving construction worker,,,,hope that is enough details for some great ideas. Thanks So Far I have about 40 people confirmed...I have asked everyone to bring a Honey Do list and we will read them off during the night to my father...as a joke of things for him to do now that he is reitred, but would love more. Stipper would be fun but we have a lot of older people coming and my grandparents and kids will be here.
retirement party ideas? i am helping my mom plan a retirement party for my grandma. we were thinking of having it a luau theme but we need ideas of how to keep the guests entertained... and we are pretty sure its going to be "open house"... where people can come and go as they please... we are having it at our house in the backyard food is already taken care of...any ideas?
Any ideas for a "prison retirement party" centerpiece? I'm planning my father's retirement party. He's retiring after working 30 years at a men's prison. Does anyone have any ideas for the centerpieces? The party is at a really nice hotel, so I want to keep it kind of elegant. He also loves The Three Stooges.
Military Retirement party ideas? My husband is retiring after 26 years in the Army - any party, gift, etc... ideas? We are both 43 years old. He is a green beret.
My husband is retiring from the Coast Guard. Any ideas for retirement party? This will be on the base so please have appropiate ideas for a military enviroment. ok, military personal and me his wife are going to honor my husband....SO NO STRIPPERS!!!!!!!!!!! Yes about Katrina, one of our costie friends was working and went missing during the storm. Never found his body..or no one told us if they did.
we're having an italian potluck for a retirement party...need ideas to put on a list so people can sign up? it works better if we supply a list and then people just pick what they want to bring...
any ideas for a railroad retirement party? We're throwing a surprise retirement party for my sister who worked on the railroad for more than 34 years. Looking for some unique ideas for the party.
decorating ideas?? retirement party!? My dad is retiring from his factory job of 43 years!!! We are having a retirement party at one of the local bars/eagles for him. I was wanting to put together some kind of picture display but how should i do it. Also any other ideas appreciated!
food ideas for retirement party? Has anyone given a retirement party or any party for 60 people? Need food ideas. Both hot and cold. Thanks:o)
have any good ideas for a birthday/retirement party for my mom? i've never thrown a party in my life please help with ideas. food, decorations,dress etc.
Retirement Party Activities & Ideas!!? Does anyone have any unique ideas I could use for my father in-law's retirement party. We've just recently celebrated his sister's so of course we want to do something a little different in regards to the activities. The sister's retirement was very nice, family & friends and each person got up and went down memory lane from all the years they have known her and embrassing stories as well. Of course this is one of the things to do for my father in laws retirement but what else can we do to switch it up a little. I was thinking of having the grandchildren get up and state a fact about each year or decade he worked. (i.e.) in the 1970's the cost of a cadillac was 10,000 - that was a long long time ago. etc. What do you think about this idea and how can I do it and make it exciting. Also, still looking for any unique fun filled ideas out there!!! Thanks
Need party ideas 4 upcoming Retirement Party i.e. gifts for guests, party theme, etc.? I'm retiring after 30 years of service with the City of Detroit and need ideas for a party theme, and suggestions for an inexpensive item I can give to guests upon the conclusion of the evening. Also need cute color scheme with winter colors, as party is scheduled for December 1st.
I need some help on planning a military medical retirement party for my hubby any ideas? Yes he is tdrl for 5 years but he is still retiring, we consider him retired, just early because he is no longer fit for duty due to injuries from deployment. I asked him first he said a party would be nice. Family and Friends party, please keep answers clean, lol
I am making the invitations for my father-in-laws retirement party and need a good saying or ideas? My father-in-law is a big hunter and always have been. I want this to be creative and handmade so any Ideas would be greatly appreciated. I want cute or funny wording for the invitation and I am having a mental block.
Ideas for songs for a military retirement party? My brother in law is retiring from the military and we are throwing him a surprise party. I am doing an evite for the party and can add some music. I am trying to find a theme song when people read the invite that could be a "new beginning" or a military themed song or retirement songs... I am totally stumped on this one!! Thanks for any help!!
Any ideas for table decorations for a retirement party for an electrician? Using 6ft round tables. Having party close to New Year's.
Cooking for a retirement party of 150 people and need some finger food ideas that are quick and simple.? This will be my first big party and I want it to be wonderful. I already have the dinner menu done which will be Roast Beef, Ham and Turkey. Now I need some finger foods to go with the cold plates that I will be serving. Any suggestions are welcome.
Retirement party gift ideas? This person is not really "retiring".? Can't give gift, like "time to take it easy" because this person isn't really retiring he is going back to work full time at another place. So any ideas?
Any ideas for cheap gag gifts for a retirement party? I'm basically looking for items that you would associate with someone getting older, like denture cream. The items have to be small-ish, and under $10. I need about 15-20 items, or one for each guest to purchase. Thanks!
Retirement party? My mom is retiring in May and I would like to have a party celebrating her 37 years? of service to General Electric. Anyone have any ideas about what to do?! I am clueless as to what goes on at a retirement party so any ideas will be helpful. Thanks!
Looking for a nice hall to rent for a retirement party....any ideas? Needs to be in the SE portland area if possible.
retirement party ideas ? I'm liking the theme of "vacation paradise" for my grandmothers retirement party and i'm in charge of decorating and activities. I'm looking for decorative ideas thet are less "hoky " looking. More on the classy end But, not blowing my pocket book either. I just dont want it to look too "lualish "..........please ideas , ideas !!! or websites? thank you
~~!!Help me PLEASE!!~~ need ideas for dads retirement party? Ok so my dad is retiring from the air force after serving 30 and plus years.... so i really want to do something special for him... so 1 i have to make a playlist of songs to play at the retirement party... and 2 i want to make a powerpoint presentation of his military life...oh and 3 i want to give him a gift that would be really special.. so if you guys have any ideas...i really would love the advice or thoughts.... ummm... here is a little info of my dad 1. likes to build stuff (he's built our shed, stand up garden, patio, tile in our house...etc) 2. he is a maintance chief 3. from detroit 4. just recently bought a motercycle 5. loves aerosmith 6. likes mainly classic rock type music but also likes some country 7. is known for his barbque 8. very funny (but not the pratical joke funny) 9. been stationed to guam, japan (was actually born in japan but he is not japanese), italy, georgia, korea, louisiana, and other places 10. likes to ride his bike and do spin class at the gym 11. does watch and follow sports but not really a lot 12. very very organize and clean 13. plans on becoming a teacher after retiring 14. loves the tv shows survivor and amazing race 15. likes to travel ummm... i think that will give you an idea of my father some of the ideas ive come up with are... gift ideas: aerosmith tickets (concert is about 3 hours away from us and are playing 3 days after his retirement party), a clock that plays that tune the base plays on the trumpet at the end of the day (sorry cant think of the name at teh moment), pistons jersey (inside joke/ long story) powerpoint presentation: i want it to be funny, memorable, sweet. thanks in advance for your answers....
ideas for the retirement party and gifts? My mother is a teacher in the school and her present principal is retiring next week. There is gonna be a huge farewell party n all. My mom is a special favourite of hers and my mom wants to do something special for her- Like give a good speech. And she also cant think of a good gift. Any ideas....??? Thanks
Need a name for a spring-themed card party at a retirement community? Along with our activity director, I'm planning a May card party for our residents and seniors from the community. It will be spring/garden themed and we need a catchy name for it. I'm trying to avoid "Spring Fling" because it seems like everyone uses that. Does anyone have any different ideas? Thanks!
Any ideas for a pirate themed retirement party? MY HUSBAND IS A RETIRING AIRLINE PILOT AND SINCE PILOTS OFTEN REFER TO THEMSELVES AS PIRATES WE'VE DECIDED TO HAVE A PIRATE PARTY BASED ON CPT JACK SPARROW LOSING HIS VESSEL, THE BLACK PEARL AND MY HUSBAND LOSING HIS VESSEL, THE 737. ANY FUN IDEAS OUT THERE? MY HUSBAND WILL BE TRANSFORMING FROM PILOT TO PIRATE AND TAKING THE PIRATE OATH FROM CPT JACK. THIS SHOULD BE A FUN ONE!
Can you help with ideas to celebrate the retirement of the office Secretary who has been there for 20 years? I am looking for creative ideas to celebrate before her office lunch party.
I need an idea gift for a retirement party.? My father in law is retiring and i need an idea for a gift. please help! any ideas?
Retirement Party Idea?? My mom is planning a retirement party for my dad after 30 years at the same company. She wants to have a father/daughter song. Has anybody ever heard of this and do you think it's a good idea?
Retirement party dilema? Family is planning retirement party for MIL. She wants 200 on the guest list and a band that costs between 3 and 4 thousand dollars for a few hours. Total of 4 adult children and spouses pitching in for event. Everyone is sort of financially strapped now (construction, college tuition, bills, etc...). Hoping that idea of maybe a retirement dinner at a restaurant with close family or a nice 7-day vacation somewhere tropical will go well. Any ideas of explaning money concerns to her without making it turn into a dramatic event? Liked the idea of making it a surprise. Didn't think about that. Maybe it will help someone else in a similar situation.
I need help to plan for a retirement party (small group) idea how to start and what should I do? Thanks? a small budget party with closed friends.
retirement party question? we are taking a co worker out for her retirement party and I am in charge of makeing a "sash" for her to wear. What should I get written on the sash???? some suggestions are Im and old fart... Im retired You know what.... Im retiring any ideas... it would be so helpful.. thanks
finger food to bring to a retirement party? I am going to a retirement party tomorrow night and would like some ideas about what to bring as in finger foods. Are cookies ok? Or would something better like a veggie tray? Thanks for all the suggestions, but the thing is I'm a bit short on time to make anything. I have this evening and maybe a couple of hours tomorrow. Maybe, so I'm looking for something qucik and easy. Any more ideas?
I need ideas for airline pilot retirement party.? particularly Southwest Airlines ideas
Has anyone ever thrown a party at Dave and Busters? Have you ever thrown a party at Dave and Busters? I'm thinking about throwing a retirement/birthday party there and was wondering how the food and service was in relation to the price. Do you think it would be a good idea to throw a retirement party there if there is a good mixture of ages/sexes attending?
what kind of food would you have catered for a mixed ethnic clientele? over 80% is spanish remaining is american .. need some food ideas itll be a retirement party / lunchtime only!
For a retirement party for a women coworker in the Quality Control I am thinking of buying a giant TV Remote.? For a retirement party for a coworker in the Quality Control department I am thinking of buying a giant tv remote and relabeling the buttons. Like for volume " of husband" etc. anymore ideas for the other buttons? Or other gag gift ideas.
Any ideas for a good retirement dinner party song? Its for a family friend who used to work in a bank.? i need something appropiate for a very sweet, gentle lady....I am thinking of My Way by Frank Sinatra....any other ideas?
I need ideas for a retirement gift for my Dad!? My dad will retire in 3 weeks from a 35-year career in business. My siblings and I want to do or give something really special to him, but haven't thought of any original and meaningful ideas. So I need your help! His retirement party is in just 4 weeks so I need to get going on this!
looking for a retirement party planning website Martha Stewart like? I haev to plan a retirement party for my boss. I want t to be realy nice.. Looking for a Martha Stewart Type Ideas. I looked on her site she doesnt have antying for retirement partys. I am looking for the whole shabang....From decorations to Menu's... Any ideas would be helpful also....As far as my boss he was into antique Cars specifically 56 chevy....Space...Planets.. Please help :) Thanks
Halloween games and party ideas for seniors.? I am doing my field placement for school at a retirement home. I am in charge of putting together a little party for the residents. I am quickly running out of ideas for games for the residents. They cannot be too complicated, and cannot be physically straining. Also easy cleanup would be recommended. If anyone has any good ideas, or have ideas that worked for them that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Looking for songs to play at retirement party..to set with slide show presentation of police career.? having a surprise retirement party for my husband who was a cop for 20 years. any ideas will help.
Any Ideas For A elderly birthday party? My great Grandma is turning 83 something soon ( But she thinks shes turning 100 ) My family is throwing her a birthday party this weekend and so far all we have is decorations,food and people we wanna invite planned. She lives in a retierment home and she had a stroke so she cant move much. I want it to be a special party but if she cant even stand what could be fun. Plus I need something to do too cause being in a retirement home for three hours isnt very fun. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME GOOD IDEAS...
retirement party theme? My dad is retiringin on April 1. I would like to throw him a party. He likes hawaiian themes and loves to go fishing. Are these good ideas? Do you have a better idea? We live in MI.
my husband & i are going to a retirement party for a neighbort. he is retiring from the army after 25 years. im wondering what to give him as a gift. if you have any thoughts please send them to me. i have never been to this kind of retirement party so i have no idea. thanks!
Help about retirement party please? Next door neighbor just invited us to his retirement party. I think he did it to be polite because of cars parked in front of our house, noise keeping our kids up, etc. We don't know him very well.. don't even know his last name. Anyway, do you think he actually wants us to show up? And do we bring something? (If so, any ideas?) We are in our 20s and have never been to a retirement party before. Thank you!!
Need ideas for a retirement gift for office manager? Our manager who has been with the company for over 35 years is retiring and we have no clue what to get him. So far our plans include renting out a function hall for a party and buying a package to a nearby resort/casino for a weekend for him and his wife. We also want to get him something tangible for him to remember us by, and that's where we're at a loss. We don't want to get him something cheesy like an engraved plate or silver name placard. We need something unique and different that he can use.
What would be a good gift to get my 70 year old mother in law for her retirement party? Anyone have any cool ideas?
how much do parents want to pay for a kids party? ive been thinking of starting my own business catering and planning partys, everything from baby showers to retirements and every possible party inbetween, i know parents will pay quite alot for a sweet 16th but what about other partys. I would do everything from sending out invites, decorating the room and supplying home made food and birthday cakes the person who wants the party does nothing or as much as they want. what do you think and would you go for the idea, if you need more info let me know Im in the uk up north, i would be advertising to people who work alot and dont have the time.
simple hors d’œuvre idea? I'm looking for a simple snack food idea for a "retirement" party on Sunday. Many people are bringing things, so it doesn't really need to feed more than 20 or 30 people. It won't be served until after a mass and celebration at a school, so it would have to sit in the car for probably 60-90 minutes, which makes me think a cold dish that I can keep on ice would be best. I was actually thinking about making tzatziki, but I wanted to see what ideas everyone else has. Thanks!
Any ideas on a present for an old boss of mine for his retirement? My first emplyer from 20 years ago is about to retire and I have been invited to the party. What would be a good and appropriate present to give him. I worked for him for 3 years and have not been in touch for 12 years.
WHat to get my mother-in-law that is having her retirement party as well as her 60+ bday next week..? should i get anything for her retirement? and her 60+ (we dont know exactly how old she is) birthday on Monday, i have NO idea what to get her, and of course my hubby isnt any help...we usually give her pictures of our baby (6month old) he is her first grandchild, and she loves getting pictures, but i thought we should try getting something else..any ideas?
We are having a retirement party for my mom this weekend.? Does anyone have any ideas of what I could get her? Again, my sister, brother, and I are throwing her a party but I still think that I should get her something. She was a nurse but I'm not sure for how many years. I think for like 40 something years. Thank you for your help in advance.
Retirement Invitation!!? We are having a retirement party an we need a funny phrase to put on it. He is a Police Officer and Loves to fish!! *Any Ideas
Any gift ideas for a retired- Fire fighter?? I'm attending the retirement party of my best friend's husband (he is/was a fire fighter), and I really need ideas for a gift to give him. PLEASE help....it needs to be tasteful and classy.
I need tropical buffet food ideas that is quick and easy.Have any ideas? I'm planning a surprise retirement party for my husband. I want to have a tropical buffet. I'm expecting about 75-100 people. I need some food ideas that are quick and easy. I'll only have 3hrs to get everything done and set-up before he will show up. The party theme is Hawaiian. What I'm really stuck on is what kind of meat to have that's not just something plain but also will be easy to fix and to serve. Can anyone help me? I'm on a budget, (that's why I'm not having it catered). I was thinking on the line of some kind of chicken.
Music for a retirement slide show? A friend of mine will be retiring in a few weeks and I am working on putting together a slide show of photos that will be played at the retirement party. So far I have come up with 'Unforgettable' and 'When I'm 64' , but I need some other suggestions. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance!
A tribute retirement speech for a mother who has worked at City Hall for 38 years.? My mother has worked at City Hall for 38 years and is retiring on 3-27-08. I'm the youngest of 4 kids and she has asked me to make a speech at her retirement party. My mother is well known and an important person in our community and for once I would like to MAKE HER feel proud and hold her head up high instead of embarrasing her. So can anyone help me write a tribute/retirement speech for my mother cause I have no idea on how to begin or end this speech?
Retired Teacher Gift?? My husband has been invited to a retirement party for his 4th grade teacher. He is over 40 years old, so it was quite some time ago that she has taught him! He is attending the party, but doesn't want to go empty handed. After all they went through the trouble of tracking him down after all these years!! What would be a good gift? Also, I suggested he dress "nice" for this occasion. He usually wears jeans/shorts, & a T shirt w/ sneakers. I suggested khaki pants, nice dress shirt & shoes. He doesn't agree. He says thats not him!! Am I right or wrong? The party is at a ritzy hotel!! Any ideas & opinions would be greatly appreciated! (Party is only 3 weeks away!)
80th Birthday come and go party? Trying to organize a 80th Birthday come and go party for my mother-inlaw. April 5th in a hall in the retirement park where she lives. What should I serve and how much should I make? I have no idea how many people will be there. It is a suprise party
Where To Live After Retirement (this is for old farts only)? As we all know, sometimes we come face to face with the fact that it may be time to relocate. The big question is: where to? Here are some tips. You can live in Phoenix, Arizona where..... 1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade. 2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl. 3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town. 4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food. 5. You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door. 6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!! You can Live in California where... 1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house. 2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway. 3. You know how to eat an artichoke. 4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party. 5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is. You can Live in New York City where... 1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan. 2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map. 3. You think Central Park is "nature," 4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual. 5. You've worn out a car horn. 6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression. You can Live in Maine where... 1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco. 2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas. 3. You have more than one recipe for moose. 4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons. 5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction. You can Live in the Deep South where... 1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store. 2. "y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural. 3. "He needed killin' " is a valid defense. 5. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, MARY BETH, etc. You can live in Colorado where... 1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car. 2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day care center. 3. A pass does not involve a football or dating. 4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail. You can live in the Midwest where... 1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name. 2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor. 3. You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day. 4. You end sentences with a preposition: "Where's my coat at?" 5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, "It was different!" AND You can live in Florida where.. 1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon. 2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars. 3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist. 4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state. 5. Cars in front of you are often driven by headless people. 6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and snowbirds
What are the needs of older Australians - the post-60 year olds? I'm looking to find out what older Australians see as "their need" as we approach another federal election, I don't want to discuss the 'pros' and 'com's of any particular polotical party or candidate. I would like to hear from pensioers, self-funded retirees, those who still require to work past 'normal expected retirement age'! I would like some 'security', change without over-whelming rapid change, better recognition that older Australians, particularly those still leading active lives in the community can be 'high maintenance' Australians' in terms of medical, pharmaceutical and dental care. Please respond with your ideas - you do not need to be over 60 years of age to respond - younger people, particularly those with parents or grand parents in the 60+ age range may feel that they want to contribute their ideas and experiences! Thank you!
Ideas for a send off in style???Share your experience also!? Its my father-in-law's retirement in August and his 65th birthday around the same time. We want to send him off in style with family and friends joining in. Only problem being, we haven't a ruddy clue what to do. Any ideas no matter how small or big, strange and fun are welcome.What can we do to make it something he will never forget??? We live in the midlands but we can travel, also tell me your fun, unique party experience.
Can someone help me pick the perfect present? My mother in law just retired after 36 years of teaching the firsdt grade and was a very dedicated teacher and is a great mother in law only problem is we dont have alot of money to spend on an expensive gift and her surprise retirement party is the end of this month. I would love to giver her something very thoughtful but cant come up with any ideas as yet and thought someone out there would be able to help. She is not yet 60 and loves gardening and traveling and her grandkids. Very into church activities. The reason Im having such a problem is that the sister in law in all her glory is buying her a laptop and there is no way we can compete with that but I need some ideas to get on track for a thoughtful heartfelt gift that will mean something to her down the road. Oh yeah my SIL is also putting an album of pictures and letters from everyone invited to the party together for her also. so thats out too. Hope you can help and Thanks.
Where to Live After Retirement:? You can live in Phoenix Arizona where: 1.You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade2.You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl 3.You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town 4.You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food 5.You know that "dry heat" is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door 6.The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! You can Live in California where: 1.You make over $250,000 and you still cant afford to buy a house 2.The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway 3.You know how to eat an artichoke 4.You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party 5.When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is 6.The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought You can Live in New York City where 1. You say "the city" and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan 2.You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but cant find Wisconsin on a ma 3.You think Central Park is "nature."4.You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual 5.You've worn out a car horn 6.You think eye contact is an act of aggression You can Live in Maine where:1.You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco 2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas 3.You have more than one recipe for moose 4.Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons 5.The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction. You can Live in the Deep South where:1.You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store 2 "Y'all" is singular and "all y'all" is plural 3."He needed killin'" is a valid defense 4.Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob Jimmy Bob,Mary Sue,Betty Jean,MARY BETH,etc. You can live in Colorado where:1.You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car 2.You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day care center3. A pass does not involve a football or dating 4.The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail. You can live in the Midwest where: 1:You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor 3You have had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day 4.You end sentences with a preposition:"Where's my coat at?”5.When asked how your trip was to any exotic place you say,"It was different!" AND You can live in Florida where:1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon 2.All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars 3.Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist 4.Road construction never ends anywhere in the state 5.Cars in front of you are often driven by headless people.
halloween costume? im 18 yrs old and i work in a retirement home and we're having a party for the old people does anyone have any ideas on what to wear for halloween it cannot be anything too sexy cuz they wont allow it ) ; any ideas?
sumthing to think abt (funny)? the life cycle! I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, start out dead and get it out of the way. Then you wake up in a nursing home, feeling better every day. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, then, when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day. You work 40 years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You drink alcohol, you party, you're generally promiscuous and you get ready for High School. You go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a baby, then, you spend your last 9 months floating peacefully with luxuries like central heating, spa room, service on tap, larger quarters everyday, and finally you finish off as an orgasm. I think we need to talk to managment about this one it seems like a good idea ...
A new kind of politics? http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0704060020apr06,1,1855420.story?coll=chi-news-hed&?track=sto-topstory MEXICANS IN CHICAGO: A NEW KIND OF POLITICS Influence on both sides of the border Activists' political power is rising in Chicago and their homeland, as they seek reforms through marches and money Advertisement By Antonio Olivo and Oscar Avila Tribune staff reporters April 6, 2007 To outsiders, the men and women gathered inside a sleepy West Side restaurant may have seemed unlikely power brokers: a janitor, a real estate agent and others hardly known outside their circuit of neighborhood dances and back-yard barbecues. Jose Luis Gutierrez, who plotted strategy with the group as a soccer match flickered on a nearby TV, was himself a wholesale grocer until last year. But Gutierrez is now a top aide to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and he was joined at the table by leaders of Chicago-area Mexican immigrant clubs, the engines behind a new political movement that is making itself felt from Illinois to Michoacan. Gutierrez received smiling nods when he likened the political muscle of the region's 563,000 Mexican immigrants to the power of Irish-Americans in the 19th and 20th Centuries, who came to control the Chicago machine. In May, the strength of Mexicans will be on display when many of the region's 300 immigrant clubs -- known as "hometown associations" -- will help organize a march in downtown Chicago a year after their political coming-out party, demonstrations that flooded the Loop last spring and charged the national immigration debate. For decades Mexican hometown associations have functioned as social networks whose members pooled their money earned here to help build new schools or churches back in Mexico. But leaders in Chicago's largest immigrant group have a more ambitious worldview than their predecessors, even more than the ethnic blocs that preceded them decades ago. Some, like Gutierrez, wield growing influence in both countries. One morning, he's unveiling a blueprint for more immigrant services in Illinois as director of the state's Office of New Americans Policy and Advocacy. The next night, he's brainstorming with activists in his home state of Michoacan about a slate of candidates for Mexico's congress. An active role in Mexican politics might seem at odds with building political influence here. But Gutierrez and others say they form a budding new political consciousness among Mexican immigrants -- a "third nation" of sorts that transcends the border, advancing the community's cause on both sides. "The nation-state concept is changing," said Gutierrez, 46, who came to Chicago in 1986 and led one of the Midwest's largest federations of hometown associations. "You don't have to say, `I am Mexican,' or, `I am American.' You can be a good Mexican citizen and a good American citizen and not have that be a conflict of interest. Sovereignty is flexible." That concept worries some U.S. officials and scholars who see the dual loyalty as undermining the assimilation of Mexican immigrants. Irish, German and Polish immigrants eventually melded into Chicago's landscape, their ties to their native soil largely sentimental. But Mexican immigrants today are linked to their homeland like no group before, scholars say, connected by NAFTA, satellite TV, the Internet, cell phones and cheap non-stop flights. In Mexico, their power stems from the nearly $25 billion these immigrants send home every year, the country's second-highest source of income behind oil. Their political influence surfaces in places like Teloloapan, far up in the cactus-filled hills of the state of Guerrero, where a Chicago restaurateur helped build new roads and business. Grateful townspeople elected him mayor in a landslide. In the U.S., immigrants' power is driven by numbers and a growing deftness at the levers of this country's political machinery. That recently manifested itself in a fledgling political action committee called Mexicans for Political Progress, which raised $23,000 for Blagojevich's re-election and rallied volunteers to walk precincts during November's election. An unfolding movement Fabian Morales, a soft-spoken Realtor with a well-clipped mustache, stands at the center of the unfolding movement. He handled logistics for three massive immigration marches in Chicago last year -- including a four-day walk to suburban Batavia -- and co-founded Mexicans for Political Progress. After coming to Chicago in 1970, Morales helped launch one of the city's then-few hometown clubs, devoted to his tiny native village of Xonacatla, Guerrero. Back then, Xonacatla was without roads, potable water or electricity. It was a slow journey from other towns by foot or horseback, Morales said. The club members in Chicago resolved to change that. Collecting $50 to $100 at a time, Morales and others raised enough through barbecues and door-to-door soliciting to replace a house used for worship services with a towering marble church that rises from the green hillside. Morales has since helped develop CONFEMEX, an umbrella organization for most of the hometown clubs in the Midwest. Among other things, the group is a central voice in economic development in Mexico, representing an estimated $340 million in projects generated by U.S.-based hometown associations in the last five years, according to Mexican federal officials. "We want to focus on creating more jobs there so they don't have to think about emigrating," Morales said. The rising activity of hometown associations caught the eye of the Mexican government, which eventually created a "3-for-1" matching project, where federal, state and local governments split the cost of a new bridge or computer center with the U.S.-based groups. Those projects have given Mexican immigrants "a great moral authority" in their homeland, as well as political cachet, said Carlos Gonzalez, executive director of the Institute for Mexicans in the Exterior, or IME, a Mexican federal government agency that fosters stronger ties with expatriates. "During the 1970s, [Mexicans] called the people who left Mexico and acclimated to the U.S. 'pocho,' which, if you look in the dictionary, means 'spoiled fruit,' " Gonzalez said. "The change we've seen in the public perception of Mexicans in the exterior has been 180 degrees." In 2006, citizens abroad were allowed to vote in Mexican presidential elections for the first time. Leaders are also pushing for changes that would allow expatriates to vote in local elections and even hold elective offices while residing abroad. Recently, Gutierrez and others persuaded Michoacan to become the first state in Mexico to extend voting rights to expatriates. Their rationale: Almost half of those born in Michoacan, Zacatecas and several other Mexican states now live in the U.S. Timoteo "Alex" Manjarrez, 44, is among a small but growing number of Mexican immigrants making a bolder claim in their motherland. Arriving from his native town of Teloloapan, Guerrero, in 1980, Manjarrez spent 19 years in Chicago. The stocky, boyish-looking immigrant worked for years as a dishwasher at the Columbia Yacht Club and, eventually, became owner of three Mexican restaurants in the city. Fulfilling a desire shared by many immigrants, Manjarrez moved back to his native town in 1999 with enough money for his family to live comfortably. But the place he had longed for all those years was still frustratingly poor, despite the investments Manjarrez's hometown club made in new roads and other improvements. Manjarrez, who holds both Mexican and U.S. citizenship, settled in and quickly built a new health club and a hacienda-style restaurant named La Condesa, after the three he still owns in Chicago. In 2004, he ran for mayor of Teloloapan. With long-distance backing from his hometown club friends in Chicago, who sent money and telephoned friends and local officials on his behalf, Manjarrez won handily. 'The city that works' Since taking office, the man who sees Mayor Richard M. Daley as a political role model has pushed to remake Teloloapan into a Mexican version of "the city that works." The effort includes newly paved streets, a recreation center that replaces a local swamp known as "black waters," and a towering hotel being built privately by Manjarrez's family. Next to a new medical clinic, a donated Chicago ambulance sits in the parking lot. Its emblem has been painted over, but it serves as a reminder of the continued links Manjarrez has to his former city, where he maintains a home near Midway Airport, votes in U.S. elections and checks in on his businesses. Aurelio Santamaria Bahena, mayor of a town near Manjarrez's called Tlapehuala, labeled such changes "a blessing" for an area of Mexico dominated by crumbling lean-to houses and children in bare feet pulling bone-thin donkeys. But, as with other parts of the country where the immigrant handprint is deepening, the introduction of U.S.-style governance has also bred resentment. Local leaders of Manjarrez's own Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) are trying to drum him out of office, arguing he is too brash and condescending. The mayor counters the fight is about his efforts to take away "a plate of corruption that they've been able to eat from for years." The conflict was an uncomfortable backdrop during a recent PRD strategy meeting at a restaurant in Chilpancingo, Guerrero's capital. Headlines that morning featured a march against Manjarrez, orchestrated by his opponents. "People see you as an outsider," a worried Santamaria cautioned Manjarrez. "People don't think you see things as they are here." Manjarrez, wearing a black "La Condesa" windbreaker, patted his friend on the back and smiled. He had a media plan, one that might have made Daley proud. "We'll publish photos of the streets of Teloloapan before and after I came into office," Manjarrez said. "And, we'll ask the people: `Which would you prefer?' " That same week, Mexican immigrants from the U.S. and Canada met in Mexico City, as members of an advisory council created by the Mexican government. With a brash American style, they soon escalated their advice to demands, the members' voices echoing through the meeting hall. Morales, the Chicago Realtor, and about 100 other council members pushed Mexico to lobby the U.S. harder on immigration reform. They chastised their hosts for not creating more jobs. Buttonholing federal legislators in hallways, they reminded elected officials how much their districts relied on money sent from the U.S. They want 'results now' Gregorio Luke, a blond member of the council from Los Angeles partial to designer suits, observed that this kind of behavior wouldn't exist in a purely Mexican forum, where deference toward authority guides nearly all dialogue. "These people come here speaking Spanish, but they're negotiating as Americans," said Luke, a museum director who once oversaw cultural affairs at the Los Angeles Mexican Consulate. "They want to see results now." The meeting of the advisory council also illustrated the provocative overlap of Mexican and American political action. In addition to all-day strategy sessions on how to improve Mexico, council members brainstormed over late-night drinks on next moves in the fight for U.S. immigration reform. Many members had used their existing e-mail network to coordinate simultaneous demonstrations in Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities. Though not active participants in the U.S. immigrant movement, Mexican officials urged their compatriots to keep on fighting. "Let there be no barriers or walls between Mexicans here on the inside and the outside," former Mexican President Vicente Fox told the group, referring to a 2006 U.S. law that allows for a 700-mile fence to be built at the border. The audience stood and cheered. The idea that the Mexican government might be helping its nationals shape U.S. politics has raised red flags, both in the halls of academia and in the more volatile world of talk radio and the Internet. Robert Leiken, director of the immigration and national security program at the right-leaning Nixon Center in Washington, argued that binational activism among Mexican immigrants is bad for both countries. In the U.S., the meetings in Spanish and the often-passionate interest in Mexico's future hinder assimilation, he said. In Mexico, the relationship to hometown associations fosters an unhealthy economic dependence on U.S. remittances. "If I went out to Pilsen and spent some time with people from a hometown association, I'd think these are really cool people," Leiken said. But, "Standing back and looking at this from a social policy standpoint, I see some real problems." James McCann, a Purdue University political science professor, found that immigrants interested in Mexican affairs were more likely to participate in U.S. politics. He helped interview about 1,100 Mexican immigrants and found that hometown clubs promoted activism. "The conventional wisdom is that any transnational engagement is going to suck the oxygen out of your civic life in the States," McCann said. "But it seems that if you open a new avenue of expression in Mexico, that new avenue might pay some other dividends in the U.S." Some of those dividends went directly to the Blagojevich campaign last fall, when the governor found himself being serenaded by a trumpet-playing mariachi band inside the Hacienda Tecalitlan restaurant on the Near Northwest Side. Near a trickling courtyard fountain, Morales praised the governor in Spanish at the kickoff dinner for the Mexicans for Political Progress PAC. While Morales once raised money for his hometown with $1 tamales, the price here was as much as $500 a plate. "Let us demonstrate our political power by voting in the election, by voting for our friends interested in the prosperity of Mexicans. Friends like Gov. Rod Blagojevich!" Morales told the crowd. Blagojevich, who speaks a hint of Spanish, took the microphone and shouted: "Viva Chivas!" a reference to a popular Mexican soccer team. When the laughter and applause subsided, he switched to English and added: "By organizing, you are empowering a community. Your voice will be heard." The mood is darker in northwest suburban Carpentersville, where a growing Mexican community has rallied in large numbers in the face of a local backlash against undocumented immigrants. Last fall, about 3,000 Mexican immigrants and their supporters turned up outside Carpentersville's City Hall in an unexpected show of opposition to a proposed ordinance that would penalize landlords who rent to illegal immigrants and employers who hire them. The crowd was so riled a vote on the ordinance was postponed and has yet to be taken. The quick response came largely due to the hometown association representing the village of La Purisima, Michoacan, local activists said. The club turned to its telephone list of 400 families, said Salvador Balleno, the group's president. The turnout was a victory, but it has not deterred Carpentersville trustees from other proposals that would allow local police to trigger deportation proceedings against illegal immigrants and make English the village's official language. And as Balleno has struggled to register voters and rally volunteers for this month's village elections, even sympathetic politicians have seemed hesitant to link themselves too closely with the hometown association. Balleno now fears the village's hard-liners have the upper hand, intimidating some of the immigrants who protested last fall. "The [club] members know that if these people stay [in office] it is going to affect their kids," Balleno said, sounding anxious that an opportunity was slipping through his fingers. Jose Artemio Arreola, a key organizer of next month's march in Chicago, has been actively monitoring the battle in Carpentersville. He sees the activity there as part of a plan to create a political empire for Mexican immigrants, one linking hometown associations in Chicago and other cities to labor unions and Mexico's congress. His strategy includes moving back to his native state of Michoacan to run for congress there, something Arreola never imagined doing when he left a town overrun by poverty and ruled by local drug kingpins. He got his start in Chicago working in a plastics factory. Frustrated by the union representation there, he ran for shop steward and won. Unable to speak English, he relied on his bilingual co-workers to help him negotiate union contracts. He has since become a school janitor in Oak Park. The position pays little, but it has allowed Arreola to climb the ranks of the Service Employees International Union, where he has become key in that union's national efforts to tap further into the country's exploding Mexican immigrant workforce. All the while, Arreola has used the sharp elbows and old-school union tactics acquired in Chicago to become a power broker in his hometown of Acuitzio del Canje. He started in 2004 when the local mayor refused to back projects proposed by his hometown association. Arreola, a burly backslapper partial to gold neck chains, recalled thinking: "I need to take them out." He recruited a teacher to run for mayor in the Mexican town. Arreola then brought back a town phone book and, with others in Chicago, called voters one by one, promising a stream of U.S. investment if his candidate won. The incumbent opted for traditional rallies and car tours through town with a bullhorn. More than two years later, sitting in a Pilsen restaurant, Arreola opened a laptop computer and showed off the fruits of what proved to be an easy victory. Pictures of a new retirement home popped onto the screen, one featuring a grinning Arreola at a groundbreaking ceremony. Another showed a new computer lab with 40 computers for local schoolchildren, an investment in the future of Acuitzio del Canje. The town's name comes from an 1865 decision to make it the site for a "canje," or exchange of prisoners between warring Mexican and French troops. Sitting deep in the dusty mountains of Michoacan, it was neutral ground back then, Arreola explained, territory that didn't fully belong to either country but, in some ways, belonged to both. ---------- aolivo@tribune.com oavila@tribune.com - - - IN THE WEB EDITION Jose Artemio Arreola is one of several Mexican hometown association leaders in Chicago with multiple connections in Mexico and the U.S. From helping organize last year's massive immigration marches to slating political candidates in his home state, he wields influence on both sides of the border. To learn more about Arreola, watch videos and see photo galleries, go to chicagotribune.com/mexicansinchicago. Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
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