Camp Codger

In this episode, the old codgers offer a few travel tips for seniors they learned during their recent adventures on the road, in the air, and while in Europe. While the news reports about the challenges of air travel can seem overwhelming at times, we suggest a few travel tips that can make it a bit easier on the body and soul. Travel in our golden years can be exciting, frequently fun, and almost...

Retro toys 2 continues our discussion of memorable toys from our childhood. In this episode, the toys we discuss range from our first bikes to the always-popular Mr. Potato Head. We didn't forget about yo-yos, coin collections, the basic red wagon, and the real antique toy, a View Master. Who needs YouTube when you have a large collection of reels? Speaking of YouTube, check out this video of a se...

Cars were a defining element of the old codgers' lives as children, young adults with their first cars, and even as they grew older. Randy and Gary along with guest host John Foster reminisce about the vehicles they grew up with and their favorites. Surprisingly, all the guys shared a passion for Volkswagens of all vintages ranging from Gary's 1960 VW Microbus to John's 2004 VW Phaeton. As discuss...

Randy and Gary discuss whether keeping score in retirement makes sense. We both spent long careers measuring ourselves against our peers and cultural norms. Competing was implicit in our work environments. Promotions, winning new business, or just being recognized for our capabilities were important metrics. Even our recreational activities like golfing, running, and bicycling often included keepi...

Retro toys capture the imagination of the old guys in this episode. From Schwinn bikes, Radio Flyer wagons, and Frisbees to Play-Doh and chemistry sets, these lucky old codgers seem to have owned all the classic toys from the 1950s and 1960s. Richard recalls his delight at collecting rocks (yes, rocks...), stamps, and coins while Randy waxes nostalgic about the fantastic bounce of Superballs . Gar...

Bookstore memories animate this episode as the old codgers fondly recall their visits to bookstores. Richard and Randy remember bookstores as defining places when they were in college as well as destinations with their young families. As Camp Codger's resident geek, Gary firmly embraced modern reading technology with the first Kindle in 2007. He finds bookstores less relevant today. Gary firmly pr...

Old dogs new tricks? Is it realistic? The old codgers discuss old folks that have learned new things. They also make a feeble attempt at understanding the science behind learning in senior citizens (serious neuroscience is a "trick" way beyond their pay grade). Science be damned, they optimistically conclude that it seems quite feasible that there are a few new tricks in their future. After all, t...

People often have a completely irrational understanding of what the odds are of an event happening to them. Typically, the worse the outcome, the greater the perceived probability of a horrible ending. In reality, the likelihood of dying in a plane crash is extraordinarily low yet. However, people board planes with sweaty palms fearing for their lives. The old codgers, nary a gambler among them, a...

There is no question that the news media isn't what it was when Camp Codger listeners were growing up. Today's senior citizens are challenged by the technology used to collect, develop and deliver the news, the unrelenting 24x7 news cycle, and the vast array of news sources and delivery platforms. In this episode, we explore the news media, then and now. Our conversation ranges from lamenting how...

The old codgers were enjoying an online "chinwag" a few weeks ago when the conversation took an interesting turn. We started recounting the many amazing senior citizens who have accomplished incredible things well into their 70s, 80s, and 90s. Many are well-known, some are people we know, and others are just ordinary folks like us. From musical accomplishments to innovative intellectual efforts to...

Randy and Richard turn to Gary, the resident geek at Camp Codger, for answers about the metaverse. They really want to know what it is and whether they and our listeners should care. Is it just hype or something that might be important to us in our golden years? Would you like to hear when the old codgers are rambling on about something else?  Subscribe  to our weekly Camp Codger newsletter to rec...

The old codgers discuss the challenges of making friends as we grow older. It's not always easy, but they offer some tips on how to make new friends in our golden years. Would you like to hear when the old codgers are rambling on about something else?  Subscribe  to our weekly Camp Codger newsletter to receive an email notification each time we publish a new episode. You can also subscribe and lis...

We make a valiant effort to pick up where we left off in the last episode discussing the strange habits of old folks. Not surprisingly, the old codgers quickly meander into the weeds and ramble on about aging and generational differences. Would you like to hear when the old codgers are rambling on about something else?  Subscribe  to our weekly Camp Codger newsletter to receive an email notificati...

We all believed we would never pick up on those habits that identified us as old. After all, boomers are forever young, right? Bad news, folks. We’re starting to do things that our children and grandchildren probably find utterly foreign. In this two-part episode, the old codgers confess to having some of these “old folks” habits including eating dinner at 5 pm, wearing comfy clothes, eating prune...