I found a story that really hits home with me. As I get older, I'm starting to think down a road that's getting shorter and shorter and that's the road to retirement. When that day will come, I don't know. I do know that I'm certainly closer to it than I was ten years ago. And as I travel this road, I start thinking of simplifying, not complicating my life. My wife and I are talking condo instead of a home come retirement time. No big homeowner responsibilities. Then there's the subject of pets.

So here's the story. Baby Boomers love their pets. Industry officials say they're a major reason why Americans' spending on the likes of food, grooming, kennels and surgery is expected to top 52 billion dollars this year. But will the beautiful relationship last?

I know I love my pets(two cats and a dog), but they come with a maintenance plan...sometimes high maintenance. So when it comes time to simplify my life, I'm thinking of not replacing pets that head off into that kennel in the sky. We have always replaced pets that died all throughout our marriage, but probably not any more.

Here's more on that story. Pet ownership rates tend to drop among people in their "golden years." The pet industry is looking years ahead to when aging Boomers eventually could be tempted to give up high maintenance dogs and cats. Already the industry is promoting the benefits of pets for older people. The American Pet Products Association is a founding sponsor of the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting the positive role animals play in people's health. The group's website touts the role animals have in lowering blood pressure and reducing anxiety.

I believe pets do play a beneficial role for older people, but the industry is going to promote that for their own well being too. With millions of Baby Boomers like me, there's a chance that 52 billion will go down by a bunch if we don't have pets any more.

A marijuana blood limit for drivers has been rejected for the third time in Colorado. The state senate fell a single vote short on a bill setting a blood standard in marijuana. The vote means the proposal is likely dead for the year. Passage would've made Colorado the third state with a blood level limit for marijuana, much as the nation has a blood alcohol limit. Currently, drugged driving convictions depend on officer observations.

Let me go over this again. First let me say that many years ago I smoked marijuana. I know what it's like to be stoned. So here's my opinion on the blood test. Walk away from it.

If someone has smoked a joint, they are stoned. They should not be behind the wheel of a car. It's not like alcohol where you might get by with one drink. Once you've smoked pot, you're stoned. Stoned is stoned and no one in that condition should be behind the wheel of a vehicle.

Police observations might be the best way to make an arrest. If someone is show classic signs of being stoned, they also find marijuana in the car and it smells of marijuana smoke in the car, that might be some pretty good probable cause to make an arrest.

Determining the THC level in someone's blood is a waste of time in my opinion. One final time. Stoned is stoned.

A new study out of the University of North Carolina shows minors can easily buy booze from online retailers and shipping companies. The study's lead author says they found that minors using their real ID's can easily buy alcohol. In fact they found those minors were successful in about half of their attempts.

Only 28% of orders placed by minors were rejected because of age verification.

So this shows me one thing. This is not a matter of having no control over checking age because it's on the internet. This is a matter of some just not checking because they didn't care, wanted to sell the booze, or just let some slip through the cracks.

I think this is where law enforcement needs to step in and crackdown on the sellers of alcohol to kids. If 28% of the orders were rejected because of age verification, that shows there's a system to check. So why weren't 100% of them rejected? Somebody should face the music on this.