Some great quotes about growing older…otherwise known as becoming an Old Guy. The Old Guys Rule t-shirts, hats, etc. are to be worn as a badge of honor. They are designed to recognize the accomplishments of a life well spent. Being aged to perfection means something different to each one of us, but we thought the quotes below sum it up nicely. Of course, we had to add the Old Guys twist…the first five are serious and the last five are funny.

Seriously, we feel:

Father Time is not always a hard parent, and, though he tarries for none of his children, often lays his hand lightly upon those who have used him well; making them old men and women inexorably enough, but leaving their hearts and spirits young and in full vigor.  With such people the grey head is but the impression of the old fellow's hand in giving them his blessing, and every wrinkle but a notch in the quiet calendar of a well-spent life.  — Charles Dickens

Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.  — Oliver Wendell Holmes


Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. 
— Eleanor Roosevelt

There's no point in being unhappy about growing older. Just think of the millions who have been denied the privilege. 
— Cary Grant

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams. 
— John Barrymore


But these made us laugh:

Youth is a wonderful thing.  What a crime to waste it on children.  — George Bernard Shaw

Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.  — Bob Hope

There is no pleasure worth forgoing just for an extra three years in the geriatric ward. — John Mortimer


Once you’re over the hill, you begin to pick up speed.  — Charles M. Schulz


The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions. — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Here’s to bein’ the Old Guys who are picking up speed, relishing in their checkered pasts, and bein’ loud and proud about it.

There’s a lot that we love about summer…so we thought we’d share some of our favorite things to do. Here are our top 10 (in no particular order – as Old Guys, we reserve the right to change our minds and our list whenever we want because we Rule and we can.)

Take a cruise (no we don’t mean a boat, see photo)
Hit the beach – with or without a surfboard
BBQ – where do you think the inspiration from the Grill Master shirt came from?
Catch a movie the Old Guys way…at a Drive-In…takes us back in time
Go to a baseball game – major league, minor league or little league
Play a round of golf with our buddies
Camp – nothing better than hangin’ out with your friends around a fire with a cold one
Car Shows – there’s one just about every weekend in the summer
Take the boat out on the lake, maybe do a little fishing
Road Trip – preferably on two wheels going down the coast...if you haven’t ever, you should give it a try

Did we miss anything? Is there something that you think we have to try? We’re usually up for it…know why? Because Old Guys Rule.

A bit of history from one Old Guy to another - John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail after signing of the Declaration of Independence. He commented about how he thought the 4th of July would be celebrated, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival... It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” Maybe he’s the one who set the tone for how we continue to celebrate our independence.

This 4th of July weekend Americans will be celebrating in a variety of ways. Some will celebrate over a grill surrounded by friends and family, while others will enjoy catching some rays and some waves at the beach. Parades, baseball games, picnics and fireworks will be the norm.

For us, we may try to do everything above and then some, but we will remember no matter what we’re doing that we are grateful for our independence and to those who have sacrificed and served. It was 235 years ago that we declared our independence as a nation. However that fight for freedom began long before our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence and continues today. We hope to never take our freedom for granted. We won’t forget that it has come at a price.

We wish you and yours an incredible 4th of July however you choose to spend it. We hope it is fun and befitting of the Old Guys Rule state of mind.

If you/your family has served or sacrificed for our country, we sincerely thank you.

We are raising our glass to the dads of the world. We appreciate you.
There are so many things to thank you for today, the list is so long, there is no way we can cover every item, but we want to share our top 25 reasons we honor you on Father's Day:

1. You're a dad - it takes work and we respect that.
2. Making us learn how to change our oil and our tires.
3. Teaching us how to ride a bike and how to drive.
4. Being tough - even when we didn't like it.
5. Being the rock to lean on.
6. Every band-aid, hug, or pat on the back.
7. Taking us camping, fishing, surfing, and hiking.
8. Manning the grill when the rest of us were enjoying the BBQ.
9. Coaching Little League.
10. Working hard to provide.
11. Patience, even when we didn't deserve it.
12. Being a good example.
13. Instilling fear...sometimes we needed it.
14. No matter how old you are, you're still the same man that raised us.
15. Giving everything you could.
16. Taking care of us.
17. Waiting up at night until we were home safe.
18. Sitting in the bleachers in the heat, the rain, the snow and the cold.
19. Every bedtime story.
20. Memories that can never be topped or replaced.
21. Teaching us the difference between right and wrong.
22. Answering our calls every time there was a break down, break-up, or I'm broke.
23. Teaching us the value of money, time and family.
24. Never giving up on us.
25. Being there when we needed you, even when we said we didn't.

Old Guys Rule because of men like you. Thanks for everything. Happy Father's Day.

A customer recently shared this post from Parade with us. It is an interview with the 3 actors in the TNT drama Men of a Certain Age. We’ve caught the show a couple of times and can definitely relate to the characters in the show, but based on the article we can relate to real men behind those characters even more.

When asked about how he felt about the passing of the years, 48 year old Andre Braugher responded, “Time only flows in one direction, as far as we know. You have to go with it, because these are the only times we've got. These are the good times. No, I do not look as good as I did at 26, but guess what? I'm not 26.“ Who couldn’t appreciate that? We certainly do; we’ve earned every wrinkle, every gray hair and we’re proud of it. We’ve lived and it shows. There is no shame in that. We are “Aged to Perfection” and we like it.

Our favorite part of the interview is the question, “ What’s the best part about this stage in life?” It made us think. For us the best part is when we can do what we love, whether it is spending time with friends or family, riding our bikes down the open road, surfing a wave…What do you think? What’s the best part for you?

http://www.parade.com/celebrity/2011/05/men-of-certain-age.html

Marion Robert Morrison was born May 26, 1907. Although he was born with the name Marion, to us he will always be John Wayne or "The Duke."

John Wayne was a man's man (a ladies man too at times). He was larger than life on the big screen and in person. He was always a straight shooter, and not just the kind from the movies he was famous for, that's what we loved about him. He told it like it was, did what he wanted and made no apologies. He inspired us to hitch up our bootstraps, fight for what we believed, and to get the girl.

So today, we tip our hats in honor of the man, the actor, and the American legend- John Wayne.

Also in honor of The Duke, we have a special on our Facebook page today only. Details at http://www.Facebook.com/OldGuysRuleInternational

May 29th will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Indy 500. The man to drive the pace car for the centennial celebration of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will be A.J. Foyt, Jr. If you aren’t familiar with him, we can share a few details.

Foyt is an incredible racing legend whose relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500 goes back more than half a century. Fifty years ago, he won the Indy 500. He will be 76 years old when he leads 33 drivers out onto the famed speedway. Each of those drivers will be dreaming of taking that checkered flag at the end of the day. Very few could hope to achieve what Foyt did at the Indy 500 -- he won four times. Additionally, he is the only driver to have won the Indy 500, the Daytona 500, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Foyt’s tireless passion for the sport continued after he retired as a driver, he transitioned into a role as a team owner. He will have more than 55 years of racing experience with him as he rolls onto the track in the Chevy Camaro pace car. It will be a great day of racing in Indianapolis and we are glad that an “old guy” is going to start it. We here at Old Guys Rule will be tipping our hats to A.J. Foyt, Jr. as he leads the drivers around the track.

A man's age is something impressive, it sums up his life: maturity reached slowly and against many obstacles, illnesses cured, grief and despairs overcome, and unconscious risks taken; maturity formed through so many desires, hopes, regrets, forgotten things, loves. A man's age represents a fine cargo of experiences and memories. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

We can certainly relate to that quote and yet, it isn’t just experiences and memories that we’ve had…it is the ones yet to come. The next ride on the open road, catching the next wave, the next ride in a hot rod, catching the next game or the next fish with a friend. Where you have been is part of the fabric of who you are; the “next” thing will be a part of who you will be. We’re never too old to do something new…that’s why Old Guys Rule.

Normally we are talking about all the great stuff that Old Guys are doing and how Old Guys Rule, but this week we thought it would be great to honor the moms out there. Mother’s Day is just around the corner and we want to say thanks to the moms who have made us who we are. We also wanted to share some ideas about what you can do for the ladies that you are honoring on Mother’s Day (in case you don’t have a plan.) We have also included 5 things not to do for Mother’s Day.

Here are 5 simple ideas that can make them happy and keep you out of trouble…
Send her to the spa – give her the pampering that she deserves and might not get for herself.
Get her something that is personalized – jewelry, picture frames…something with her name or children’s birthstones.
Photos make great gifts, now you can put photos on canvas or create photo blankets. Use a photo that she loves or take a new one.
If you are out of time or can’t choose, get her a gift card to her favorite store and pair it with a greeting card.
Last, but certainly not least, and in addition to any of the above…dinner at her favorite restaurant.

What not to do:
Make her cook her own Mother’s Day dinner.
Buy something at the gas station to give her.
Buy her a gift card to your favorite store…she’ll know you weren’t thinking of her.
Give her dandelions…unless you’re 5 years old, it isn’t cute.
Give her grief for any reason. Mother’s Day is only once a year, be extra nice.

Hope our suggestions help. We’d love to hear if they did. Feel free to add your suggestions to the list.

Surfing lost one of its most talented photographers over the weekend. LeRoy Grannis passed away at the age of 93. He is renowned for capturing the Golden Age of the 60s and 70s at a time when surfing soared in popularity in California.

He will always remain in the hearts and minds of surfers, photographers and the people he captured through his lens. Read more about his life and times here: http://www.surfingheritage.org/2011/02/pioneer-surf-photographer-leroy-grannis.html