Something strange happened last week.

                My AARP card arrived, two weeks before I turn 50. Next Monday, if I pay my $16 dues, I’ll be eligible for discounted auto insurance, although my current health insurance provider believes I’m moving into an age-of-no-return bracket, upping my policy’s cost.

                I’ll qualify for vision exam discounts, because now that I’ve lived half a century, I need bifocals. I thought newspapers and magazines were using smaller fonts.

                I’ll be twelve years away from retirement, making travel a snap – and cheap.

                I’ll receive a monthly magazine with cover shots of favorite fading stars, who like me, are advancing into their sunset years. And, if I join by September 30, I may win the sweepstakes and meet Betty White.

                Or if I call tomorrow, I can chat with Jane Pauley.

                Remember Jane? She was the hip, hot Today Show co-anchor before cute Katie Couric or over-the-top Meredith Viera.

                Or as Scott said, “Only old people like you know who Jane is.”

                Sigh.

                I couldn’t find exact numbers for my age bracket, but according to 2010 Census records, 13.4 percent of the 1.8 million Nebraska residents are over age 65. Just over one-fifth of my county’s residents surpass age 65. And my Knox County friends, 22.3 percent are above that magic age.

                Since a quarter of our state’s population is age 18 or below, that means that about half of Nebraska’s population is between 18 and 65 comprised of Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers. If you and I are the same age, we’re considered part straggling Baby Boomer, part pioneering Gen Xer. We’re reactive idealists who thrive on pop culture and peace.

                Sunday, we celebrated Scott’s grandmother’s 96th birthday. She reminds me of my Grandma Larson: feisty, fun, and full of stories. My grandma’s goal was to live to age 100 and dance at her birthday celebration. She missed by 11 months.

                I think about everything she experienced and lived through in her lifetime: five wars, the Great Depression, the assassination of JFK, and four Nebraska National Championships in football.

                And I listen to Grandma B’s stories about her love of Holt County and surviving adversity to walk the path set in front of you.

                I’d like to hit that century mark or beyond. Grandma Larson attributed her longevity to clean, active, Nebraska living. She didn’t mind a glass of wine once in awhile.  Grandma B tells me there’s just something about country life that leads to long life.

                I hope they’re both correct.

                Nebraska’s current oldest resident is 110 and resides in Albion. There’s a goal to work toward!

                A decade ago, Cassie asked, “What’s it like to be in the midst of a middle-aged crisis?”

                I showed her by donning leather boots and full denim and taking a motorcycle trip to Sturgis.

                Once back home, I told her I’m not middle aged. Not yet. I plan to live to 100. But when I turn 50, I would let her know how it feels.

                When she calls on Monday, I’ll describe mid-life in detail.

Growing up, did your parents whisper “don’t let the bedbugs bite” before you drifted to sleep?

Those pre-World War II redcoats are back, and the latest strain of crawling creatures is causing problems across the United States. During the last 15 years, bedbugs have undergone a revival. The vagabonds hitch a ride on luggage from infested lodging facilities, travel inside used furniture, or attach to clothing and thumb a lift to your next location.

Nebraska is under attack. The bugs are battling their way into even the cleanest of homes, apartments, hotels and office buildings. Pest control experts report Grand Island and Omaha as having the largest epidemic. University of Nebraska Extension Service claims reported cases in Lincoln have doubled in the last year.

The parasite belongs to the Cimicidae family and feeds on blood off warm-blooded organisms. Why the name? Even though the pest isn’t mainly nocturnal, the creepy-crawly emerges at night and eats while the victim rests.

The bloodsuckers sniff out unsuspecting prey by detecting pheromones, giving new meaning to love at first bite. Carbon dioxide and warm temperatures also lure the louse, but too much CO2 overloads the bedbug.

Adult bugs appear flat and oval-shaped and prefer cracks and crevices. The reddish-brown bugs grow to nearly one-fourth inch long and can puff out wide to about half that size. Scientists report they resemble apple seeds. Immature bugs look yellow-brown and darken after feeding. An infested area emits a sweet, musty odor.

Bedbugs aren’t known to cause physical illness. Bites resemble other insect wounds: they form red spots, itch, cluster in a single area and are located on typically located on face, neck, arms and hands. Sufferers may experience a mild allergic reaction. Even though they may feed on an infected person, it hasn’t been proven that bedbugs transmit blood-borne diseases.

The psychological effects of bedbugs can drive an individual buggy.  The stigma associated with the nuisance casts a negative light that may be difficult for people to contend with.

During the early 1950s, bedbugs bit the dust when exterminators sprayed them with a powerful mix of DDT. You can vacuum all you want and wash and dry until your fingers look like prunes, but these preventive measures won’t eliminate them. Only strong chemicals have the chance to kill those bugs dead.

Eradicating bedbugs is costly, as treatments can begin at $800 and reach $5,000, depending on the size of the residence and the number and type of treatments. In coastal states, bedbug-sniffing dogs hound the pest.

I’ve never seen a bedbug. I don’t want to. When Scott and I traveled on our summer vacation, we pulled back the covers and checked mattress seams for any indication of the painful pest. We Midwesterners should fight back and send the annoyances back where they belong: Howard Stern’s office building and limo and Washington’s Federal Building, two East Coast infestation areas.

By combating bedbugs, you may never have to whisper “good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite” to your children.

Have you battled bedbugs? Share your stories at http://luannschindler.com  or on LuAnn’s Facebook page.

New York has the Guggenheim and the MoMA. San Diego’s Balboa Park hosts the nation’s largest urban cultural park, home to 15 museums. Chicago lauds its exhibits: The Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Hull House. History and art enthusiasts revel at the delightful treasures displayed within these halls.

Nebraskans don’t have to travel across the Midwest or even to the coasts to visit top exhibitions. In our own back yards, historical societies, art foundations and educational groups have assembled some of the best collections around.

If you have never traveled Nebraska’s byways and stopped at some of our state’s quaint menageries, you have the opportunity to this weekend. The Smithsonian and Smithsonian Magazine welcome visitors for their 6^th annual National Museum Day.

And the good news: you don’t have to visit Washington D.C. to partake. Nine museums across the Cornhusker state are offering free admission with the required ticket, which can be retrieved at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

What sites can you visit in Nebraska?

The Lincoln County Historical Society maintains a museum in North Platte. Inside, exhibits show what life is like in cattle country. The museum features railroad history, too. Several preserved outbuildings depict 1880s living.

At Kearney’s Buffalo County Historical Society and Trails and Rails Museum, visitors discover the history of the Overland and Mormon trails and the Union Pacific railroad along the Great Platte River Road.  Check out a locomotive and the depot, along with the Boyd Ranch House, the Freighters Hotel, a school house, 1898 church, and a log cabin.

Enjoy living history presentations? Visit the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island. In addition to the main building, saunter through Henry Fonda’s birthplace, a livery stable, blacksmith shop or the Silver Dollar Café. The museum also offers educational classes for parents and children. Its H.A.T.S. (Heritage Activities for Today’s Students) program, with grade level-appropriate activities, introduces learners to pioneer life.

Headed to this week’s Husker game? Since there’s a six o’clock kickoff, go early and visit three of Lincoln’s top treasures: the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, Nebraska History Museum and University of Nebraska State Museum. Discover the history of quilting, a 14-foot mammoth, or the amazing stories of our state’s ancestors.

The Cass County Historical Society Museum in Plattsmouth conveys the history of the county, which was settled in 1854. Steamboating on the Missouri, pioneer life, and agriculture production are highlighted.

In Omaha’s Union Station, The Durham Museum examines regional history. Celebrate the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, model trains, or the soda fountain.

Ever visited the oldest county museum in Nebraska? The Washington County Historical Museum in Ft. Calhoun contains prehistoric relics and Native American pieces. Objects from Fort Atkinson are also displayed.

Since I’m a history enthusiast, I’ve visited five of the nine museums participating in this weekend’s event. I’m amazed at the information and artifacts that explore the lives of those who lived here before us.

High quality exhibits exist here at home. Which museum will you visit and enrich your Nebraska knowledge?

Share your favorite Nebraska Museums at http://luannschindler.com.

Great! I posted all the 2010 Nebraska-isms. And, I finished this little project four days ahead of schedule!   Now, I’ll be able to add the new column on a weekly basis.

Not sure what a Nebraska-ism is? It’s a unique look at the Cornhusker state and what sets the landscape and people apart. Column topics include:

• The Lure of Friday Night Lights – High School Football
• Autumn in Nebraska
• Husker Football Fans
• The Kitchen-Family Connection
• Farm Safety
• Clotheslines
• Nebraska Literary Scene
• Popcorn
• FFA Emblem: Drawn in Nebraska
• WWI, Draft Cards, and Grandpa
• Hunting Widows
• Drama of One-Act
• Fruitcake
• Poinsettias
• Christmas Traditions
• Ice Fishing
• Symbolism of a State’s Culture
• I’m a 30.
• The Late Night TV Dilemma:  What Would Johnny Think?
• Press Trips – Marketing Nebraska
• Unique Libraries
• Valentine’s Traditions from Nebraska
• Going for Olympic Gold:  Nebraska Olympians
• Sandhill Cranes
• Happy Birthday, Nebraska!
• 4N6: What I Learned Competing in High School Speech and Coaching HS Forensics
• Nebraska’s Irish Roots
• Nebraska Tall Tales & Legends
• Husker Women’s Basketball

Interested in reading one of these weekly columns? All columns are included as PDF files on the Nebraska-isms page .