First Senior Moment

[dp]

My birthday this year is Jan 1. Same as all the rest but this time I'll be 65. That's never happened before. Anyway, age - my own, at least, has crept up on me unawares. Today I got a full frontal reminder that I'm not any longer the buff young athlete of my yoot.

I was to meet my wife at the market to shop for this week's holiday groceries. The bus stops just across a two-lane with center divider road and there's no crosswalk located conveniently, so I and everyone else who needs to shop jaywalks.

So the bus left me off and I checked traffic and it was clear on my side, and it seemed clear on the other side, too, so I stepped into the street. At that point a hotdogger came hell bent fer leather around the corner headed my way so I broke into a jog.

In 1995 I burst a disk in my back and two surgeries later it's never healed well. About 4 strides into my jog my back let go with a spasm of pain and down I went. In the center divider. In one of those incredible "I meant to do that" moves I recovered and quickly got to my feet, waved off the traffic and passers-by asking if I was ok, and strode painfully across the second lane.

Getting old is going to suck - I can tell.

[bborr01]

Getting old is going to suck - I can tell.

I have heard it is'nt for sissies.

Brian

[Arcane]

Yeah, a guy at work told me about a time he realized he was getting 'up there'. He was walking down the hall at work and met a couple of young guys in their early 20s and said hi to them, even though he didn't know them. He turned around to see who they were talking about when he over heard one say to the other "Who was that old fart?" and then realized that they were taling about him!

[doctor demo]

Dennis, What's a Yoot?
Great movie
I couldn't resist
Steve "Dead on Balls Accurate"

[oldtiffie]

Old

Dennis.

Having your back go out more often than you do is a sure sign of old age.

[Frank Ford]

A few years back, a Stanford student came into my shop, and asked if I was "the" Frank Ford he'd heard about who worked there. I admitted I was the only one by that name.

He then said, "Cool - my grandfather bought his first guitar from you!"

Thanks a lot, kid. . .

[dp]

Dennis.

Having your back go out more often than you do is a sure sign of old age.

It's true, Tiffie - I have the back of a man a quarter my age - it goes out every chance it gets!

[dp]

A few years back, a Stanford student came into my shop, and asked if I was "the" Frank Ford he'd heard about who worked there. I admitted I was the only one by that name.

He then said, "Cool - my grandfather bought his first guitar from you!"

Thanks a lot, kid. . .

Great story, Frank - highlights the problem of being a legend in your own lifetime! Congrats on the honorarium, though, that's quite fine thing. Reminds me I got my Les Paul at age 17 at a pawn shop in Oakland for $185. My first Ex sold it at a garage sale for $5.00 so somebody got a better deal than I. It was appraised in abstentia at $5200 circa 1982.

[oldtiffie]

Toss it

Dennis.

Does that mean that you are a quarter-back?

You are going to have a hell of a time with the cheer squad.

And if you throw the ball, does that make you a(n old?) tosser?

[Weston Bye]

Some years ago, before I achieved my present 60, I was standing at my mailbox when a driver stopped and asked me if I was all right... I said I felt OK, no problems. He thought I looked like I might be in some distress. I was puzzled.
This happened once again when I was out on the road walking for excersize. A different concerned citizen offered me a ride home. I assured him that I was quite OK and politely declined.

Now, if these concerned citizens had been attractive ladies......

[paulsv]

Yes, getting old is tough, but as my old dad used to say, it sure beats the alternative.

[PixMan]

And when it come to guys getting older (I'm a young 51)...


Three things happen with the plumbing:

1. It's not the 5 gallon reservoir in once was, especially at night.
2. It's not the fire hose it once was.
3. The on/off valve isn't quite the fast-closing unit it once was.

They say the memory is the second thing to go. I forget what the first is.

[gary350]

Been there done that. My body is 60 but my brain still thinks I am 20. I think I can do something but soon realize that I can't. It is frustrating to remember how easy things were when I was young. Now days I spend the whole day doing something I use to do in just a few hours and never got tired. I drink a lot of ice tea the caffeine tricks my body into thinking I am not tired.

[tryfred]

Perspective is everything…

My Mother-in-law lived in a senior apartment complex … she was 93; she always referred to another resident that lived there as that “old lady” that lives down the hall.

Joe

[DICKEYBIRD]

I'm a couple yrs. behind you Dennis at 63 but I feel your pain...literally. My back injury at 17 yrs. old hasn't required surgery yet (knock on wood) but has been a factor all my life. Seems to be under control since I had my last nerve block (8 yrs ago) and walking a couple miles every day (started that 6 yrs. ago.)

I feel about 80 this morning. We're having our family Christmas dinner at my house (looks like 21 bodies with the 2 new grandkids this year) and I took my last week of vacation to clean up around here. I scraped & scrubbed 2 bathrooms, cut out and replaced all the old caulking and replaced the knobs & other stuff. Yesterday, I got down on my hands & knees & scrubbed up a zillion spots in the carpet in 4 rooms....then drug around a bulky & heavy carpet cleaner for 6 hrs. before they were what I considered "clean enough." After that, I was up & down several times through the night moving fans around to speed up the drying. Talk about feeling old and sore this morning....sheesh!!

(....and my inner child is SCREAMING: "You're on vacation, get out into the shop and have some FUN!" Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles.