So trivial, yet it really ticks you off.

[GHT]

I already own the cane I hope I won’t be needing anytime soon. It’s a simple wooden crook, which to my eye is far better looking than those aluminum things, and much more elegant than those fancily carved jobs.

In the UK we use term, walking stick, rather than cane. My own is really more of a comfort blanket, the surgeon who performed my hip replacement surgery recommended it. He explained that should I stumble, using the stick to steady my balance will help prevent a fall. How right he was, twice it's saved me from a serious tumble.

Going back to Tony's simple wooden crook, I have a number of walking sticks, they are like an accoutrement, an accessory to go with whatever I'm wearing. I joke about my walking stick, calling it Michael. When asked, "why Michael," I answer the question with a question: "What is a walking stick called in America?" "A cane." Wait for the groan............Michael Caine.

 

[tonyb]

… I joke about my walking stick, calling it Michael. When asked, "why Michael," I answer the question with a question: "What is a walking stick called in America?" "A cane." Wait for the groan............Michael Caine.

I’m thinkin’ I’ll name mine Abel.

 

[HudsonHawk]

I've never been daft enough to try and drive in London at all.... I hated driving enough when it was a necessary evil in the Old Country (actually, as soon as I had my licence I basically gave it up and sacrificed any social benefits it might have had in order to avoid it) that I was only too happy to move to a city with first-world public transport and never need a car. In any case, I doubt I could afford to run a car in London on my academic salary.




As with vision, so with hearing. You can go invisible (contact lenses / tiny, in-ear hearing aids), or make it look good (nice glasses, borg-implants). In the "looking good" category, I'm also happy to include "intimidates people out of trying to speak to me on public transport"!

I have worn corrective lenses since about age 15. I've tried contact lenses, but never cared for wearing them longer than a few hours, so I've stuck to glasses mostly. I try to make them fashionable as well as functional, though I have to admit I'm mildly ticked by folks who wear them strictly for fashion. It's not exactly cultural appropriation, but I also can't help but feel they haven't "earned" the right to wear glasses by having to squint long enough. I suffered, dammit, I deserve to look this cool!

I'm not quite to the point of needing hearing aids. At least I don't think so. My wife may feel differently. An irresponsible amount of rock n roll back in the day and all that...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Every sound tech I know in show business has hearing damage, especially in the high frequencies, and every theatre projectionist I know is severely nearsighted.

 

[Edward]

I have worn corrective lenses since about age 15. I've tried contact lenses, but never cared for wearing them longer than a few hours, so I've stuck to glasses mostly. I try to make them fashionable as well as functional, though I have to admit I'm mildly ticked by folks who wear them strictly for fashion. It's not exactly cultural appropriation, but I also can't help but feel they haven't "earned" the right to wear glasses by having to squint long enough. I suffered, dammit, I deserve to look this cool!

Ha, yeah.... I've had my glasses since I was ten; originally only put them on for distance, but started wearing them all the time as a norm when I went to university because it was just convenient... I have experimented with contacts on and off over the last twenty years. Got some originally because I was doing a lot of Rocky Horror shadowcasting and needed to be able to see without the glasses for that. Great for costume looks for a lot of stuff without the limitations of my natural eyesight... Also worn cosmetic contacts for a lot of zombie stuff over the years (that's fun on the tube). I briefly wore contacts as an alternative to glasses socially for a bit until I discovered glasses I liked, then the contacts became strictly for costume only.

It is a bit funny seeing glasses being fashionable here and there - I'm old enough to remember them being one more thing that could be targeted for mockery at school!

I'm not quite to the point of needing hearing aids. At least I don't think so. My wife may feel differently. An irresponsible amount of rock n roll back in the day and all that...

Sounds an awful lot like the dynamic in our home too...

Every sound tech I know in show business has hearing damage, especially in the high frequencies, and every theatre projectionist I know is severely nearsighted.

I once asked Marky Ramone whether he'd experienced any hearing loss after all those years on stage, but he just said "WHAT? WHAT? Speak up, I can't HEAR YOU!"

 

[GHT]

Loss, or more closely, hard of hearing is something that goes with this getting old malarkey. But that fades into insignificance compared to the flat battery syndrome. Have you ever been aching badly to pee? So bad that you are all but wetting yourself? When I experience that it's all a fumble to get Percy out to point him at the porcelain, then it's the flat battery syndrome. First it nothing, then it's, dribble, dribble, dribble. Then, finally, it's bladder release. When I was younger I could, hold it longer and perform immediately. I tell you, this getting old malarkey ain't fun.

 

[Tiki Tom]

When I was younger I could, hold it longer and perform immediately.

We are talking about peeing, right?

 

[GHT]

We are talking about peeing, right?

You're dreadful, amusing though. I never saw the ambiguity. I'm blushing!

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^
There’s an overlap here with the “You know you’re getting old when … ” thread. Good enough, I say.

I’m reminded that the late Gore Vidal observed on the occasion of one of his later birthdays that among the few advantages of advancing years is increasing freedom from what he called “the tyranny of the male libido.”

I suspect that in many if not most cases of impotence the cause is likelier found between the ears than between the legs.

 

[tonyb]

Ha, yeah.... I've had my glasses since I was ten; originally only put them on for distance, but started wearing them all the time as a norm when I went to university because it was just convenient... I have experimented with contacts on and off over the last twenty years. Got some originally because I was doing a lot of Rocky Horror shadowcasting and needed to be able to see without the glasses for that. Great for costume looks for a lot of stuff without the limitations of my natural eyesight... Also worn cosmetic contacts for a lot of zombie stuff over the years (that's fun on the tube). I briefly wore contacts as an alternative to glasses socially for a bit until I discovered glasses I liked, then the contacts became strictly for costume only.

It is a bit funny seeing glasses being fashionable here and there - I'm old enough to remember them being one more thing that could be targeted for mockery at school!



Sounds an awful lot like the dynamic in our home too...



I once asked Marky Ramone whether he'd experienced any hearing loss after all those years on stage, but he just said "WHAT? WHAT? Speak up, I can't HEAR YOU!"

I’ve worn specs since age 15 or so. A cataract surgery several years ago corrected vision in my left eye such that I can legally drive without corrective lenses (although I suppose that by strictest definition that artificial implant is a corrective lens), but I wear glasses anyway, bifocals these days. My distance vision in my right eye is improved by the glasses, and my near vision is greatly improved in both.

Beyond that, though, I prefer having the little windshields over my eyes. And these days, what with much lighter weight plastic lenses, they’re much more comfortable.

 

[Edward]

I’ve worn specs since age 15 or so. A cataract surgery several years ago corrected vision in my left eye such that I can legally drive without corrective lenses (although I suppose that by strictest definition that artificial implant is a corrective lens), but I wear glasses anyway, bifocals these days. My distance vision in my right eye is improved by the glasses, and my near vision is greatly improved in both.

Beyond that, though, I prefer having the little windshields over my eyes. And these days, what with much lighter weight plastic lenses, they’re much more comfortable.

I remember the first time I wore contacts for an event.... I kept reaching to readjust my glasses, and poking myself in the eye..... It's definitely nice to have a windshield between me and the world!

 

[Tiki Tom]

I’m reminded that the late Gore Vidal observed on the occasion of one of his later birthdays that among the few advantages of advancing years is increasing freedom from what he called “the tyranny of the male libido.”

There is A LOT of truth in that. A lot.

But John Updike also wrote the following about aging: “She expected that without the distraction of sex, a realer more honest self would be revealed. But it is sex, it turned out, that engages us in society and keeps us on our toes and persuades us to retract our rough edges, so we can mix in. Without the sexual need to negotiate, there’s little to curb neurotic crankiness.”

Still, I like that Gore Vidal quote and will certainly use it.

 

[tonyb]

There is A LOT of truth in that. A lot.

But John Updike also wrote the following about aging: “She expected that without the distraction of sex, a realer more honest self would be revealed. But it is sex, it turned out, that engages us in society and keeps us on our toes and persuades us to retract our rough edges, so we can mix in. Without the sexual need to negotiate, there’s little to curb neurotic crankiness.”

Still, I like that Gore Vidal quote and will certainly use it.

Oh yes, we humans, even the celibate among us, are sexual beings, whatever expression it may take. I’ve yet to meet a person who left me with the impression that s/he didn’t wish to be sexually desirable to someone, even if s/he had no intention of taking that someone up on the matter. Just knowing they want it is its own reward. As Updike suggests, it is civilizing, this making ourselves desirable.

 

[GHT]

How easy is it to put your wallet down and lose it? Or maybe your keys, or your spectacles, or your phone? Times I have rung my phone from my landline just to find it.
How I dread that sinking feeling when I can't remember where I left my wallet. This getting old business, nobody warns you about the amnesia that goes with it.
Lost your wallet/purse of late?

 

[tonyb]

^^^^^
A few months back I left my iPhone atop a toilet paper dispenser in a Starbucks restroom. But I became aware of that within a minute and went back to retrieve it.

Starbucks restrooms are “one-holers” and many require a door code for entry. (And I managed not to forget the door code. Let’s hope that ability remains for at least a few more years.) So if you’re given to leaving behind items of value in restrooms, your odds of not losing said items forever are likely improved by making it Starbucks restrooms.

Starbucks restrooms have the additional virtue of being wheelchair friendly. As mentioned already, they are “single-user,” but they’re spacious enough to accommodate a power wheelchair and the wheelchair user’s helper. It’s mostly for this reason that Starbucks gets much of my and my regular traveling companion’s business when we hit the road.

 

[tonyb]

And …

I habitually check that my wallet and keys and iPhone are on my person. It is that habit that had me aware that I had left the phone in that restroom. Losing any of those items becomes a royal PITA and prevents a person from tending to other matters.

People too often let themselves get tripped up by the “little things,” which, if not tended to, turn out to be not so little.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Boy, call me troubleshooter! The moments of proud...

Man, I tell you!
I mean, you saw, that I'm actually in indoor fountain mania. But this now 4th fountain needed much more patience on troubleshooting like the 3th!
Equally, what I tried, the stupid waterpump, which is same as the other three, had too much buzzing going on.

But finally, I came to the idea to wrap the pump's LED-cable around it's power cable couple times, so that the above plugged-in LED cable is lifting the pump up from the basin's bottom as much as possible.

And HOLY COW, THIS WORKS!!

Now, the pump is buzzing very silent as it should be!!
And like on the 3th fountain, I put again kitchen roll under it, so that the feet don't touch the ground. Very important, too.

Now pressing my thumbs, that the success will continue!

 

[GHT]

Not that it ticks me off, just an observation really. It never ceases to surprise me how quickly a newly arrived immigrant picks up English profanities. It seems that within a week they might be anywhere near fluent but they have no problem in stringing a few words together emphasised by the "f" word. There's a couple of fellows where I work from the Sudan. Talking to one another in what was probably, Arabic, one stopped mid flow, he looked at the other and said, in fluent English: "You must be f*****g joking!" An all encompassing word that.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Not that it ticks me off, just an observation really. It never ceases to surprise me how quickly a newly arrived immigrant picks up English profanities. It seems that within a week they might be anywhere near fluent but they have no problem in stringing a few words together emphasised by the "f" word. There's a couple of fellows where I work from the Sudan. Talking to one another in what was probably, Arabic, one stopped mid flow, he looked at the other and said, in fluent English: "You must be f*****g joking!" An all encompassing word that.

Here's a great scene from a classic (well, from the 1980's) American comedy, Stripes.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Not that it ticks me off, just an observation really. It never ceases to surprise me how quickly a newly arrived immigrant picks up English profanities. It seems that within a week they might be anywhere near fluent but they have no problem in stringing a few words together emphasised by the "f" word. There's a couple of fellows where I work from the Sudan. Talking to one another in what was probably, Arabic, one stopped mid flow, he looked at the other and said, in fluent English: "You must be f*****g joking!" An all encompassing word that.

If there was ever any doubt that that particular word was the All American Word Of Our Times, David Ortiz's speech after the Boston Marathon bombing dispelled it forever. Hard to believe that was ten years ago, but "This Is Our F***ing City!" remains forever burned into New England memory.