onbike1939

I’ve been telling myself this for ages and now it’s happening more and more….talking to myself I mean. These days it happens all the time……in the shower or making a meal….it just bursts out. Now I don’t mean I have long conversations with myself, you know, discussing at length some deep philosophical problem, no, it happens when I’m replaying something what may have happened a long time ago in my head and I find myself blurting out some response to this…..you know like, “Bugger off” or “Aye….that’ll be right”. Now this is fine if I’m alone in the shower or digesting my bacon and egg toasty while watching re-runs of the “Big bang Theory”…. there’s no harm to anyone. But shouting out “Bugger off” in Lidl while rifling through the frozen food section can cause havoc as I’ve already found, and now after trading a few words with the Manager, I have to trail all the way up to Aldi. There is a distinct lack of training among supermarket staff with regard to the peculiarities of the elderly I’ve found, and this extends to memory lapses….you know….forgetting to wear trousers and the like. Anyway…..it’s getting worse, this shouting out I mean…and it’s happening more often and is rapidly getting out of control. The Manager up at Age Concern where I have my lunch took me aside and as she put it….”Had to express her concern”. This was because I shouted out a little something in the middle of the pudding course (Angel Delight it was) and though I can’t remember what I said exactly, it made the old lady across from me at the table swallow her dentures. Two of the volunteers had to hold her upside down while another two took turns to thump her on her back. Everybody at the table agreed that somebody of her age should never think of wearing those thong things….and Wullie at the end said he was never coming back. You would have thought that when you get to my age, folk would be more understanding…you know…about these wee things, more flexible like, but no, and now I have to eat sitting in a draft at the front door on my own, and folk think that I have that Corona virus thing and cover their mouth when they walk past. It’s just no right… and I’d stop going there altogether but I’d miss their lentil soup and it’s the only thing that keeps me going.

Yes it is great......but it would be better if instead of clapping they insisted upon paying health workers a proper salary. Just a couple of years ago, Tory politicians in Parliament applauded when a motion to give health workers an increase was defeated. These same people are now for calling them to be applauded by the public. I have a little sick in my mouth.

As long as it's not sitting on the toilet.......I wish to go with a little dignity.

To be serious, things are not so good here as the UK Government has been criminally incompetent and there are not enough ventilators and protective equipment to meet the demand. I had an interesting phone call yesterday from a friend who's in his nineties. He had called his Doctor's surgery to ask if anything could be done about his painful leg and was expecting to be sent some painkillers or advice. He was astounded when he found the Doctor at his front door. After discussing his leg she then questioned him as to what his choices would be if he was ill and destined for intensive care..... would he choose this or would he refuse all resuscitation. He was content to refuse this option, given his age, and said he would be happy if these resources would go to a younger person. He was further surprised when papers were delivered to him the same afternoon requiring him to sign and confirm his choice. It does seem that there are proactive arrangements being made which would seek to free up scarce resources when the present crisis intensifies....which is a sensible course to take I think.

Now if someone could just set this to music......I was listening to JJ Cale when I wrote this.

It’s lockdown I’m laying back in my easy chair and I really need to pee no way it’s going to happen though I’m comfy and… it’s lockdown Can’t remember when I washed but I know it’s been some time the smell is bad and getting worse I just keep breathing through my mouth it’s lockdown I really need to change my clothes for it’s been quite a time my underwear crackles as I walk but I don’t care it’s lockdown Don’t go to bed now… it’s just too far just chill out here in my easy chair watching re-runs of Judge Judy and eating Tunnocks’ tea cakes it’s lockdown. George White 02/04/2020

I've had a couple and it's no big deal. What's good is that they are pre-empting any damage that might happen. My first was after a heart attack so I lost a third of the large heart muscle. Life will return to almost normal following this procedure albeit he will have to take blood-thinners.

Hi Dotty.......I hope you are well? Or as well as could be expected given you age and degree of obesity. I've been in lock-down for days and only allowed to go out for essential groceries. This is not healthy as live below stairs in what was the servants' quarters so I emerge blinking at the light. Everybody on the internet is attempting to cheer people up ....something I find pretty disgusting. Personally... I see nothing wrong with laying on ones back in bed wearing nothing but soiled Y fronts and just staring at the ceiling.

Enough of this......it's maudlin and I need no-one to burnish my legend.....dear me no. There is now no toilet paper to be had over here and I've had to resort to my wartime practise of using squares of newspaper. It's come to a pretty pass when an old-age pensioner has to hobble down the street with the daily weather forecast imprinted on his bum. What's worse is that I think people know. I keep being stopped and asked if it's going to rain.......it's degrading....that's what it is.

I would like to thank all here who have wished me a happy Birthday......now if I were an American chap I daresay I would have stood on a chair, promised all sorts of life-long love and affection and affirmed that you are all in my prayers. In the case of Page I would have promised to have his baby.......but the uncaring bastard has never wished me Happy Birthday. But then I'm not an American....dear me no......I'm a Scotsman, so I'll just say that's very nice of you all and a little voice is telling me that these congratulations were well deserved.

For those who have reached this age......here is Edwin Morgan. At Eighty Push the boat out, compañeros, push the boat out, whatever the sea. Who says we cannot guide ourselves through the boiling reefs, black as they are, the enemy of us all makes sure of it! Mariners, keep good watch always for that last passage of blue water we have heard of and long to reach (no matter if we cannot, no matter!) in our eighty-year-old timbers leaky and patched as they are but sweet well seasoned with the scent of woods long perished, serviceable still in unarrested pungency of salt and blistering sunlight. Out, push it all out into the unknown! Unknown is best, it beckons best, like distant ships in mist, or bells clanging ruthless from stormy buoys.

This is true....I am, but only because I have harvested the organs of healthy eighteen year-old's. I now find that the entirety of my interests centre around big dinners and bowel movements....and that's sad. Many thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday.

You do know that I''m going to punch you in the face.....right?

Looking at the chain-set I now see the bike as older......'50's perhaps. I think you stole this bike....I mean no-one in their right mind would actually buy the thing.

I hate to have to say this....but I haven't missed you at all...not even a little bit. I just knew you'd be back and probably with some photos of some old and dilapidated bike.....and here you are. The Raleigh looks to be '60's going by the forks at least and the rear triangle is definitely not a thing of beauty. I would be prepared to bet that the Cinelli will turn out to be the prettier bike.......I still think it disgraceful that you....an ill-equipped rustic... have access to these vintage machines.

I'm sad about the whole sorry process which led to P&R being dropped, and am not unconscious of the fact that some opponents of its actual conception, actually participated in the forum...... yet celebrated its demise. These two facts may not be unconnected. A pity.....as I like to think well of people.

I'm not sure about all of this fuss. These people have been endlessly helpful and patient with me and I've forgotten how many refunds these gentlemen have given me. Some are clearly new arrivals to my country given their language difficulties but to my mind that is no reason to think badly of them. They have been unfailingly kind when informing me of the viruses on my computer with not a hint of a suggestion that it may be prudent for me to avoid my favourite porn channels......which I thought was very sensitive of them. I do hope that the opinions expressed here are not from any sort of prejudice......I mean that would be very wrong....dear me yes.

I never mentioned jokes.....I'm talking about long threads showing exclusively scantily dressed women and nothing else. I was so outraged that I made a point of closely monitoring these threads and taking notes. This meant I was hours and hours doing this when I should have been correcting other things on the internet.

I think this is fair comment but can understand why he wouldn't want the hassle. That said I admit to being puzzled by the standards applied in this forum. This for the most part is a pleasant place, where people support each other and share their good and bad experiences......which I applaud. However, at the same time as people are swapping recipes and whatever, there have been threads running which are rampantly sexist. Threads which have objectified women to the point of merely boobs and bums and women have been referred to as "whores". I have not heard one objection from SW about this and not one objection from the women on the forum which I find very strange. When I did object I was told that this was merely joshing by the "good ole boys". This I admit to finding strange.

This.^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Well done the FBI as these criminals have caused a huge amount of heartbreak among the vulnerable and the old by their activity.

In a few months I'll be eighty, and have had a pretty active life, having at one time having X-country skied, sailed a boat, paddled a Sea Kayak, Hill-walked, cycled thousands of miles solo on bike tours in foreign lands and parachuted when in the Airborne. I've always been very confident, but age and ill-health can change all that to the extent that things which were once given little thought become obstacles and are to be dreaded. Once you have had difficulty in remembering even simple things, such as what day it is, and have fallen on your face a few times in the middle of a busy street, then you have to face the fact that you are not the person you once were......you become less confident and your self-image becomes diminished. Becoming old is not for the faint-hearted....dear me no.

Here lies sanity..........and I relish it.

I'm sorry but this happens to be mandatory after a few drams........and I'm sorry to say that Texans do seem to be the natural target given your tendency to brag outrageously at every available opportunity. I'm just sorry that I have to be the one to tell you this.....I feel really bad.

I'm aware that your part of the country was heavily populated by Scottish settlers and that the traditions they brought are still alive today. I saw a great documentary about how Scottish traditional music still influenced your musical culture today but that was some years ago now. These photos could have been taken on the west coast of Scotland and up to beyond Sutherland which was the MacGregor homeland. My Father's ancestors drifted south and finally ended up in Fife, which is in central Scotland not too far from Edinburgh. Most of my family became coal miners, my Father leaving school at fourteen to work alongside his Father at the coal face, and my uncles were also miners. I grew up in a mining village but was lucky enough to avoid the mine......there were few old miners what with accidents and the black lung.