Aging Sucks, but Still Beats the Alternative

[MountainDon]

I've been taking my Canadian SS money since last year, and am seriously thinking of applying for the US SS this year as I hit 62. We figure we can spend it while able to enjoy it. OMMV

Heck, that'll be good for the economy as well!!   

[glenn kangiser]

I hope its not too serious, Mark.  VA's are many times pretty decent.  Sassy works there.

I think John has it although the forum change over was after a bit was lost.

I sometimes see some of my old postings and don't even remember I said that...Oh well.  At least if we repeat ourselves enough we will get the information to the new members...and this forum does have a few pretty decent search functions.

See, Alzheimer's can be a good thing! So many other forums are full of nasty people who yell at the poor newbies for asking all the same questions, and here we just politely tell the answers over, and over, and over, and over again without ever getting annoyed.

That's because we can't remember that we already answered.

I still remember when I was a kid --reaching way back into the archives...being full of questions.  I was always trying to find out how or why -- even when about 4 years old.  Most of the old people would shine me on.  Few would take the time to teach me.  Many trades people would not tell you because it was their job security.  I learned to casually watch what they did and learn it as well as possible -- maybe getting in a question or two then later try it myself or read and learn.

That is why I take the time to try to teach the young -- or those who don't know, or those who are willing to learn.  That is why this forum is so great.  All of our members want to learn and teach -- to beat and help others beat their own little part of the system.  I feel that every kid or every person should be able to afford to build their own shelter without being victimized by the realtors, banks, lawyers, trade unions etc.  (Is there anybody I just failed to piss off?)

I want the statement that I have heard time and time again, "It is just getting to the point to where our kids will never be able to afford a house of their own," to be false.  I will do what I can to help those who are willing to work to better themselves, to make that false.

PEG and Don and the other members here, I'm sure feel the same way.

The reason we don't have the nasty people here is because when they show themselves, I show them my Mr Meany side and chase them off.  The rest of the members won't tolerate them either.  It usually doesn't take much for them to realize that their nasty attitude and remarks are unwanted.

[Willy]

I hope its not too serious, Mark.  VA's are many times pretty decent.  Sassy works there.

See, Alzheimer's can be a good thing! So many other forums are full of nasty people who yell at the poor newbies for asking all the same questions, and here we just politely tell the answers over, and over, and over, and over again without ever getting annoyed.

I still remember when I was a kid --reaching way back into the archives...being full of questions.  I was always trying to find out how or why -- even when about 4 years old.  Most of the old people would shine me on.  Few would take the time to teach me.  Many trades people would not tell you because it was their job security.  I learned to casually watch what they did and learn it as well as possible -- maybe getting in a question or two then later try it myself or read and learn.

That is why I take the time to try to teach the young -- or those who don't know, or those who are willing to learn.  That is why this forum is so great.  All of our members want to learn and teach -- to beat and help others beat their own little part of the system.  I feel that every kid or every person should be able to afford to build their own shelter without being victimized by the realtors, banks, lawyers, trade unions etc.  (Is there anybody I just failed to piss off?)

I want the statement that I have heard time and time again, "It is just getting to the point to where our kids will never be able to afford a house of their own," to be false.  I will do what I can to help those who are willing to work to better themselves, to make that false.

PEG and Don and the other members here, I'm sure feel the same way.

The reason we don't have the nasty people here is because when they show themselves, I show them my Mr Meany side and chase them off.  The rest of the members won't tolerate them either.  It usually doesn't take much for them to realize that their nasty attitude and remarks are unwanted.

I sure feel the same cause that is how I learned over the years. If the kid wants to learn I will take the time to show him. Mark


ED: repaired "quote" - MD

[peternap]

Well Don.....maybe it won't start bothering you!

Tell me about it.... I can't believe I'm already 18!! Smiley Seems like I was in grade school just yesterday... Or was it the day before that?

Earnest, I've been 19 for a long time now....I just got stuck in this damn aging body!

Discounts you say.....Most restaurants and the such that offer discounts claim I don't look over 60 and want to see my ID. That's usually a sore spot with me.

[John_C]

Retirement age is when you burn the midnight oil around 9:00 PM

[ScottA]

I don't give senior discounts anymore. Too many rich people trying cash in on them. I do give needed discounts to people I feel deserve a break. Maybe it's not fair but it's my time and my money we're talking about. I've even done a few jobs gratis. For all you old guys on the forums if you need a good home for your gun collections or any other valuables after you pass on I'd be happy to help out. 

[StinkerBell]

I still have a desire to smack around a little Mr Ernest T Bass.

[MountainDon]

Scott, I believe you are right on target with what you say.

I have never had as much money as I do right now. I'm not saying that I'm rich or anything, just saying that my net worth keeps going up.

I have always felt that senior discounts didn't make a lot of sense much of the time, because I saw the same thing as you. That is, rich(er) older folk expecting a discount vs. younger families trying hard to keep things together and not living extravagantly, as in more home than they need, fancier cars than they need, etc. It always seemed to me that some of the younger ones deserved the discount instead. That said, I will take any discounts offered as long as I can go along with the strings attached. Many times it's not worth it for a 42 cent soft drink or whatever.

As far your decision not appearing "fair", whatever the heck that is, it seems a fine way of assessing the situation.

[Drew]

Stinkerbell, youth is curable.   If Earnest is like the rest of us, he'll end up slapping himself around along the way, even if he does get the best answers.  It's called experience.

Sorry to talk about you in the third person there, ETB. 

And as far as job knowledge goes, mine would go better if more people knew what it was I did!

I was at this [expletive] team building day at a Sillycon Valley company I used to work for.  The exercise was to take a pile of office supplies (paper clips, post its, paper, etc.) and make the tallest building you could with your team.  We had 10 minutes.  There was money involved.  Less than a fortune but much more than a token.  It focused the attention.

"Okay, we have 10 minutes," I said, "Let's spend 3 of them planning out what we are going to do."

Then the software engineer shrieked, "We don't have time to plan!"

Oh dear.

We won.  I suggested that instead of building our structure from the ground up against gravity we build it from the ceiling down.  The Director of Marketing saw what we were doing and stole our idea (You learn all kinds of things at "team building" exercises), but theirs fell because they were evil, remorseless cheaters and we had truth, brilliance, and modesty on our side.

Ponks.

[Redoverfarm]

Not really sure why with age even minor aches and pains turn into long recovery periods.  Fortuneately I have been pretty lucky in my health.  Set aside a herniated disc problem since the mid 80's, subsequent surgery in 95 but still bother me once a year or so.  Now I have a reoccuring problem that I have had previously and it doesn't seem to disappear as easily as it has in the past. Tendonitis (tennis elbow). No I don't play tennis and haven't for 20+ years.  I like to refer to my new illness as "hammer elbow" which is more fitting. The perscription is something that I really can't take now which is 2-3 months of rest for my elbow.  I took about 4-5 day break but even a very mundane chore aggrevates it.  Anti-inflamatories, ice and a brace will have to do for now. I hope I don't develop into the 5% catagory. That is 5% who suffer will ultimately have to have it corrected surgically.   Just another reason to invest in an air nailer. But I have one but it doesn't work on this stage of my project.

[Ernest T. Bass]

I still remember when I was a kid --reaching way back into the archives...being full of questions.  I was always trying to find out how or why -- even when about 4 years old.

My parents say I drove them up the wall with questions from the moment I learned to talk. My first "sounds" had question marks attached to the end of them.. What can I say? It's a very proven, time-tested method of learning. (Hopefully people will now forgive all the little questions I'm constantly bugging them with in my threads!) Most of the stupid "duh" type questions stem from inexperience. I hate "figuring it out as you go along" and then looking back with regrets. An easier way to get all those little Q's out of my system would be to work with an experienced carpenter for awhile, but this list will have to do.

Stinkerbell, youth is curable.  

I like to think of youth as "forgivable". I can't be so demanding of perfection from my young, inexperienced little self.. 'Twill come in time, but probably not until AFTER I've constructed every building on our homestead..

[glenn kangiser]

Someone who will share knowledge, can many times, tell you more in 5 minutes than you can learn the hard way in 5 years.

Their repayment is learning things they don't know from other willing teachers in a like manner. Surround yourself with people who are good for you.

[Ernest T. Bass]

Amen. I hate it when people are stingy with their knowledge and experience... Course, I might sing a different tune if I were a master craftsman who stood to make a bundle off of workshops, books and instructional videos.