Get off my LAWN! "Grumpy Old Farts"

[GwenOnBass]

All appendages are functional, and pass visual inspection too. New coat of trainer shoes pink nail varnish. Thusfar disregarding multiple doctor's recommendation to cease caffeine. That would be like not eating chili peppers. Life is meant to be lived.

My smrtphn is home to a metronome app with a timer. Set tempo to Krispy Kreme or Buffalo Wings and dig in for five minutes, and relax. Repeat, rinse, Community Chest or Big Rock Candy Mountain. Pretty decent app, I can watch the metronome line "swing" and follow the dots, and listen. I've got it set to claves.

Sometimes I take calls with the smrtphn, I mean, really?

 

[Charlie Tango]

I have all my original parts except tonsils, gall bladder and appendix. A couple of leg veins got moved into my chest many years ago during bypass surgery, but I still got 'em. I tell you, I picked the wrong parents for health stuff; other than that, they were great.

This weekend, same as last weekend and last week. Not leaving the house unless Mrs. Tango wants to go for an aimless car ride.

We switched cell plans to Consumer Cellular when Mrs. Tango's old flip phone died about five years ago. Went from spending about $80/month to AT&T on my phone alone, plus about $20 for her Tracfone, to a total of about $65 for both smartphones. Plus, we buy NOS iPhones from CC for many hundreds less than they went for when originally introduced. They have all the new phones as well, but $$$. (They have Android-based phones too, but that's the Dark Side, y'see.)

 

[GwenOnBass]

All the smrtphns are the dark side. Bloody waste of time fighting the enemy. Let the dark side fight with the dark side. "Fighting a pig in mud" and all.

 

[GonePlaid]

I have all my original parts except tonsils, gall bladder and appendix. A couple of leg veins got moved into my chest many years ago during bypass surgery, but I still got 'em. I tell you, I picked the wrong parents for health stuff; other than that, they were great.

This weekend, same as last weekend and last week. Not leaving the house unless Mrs. Tango wants to go for an aimless car ride.

We switched cell plans to Consumer Cellular when Mrs. Tango's old flip phone died about five years ago. Went from spending about $80/month to AT&T on my phone alone, plus about $20 for her Tracfone, to a total of about $65 for both smartphones. Plus, we buy NOS iPhones from CC for many hundreds less than they went for when originally introduced. They have all the new phones as well, but $$$. (They have Android-based phones too, but that's the Dark Side, y'see.)

I have about 4 months left on my flip. Gonna be a lotta comparison shopping goin' on. IDGAS whether the phone is the 'latest' model(oooooh), just so I don't hafta upgrade in 6-8 months. Again.

 

[SoulReflection]

We switched cell plans to Consumer Cellular when Mrs. Tango's old flip phone died about five years ago. Went from spending about $80/month to AT&T on my phone alone, plus about $20 for her Tracfone, to a total of about $65 for both smartphones. Plus, we buy NOS iPhones from CC for many hundreds less than they went for when originally introduced. They have all the new phones as well, but $$$.

Exactly what I did when I got fed up with AT&T with their wireless and DirecTV costs and lack of service. That's where my iPhone 6s came from!

 

[alaskaleftybass]

I have the iPhone 8. I'm the AT&T City manager for the account and buy the phones, tablets, services, etc. They keep emailing me "tremendous" discount offers to replace my iPhone 8. I'm fighting giving in to the belief that a phone four years old is "old." Every time it slows down I wipe the OS and reinstall and it's fine. I don't get all the obsession of people wanting their phones to be Nikon Pro level cameras???!!!!! Hey--- it's a phone! I find one lens on a phone makes purdy pictures and I DON'T NEED THREE LENS on my camera thank yew.

It's stormy today, I almost stayed home. Much of what I'm doing at work has become automated and our computers are all pretty new under warranty. I do most support by remote session and 95% of the issues are taken care of. I'm going to set up a workstation in our spare bedroom at home and try more remote support. I have a great boss and he says go for it. Outside I hear the wind blowing the trees and some rain pattering on my office windows. I kind of like days like this. I would like Carey to watch an old Peter Lorre/Vincent Price movie on a night like this but hey I'll even settle for an old movie of her choice! Odd. Now that I'm 68, maybe it's been gradual, if I sit too long I get cold. Gotta keep movin'!

 

[spiritbass]

I have the iPhone 8. I'm the AT&T City manager for the account and buy the phones, tablets, services, etc. They keep emailing me "tremendous" discount offers to replace my iPhone 8. I'm fighting giving in to the belief that a phone four years old is "old." Every time it slows down I wipe the OS and reinstall and it's fine. I don't get all the obsession of people wanting their phones to be Nikon Pro level cameras???!!!!! Hey--- it's a phone! I find one lens on a phone makes purdy pictures and I DON'T NEED THREE LENS on my camera thank yew.

It's stormy today, I almost stayed home. Much of what I'm doing at work has become automated and our computers are all pretty new under warranty. I do most support by remote session and 95% of the issues are taken care of. I'm going to set up a workstation in our spare bedroom at home and try more remote support. I have a great boss and he says go for it. Outside I hear the wind blowing the trees and some rain pattering on my office windows. I kind of like days like this. I would like Carey to watch an old Peter Lorre/Vincent Price movie on a night like this but hey I'll even settle for an old movie of her choice! Odd. Now that I'm 68, maybe it's been gradual, if I sit too long I get cold. Gotta keep movin'!

I like your taste in movies.

 

[GonePlaid]

I have the iPhone 8. I'm the AT&T City manager for the account and buy the phones, tablets, services, etc. They keep emailing me "tremendous" discount offers to replace my iPhone 8. I'm fighting giving in to the belief that a phone four years old is "old." Every time it slows down I wipe the OS and reinstall and it's fine. I don't get all the obsession of people wanting their phones to be Nikon Pro level cameras???!!!!! Hey--- it's a phone! I find one lens on a phone makes purdy pictures and I DON'T NEED THREE LENS on my camera thank yew.

It's stormy today, I almost stayed home. Much of what I'm doing at work has become automated and our computers are all pretty new under warranty. I do most support by remote session and 95% of the issues are taken care of. I'm going to set up a workstation in our spare bedroom at home and try more remote support. I have a great boss and he says go for it. Outside I hear the wind blowing the trees and some rain pattering on my office windows. I kind of like days like this. I would like Carey to watch an old Peter Lorre/Vincent Price movie on a night like this but hey I'll even settle for an old movie of her choice! Odd. Now that I'm 68, maybe it's been gradual, if I sit too long I get cold. Gotta keep movin'!

Where you live might have sumpin' to do with that "cold" bizness. Not a problem here.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

BTW I have 15 more payments on my Subaru. I said that would be my retirement date as I will turn 70 on February 18, 2022. That's a scary age! My loan ends January 2022. I feel like I'm older than most staff but I still have the energy and enthusiasm to come to work every day. I think part of my identity has become my job, and I don't find that entirely bad. I also do other activities, but I love starting the morning reading the news, emails, and having a cuppa. Then the calls and solutions. I like to feel like I'm helping someone and when I take time off I think of what projects I'll be coming back to. I used to say that 70 was the longest I'd work but I'm in pretty good health and we have two septuagenarians running for public positions, so what the hey............?

 

[sharkbait130]

Present and functioning here. Still picking up the occasional outdoor gig (three this month) so all is not totally lost on the music front. Just got notice of another cancellation in Sept. though. That brings it down to three for that month. One is a sure thing , the other two are still iffy at this point.
Going to a memorial service tomorrow for a guy I've known over 30 years. That makes two down from that particular circle of friends in the last couple of years.
Finally getting some tomatoes on the vines here. Weather was cold and we were getting frosts till mid May so it got going pretty late. Don't know if we'll do it again next year. It's a lot of work and Seahag and I are both getting pretty lazy. There's a couple of roadside stands with pretty good stuff fairly close so we'll survive. Gotta have my 'maters.

 

[ahc]

All parts present and accounted for including the extra titanium ones though they don't all work as well as they used to. My shoephone is still kickin'. As Johnny and Edgar sang:

 

[Charlie Tango]

All the smrtphns are the dark side. Bloody waste of time fighting the enemy. Let the dark side fight with the dark side. "Fighting a pig in mud" and all.

Yeah, gotta turn off all the stuff that keeps track of you, as much as is possible. It lives in the kitchen and very few people have the number. It's for my convenience. I take it with me when I leave the house, but that's about it. Also, cell phones are not permitted at table in my house, which caused great gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair and ripping of garments when my brother and his brood visited some years back. And that was just the adults, never mind the teenagers. I became the Mean Brother, Brother-In-Law and Uncle. Suits me right down to the ground. As my father would have said, "Bunch of damned foolishness."

 

[Charlie Tango]

BTW I have 15 more payments on my Subaru. I said that would be my retirement date as I will turn 70 on February 18, 2022. That's a scary age! My loan ends January 2022. I feel like I'm older than most staff but I still have the energy and enthusiasm to come to work every day. I think part of my identity has become my job, and I don't find that entirely bad. I also do other activities, but I love starting the morning reading the news, emails, and having a cuppa. Then the calls and solutions. I like to feel like I'm helping someone and when I take time off I think of what projects I'll be coming back to. I used to say that 70 was the longest I'd work but I'm in pretty good health and we have two septuagenarians running for public positions, so what the hey............?

When I retired I devoted two years to myself and played a whole lot of golf. Then I felt something was missing. I'd spent nearly my whole working life serving people in one form or another, and that brought great satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment, much as I suspect you must feel. So I got involved again with visiting heart surgery patients after they come out of ICU, part of an outfit called Mended Hearts. That did the trick. I do much better feeling like I'm doing something for somebody. Now, though, we're shut down because of covid, and it'll probably be a good while before hospitals let volunteers resume activities.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

When I retired I devoted two years to myself and played a whole lot of golf. Then I felt something was missing. I'd spent nearly my whole working life serving people in one form or another, and that brought great satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment, much as I suspect you must feel. So I got involved again with visiting heart surgery patients after they come out of ICU, part of an outfit called Mended Hearts. That did the trick. I do much better feeling like I'm doing something for somebody. Now, though, we're shut down because of covid, and it'll probably be a good while before hospitals let volunteers resume activities.

God bless you for that. I'm sure it's an invaluable service. Before Covid I used to play my acoustic guitar in the retirement home and elderly wing of a couple hospitals. Well-- I kind of played my acoustic and sang LOL. I ain't no true finger picker! And the patients were more or less a captive audience!

 

[beans-on-toast]

We haven't done it ourselves, but we did have two antique hip chairs reupholstered a few years ago, the guy did a nice job and we use them all the time.

I have absolutely no problem with taking something old and making it useful. Better that just a piece to look at in the corner.

 

[GwenOnBass]

I have absolutely no problem with taking something old and making it useful.

That sounds different when I say it.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

That sounds different when I say it.

Me too! Bionic Man LOL

 

[GonePlaid]

Yeah, gotta turn off all the stuff that keeps track of you, as much as is possible. It lives in the kitchen and very few people have the number. It's for my convenience. I take it with me when I leave the house, but that's about it. Also, cell phones are not permitted at table in my house, which caused great gnashing of teeth, tearing of hair and ripping of garments when my brother and his brood visited some years back. And that was just the adults, never mind the teenagers. I became the Mean Brother, Brother-In-Law and Uncle. Suits me right down to the ground. As my father would have said, "Bunch of damned foolishness."

Hear, hear!

 

[beans-on-toast]

Present and accounted for. I started the weekend by taking two hours off to drop by the hardware and grocery store. One of those trips where I just wanted one item and came out with more than I could carry. You should never grocery shop while you are hungry. It's HOT HOT HOT out today and through the weekend.

We received a letter telling us of a covid spike in the neighborhood. They are taking all these special cleaning precautions with nearby businesses and imposing more rules. I had to ride four elevators related to the shopping. That gives me the creeps. There will be no more to the door deliveries, you have to go somewhere nearby and get your package from a delivery locker. No more food deliveries to the door, they text you and you go out onto the street to pick it up. I've been wondering why I've been seen food packages dumped onto the sidewalk.

The phone guy came last weekend to upgrade my equipment. He spent two hours coughing and snorting into has mask. I should have thrown him out but it was necessary for me to work. We all need something else to worry about. I've been looking into moving to a safer area nearby.

Hope to spend some quality time outdoors with early morning walks. I want to get one of those manual lime reamers. A simple but useful kitchen tool. Also been doing some recording. Last night I made some loops to play along with.

Citrus reamer.

 

[beans-on-toast]

I don't use my cell phone. People know better than to call. I do have a big iPad that I use for weather, reading papers, taking pictures, Youtube, TalkBass, some music stuff, and all that sort of stuff. The price of these things are nuts, more than some computers. I use it when gathering images for work so that offsets the cost.