Tag Archives: senior moment

Here I Am Again

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Soda Bread

I have a head full of nothing worth blogging about and that’s where this post should really end.  However, even by my standards a blog post of eighteen words that says I have nothing to say is quite minimalistic. It would be a good thing for politicians to do though, so maybe I should do it and hope it catches on.

I have a maelstrom of poetry in my head that needs sorting out, a list of titles for numismatic subjects and that’s all. At the back of my mind, having listened to Johnny Cash last night on TV, I obviously have a few scrapings of country music, because the title just popped up. And that’s it. Nothing else.

Unless the thought of breakfast counts. That’s in there too.

Cheese and Onion Soda Bread

Do I dare to get an idea by checking the news?

Or do I stay happy but clueless, and uninspired?

Well, I looked at the news, and I’m still clueless and uninspired. This is probably a good thing as it means little is happening.

It is now three days until the end of the month and I have done very little about sending submissions. Despite an early flurry (two) I have done little about finishing most of my submissions and am starting to worry. That’s what I will be doing in a minute.

At this point yesterday I added my tags and posted without either a title or photos. It was  a senior moment, but even my senior moments are growing more mundane. It’s probably a sign that I’m getting older and they have lost their novelty.

Soda Bread with a poor attempt at a Cross.

 

A Senior Moment and some Personal Grooming Tips

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This is the second post of the morning, the first one being here.

It was, I’m afraid, a new milestone in Senior Moments. It wasn’t particularly worse than some of the ones I’ve had, but it was definitely a milestone, being an amalgamation of White Bear Problem, ohnosecond and WordPress.

I’m not sure if I’ve covered the White Bear Problem before – it’s where a researcher says “Whatever you do, don’t think of a white bear.” And you do. It may be Ursa Maritimus, a Panserbjørne or just Pipaluk, but it’s there, a bright white, big-bottomed ursine twerking its way across your imagination. (I admit that Baloo the Bear from the 1960s Jungle Book plays a part in my imaginary visions of bears.)

I wrote a haibun on the subject. So far it has been shown to three unappreciative editors and is currently waiting deep in the bowels of my computer for me to get back to it and make major improvements. I’ve tried to polish it each time it has come back but it clearly needs something more radical. I tend to work on three rejections being a sign that a major rework is necessary.

Anywhere, there I was with a completed blog post on broccoli soup. It needed photos but it was getting late so I thought I’d park it and leave it for morning. So I scrolled down, looking for the “Save Draft” button and thinking “Do not press ‘Publish.'”

Guess what I did? That’s right, I scrolled down, saw the pink button and as I got to the “Publish” part of my thought, I pressed the button despite telling myself not to.

Then I said “Oh, no!”

Fortunately I was able to move it round and put it back in drafts before completing it this morning.

Definitely a new milestone, plus an opportunity to mention Pipaluk and The Jungle Book, which are both happy memories from childhood.  It also, of course, gives me a subject to write about. Now all I need is some photographs.

I’ll put some of my new head razor here, as I’ve just been using it whilst sitting at my desk. I really am remarkably well-groomed at the moment. Julia looked at my head and went to get some moisturiser to rub in. It had been standing on the bathroom windowsill and was very cold, particularly as I wasn’t expecting it.

Five cutting elements and an LED display  – what is the world coming to?

A Bad Start to the Day

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Farmer Ted lectures on sheep

I just did 550 words on a lead medallion I have in my collection. I did a write up for the Numismatic Society Facebook page a while ago and thought I’d expand it a bit for the blog. As usual, I thought this was simpler than starting from scratch, and as usual, I was wrong. When I finished and went to the folder for my photos, I found I didn’t have any. Not sure what I’ve done with them. As usual, I have also put the medallion in a box, and it will take me ages to find. Not all is lost though, my brain  has had some exercise.

The dream is that one day I will be able to go straight to the appropriate box and find the medallion in minutes. Reality is still a little way off that ideal.

Narcissi, but I expect you knew that

I’ve been told off (gently) by Julia for becoming a recluse and sitting in my office/study/den/man cave all day. It’s quite an indeterminate room at the moment – not really productive or organised for an office, not studious enough for a study and not personal or decorated enough for either of the other two. Another that comes to mind is writing space, you often see that. But mostly I spend the time sighing and staring into space, so there’s not a lot of writing going on. It’s not the spare bedroom, because we already have one of those, so it must be the box room. Small pokey and full of boxes – yes, that sounds right. Life was so much simpler when I had no choices and worked in the dining room.

Primroses at Wilford, Notts

I’ve just been charging batteries, ready for a trip out. There was a moment of panic when I couldn’t get any of them to fit back in the camera, but that turned out to be a problem with my brain rather than the batteries. I convinced myself they fitted one way, when they actually fit the other way round. Senior moment or the beginning of a terminal decline? At one point I worried I had broken something in the battery bay. We did that with an expensive camera once and ended up having to replace it. Fortunately this is not the case here.

We are off out soon, as part of my non-recluse policy. It could be a great adventure. Or it could be an anti-climax.

This is the bookshop at Brierlow Bar before they finally ruined it

Photos are a random springtime selection.

Of Keys and Cans and Walking Sticks and Cabbages and Kings

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Fishermen on the beach at Huttoft

This morning I thought of a good title for today’s post. In the afternoon, I thought of an even better one. Of course, by the time I thought about writing, both of them had faded away.

It has been a day when I have had to face up to my age. I hadn’t realised I was going to be doing that in my 60s, it seemed more like an activity for my 70s and 80s. It just goes to show how much I didn’t realise about my future.

Looking back, it started yesterday. Julia remarked that I looked down, and I asked her what I had to be happy about. Then something else happened. I can remember that something else happened, I just can’t remember what it was. it may come back to me.

Fishing in the Trent

Then today I had a knock on the door. It was one of the neighbours telling me someone had run into my car and knocked the door mirror  off. It wasn’t as bad as it sounded – it’s the shroud and repeater that have been knocked off. The rest of it is still OK. I know this because it’s exactly the same damage that was done when a bus clipped me in traffic. It comes under the value of the Policy Excess for the insurance and, last time, cost £90. It will be more this time, I’m sure.

Fortunately, they had stopped and left details with the neighbour and, as they only live down the street I was able to walk down and agree what was going to happen.

\then I walked back. Whilst doing so, I met the man who lives on the corner. He was out with his walker. It is one of those contraptions with a frame, four wheels, a seat and brakes. Difficult to describe, but you have probably seen them around. He used to have sticks.  Time, as we agreed, has not been kind to us.

Fishing opposite the County Council offices

When I got home I found the mortice lock was jammed and I couldn’t unlock it. I tried all sorts of things, pushing and pulling the door, turning the key both ways – nothing worked. So I ran through a list fo options in my head.

Suddenly the clouds parted, a sunbeam shone forth and I had an idea. (the aforementioned clouds and sunbeams are metaphorical, by the way, there was no actual divine intervention). When I had left I had been in a hurry. So I unlocked the Yale, and the door opened. The reason I couldn’t unlock the mortice lock was because it was not locked. Another one for the growing list of senior moments.

I just stopped to put the evening meal in the oven. Sausages, in case you were wondering – we’re having an unimaginative, low quality cooking regime cookery regime at the moment – I’m just not enthused by the idea of cooking.

Haddock Special at the Fishpan, Scarborough

While I was doing that, my brain was clearly catching up. The “something else” that happened was making Julia’s sandwiches. I decided on tuna mayonnaise, which includes, black pepper, chopped green tops of spring onions (scallions) and lemon juice. Unfortunately I’d dropped a stack of tuna tins a few weeks ago (I buy them in the wrapped columns of four) and the weight of the falling stack had bent the top tin. The can opener won’t work on bent rims. It’s a poor opener, but it has outlasted all the supposedly better ones, which seem to fall apart. So I used a knife. But my grip is not what it used to be and the can resisted. So I employed a screwdriver. Eventually, in a process which owed nothing to common sense, I managed to get half the top folded back and spooned the tuna out.

It is very depressing when a tin can appears to be more intelligent, and stronger, than I am. Is it any wonder I am depressed?

Then I remembered the good title for the post. It wasn’t that good second time round. I still can’t remember the better one. I’m going to try to think of another one.

Ah, I have an idea.

Tin Kingfisher

Laurel & Hardy Reborn (or Another Senior Moment)

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What a day!

This morning, whilst packing parcels on my own, I dropped some medallions on the floor, cursed, picked them up and carried on. I packed a few other parcels first and then started on the medallions. There were only eight of them when there should have been nine.

I checked the floor, I checked more of the floor, looked under everything, including the fridge, looked in the drawer they had come out of, and the one above, and the one below . . .

My workmate double-checked, and so did the boss. Eventually, looking from a distance, he said: “Have you checked the pockets of your jacket?”

I have a waistcoat over the back of my chair as I sometimes use it to make a cushion to relieve pain on my legs. It’s months since I last moved it.

“No, ”  I said in my best long-suffering manner, “but I will.”

I checked the first pocket and there was, as I expected, nothing. I checked the second and, as you have probably already guessed, found the missing medallion.

My chair had been in a different place when I dropped the medallions and when I’d dropped four on the floor the fifth must have fallen straight into my pocket. I’m not sure if this is another senior moment or an interesting insight into life in the shop.

It was soon overshadowed by another farcical event, when the owner called through from the shop, asking for £300 out of the safe as he was buying some coins from a member of the public. My workmate duly obliged, opening a new pack and taking £300 out. So far, so good. He then decided to leave the balance – £700 – on the nearby work surface.

At that point the fan, which he had decided to switch on when he arrived, turns and, one by one, blew the notes across the room like something out of a Laurel & Hardy film.

 

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Soup and a Senior Moment

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In an effort to pick up the pace I’m falling back into old habits. The last post, which was meant to be Saturday’s second post became, after much revision, Sunday’s first post. This is Sunday’s second post and, in a nod to previous bad habits, is being started while I have ten minutes as I wait for a pan of soup to simmer. It’s tomato again, made with onions and tinned tomatoes, water and a stock cube. I could probably do without the stock cube but it’s a habit.

Last night whilst writing the first of three versions of the last post, I discovered that my hearing was actually better than i had thought. My Dad was deaf in one ear so I wasn’t surprised to find my hearing had been worsening on one side for the last few years. recently I noticed it was even worse – it’s OK for most normal purposes, as long a people face me and don’t mutter. A couple of weeks ago it became a lot worse.  After putting my ear buds in the wrong way this morning it became clear that my hearing is not deteriorating, it’s the ear buds. This is a bit like my Dad finding out he was deaf in one ear after buying a stereo and earphones that, according to him, only worked on one side.

It seems that the growing resemblance to my father isn’t confined to looks, attitude and dodgy ears. We also share the same sort of senior moment.

The ten minute alarm just went – will be back after making soup.

It was good soup, though it lacked a bit of seasoning. One tin of tomatoes and one and a half tins of water made it a bit thin and the modest amount of cumin and dried chilli failed to lift it. I will adjust the seasoning next time I make it. It’s a worry that it seemed slightly under-seasoned despite a stock cube. I may be losing my ability to taste. It’s probably part of getting old. It can’t be Covid because I don’t feel ill and everything else tastes normal.

Due to my bad habits, this has actually slipped to a different day, but it’s not too late. Whether it matches up with my list of tasks is a different matter.

 

An Unfortunate Incident with an Office Chair

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It’s embarrassing, but I’m going to tell you anyway . . .

Today I fell off my chair. It’s been borderline before, and I have actually done it at home before, but this is the first time I have fallen off my chair at work. I bent down to pick some bits up from the floor, felt the chair moving under me and hit the ground. It was reasonably soft, as landings go, and I was fortunate only to catch my head a glancing blow on the boxes behind me. That could have been a lot worse.

If I win the lottery I am going to devote some money to developing an office chair with brakes on the wheels. The wheels are great, and it’s much more comfortable than using a chair with no wheels, but they do have a tendency towards betrayal when you bend over.

Normally I get up and then bend over. Today I didn’t, but at least it was worth 150 words. I’m not sure if it counts as a Senior Moment, or whether I have crossed the line into Danger To Myself. I remember when my grandmother did that. We walked into the kitchen to find she was standing in the sink to change a light bulb. My Mother was so worried by the dangers of falling/electrocution, that she forgot to deliver the normal lecture on locking the front door.

That is probably enough blog for today. I(‘ve been frittering my time away on eBay instead of writing, and that poetry isn’t going to write itself. If you ever want to waste a little time, check out “houseboats” on eBay. Considering that I have trouble sitting in a chair without falling off, a house with a gang plank probably isn’t ideal

Day 209

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Three unusual things happened today.

One, I went for my blood test at hospital after a week of avoiding it. Took a COVID test the night before, as I had been in contact with someone who is positive, and I didn’t want to spread anything. I am clear so I went. There were spaces in the car park and a man on the barrier, which I linked in my mind – there used to be space when they had someone there before. Walked in, hardly had time to sit down, was tested (though she only took two tubes when I was expecting three) and left.

Despite the ban on staff parking in the car park, two doctors were leaving as I left. Couldn’t get out. That’s why there was a man on the gate, they have a new system of number plate recognition. No free quarter hour now, just a Big Brother system where you are automatically In The System. Had to pay using debit card. More Big Brother – all my spending monitored . . .

So that was unusual thing one.

Number two. I had a parcel delivered. It contained  a medallion I had seen on eBay in the “sold” section as I browsed. I complained to Julia that I would have liked to have bought it. It seems that I must have done. I checked and saw I had used the “Buy it Now” feature. I must have bought it in my sleep. This is a worrying development in both the “Senior Moment” department and the “eBay Addiction” department. I have promised Julia that I will only go on eBay in the hours of daylight.

Finally, a man came into the shop. He had a mask.

“I’ve got COVID,” he said, “But I have a mask on so it’s OK isn’t it?”

My workmate muttered something unintelligible. He doesn’t like to say n0. I rolled my seat back and said: “I am on medication which lowers my immune response, so no, don’t come in.”

I actually thought something which had a lot more swearing in it, but I am a retail professional.

He was slightly taken aback by my refusal, as if he honestly thought we would want an infected person in the shop.

Apart from the possible health consequences to us and our families, did he really think we wanted to run the risk of shutting the shop because he’s too stupid to stay at home?

Even after being told to leave he insisted on telling us about the coins he had to sell – I doubt they came to more than a couple of quid, but they were, in his mind, worth enough to justify infecting a whole shop. remember that my work colleagues have frequent contact with two others and a mother in law who are all 80 +, one being over 90. That’s why I’ve been testing again.

It’s not about me, it’s about my responsibility to other people.

Grumpiness Personified

Day 190

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I made a mess of the on-line shopping last night – disappeared into a tour of the internet and lost my way out. It was interesting, as ever, but when I emerged and found how much time I’d wasted, I decided it was time to get some organisation in my life.

The result is that we only had a third of the shopping we wanted tonight, and it cost us £4 for not having enough in the order.

Annoyingly, something that was out of stock last night (when it was “too late to change the order”) was delivered, so obviously back in stock. And milk, which had been in stock, was now out. Annoying that there are two sets of standards at work here.

We have just spent two days sorting a customer out. He’s a regular buyer on eBay and always seems like a nice man. He had asked if we could do cheaper postage if he bought two items, and we had said yes. The problem was that we could only see one purchase. We tried all sorts of things and eventually, this morning, tactfully, I had to write and ask if he’d actually bought the second item from us. It seemed the only logical explanation after eliminating all others.

Turns out he had actually ordered the other medallion off someone else. Oh, how we laughed as we talked of notable senior moments. Took me several hours in total, as I worked to facilitate a sale of £6.50, but that’s customer service for you. And old age . . .

Day 168

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I had a very efficient visit to hospital this morning, and only need two more to call it a day. One is for a chest X-Ray and the other is to teach me how to vaccinate myself as I will be getting some extra medication. Oh good, I said.

While I was in there I left my car window fully open. As I waited for my appointment time, I read in the car and forgot to wind the window up when I went for the appointment.

At work we had one customer in the shop and one on eBay. We had another who wanted to return something as he’d ordered the wrong thing. His fault, not ours. We agreed he could send it back and w would refund everything, including his postage, which represents a £3 loss to us. We did however, refuse when he asked us to pay the postage costs of him sending it back to us.

In the afternoon I left my phone when we shut the shop. It seems a little strange not having it, but not too bad. It’s fortunate I’m not a teenager as it would be a tragedy if I couldn’t look at it every two minutes.

Two senior moments in one day. It’s a good job I don’t let it worry me these days, as I am resigned to descending into a bumbling old age. Then, when I posted todays blog, I lost it. It must be somewhere, but I can’t find it. Snatched by evil Microsoft elves, no doubt. So that’s now three senior moments in one day.

Things just get better. I’ll probably get lost on my way to bed . . .