Getting Older

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away.

Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime and it doesn't end there.

Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I 'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them."
2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.
4. Enjoy the simple things.
5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your Home & Family is your refuge!
8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Affairs

I read this today and found it rather interesting. I don't know that there would be many women who would be able to NOT react emotionally to discovering their boyfriend/partner/husband was cheating on them. I certainly didn't think particularly logically when I found out.

I met this lovely American bloke through my work early last year. He was working as Project Manager on the construction site of our new office building and was extremely persistent in getting me to go out with him. I gave in, we went out, and had a good time. I enjoyed his company and we began to see more and more of each other. Little by little, I guess I fell in love with him. In June I went to Canada for a month to be bridesmaid for a friend of mine who now lives in Vancouver. He was all "what am I going to do for a whole month without you"? I said "I'm sure you'll be able to find something to amuse yourself with, it's only four weeks". Little did I know that "something" would turn out to be "somebody". I got back, and he admitted he'd "been a bad boy" while I had been away. I told him he needed to make a choice, that I wasn't going to share. Apparently he'd already made his choice; he'd actually moved in with the "somebody" 11 days after I left the country, but I didn't find that out until later, much later. And things carried on their merry little way for the next few months until ...

Around the beginning of October I discovered, quite by accident, that not only was he still seeing this other woman, and had moved in with her, but that he'd also become engaged to her at the end of July or thereabouts! I left a stunned message on his cell phone, endured talking through my relationship with him with his soon to be father-in-law and found out that he had passed me off to his fiancee as a stalker. Now even if I'd had the energy, or inclination, at that time to be stalking him, I seriously wouldn't even know where to start!

Fast forward to early May. I didn't see or hear from him for just over seven months, until he appeared at my door early one Sunday morning. To say I was surprised could be one of the biggest under-statements in the World! Gob-smacked might be more like it. In fact so gob-smacked, instead of closing the door in his face, I offered him a cup of coffee!! Go figure! In reply to my question of "What the hell are you doing here?" He replied "I wanted to see how you are, and I miss you". I told him not to.

Since then he's become a regular visitor. Once or twice a week he calls in on his way to work, has a coffee and tells me what he's been doing, how progess is going on the houses they're now building. Mundane, day to day stuff. We still talk like we used to, we still argue like we used to. It's surreal really when I think about it.

Have I forgiven him for breaking my heart? Yes, I think I probably have. I'm not a saint, but I do know the difference between right and wrong. In my heart I know this is wrong, .....but he still makes me smile. Bugger him!!

Ruggers Tonight

I'm off to freeze my butt off at the rugby tonight. Projected low of 4 degrees Celsius. Damn near close to freezing! But at least I get to eat hotdogs and chips. Yippee! The only place I'll eat a hotdog is at a rugby game. Something makes them taste so much better there.

Anyhoo, it's the start of the NPC (National Provincial Championship) tonight where 20 provincial teams based around the North and South islands slug it out over a 10 or 12 week period to try and win a shiny piece of silver - the Air New Zealand Cup. See, as I said below, we're a nation of fanatics.

Tonight, the team I support, the Magpies are playing the mighty Canterbury team and I suspect we will get our butts whipped. In fact, it's not really a suspicion at all, it's almost a certainty. Canterbury are at the top of the table and have a team loaded with ex All Black players, while we have only just got ourselves back into the first division and I think might have two or three ex AB's. Not much of a contest really.

However, no matter whether they win or lose, it's all about the "experience" and getting out there and cheering them on (oh, and the hotdogs and chips, of course). So I shall rug myself up, wear my boots, two pairs of socks, my black and white scarf and have a great time!

(Look Mummy - I did linky things - I think)

I have great friends

Yesterday was not a great day. Apart from being frantically busy at work, and being the only admin staff member around, with everything seemingly falling apart at the same time, it was my Dad's birthday. The first since he passed away. And whilst I thought I was going to be ok with it, that it was just another day, I wasn't and it really wasn't.

My good friends Nic and Sharon arrived at my house after work, each brandishing a bottle of wine. These girls rock! They have held my hand, mopped up my tears and generally been the best friends I could ever have wished for over the last 12 months. I doubt whether I would have made it through this time without them.

So we had a toast to Dad and wished him a Happy Birthday, told some funny stories and laughed a little. The best medicine. Unfortunately it would appear that I'm the one that drank most of the wine and I admit I'm feeling the teensiest little bit hungover today! I do wish 5pm would hurry up so that I can go home and crash on the couch!

That'll learn me .......

100 Things

1 I was born on 20th February 1968
2 That makes me 38 and some months
3 And a Piscean, just, with some Aquarian traits chucked in for good measure
4 I read my horoscope on a daily basis, and then can’t remember it five minutes after I’ve read it
5 I still live in the town I was born in
6 XXX, North Island, New Zealand
7 I’m an only child. My parents only did “it” once and got perfection
8 I’m single and currently like it that way
9 I don’t have any children
10 I think I’m past my “use by date” on that
11 I own my own home, well in conjunction with the Bank
12 I share my house with Miss Milly, the rescue puss and ruler of all
13 I use f**k like “and” and “the” when I’m talking
14 Not so much when I’m writing
15 I’ve worked for the same company for the last 11 years
16 Office Manager, Administration, whatever you like to call it
17 I sometimes call it “General Dogs Body”
18 I’ve known my best friend since we were 11
19 She’s really more like a sister than my best friend
20 We celebrated 25 years of knowing each other, ‘cause we figured it was the only 25th anniversary we’d ever have!
21 I lost my Dad to a brain tumour on 10th December 2005
22 That sucked
23 We were close. He was my mate, and I miss him terribly
24 I’m not particularly close to my mother, but I’m trying
25 I mucked around at school, something I now regret
26 So I’m making up for lost time and completing a Diploma in Business part-time
27 Seven papers completed, five to go
28 I love spending time near water, any water, even the bath will do
29 But preferably the beach or lake
30 I’m an “organized” person
31 I make lists
32 Disorganized people drive me to distraction
33 I have a quick temper, but it’s over with within seconds
34 I blame it on my naturally “auburn” hair, which I now colour
35 And my paternal grandmother; she was a real red-head
36 According to a personality profile I did recently, I’m an introvert
37 I don’t much like being in a big crowd of people. I get lost trying to listen to all the conversations
38 I’m stubborn
39 I have been told I’m blunt and to the point. Deal with it
40 I have been called a bitch on occasion. I probably deserved it
41 I have also been told that I am mildly amusing
42 I can read a map. I got my friend and I from one side of British Columbia and back without getting lost once. It really wasn’t that hard
43 I love books and always have a stack of them beside the bed
44 I’ll read anything although draw the line at Mills and Boon
45 I love all kinds of music, from country to hard rock
46 I’m not fussed on hip hop or such. Just what are they saying?
47 My friends roll their eyes when they visit and hear what I’m currently listening too
48 I occasionally suffer from migraines, which piss me off
49 They are such a waste of time
50 Much like a hangover
51 I smoke, but plan on giving up on 1 September 2006 (first day of Spring)
52 I gave up for four years, but started again last year
53 That was a stupid decision
54 I had asthma as a kid and grew out of it
55 It came back when I gave up smoking. Go figure
56 I’ve never watched the Lord of the Rings trilogy, despite it being filmed in New Zealand
57 I fell asleep during the first one
58 I love listening to the sound of rain on the roof at night
59 I like a good thunderstorm too
60 I like the smell of newly cut grass
61 I love spending time in my garden. Miss Milly helps me weed
62 I prefer savoury food to sweet food
63 I don’t see what all the fuss is about chocolate
64 I like all the nasty veges; ie brussell sprouts, broad beans etc
65 I’m not fussed on cooking for one
66 But I love having friends over for meals
67 That’s why my best friend’s a chef – she comes in handy!
68 I am forever grateful for the friends in my life
69 They are truly special people and keep me sane (and fed)
70 I will defend my friends to a fault
71 I hate the cold
72 I love spring and autumn for their colours
73 I can knit
74 I can also do cross-stitch
75 I knitted 10 scarves in three months last year when my Dad was ill and I couldn’t concentrate on anything much. I think I’m all scarved out now
76 I’m a rugby (union) fanatic
77 As are ¾ of the population of New Zealand
78 I support our local provincial team (The Magpies), The Hurricanes in the Super14 and of course the All Blacks
79 I love fireworks
80 I have a friend who gets to set them off at rugby games as his play job
81 I am so jealous
82 I don’t watch much TV, only the CSI’s, NCIS and the local news. Oh, and Boston Legal. I’m quite fond of that too
83 I hate reality TV; especially the crap they make here
84 I am in awe of a lot of bloggers, who I think are fantastic writers
85 I read a lot, but don’t comment much. I’m getting better at that
86 I love the colour burgundy, in all it’s forms
87 I painted a wall in my bedroom “port wine”
88 I’m beginning to struggle with this now
89 I have my profile on a singles dating site
90 I’ve not yet “met” anyone I was inclined to have a coffee with
91 I think I can “read” people fairly well
92 Of course, I have been known to get it completely wrong as well
93 Ask my friends about my ex
94 I don’t like shopping for clothes. It bores me
95 I like shopping for other stuff tho
96 I don’t wear much jewellery
97 I have my ears pierced; three in one and two in the other
98 I have my belly button pierced too. That’s as far as I’m going with piercing
99 I wouldn’t mind having a tattoo of my family crest on my lower back. But I’m a chicken
100 I’ve quite enjoyed putting this together, but, goodness, it’s taken a long time

The Most Scary Thing

This is certainly the beginning of one of the most scariest things I have done in my life. But others do this on a daily basis and it feels like time for me. I've read many blogs over the last few years, and have now been encouraged to give this a go myself. So, we'll start with this, my very first post and see how things progess.

I think I really should thank the people that have brought me here - Dana who has given me the encouragement to try this (I guess you can call her my blog mother) and the interminable Rob Smith (Acidman).

I don't know, Rob, if you would have liked to have spawned another blog daughter posthumously but you have certainly been a catalyst. Without you there would have be no connection between Dana and mysef. For that I thank you. RIP Rob, you are missed.