View Full Version : Aaaah - now I know I'm getting old!
Does anyone else have those defining moments when the realisation sinks in that 'I'm getting old'?
I know many many years ago, we had 18 tons of gravel delivered for our drive - it was tipped in 5 heaps.. we took five days with rakes to level it.. Years later decided we needed another 18 tons, same again. But this time took us near a month! and would entail a couple of folding chairs to flop out in every few minutes..
More recently, went to Inverness and noticed Tesco was flogging bright yellow tape measures; reduced to 25p (well you can never have enough tape measures) so bought two.. Back home a few days later needed to measure something, and discovered that these measures ONLY did cm & mm - no inches mentioned!..
Then again chatting to my six year old grandson, Tom; "did you get much snow down there Tom"?, "Yes Granddad; 20 centimetres" he replies, I then discover he has no idea of inches and I of centimetres...
oh well I'll grow old gracefully...
I know the feeling. :eek:
4 years ago, i worked at a home for young people. After doing a full shift there, i sometimes went on to do a full shift at a secure unit. As well as my day to day things like, shopping, cleaning, cooking, etc ect. Now i find it hard to just hoover, and am exhausted afterwards.
I know this has now got a lot to do with my illnesses, disability and surgery.
But getting older also has a part to play in this.
i found a gray hair in ma eyebrew 'e ither day :eek:
i found a gray hair in ma eyebrew 'e ither day :eek:
:eek::eek: OH NOOOOOOOOO lol
Getting older, I know the feeling. :eek:
I used to be tri-weekly, now it's try weakly. :(
oldmarine
30-Jan-11, 15:35
Does anyone else have those defining moments when the realisation sinks in that 'I'm getting old'?
I know many many years ago, we had 18 tons of gravel delivered for our drive - it was tipped in 5 heaps.. we took five days with rakes to level it.. Years later decided we needed another 18 tons, same again. But this time took us near a month! and would entail a couple of folding chairs to flop out in every few minutes..
More recently, went to Inverness and noticed Tesco was flogging bright yellow tape measures; reduced to 25p (well you can never have enough tape measures) so bought two.. Back home a few days later needed to measure something, and discovered that these measures ONLY did cm & mm - no inches mentioned!..
Then again chatting to my six year old grandson, Tom; "did you get much snow down there Tom"?, "Yes Granddad; 20 centimetres" he replies, I then discover he has no idea of inches and I of centimetres...
oh well I'll grow old gracefully...
bekisman: I have the same problem having the ability to convert between inches & centimetres. I have gotten used to the English system and I did learn the metric system in engineering college. My 85 years seem to be working against me.
orkneycadian
30-Jan-11, 17:44
I know many many years ago, we had 18 tons of gravel delivered for our drive - it was tipped in 5 heaps.. we took five days with rakes to level it.. Years later decided we needed another 18 tons, same again. But this time took us near a month! and would entail a couple of folding chairs to flop out in every few minutes..
Man, you must be getting old indeed! Been on the self same mission yesterday. No so much though, just 5 tonnes of quarry chips. Spread out and raked level in 4 hours with just 1 and a half folk doing it!
I see the other give-away is your tons vs my tonnes! ;)
Aye..., an' I mind when yeh culd git five woodbine, the Evening News an' a Fish Supper an' still git change frae half-a-crown,:confused ;)
Found a grey pube yesterday. Luckily though it was in a pizza I ordered.
Found a grey pube yesterday. Luckily though it was in a pizza I ordered.
Did you have curly fries wi' that?:lol:
tonkatojo
30-Jan-11, 22:06
bekisman: I have the same problem having the ability to convert between inches & centimetres. I have gotten used to the English system and I did learn the metric system in engineering college. My 85 years seem to be working against me.
I too worked only in the imperial measurement never was taught the metric system if I was I didn't take it on board, my son told me to remember this " 10cm=100mm and 100mm is nigh enough 4 inches "this gets me by in most situations I come across using multiplication or division.
I too worked only in the imperial measurement never was taught the metric system if I was I didn't take it on board, my son told me to remember this " 10cm=100mm and 100mm is nigh enough 4 inches "this gets me by in most situations I come across using multiplication or division.
Actually, I seem to remember in my last job (Fire Service) we did use metric; 13.5 metre ladders, 45 mm + 70 mm hose etc, but that was a couple of decades ago..:confused
:)
Actually, I seem to remember in my last job (Fire Service) we did use metric; 13.5 metre ladders, 45 mm + 70 mm hose etc, but that was a couple of decades ago..:confused
Bekisman, can you actually remember that far back - I mean if you are getting sooo old now!!!:)
Found a grey pube yesterday. Luckily though it was in a pizza I ordered.
I was wondering where that one had gotten to, did you notice the chef's special cheese in the topping?
ps Those weren't olives by the way ;)
Actually, I seem to remember in my last job (Fire Service) we did use metric; 13.5 metre ladders, 45 mm + 70 mm hose etc, but that was a couple of decades ago..:confused
Wasn't it a chain of buckets back in those days? ;)
David Banks
31-Jan-11, 02:04
At Napier Tech for four years, I had the delight of being taught the Foot Pound System for a year or so.
Then came the Centimetre Gram System.
The last year was in the Metre Kilogram System.
Remembering formulae? -- no chance.
For me, a 2 by 4 will always be a 2 by 4, except over here they measure 3 and a bit by 1 and a half -- cheapskates !
Our tape measures still have inches AND millimetres thankfully.
Will you lot STOP making me laugh...now I can still count money if £s and pence D !
John Little
31-Jan-11, 07:51
I have a small bag of real money in a drawer and can remember going up to Mr Colletts at the top shop (now a NISA) and buying a loaf of bread for 8d- which makes me shudder at the cost now! It's so small really, but when it opened it looked like a supermarket compared to the other shops. And so odd because you served yourself !
Once I paid for some groceries with a florin but the girl gave me change for half a crown and I did not notice.
My mum made me run all the way back to pay it back.
At Napier Tech for four years, I had the delight of being taught the Foot Pound System for a year or so.
Then came the Centimetre Gram System.
The last year was in the Metre Kilogram System.
Remembering formulae? -- no chance.
For me, a 2 by 4 will always be a 2 by 4, except over here they measure 3 and a bit by 1 and a half -- cheapskates !
Our tape measures still have inches AND millimetres thankfully.
And we have all heard the saying...
I'll put a ( 1" x 2", 3/4" x 1-1/2", 19 x 38 mm ) over your head. [lol][lol][lol]
:)
Bekisman, can you actually remember that far back - I mean if you are getting sooo old now!!!:)
You may jest marwill, but in those days no such thing as an 'hydraulic platforms' - we had to be satisfied with a couple of ropes thrown over the roof from one side of a building, a plank tied to it whilst a couple of us climbed on, and the blokes the other side of the building pulled us up to the required height to fight the fire.. phew, those were the days!
tonkatojo
31-Jan-11, 10:35
Wasn't it a chain of buckets back in those days? ;)
That would make it about 66 buckets would it not ?.
You may jest marwill, but in those days no such thing as an 'hydraulic platforms' - we had to be satisfied with a couple of ropes thrown over the roof from one side of a building, a plank tied to it whilst a couple of us climbed on, and the blokes the other side of the building pulled us up to the required height to fight the fire.. phew, those were the days!
Jest hope it wasn't the roof on fire then..!
Does anyone else have those defining moments when the realisation sinks in that 'I'm getting old'?
I know many many years ago, we had 18 tons of gravel delivered for our drive - it was tipped in 5 heaps.. we took five days with rakes to level it.. Years later decided we needed another 18 tons, same again. But this time took us near a month! and would entail a couple of folding chairs to flop out in every few minutes..
More recently, went to Inverness and noticed Tesco was flogging bright yellow tape measures; reduced to 25p (well you can never have enough tape measures) so bought two.. Back home a few days later needed to measure something, and discovered that these measures ONLY did cm & mm - no inches mentioned!..
Then again chatting to my six year old grandson, Tom; "did you get much snow down there Tom"?, "Yes Granddad; 20 centimetres" he replies, I then discover he has no idea of inches and I of centimetres...
oh well I'll grow old gracefully...
Senior moments, ah yes I know that well, as it happens I do feel very ancient today, :)
For me, a 2 by 4 will always be a 2 by 4, except over here they measure 3 and a bit by 1 and a half -- cheapskates !
Our tape measures still have inches AND millimetres thankfully.
I discovered somewhere just recently that a 2 by 4 only measured 2" by 4" when it was first cut. It got smaller once the wood had dried and was planed.
orkneycadian
31-Jan-11, 18:26
Actually, I seem to remember in my last job (Fire Service) we did use metric; 13.5 metre ladders, 45 mm + 70 mm hose etc, but that was a couple of decades ago..:confused
Did you? Less than a couple of decades ago, we were using 1 3/4" and 2 3/4" hoses! Wasn't the usual fire service though but oil industry!
Jest hope it wasn't the roof on fire then..!
If that was the case, we used steel wire rope, and by standing up on the plank, it was no problem..
If that was the case, we used steel wire rope, and by standing up on the plank, it was no problem..
My, you must have been made of stern stuff in the 'olden days'..;)
My, you must have been made of stern stuff in the 'olden days'..;)
not really, we often fell off the plank..
not really, we often fell off the plank..
well as you are still here, you must have been able to bounce back.. maybe it was the fact they were younger bones then...:lol:
And we have all heard the saying...
I'll put a ( 1" x 2", 3/4" x 1-1/2", 19 x 38 mm ) over your head.
Also the famous quote:-
"The prisoner was thrashed visciously, with a bullwhip, until he was within 25.4 millimeters of his life!!" ;)
John Little
31-Jan-11, 21:07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0lQ0bdcjfY
That's the trouble with you lot, give you 25.4 MM and you take 1.609344 Km
Also the famous quote:-
"The prisoner was thrashed visciously, with a bullwhip, until he was within 25.4 millimeters of his life!!" ;)
That's the trouble with you lot, give you 25.4 MM and you take 1.609344 Km
Just doesn't sound the same in metric. Does it.:lol:
I remember going to the sawmill and asking for some lenghts of 2 x 4. Was told they no longer did 2 x 4 and the equivalent was 50 x 100. Fair enough says i, whats the price then ?
Well, says he, at 4 bob a foot that'll be.....................!
I really regret the hours spent in the Miller Academy working out how to divide seven and eight pence hapenny into four pounds eighteen and ninepence three farthings and then the multiplication, addition and subtraction with the old currency. However I kind of liked the tables with perches, roods, furlongs and chains listed on the back of the blue jotters.
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