Friday, May 09, 2008

Getting Older, Part Two

First of all, my deepest thanks to everyone who wrote with kind thoughts, e-prayers, and well wishes for my ordeal yesterday. Everything went well and I recovered easier and faster than I had the first time. My doctor did remove several more polyps for biopsy, but that's pretty routine. I'll keep you posted.

Now, we have reached that part of the calendar known in our household as "how fast can we drain our bank accounts weekend." Today is my son's 21st birthday, tomorrow I turn about three decades older, and Sunday is Mother's Day.

My daughter feels so left out.

But this whole "getting older" theme can wrap itself up today, as I present Part Two of your splendid contributions....

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YOU KNOW YOU'RE GETTING OLDER WHEN...
Part the Last

...all those years of health insurance premium investments are starting to pay off.

...it hurts to stare directly at the moon.

...you wake up with that "morning after" feeling -- but you didn't do anything the night before.

...the wrinkles on your face outnumber the amount of years you've lived.

...people who call you at 9:00 p.m. ask, "Did I wake you?"

...you no longer have the money to do all the things you were going to do "when you had the time."

...your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.

...you have to set your foot on the commode just to put on your socks.

...your grandkids look like they should be in middle school, yet here you are attending their college graduation.

...you give up ALL your bad habits and you *still* don't feel good.

...the people behind the counter at the pharmacy don't even ask your name before handing you your medications.

...you remember old radio shows better than the TV show you watched last week. And the radio show was better, by the way.

...you get into a heated argument about pension plans.

...you can remember when taking a vacation meant you were out of reach by telephone.

...you can remember when Burma Shave signs were all the rage while driving down the road.

...the car that you bought brand new is now an antique.

...you have no idea how, but you can remember entire days spent without "logging on."

...young women start opening doors for *you*.

...you would rather go to work than stay home sick.

...you get two invitations to go out on the same night and you pick the one that gets you home the earliest.

...you can remember when soldiers were treated like heroes and people still stood and/or saluted the flag.

...a sweet young thing with a twinkle in her eye approaches and thoughts of romance flash through your brain until she says, "I'm doing an article for a college paper and I'm asking all the old people I see what their secret is for longevity." (True story, folks.)

[contributed by list members "sweetsinger1", Nancy M., Cliff R., Jerry T., Lloyd D., the last one by Mike B., and all pulled together by Mark Raymond]

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Keep an eye on my blog this Sunday, as I'll be presenting a special Mother's Day Tribute there. And for those of you who only see me in email, I'll be back on Monday.

Mark

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WEB SITE of the WEEK: Okay, if you're still struggling to come up with a unique and yet not-too-costly gift for Mom, try http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/holidays/giftsformothersday.htm. There you'll find nearly 20 suggestions from Better Budgeting blog readers that shouldn't cost too much, though some of them look like they would take a little more planning than the day you have left.

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Mark's Musings is also sent each weekday via email and is a Habeas-certified spam free mailer. Subscribe, view past issues in the Archives, or help defray publishing costs at my web site. To contact Mark, click here. To live longer, "Rule of Thumb" says to be self-employed or live close to the area in which you grew up. You can forward or reprint "Mark's Musings" freely but please keep the credits attached. I don't take your credits off, please do me the same courtesy. Original material and commentary © 2008 by Mark Raymond. This includes what you're reading right now. I update this blog with a copy of this post daily, and extra thoughts, videos, and the occasional other bit of stuff and nonsense on the weekends. Especially this Sunday. Come back. See. (But wait until Sunday.) My personal mission statement is John 3:30. "He must increase, I must decrease."

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WORDS for YOUR WEEKEND: "To keep the heart unwrinkled, to be hopeful, kindly, cheerful, reverent -- that is to triumph over old age." (Thomas Bailey Aldrich)

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