A Certain Age

At the beginning of the year, I decided to give my lathe a thorough "spring clean". Using the dustpan and brush, I cleared all the swarf, and then, taking the suds drain hose out of the tank, putting it into a bucket, used an engine degreaser to to wash down. After that, I cleaned with rags and then polishing cloths to get everything bright and shiny. A final task was to spray over with a light oil to keep it looking good.

Then came that very hot summer with lockdown. Confined my activity to a couple of hours in the garden with a break in the hottest part of the day when I used a fan indoors to keep cool..

After lockdown, a project came up when the lathe was brought into use again. It didn't take long to fill the tray up with swarf but unfortunately, the suds stopped working. Thinking that over the hot weather (and many years of use) the level in the tank had evaporated, I mixed up another gallon and we were back in business but it again stopped working after a couple of hours. I decided that the tank was possibly bunged up with crud and starving the pump. Pulling the tank and pump out, I discovered the bucket behind the lathe with the suds drain hose in it and now full of contaminated cutting oil.

Just had my annual quote for my car insurance. Wonder why it has gone up?.

While being too polite to comment on your episode, I have just installed the replacement dishwasher in the kitchen. tested it on rinse as I was supposed to and the display comes up FF together every light possible, all flashing.

Thinks - I suppose I need to turn the water back on!

As to my actual age I am still young enough to fall over and not yet old enough to 'have a fall'

I have has Covid-brain all summer to add to my advancing age. I would tell you all the funny anecdotes but I have forgotten them.

I was cleaning the lounge on Thursday and needed the dustpan and brush from the kitchen by the time I got to the kitchen I couldn't remember what I came to the kitchen for, walked back to the lounge and saw the little pile of dirt on the floor and it dawned on me, I just laughed it off, no point worrying about it, it's just old age.

Colin

Came home from holiday a few years ago and one of the first jobs is usually fire up the boiler for some hot water - it didn't work

Boilers in the loft so up I go possibly thinking it needs resetting, it didn't. Scratching my head I now start dismantling it to find out why it won't light and while I'm inside thought I'd give the heat exchanger a brush and hoover up. Checked the ignition unit etc.

Then I had a memory cell spring to life - I'd turned the gas supply off!

Worked a treat after that.

Alan

It's not just me then, thank goodness.

The number of times recently when I've walked out 9f the kitchen thinking "I'll look that up on the computer". Then to sit there looking at the blank search engine screen thinking "what was it again?"

Oh Don't! I'm forever walking off to fetch something, getting there and then thinking what did I come for and having to walk back again to try and remember.

And the "I'll look that up on the computer later" trick, and then getting to the computer and forgetting what I was supposed to be looking up - I can string that one out for days and days and still not look it up. Whatever it was. I forget.

Not to mention using a tool and then putting it down and 30 seconds later thinking where did I put that and being completely unable to find the tool anywhere, and I haven't even moved out the shed. Mind you, I put that down to the little people in my shed borrowing things.................. they usually leave what they have borrowed in the exact spot where I left it a couple of days later..........

Isn't this old age great....

Chris

We tell each other what we want to look up later on the 'puter

When we get home we've both forgotten what it was

We have a system where if we're just about to fall asleep at night, one of us will say, "Oh, yes, remind me to mow the kittens in the morning" or whatever, and one of us will reach out and chuck a coaster from the bedside cabinet on to the floor.

Then in the morning, we can both spend a happy hour or two wondering what the blazes it was that the coaster was supposed to remind us to do...

Lets not even mention car keys and glasses!

It's not only down to age. Now I know some might disagree with what I'm about to say, and will use phrases like "so what's different", but a few weeks ago one of the oncologists decided I was aneamic. This was duly reported to my GP who put me on ferrous fumarate, initially 3 x 210mg per day. It eventually became apparent that I was unable to tolerate that dosage, and eventually came off it completely, but one thing that did develop was what I called "brain fog", ie memory & mental failure. I have, this am just come back from seeing the podiatrist and I have absolutely no memory of being there 8 weeks ago, indeed I suggested that it might have been last year, but my diary doesn't lie. Fortunately, memory and the other mental functions have recovered, but it's frightening to see what can happen.

Peter G. Shaw

Ferrous fumarate? A good dose of cast iron swarf is what you need.

Yes the brain fog/memory thing can be a challenge. Shed work does seem to help, I have found.

Ah! Many of us are reaching the age where we think about the hereafter.

i.e. What am I here after?

Howard

Hi Everyone!

I have been thinking about getting one these Alexa thingies, so I can tell it what I was going to do so I can ask it!!!!

Then again, I would probably forget to ask it, or even tell it in the first place!

Take care (of Your Mind!). Cheers, Pete

Howard. There is always the teenage version : if we can remember !

"If you're not here after what I am here after then you'll be here after I've gone !"

But what on earth was it that I was after ?

Chris.

On the back of the Kitchen door we have a large cork board with lots of pins. Write everything down & pin it. Or it will never happen.

Steve.

The quote at the top of the December page of my calender (on which In write all my hospital appointments) reads-"No man is ever old enough to Know Better"

That only works if you can remember it long enough to write it down!

George B.

I have a small hardback notebook in which is placed all manner of info, some of which was hard to acquire, and may be difficult to do so again. Eg, vee belt sizes, bearing part numbers; taps and dies in my posession and wanted; critical dimensions of lathe and mill (in case I see a bargain, but not sure if it will fit); brief instructions for numerous tasks such as converting a car from pos to neg earth, or identifying whether a 12v coil is for a ballasted system or not; dimensions of my workshop and garage; etc. I use it, and add to it, almost every week.

It fits in madam's handbag, so will usually be available if I don't remember it myself. I also no longer move workshop things to a new storage location - having several times looked in the old place, and not remembered the new.

Oh how depressing, BUT what do we do with all those tools, models etc. Yes, sure they have a value, but probably your missus or whatever sure doesn't want the stuff, and its a problem getting rid of it. Call the workshop clearance people round and get a 1/4 of its second hand value. Why not support the younger generation who can't afford all this stuff. So, before we fade away, and visits to the shed reduce why not encourage young un's to join our clubs, loan them a model to look after all the while they are at the club. Equip some of these clubs with the superb tools we have collected.

Just an idea chaps!