Age

[Woody girl]

This afternoon, I filled my slow cooker with all the ingredients for a green lentil and tomato soup, switched it on and went for a walk, a few hrs later, came in, made a cuppa and went to dish up my lovely hot soup... to find it uncooked and stone cold.
I'd forgotten to plug it in at the wall. Duh!
Now I'm starving and snacking on a large bar of chocolate to stave off the hunger pangs.
I'm gonna have to dye my hair blonde! This is the second time I've done this in a month.

 

[Toddy]

I had to drive Himself to the vaccination centre a couple of months ago. The timing was bad because I usually pick up Son2 from the train station in the next village at that time of the evening.
So, I carefully made stew, and heated it up before we left so that it would be ready for Son2 when he got home. I bustled about setting the table, etc., putting out stuff for the rest of the meal, etc., and off we went through the rush hour to get into town.
Vaccination went fine and we drove home thinking it had gone well, even the rush hour wasn't the nightmare it might have been.

Instead we got home to find every window and door wide open and Son2 looking shattered.

I hadn't switched the heat off.

He came home to a house full of smoke, with every smoke alarm screaming, and was beyond relieved that he hadn't actually phoned the fire brigade because there was no fire. Just burnt stew that had steamed and smoked like a fire smothered with wet grass or leaves.

The smell was unbelievable. It took days to clear.

We haven't had stew since. I don't think we're quite ready to risk it yet
I have taken to switching the cooker off at the wall switch though

 

[Broch]

I've had to buy one of those 'on for an hour' switches for the iron - it was definitely being left on more often these days

 

[Robson Valley]

Anything I prepare on a stove-top element, I sit there and do something, anything, and wait. If I have to leave the kitchen for any reason, I shut it off. There's every chance that I'll get distracted by something else and then I'm asking for trouble.
The oven can stay on for hours: smoking BBQ sides of seasoned pork ribs, for example.

A decade ago(?) over the course of a month, I burned a few suppers. Enough smoke to make me decide to change my habits. NO, I can't just walk away and leave a pot cooking.

 

[Tengu]

Dont get distracted.

 

[billycoen]

To be of a certain age when you remember Spanish Wood,Anglo bubble gum and Spangles.

 

[Woody girl]

...and when you spend as much on one meal as your first wage packet!

 

[billycoen]

1 pound seventeen and six,apprentice sparky..went mad and bought a Wimpey and bottle of coke.

 

[Kadushu]

I've been "snowed in" all week. Well my lane is covered in compacted snow and there's been a steady flow? clog? of vehicles getting stuck along it. I even filmed a 4x4 tractor sliding sideways and backwards. Anyway, this morning I ran out of milk which was the final push to get me to walk to the shop which is about 30 minutes each way, so no big deal. The most off putting part is the section of road where there's no footpath so you're at the mercy of idiots slithering about in their cars. Imagine my jubilation when I returned home with a rucksack full of supplies, including 2 loaves of bread, swiftly followed by the crushing realisation that I'd forgotten to buy any butter.

 

[Woody girl]

I've been "snowed in" all week. Well my lane is covered in compacted snow and there's been a steady flow? clog? of vehicles getting stuck along it. I even filmed a 4x4 tractor sliding sideways and backwards. Anyway, this morning I ran out of milk which was the final push to get me to walk to the shop which is about 30 minutes each way, so no big deal. The most off putting part is the section of road where there's no footpath so you're at the mercy of idiots slithering about in their cars. Imagine my jubilation when I returned home with a rucksack full of supplies, including 2 loaves of bread, swiftly followed by the crushing realisation that I'd forgotten to buy any butter.

Oh yes!, I've often had to go back twice to get everything I wanted.
On one occasion three times, only to find I'd forgotten yet again the flipping milk!
Trip four waited until next day.
Now I take a list.

 

[Ystranc]

Well I’m not old yet, I’m only 53. A touch of arthritis in my left foot and an intermittent duff knee slow me down a little but it’s a case of use it or lose it. I weigh pretty much what I did 20 years ago but it’s more of a struggle to maintain that and I seem to get minor injuries more often. On the positive side I’m probably more confident and happy now then I ever was when I was young. I have an active outdoor lifestyle, I do most of my own maintenance which also keeps my mind active and I love my work.

 

[Broch]

I realised today that I no longer go up the stairs 2x2 - I tried it, it was painful

 

[Artois]

Do you older people feel your ’ways’ in the great outdoors have changed much?

Personally, I do not look to waking up. No matter how smooth ground, no matter what temperature, I wake up stiff.
The longer I spend in the horisontal position, the stiffer I am. So I tend to have much shorter nights!

These days I wake up stiff too and not in a good way!

 

[Paul_B]

Age? Turned 50 yo 21 days ago and tbh no advantages yet. Oh I'm now old enough for NHS flu jabs and 4th covid jab but I had the flu jab invite due to asthma so no advantage.

What about disadvantages? I first damaged my back at 18yo and spent Xmas on prescription painkillers and anti inflammation medication. I've had aches there ever since. Years of wearing solid hiking boots weakened my ankles and feet so I grew through my 20s and 30s with sprained ankles until I took to low fell shoes and strengthened my feet/ankles. So I've no more aches and pains than I've had for decades.

As to age. I have had the pleasure of meeting interesting people in the long distance walkers association. The lady in late 60 or early 70s who looked mid fifties and walked like a 20 or 30 year old hill walker. Or the guy who broke the age record for the Bob Graham round. Aged 67 yo with the 60 plus record! Or the guy who Unfortunately couldn't manage more than a few miles but was something like an Austrian downhill ski champion once, now retired completely. Or the former uk athletics team member for 400m who had a knee transplant at 80 plus. He asked the surgeon how long before he could go back to walking again. The surgeon said if he felt OK he could do an easy walk after about 2 to 3 weeks. He felt OK so he did an easy walk... for him! He did just over 10 miles but he was obeying the consultant by doing an easy walk for him

 

[oldtimer]

These days I wake up stiff too and not in a good way!

I'm 81 and still wake up stiff.

 

[Paul_B]

I've had 3 days plus of a cold. The whole time I've been really, really stiff like I'd spent a day hard gardening the day before. I'd get up off the couch like an old man then walk hunched for a dozen or so steps until I was able to loosen up to walk normally. I'm slowly getting over it today but it was a strange feeling that stiffness. I can only think it was the cold that did it because I'm not stiff today despite actually doing gardening and exercise.