The Retirement Thread

[Tenkaykev]

Good afternoon fellow retirees,
Popped up the road to the shops and came back with a haircut and an Eccles cake 😋
I'm a bit sleepy today, wish I could save it up for when I'm lying awake in the early hours trying to nod off!
In the last few days we've noticed an early morning flight into Hurn, it's too dark to see but it sounds like one of the older aircraft, either that or they've retrofitted Diesel engines to a 727
Looking forward to a visit from daughter and granddaughter this afternoon, coffee and cake for us and a gingerbread Santa for our granddaughter.
Had a link sent to us from the Nursery, so this years Nativity play will be watched on Zoom, it's limited to four familial connections per child due to bandwidth constraints. For those who can't log in to the performance they plan to make a recording available.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Written to my mum, been for a walk. My day is done.

 

[classic33]

Written to my mum, been for a walk. My day is done.

Something along these lines?
"Dear Mom, I hope this letter finds you are safe and warm. What am I saying?
Of course you're warm, didn't I put in a woodburning stove to the sitting room before I left to begin my new life all those years ago.

I'm sure you think of me every time you stare into the flames and feel the snug glow upon your face. That was the idea. To have something to remember me by. Just don't think of me when you've to clean out the ashes or whenever it's wet and slippy and you have to hobble out to the backyard and carry in wood - let's keep the associations positive."

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I've been for a bimble, 53 miles, a geared bimble not a fixed bimble, the bottom bracket for the fixed I've been waiting for finally turned up dinner time today having been ordered last Sunday, I'd paid for 24 hour delivery, I complained to Planet X about how long it was taking and they've refunded the difference between the standard delivery and the 24 hour delivery. It wasn't the nicest ride I've very cold, dark and grey with a stiff breeze and light showers. I rode my regular route out past Badesly Clinton and Lowsenford, when I crossed the Shrewley road the lane was closed so I turned right down Manor Lane and Star Lane then a short section of the A4189 Henley Road, I'd forgotten that climb through Claverdon , then left on to Dark Lane and on to Hatton, for the way back I followed my route out but put in a loop through the grounds of Packwood House and rejoined my route out by the Punchbowl pub. Another solid winter ride, after I got back I went out to pick up my Good Ladies medication and it was piddling down, and it looks like the rains set in for the afternoon, so I was lucky with the weather.

 

[Exlaser2]

Nothing as strange as family . As an only child somehow miss what I never had re brothers and sisters. My wife has good a relationship with two of hers and and ok one with the other. On the other hand I understand it doesn’t always work that well. My father in law hasn’t spoken to his brother in over 50 years and my mom hasn’t seen her only brother for over 40 years after my dad caught him stealing his mum’s pension out of her handbag and she came to live with us . TBH we have no idea if he’s dead or a alive, which is sad even though he is/was a total waste of space as he my mums only relative other than me and my daughter. 🙁

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Currently reading Waverley, the language is difficult in places but I’m finding it surprisingly easy to gloss over these bits and am just enjoying it as a terrific story.

 

[gavroche]

Hello everybody. Haven't been on here for a few days, had more serious things on my mind. The good news is that my wife is now back and much better although it was a very close thing. One artery was 99% blocked. It is all fixed now and hopefully for many more years to come.
Now, the next hurdle is for our daughter to go for her op next Tuesday to have the cancer removed from her breast. According to the doctors, that should go well too.
I found a Claude Butler bike in her shed so I got it out, cleaned it a bit, lowered the saddle, fixed the rear wheel puncture, tightened the loose front wheel and took it for a small ride, only a couple of miles as the brakes are absolute rubbish but it will do for the time we are down here. I will just keep to small rides close to the house.
No idea when we are going back to Wales.

 

[PaulSB]

Well the car and bike didn't get washed but a lot of other chores did. Had to pop to Halfords for car shampoo and decided to jet wash the car with high power only to shift the worst of the muck, wheel arches etc. This worked well............

Mrs P borrowed my car yesterday. Mrs P left the rear passenger window about ½" open...........😭😭😭 well maybe it didn't work as well as I hoped

 

[Dave7]

Interesting to read of all the comments re not speaking to family etc.
I have alluded to this before. I was brought up in a strict religious family and was not "allowed" to have real friends outside of that religion.
Now.....you have to understand that with all these religions (Muslim, Buddhist etc) you grow up to believe it is THE TRUE RELIGION.
SO....20 years ago when I broke free I knew I had absolutely no friends BUT I weighed all that up and accepted it.
Fortunately a) I have a good wife who I love and b) I am happy with my own company.
I have a son and daughter who are lovely plus a brother I get on with.

 

[Dirk]

Interesting to read of all the comments re not speaking to family etc.
I have alluded to this before. I was brought up in a strict religious family and was not "allowed" to have real friends outside of that religion.
Now.....you have to understand that with all these religions (Muslim, Buddhist etc) you grow up to believe it is THE TRUE RELIGION.
SO....20 years ago when I broke free I knew I had absolutely no friends BUT I weighed all that up and accepted it.
Fortunately a) I have a good wife who I love and b) I am happy with my own company.
I have a son and daughter who are lovely plus a brother I get on with.

Congrats on breaking free from indoctrination.
BTW what religion was it?

 

[PaulSB]

Interesting to read of all the comments re not speaking to family etc.
I have alluded to this before. I was brought up in a strict religious family and was not "allowed" to have real friends outside of that religion.
Now.....you have to understand that with all these religions (Muslim, Buddhist etc) you grow up to believe it is THE TRUE RELIGION.
SO....20 years ago when I broke free I knew I had absolutely no friends BUT I weighed all that up and accepted it.
Fortunately a) I have a good wife who I love and b) I am happy with my own company.
I have a son and daughter who are lovely plus a brother I get on with.

Reminds me of an old but favourite joke. I was raised Roman Catholic, taught by nuns to age 11 and priests to age 18 - never happened to me but things you read about in the papers? Yep. True.

So a new arrival in Heaven is being shown round by St Peter . During the tour they pass a very tall wall, well over 15 feet high. At the end of the tour Peter asks "Any questions?"

"Yes," says the new arrival, "What's the big wall for!"

Peter "The Catholics are on the other side, they think they're the only ones here."

 

[Mo1959]

Made me chuckle.

 

[Dave7]

Congrats on breaking free from indoctrination.
BTW what religion was it?

Jehovah's Witnesses.
Have to say Dirk... it was not easy. It was my life for nearly 50 years and as I said, I knew I did not have one friend outside of the JWs.....once you walk away you are shunned.... they are not allowed to speak to you.

 

[ColinJ]

Jehovah's Witnesses.
Have to say Dirk... it was not easy. It was my life for nearly 50 years and as I said, I knew I did not have one friend outside of the JWs.....once you walk away you are shunned.... they are not allowed to speak to you.

A friend of Mr WD tried to get his mother to have treatment when she fell and had a bad gash to her head. As a jehovah witness, she refused all treatment including stitches. There was nothing the Dr's could do for her as they couldn't force her to have the stitches. She even called in her fellow jehovah witness friends to back her up.

That's interesting. Did she survive the injury?

Sadly no. Infection set in and she died 2 or 3 months later. Her son was devastated and angry at her for refusing treatment.

A similar thing happened with a friend's JW mum who died for her beliefs. She needed a blood transfusion to survive a procedure but refused to have one. A group of local Witnesses were at her bedside to "keep her strong". After she died, they cleared off and left my mate and his dad to mourn. They never even called round to see how the family were doing ...

 

[Dirk]

Jehovah's Witnesses.
Have to say Dirk... it was not easy. It was my life for nearly 50 years and as I said, I knew I did not have one friend outside of the JWs.....once you walk away you are shunned.... they are not allowed to speak to you.

I've worked with 3 JWs in the past including one who was a circuit overseer. Most judgemental people I've ever met - nice enough on the surface......but dig deeper and it shows.
Disfellowshipping is an abhorrent thing to do.