It Doesn't Take Much to Keep an Old Guy Busy

      The other day when I was having coffee with my skating group one of them asked me if, "I was keeping busy?" My reply was,"It doesn't take much to keep an old guy busy." Then I launched into my story to prove my point. 


     The other day when I was having breakfast the top part of a screw dropped out the  chair. The chair didn't collapse immediately so I continued with my breakfast. When I got up to get my toast and coffee I checked the bottom of the chair and all the screws were there. I checked the back of the chair and found where the missing screw had come from. So I finished my breakfast , read the paper and did my crossword puzzles. Fixing the chair would be the first job after lunch.

     I thought about the solution for the chair all morning. Plan A was to get my trusty vice grips and latch onto the  part of the screw poking out of the wood. When I got the chair back off I discovered the screw had broken off below the wood surface. Okay plan B...drill the screw out. Plan B wasn't successful either. The drill bit would slip off the screw into the wood. Now Home Farm Girl is my manager and director. Home Farm Girl suggested that we glue the screw together. I politely told her that I didn't think glue would work. At that time I still didn't have a plan C so the glue solution stayed on the table. We both were stuck for a plan C. After coffee Home Farm Girl came up with a super idea. She suggested that we angle drill a hole beside the old screw. Right away I could see that this was the ticket. So I carefully drilled a hole so that the screw would not come out through the leather covering. 


     Now the next bridge to cross was to find a suitable screw. Of we went to the Canadian Everything Store. We thought we needed a # 10 screw 1 3/4  in long and it had to be brass. There were lots of # 10 screws but none 1 3/4 in long. Off to store number two. Nothing there. Store number three had a sizer for screws so I checked and the screw I had was  # 8. There were lots of 1 3/4  #8 screws. 


      So we started for home. By this time it was close to 5 PM so Home Farm Girl said I don't feel like going home to make supper. Let's go to Five Guys for Fries and to A&W for a burger. Well it sounds like winner but I said, "Nothing doing." I'm not going in to just order french fries. I really hated to be so mean but I couldn't accept her suggestion. Well the solution for supper ended without a war and we went home and had hot dogs.


      So you see one little screw kept me busy all afternoon! Some days are like that when you're a do it your selfer.

Great Times: Skater's Christmas Party

        I have posted before about how I ice skate on a regular basis from the first Tues. in Sept. to the last Tues. in April. I started this year with a post called "Whee Skating Started Again!"  I really feel that way.

Having fun before the party

        As with many groups involved with an activity there develops a tremendous support for one another. In an urban setting people can sometimes become completely isolated. 



        So today the skaters had their annual Christmas party. We invite all the previous skaters who have for one reason or another stopped skating. Since we are seniors people can find themselves at an age where they cannot continue skating. These people love to join the Christmas party and meet with old friends who they skated with before. They support one another and meet new skaters. All present skaters and past skaters make an effort to meet and continue the relationship which comes through skating.


       So today after skating we had a table laden with goodies and coffee supplied by club members . We meet after skating in a large reception room. Acquaintances are renewed and for many it's one of the major events they attend at Christmas. 

All Old Guys Should Cross Country Ski

       Okay, here we go again! Another old guys should post. Yes, all old guys and girls should cross country ski if they have an interest and are able.
 
      Now just how old?" you ask. I have seen ninety year olds skiing up high in the Kananaskis. So they were able to ski up and also get down. These people were amazing. They just kept going. They had their hearing aids turned off so you couldn't talk to them.

      I started cross country skiing in 1970. Some years I've skied a lot and others very little. It depends on the snow cover we have. Some years we just don't get enough snow. I ski on groomed trails. In Red Deer we have two areas with groomed trails which gives us quite a few kms of trails. There are some interesting hills as both areas have some river escarpement.

    Tours with a group are very pleasant. We usually go to a mountain area and again ski groomed trails where terrain can be challenging. Going up takes great effort and coming down requires great skill as you are on a narrow trail between trees. You don't won't to wipe out.  Sometimes you are above the tree line so just deep snow to land in if you loose control. We can rent accommodations at a reasonable price in the middle of the week. One lodge is for handicapped people. Seniors are second in line if the handicapped groups are not booked.So great times on the trails and great evenings.

     Sometimes I just go out to the park behind my house and make my own trail. This way I can get ready and be on the trail in minutes. I can choose to go out when I have a few spare minutes. I can also go out in the evening. Don't worry about cold as your body produces lots of heat if you are able to put in the effort. After five minutes I never wear gloves as my hands are warmed up and stay warm.

     So I highly recommend cross country skiing as it gives a great work out and is pleasant on your own or in a group. You can ski until you're quite old if you keep your skills up and work on conditioning.

Good Times...Old Guys

        Good times and old guys can go together especially if the group has hung out over a long time. I've been fortunate enough to have been associated with such a group. I have always valued the people I work with as described in Reflections...Valuable Colleagues.

       When I moved to Red Deer in 1969 to teach, I was very fortunate to land on an excellent staff. We were young and  fortunate enough to teach in a school which drew students from a very supportive community. There were staff who were excellent mentors and other staff who were willing to see that a junior high program was presented well.

       A number of the staff not only worked hard but also played hard. We visited each others homes , had young families and were  recent education graduates who had teaching experience.

     Some of us stayed in the same area and kept in contact. Now, once or twice a year we get together and enjoy lunch and  visiting. This group is aged 64 -84 and still have the same energy and and drive to enjoy life.

      We are so very fortunate!

Ten Things Old Guys should Do.

       Quite some time ago I did two posts with the "old guys" theme. I did "All Old Guys Should Cycle " and "All Old Guys Should Have a Paper Route." I had fun with these posts and have some ideas for more. Today I would like to make alist for old guys(and gals too).

Ten Things Old Guys Should Do

1. 
   
   Read my blog
2. 
   
   Read good books
3. 
   
   Watch the sunrise
4. 
   
   Watch the sunset
5. 
   
   Have a nap after lunch
6. 
   
   Enjoy sitting in the sun
7. 
   
   Walk in the woods
8. 
   
   Listen to great music
9. 
   
   Enjoy good food
10. 
    
    Visit with other people