After a good night’s sleep I woke and lay
looking at the clock feeling faintly miserable. Ever since I’ve had a phone of
my own (since 1987) my mum phoned me every birthday at twenty past
seven. Not quarter past or half past, but exactly at twenty past. Of course she
hasn’t for the last three years…
I got up and opened a
bumper haul of cards and pressies, then spent a couple of minutes updating the
main blog page. The timer to semi-retirement has been replaced with one
counting down to full retirement. Seven years… I wonder how those years will
pan out? The first seven years at my current place of work went better than I
could have ever expected.
We then spent far too long unblocking the Hoover. After “er indoors TM” waved the thing all over the
place it soon became apparent that it wasn’t actually sucking anything up. It
was only after I had the thing in pieces that I discovered she hadn’t unplugged
it… when it leapt into action and all but self-destructed without any of its
retaining screws and bolts in place.
But I got it all back together again; it was
much the same principle as a Lego set really.
With torrential rain putting paid to any plans
for the day we drove to McDonalds car park for a McTasty (which sadly wasn’t)
and then went on to Dobbies. Our plans were to look at stuff for the garden;
the dogs’ plans were somewhat different. Fortunately their staff assured us
they were used to dogs taking a dump.
We
came home and watched a film we’d recorded at
Christmas then I slept until “My Boy TM” and Cheryl came
round for dinner.
We
had a rather good kebab. Can’t beat a kebab and chips… Today was a rather good
birthday; if a bit quiet.
I’ll end today with a
little reflection.… I’m now sixty. After this week’s holiday I go back to work
as a part-timer being semi-retired.
I can remember thinking
that being ten was old… But in all honesty I feel much the same now as I have
done pretty much all of my life. The me inside hasn’t aged. I’m still trying to
do the best that I can under less-than-ideal circumstances in a world that I
didn’t design. I’m still the same as I ever was – a desperately immature child
waiting for maturity that if it hasn’t arrived by now probably never will.
The only real
difference between today’s taking on semi-retirement and my first day at
primary school is that slowly but surely my body is beginning to wear out. The
hair has gone. If I sit still for too long I seize up. Our longer walks round
Kings Woods are perhaps a tad too long these days; I’m good for five miles, but
eight is pushing it. I use the stairs to get from the promenade to the beach
when at the seaside; I don’t dare jump down any more. My left knee could do
with being replaced. If I have to get onto my hands and knees to pick something
up from the floor, getting up takes effort. When I look in the mirror, my
grandfather is looking back at me.
But I’d like to think that I’m good for a few
more years yet.
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