(0655) Bleah out there, hope London staves off the rain so that Julia can get her washing out.

 

Long, long sleep … I feel some sort of rant coming on

Never mind my ramblings, just skip this post and wait for the “real” blogposts. 😎

A good Sunday to y’all … just had the most amazing sleep … had to be getting on for 7 hours. Mixed bag, sleep … finding body aches you never knew you had, heart, joints etc.

Thinking of my folks way back when … their pics are in an old travel case here, plus old gfs and so on. I’m remembering their ageing when it happened, by degrees, that slow deterioration until even writing notes to yourself no longer sufficed. Where was I? Gallivanting around the world again or returning here.

They’d been highly independent and useful, let’s say, my family … we all could repair, build and so on, keep the lawn mown. The initial killer is becoming sedentary, which I’m thinking DAD is not … he has a huge property to attend to at near 90. We do like to have, must have, our own space, our own room to think, to make decisions, without anyone, even family, telling us what to do.

Family and friends call that irascible, cantankerous, brusque perhaps but truth is it takes us longer to think now, even with good food, exercise and a project.

Project is important … nothing worse, methinks, than just going simple in a rocking chair, relying on being attended to. In other words, a certain amount of penury and eking out a living is a good thing … it keeps the machine in its best condition. For example, I have three flights of stairs, someone has to vacuum them, neighbours and I can’t afford to hire someone, we all have vacuums, I have the 25m extension reel.

Staying on good terms with neighbours is the thing, also if they’re all much younger but admire that old guy who does not look his years … compliments are always nice, just not laid on with a trowel please.

For women, I don’t presume to advise but for men … chaps, lads … there are a few rules … yes there are.

Hygiene first … many won’t tell us, some nasty folk will. We must keep up the bathing, trimming, washing clothes, preferably by hand (exercise) … do not live too easily, chaps, still do that brisk constitutional walk. Look after your legs, they’re your lifeline, your perambulation, your escape mechanism, with your walking stick more a poking weapon than sommit you lean on. If sommit needs doing … go do it yourself.

Sleaziness … we used to see it on tele, the Benny Hill syndrome, the innuendo, the nudge nudge wink wink. I say drop sleaziness immediately … do you think anyone is impressed, least of all the fillies you’re ogling? You think God’s impressed, gazing down?

Socially in general? Even curmudgeons need people within their inner, middle and outer circle of acquaintances. Drop hangers on but keep fellow independents, with one exception … your women and/or children. The former are a fine art I never quite got right … has any man ever managed domestic tranquility? Well that’s for you to tell me.

Citadel … first rule is drop your naivety … you need an inner citadel, second ring and so on … out to your perimeter defences. Were I in a gated community such as haiku (old friend) in South Africa … sorry but gated communities ain’t going to cut it when the locusts swarm over the walls and gates. You need more … stop being naive while you still can.

The role of socmed? I read yesterday that the net has enabled friendships at great distances, but not with those sitting beside or opposite you. True but take steps … keep your friends and neighbours in good repair, remember their birthdays if possible.

Making notes … yeah? What happens when you can no longer remember where you put that crucial note?

Systems, folks, systems. Have fewer things in your home (decluttering is an imperative … give up the inessential) … it also keeps your brain ticking over.

There’s one time you do NOT want your brain functioning … once you enter that bedroom last thing at night. Switch off, chaps and chapesses. That might be more difficult for the guilty or if a woman. Women’s brains are 24/7 in overdrive. Men on the other hand are often accused of not caring.

There’s a fine line between caring for who/what you should .., and you should/must … and not caring … enough so that you can at least get good night’s sleep. You need both, you need to determine priorities and stay resolved.

Regular habits … system … systems take care of that which we forget. That’s a given, it compensates to a point for your loss of memory. Maybe ditch the statins … that’s a whole other topic, your meds.

How about when your systems break down, as this composing tool is constantly doing? At a certain point, ditch them without emotion. Quickly. New oven is ready for today by the way, seems to work ok. Meanwhile, overnight oats are ready to eat.

Time is a major factor … once you realise you simply don’t have time for it all now, nor the interest … that’s the time to slow down and prioritise time.

Mission … similar to project … have one or else God gives you one. If you’ve ditched the God of your childhood coz you’re just so clever and self-sufficient …bthat’s the ultimate human stupidity … that goes right back to the zigurats and the mystery religions … moloch, jezebel. It broke up Israel, let the Babylonian locusts in via the back door.

Look, you can forecast, portend all you like, even be right but until someone is ready to heed it, your advice falls on deaf ears. Even as the locusts swarm in and people are raped, tortured, murdered in their homes and on the streets.

Nuff for now.

……

Going to run this, at 0806, at OoL and Jstack.