Walking The Line --- Can You?

[Diggin It]

The county repaved my road yesterday and widened it considerably. Out of curiosity as to how wide it was, I just did the heel to toe walk across it. Or tried to. About stumbled and fell several times. Totally off balance. Managed to count it as 25 feet though.

Ears are messed up, Sinuses plugged, Back hurts, feet hurt. Can't hardly stand up when I need to mow the yard sometimes with a push mower. Stairs are like steep mountain trails.

 

[MoKelly]

Oh my - you are depressing me. It seems you are describing me these past few years!

Like my friends say - old age is not great, but it sure beats the alternative.

Then we have a few more beers and complain about those youngsters.

MoKelly

 

[Jstpssng]

I can still cross a stream on a log... it just needs to be a bit bigger tree than before. About 10 years ago I had to cross one, but it wasn’t very wide so I decided to just jump across. I got a bit of a run and just as I pushed off the bank I realized “OH Shoot, I’m not 20 anymore!” I landed in the middle of the stream which wasn’t so bad as it was only about a foot deep. However when landing I absorbed the shock with my knees so got soaked almost to my waist. I would have stayed much drier if I’d just waded the water in the first place.

 

[Doofy]

I gave up jumping off of things about 20 years ago. There seems to be no cushioning in my joints any longer. All I get now is bone jarring and pain.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

The county repaved my road yesterday and widened it considerably. Out of curiosity as to how wide it was, I just did the heel to toe walk across it. Or tried to. About stumbled and fell several times. Totally off balance. Managed to count it as 25 feet though.

Ears are messed up, Sinuses plugged, Back hurts, feet hurt. Can't hardly stand up when I need to mow the yard sometimes with a push mower. Stairs are like steep mountain trails.

The way you are describing that, it sounds like you're saying "that's not normal"?

Sounds like just another "Thursday" to me...

 

[Thomas]

I am lucky if heel to toe several times with out tipping.
Older one gets you'll find out bones don't bend much they break.

 

[Jstpssng]

I am lucky if heel to toe several times with out tipping.
Older one gets you'll find out bones don't bend much they break.

That's why I don't go up on roofs anymore.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

...or ladders.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Many, many years ago, I used t be a framer and timber framer..... never thought twice about walking across the top of a 2x4 wall two stories off the ground. When doing a timber frame, it was a piece of cake... timbers much wider!

Now, its hard to stay upright on a flat 2x12 plank.... I purchased 2 sections of scaffolding... I feel much safer and more confident to perform the job. For some reason, I am not afraid or even a little concerned to go up an extension ladder. I do really really make sure it is stable however.

 

[oosik]

I just tried it across the kitchen floor - 18 feet. I made it but definitely not as easy as I remember.

 

[Jstpssng]

I just tried it across the kitchen floor - 18 feet. I made it but definitely not as easy as I remember.

If memory serves me you are well past the 80 YO mark. I can only hope to be able to get around as well as you, when I'm at that age. (I suspect that the only thing I'll be doing is pushing up geraniums.)

 

[oosik]

Close, but no cigar Jstpssng. Today is my birthday - born, 5-13-42. 79 years young. After today I will be going the other way on my B-days. 78, 77, 76, etc.

I'm just not quite as stable as I once was. Plus I know what it will feel like if I act recklessly and fall. Been there quite often.

There is a spring time situation here on my property. I'm sure its not unique to my property. It certainly leads to instability and falling down. The ground is still frozen hard. The exposed rocks are loose in the frozen ground - black basaltic lava rock, exposed to the sun. Step on a rock - it twists, spins or just plain moves. Loss of stability - down I go. Every spring I will fall two or three times. Often enough that I've learned how to fall without breaking anything. Still hurts like Blue Blazes. Being Norwegian - too proud, stubborn to take my walking stick out with me.

That WILL have to change OR I just sit on my fat AZZ during spring time. And I have such nice walking sticks.

 

[Jstpssng]

Close, but no cigar Jstpssng. Today is my birthday - born, 5-13-42. 79 years young. After today I will be going the other way on my B-days. 78, 77, 76, etc.

I'm just not quite as stable as I once was. Plus I know what it will feel like if I act recklessly and fall. Been there quite often.

There is a spring time situation here on my property. I'm sure its not unique to my property. It certainly leads to instability and falling down. The ground is still frozen hard. The exposed rocks are loose in the frozen ground - black basaltic lava rock, exposed to the sun. Step on a rock - it twists, spins or just plain moves. Loss of stability - down I go. Every spring I will fall two or three times. Often enough that I've learned how to fall without breaking anything. Still hurts like Blue Blazes. Being Norwegian - too proud, stubborn to take my walking stick out with me.

That WILL have to change OR I just sit on my fat AZZ during spring time. And I have such nice walking sticks.

My mother will be 84 this month and goes everywhere with her walking stick; yet still gets around more than people half her age. She says that she can't stop or she won't get going again.
We finally have her convinced to put in a whole house generator. Not that t he power goes out much, but I have always cringed at the though of her going out to shut the portable off before she goes to bed at night, walking down an icy driveway with her cane.
Yet that's what keeps her going...

 

[Jstpssng]

I have to admit that when I read this header I thought he was referring to the way I used to drive back in my younger days.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I am battling cancer in my own way. I lost about thirty pounds, levelled off at about 185 for a six foot frame, doesn't change more than a pound from day to day, and feel better than I have felt in a long time. Stairs and hills are not a problem at all. Did all kinds of stuff today, prepared mowers and cut some grass. All on three eggs! and two cups of coffee. I can't for the life of me, figure out what's sustaining this body!

 

[Dftodd]

My left knee throbs and my right hip pops out of joint

Add to that a major case of tendinitis in my feet I'm all right as long as I keep moving. But once I sit for any length of time, I hobble around like someone twice my age till my feet loosen back up and quit protesting.

I've noticed that my balance isn't what it used to be. 12 years ago I could walk around the roof of my house like a Billy goat. Now the steeper pitch over the garage gives me fits. I'm alright going up. It's walking back down the slope that gives me issues.

Ladders are ok still. But I don't dare balance on the top rung of a step ladder like I used to. I gotta keep that 3 points of contact or be able to lean on the slope to stay steady.

 

[KennyG]

Forget the heel to toe thing. I have a practiced stride that is exactly 2.5 feet to measure things. Much easier to stay upright.

 

[ruffdog]

Ah yes......the side effects of getting old. I really hoped to avoid this crap but it seems I caught it from you guys!

 

[Alien]

Huh. Try standing on one leg for a minute.... I can't any more.

 

[oosik]

I tried the "walk" across the kitchen again this morning. Stepped on my toes, almost fell. No prize this time.