You Know You Are Old When

[Fuddyduddy1952]

My Dad enlisted in the Navy during WWII. He thought he was 18 and he said his officer needed proof. All he had was the family Bible his Mother had penciled date in which the navy accepted.
I was a kid when my Grandmother admitted Dad, oldest of three, was born out of wedlock. She changed the date by several months.
Dad said all these years and I've been reading the wrong horoscope.

 

[newbury]

You're double dog old if you carry a small notebook and pen in your pocket. Mentioned it for friend.

I USED to do that.
Really started in early college when I worked at IBM and started carrying Thinkpads.

Then in 1975 I got in the Army and the preferred notebook eventually became a Rite-in-the-Rain.

But now I carry a small notebook, pencil, phone (Samsung A15 5G), 512Gb microSd card, paperclip, 10AH battery pack & cord in my Penguin case hooked on my cargo pants with a carabiner.

I've still one or 2 original paper Thinkpads kicking around.

 

[WinterDeere]

I USED to do that.

Ditto. But with Notes, Reminders, and Calendar apps all on the iPhone now, I couldn't even imagine going back to the old way.

Remember having to copy all the crap from your prior pocket planner to the next, each January??? Seemed I was always in the middle of a project with six-thousand "to do" items to copy over, at that time of year. Only good thing about it was the forced review and opportunity to house clean.

 

[sixdogs]

I USED to do that.

I still do it and it works great. All relevant info needed for the next month is there as well as things planned or to do for the day. Write a receipt, things needed at various stores or any odd info that I need to know for the day, week or month. It's in there.

The problem now is that good note pads are getting hard to come by as manufacturers make other things.

 

[Semper Paratus]

I used a wheel book and ball point or pencil until I retired (Jan 2022). I worked in the defense industry and no electronics were allowed the first 28 or 30 years. It was only in my last few years that cell phones and then cells with cameras were even allowed. Possession on company grounds was a firing offense. Additionally the working environment was really hard on phones, once they were authorized. My boss went through 4 in one year.

 

[bigtiller]

I started carrying my own pen occasionally during Covid and lately it has become a habit. I wear a 2 pocket flannel shirt so this habit may end when t-shirt weather arrives.

I also have a cute little rechargeable flashlight right beside it.

 

[BravoXray]

Here in Canuckistan I've seen people ahead of me in line paying over $20 a large pack. And it's usually the people who look like they can least afford it.

I've seen the same thing with people buying cases of beer on Fridays at grocery and liquor stores.

 

[WinterDeere]

I started carrying my own pen occasionally during Covid and lately it has become a habit. I wear a 2 pocket flannel shirt so this habit may end when t-shirt weather arrives.

I also have a cute little rechargeable flashlight right beside it.

View attachment 853161

I like tee shirts with no advertising / logos / writing on them, and one advantage there is that many blank tees are available with a pocket, if you're so inclined.

I never carry a pen myself, there's always one on my desk, and a few in the pen tray or glove box of each vehicle. And there's a handy little flashlight on my smart phone! Good enough. Only time I carry a pen or other light is when I'm carrying one of my Swiss Army knives that happens to have a pen or light accessory, but even there I prefer the little light Classic model with the tweezer and toothpick, over a pen or light.

 

[BravoXray]

I only wear shirts with pockets, especially tee shirts in the summer, and I always have a pen in the the pocket.
I think somewhere in my stuff, I have a pocket protector from . my days at Purdue, where I carried pens and drafting pencils, like all proper nerds did back then.

I still also wear a watch, too.

 

[WinterDeere]

I only wear shirts with pockets, especially tee shirts in the summer, and I always have a pen in the the pocket.
I think somewhere in my stuff, I have a pocket protector from . my days at Purdue, where I carried pens and drafting pencils, like all proper nerds did back then.

I still also wear a watch, too.

Watch wearer here, too... at least when I leave the house.

But over the years, I've found I like less and less in my pockets. These days, it's cell phone front right, Victorinox Swiss Army Classic (mini) and any keys (minimal) in front left. Wallet is in inside jacket pocket when it's cool outside, or in back right pocket when it's too warm for a jacket... or more often in center console of whatever vehicle I'm driving that day.

I used to carry those silly big Swiss army knives, multi tools, or hunting knives. Not sure why, the little Swiss Army Classic is actually more handy than most of them, for most of what I encounter in a day. It also doesn't weigh down my pants or jab into me when bending.

 

[BravoXray]

Watch wearer here, too... at least when I leave the house.

For the last 25 years or so, my watch of choice has been a Seiko titanium watch, as they are much lighter.

 

[JasperFrank]

I was surprised of how few of my coworkers had wrist watches. They had to reach into pockets and swipe their phone. I just extended my arm and turned my wrist. Same watch after 43 years.

 

[Jstpssng]

I've seen the same thing with people buying cases of beer on Fridays at grocery and liquor stores.

When I worked at a beer store after high school people would come in on Friday nights all flush with cash and paid with 20 dollar bills. We couldn't keep enough ones on hand for change.
By Sunday we were getting so many ones that we couldn't fit them in the drawer.

Between that and pumping gas later, I picked up a few silver certificates and other old bills. I only wish I'd known enough to save the pre-65 silver I handled.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was surprised of how few of my coworkers had wrist watches. They had to reach into pockets and swipe their phone. I just extended my arm and turned my wrist. Same watch after 43 years.

I stopped wearing a watch years ago. I found that with one on, my hand got cold faster in winter. Every device that I use has a clock; these days I might have 4 of those when I go into the woods. My schedule is mainly dictated by daylight this time of year anyways, so knowing the time isn't that important.

 

[tradosaurus]

I was surprised of how few of my coworkers had wrist watches. They had to reach into pockets and swipe their phone. I just extended my arm and turned my wrist. Same watch after 43 years.

Of all things I wear a garmin style rechargeable watch that I use to keep track of my steps during the day. Helps motivate me to walk at work.

 

[MoKelly]

I have always worn watches. Probably always will wear watches.

My wife has never worn a watch. She uses her phone or says. “honey, what time is it”???
I ask her why she doesn’t wear a watch and she says “it doesn’t feel right”.

Hard to argue with that statement!

 

[MossRoad]

I remember my grandfather explaining safety matches to me, the reason all stick matches in the 1980's had that white dot on the tip. He told me about the time he was getting a spanking, and the box or tube of old strike-anywhere matches in his pocket caught fire! I wish I could remember the whole story now, as I imagine that if the spanking was for playing with matches (or lying), having his pants on fire probably didn't help his cause.

We used to buy and carry strike anywhere matches for scouts, and I still try to buy them when I can find them, but they're not as common to find anymore. Also, not as easy to light as the old ones, when you do find them.

I just bought a pack of a dozen boxes of strike anywhere at the local grocery store at the start of winter.

 

[MossRoad]

...
Dad said all these years and I've been reading the wrong horoscope.

 

[MossRoad]

I've seen the same thing with people buying cases of beer on Fridays at grocery and liquor stores.

Maybe they're stuck in their habits when Sunday sales were prohibited?

I think I've purchased alcohol once on a Sunday since they lifted the ban, and that was last minute gathering that required a bottle of wine. And then, it was 11:50 am and the cashier reminded us we could not purchase alcohol before noon on Sunday. So we stood around looking like a couple of rummies waiting to get our load on for 10 minutes.

Otherwise, it's maybe 2-3 times a year that I'll stock up on some beer. I have maybe 1 bottle a week with pizza.

 

[MossRoad]

I stopped wearing wristwatches when I started carrying a cell phone. One clock is enough.

Don't hardly carry a flashlight anymore either. Cell phone works for most. Same thing with pocket notepad and pen. I can make a note on the cell phone with voice commands and take a picture if I'm so inclined.