You Know You Are Old When

[jjeff]

I Said it before but worth repeating in this thread, in my lifetime I witnessed the passing of the last Spanish American war vet, the last WW1 vet and questionable activities aside I'll be around for the last WW2 vet, Korean war vet and if I'm super careful the last Vietnam war vet. A much wiser person than me once compared growing old to waves approaching shore when it finally hits shore that gen or person is no longer with us. my wave and most in my generations waves still moving albeit every year closer far from shore.

 

[BnRidge]

Weird! GE had a working toaster by 1909... you'd think someone would want an outlet for that, alone!

The venerable KitchenAid mixer that everyone's mother owned was on the market by 1919, and the first electric clothes iron beat that by almost 40 years (1882), although they weren't really popular or commonly found until the 1920's.

The older part of my house (1770's addition) was originally wired in two large circuits that covered the whole house. Most of our lighting and living room outlets still run on one of those ancient 15A circuits, which forever frustrates my wife, given most modern clothes irons draw nearly 12A on their own.

There also was the house in town built in 1923 which had all of that, multiple circuits for lighting and appliances. They didn't get electric in the farmhouse until 1942. Any plugins there would have been using an adapter in a light socket with a cord strung from the ceiling. They did have appliances, like a toaster, but no convenient outlets to run them.
The outbuildings like the barns only had 3 light bulbs downstairs, hayloft 1, all other buildings none. There is a box full of those screw in adapters somewhere. This was just post depression, so maybe money was a little tight.

 

[ultrarunner]

Seen many older homes with single bulb bathroom light over the sink and the light fixture also had the only outlet.

 

[newbury]

Seen many older homes with single bulb bathroom light over the sink and the light fixture also had the only outlet.

That's my house situation for 2 bathrooms in my house that was built circa 1967.. The other two baths have an outlet plus the light.

 

[jjeff]

So caught on the Early morning news today cuz I now Wake up every morning at 5 am or earlier another , sign of getting old perhaps? Anyways a museum in Colorado has an exhibit on the 1990s I was a teen and early 20s back then. I guess my wave analogy I mentioned in earlier post is getting closer to shore. Lol. Surprisingly or not Im familiar and remember using or experiencing everything in there 1990s museum exhibit. http://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/the-90s
also doesn't help the kids continually remind my wife and I were born in the 1900s.

 

[LouNY]

So caught on the Early morning news today cuz I now Wake up every morning at 5 am or earlier another , sign of getting old perhaps? Anyways a museum in Colorado has an exhibit on the 1990s I was a teen and early 20s back then. I guess my wave analogy I mentioned in earlier post is getting closer to shore. Lol. Surprisingly or not Im familiar and remember using or experiencing everything in there 1990s museum exhibit. http://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/the-90s
also doesn't help the kids continually remind my wife and I were born in the 1900s.

My kids were all born in the 1900's.

 

[WinterDeere]

...1990s museum exhibit. http://www.historycolorado.org/exhibit/the-90s

That's pretty cool! And also a little depressing. Those were my college and early working years.

also doesn't help the kids continually remind my wife and I were born in the 1900s.

My daughter likes to really drive the nail home by calling my childhood "the olden days." I don't think she distinguishes between my youth in the 1970's - 1990's, from my parents in the 1940's and 50's, or my grandparents in the 1910's - 30's.

 

[MossRoad]

Seen many older homes with single bulb bathroom light over the sink and the light fixture also had the only outlet.

And no ground prong...

 

[Runner]

Related to this subject: You may be old if you've never used a computer.

In about 2010 I was tasked with filling a position for a Registered Engineer. I had the perfect candidate, P.E., had practiced for 50 years, ran his own firm, wanted the job to keep busy in retirement. The gentleman was 90 years old, but sharp as a tack and I'll be damned if I'm going to discriminate. You're hired.

I forgot one thing in the interview - I didn't ask about his computer skills. He had never used a computer in his life, so "orientation" included learning how to run a computer from the ground up.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Related to this subject: You may be old if you've never used a computer.

In about 2010 I was tasked with filling a position for a Registered Engineer. I had the perfect candidate, P.E., had practiced for 50 years, ran his own firm, wanted the job to keep busy in retirement. The gentleman was 90 years old, but sharp as a tack and I'll be damned if I'm going to discriminate. You're hired.

I forgot one thing in the interview - I didn't ask about his computer skills. He had never used a computer in his life, so "orientation" included learning how to run a computer from the ground up.

My 83-year-old father has never used a computer. He used to use word processors but that's as far as he progressed. He had WebTV while it was around but after that he threw in the towel. He never could get the hang of a mouse.