Now you are getting older - what don't you do?

[DrRod]

But there was one firm rule. If you mentioned anything medical, ailments or pain or even a head cold, you were out of the group.

I can relate to this. Every meal with my mother, brother, and family was a constant "casualty report" of their ailments. I started calling it the "organ recital" -- didn't help much but it is funny.

 

[two_bit_score]

Well, for the first six months or so it was great. I was free of the system and I had a cedar home to build here on the property. Then I got bored and finally decided that I better start doing projects around the property. I don't travel, I don't drink - much - so it had to be projects. I've kept fairly busy with my projects - riding motorcycles and maintaining everything around here on the 80. Living out here in the boondocks and maintaining everything takes a whole lot more time than I ever envisioned.

I read a lot - spend my fair share of time on the internet and spend an unGodly amount of time trying to find something worth watching on the TV.

It really wasn't intended to be this way. My wife passed away ten years ago. We had plans to travel around the country and see the sights. It's just not that important to me anymore. But doing everything myself takes me a lot of time. I quickly learned how valuable a lifelong partner had been.

But I'm doing fine and still enjoy life out here. Still able to keep mind and body occupied.

That’s the most important thing. You don’t want to turn into an old curmudgeon.



TBS

 

[Jstpssng]

Hear.
At least not as well as I used to. Background noises render my ears useless, which is a real PITA when some equipment operator doesn't want to shut his machine off so that I can talk to him. (It doesn't take them long to figure that out, either.) Last fall when I took my pigs to the slaughterhouse they had a HS girl filling out my order who wouldn't speak much over a whisper; she was in the office, while I stood in the retail room with multiple coolers and freezers running in the background.
You would think after about the twelfth time that I asked her to repeat herself she would speak up; or that somebody else in the room would do something. The order came out ok, but not really what I had asked/paid for.

 

[Doofy]

Definitely, vision and hearing are in decline. No fun at all.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I was watching a YouTube Video about Nam era Helicopter Door Gunners. The medical tests were stringent, including hearing accuity. But I noticed no sign of hearing protection in training. I wonder if any of those surviving soldiers can hear today.

 

[Doofy]

I was watching a YouTube Video about Nam era Helicopter Door Gunners. The medical tests were stringent, including hearing accuity. But I noticed no sign of hearing protection in training. I wonder if any of those surviving soldiers can hear today.

Probably. I worked on KC-130s from '72-'76 and were never made to wear hearing protection.

 

[oosik]

IT - before we left AK in '82 - I made friends with a Vietnam vet. He was a crew member on a helicopter gun ship. I think that meant he fired one of those rotary cannons or some type of machine gun. He DID NOT like talking about his time in Vietnam.

He DID have hearing loss. I only assume his time in Nam didn't help the situation. His loss was specifically in the lower tone areas - like speech.

He partially was able to read lips also. So when you talked to him - you looked straight at him. If you wanted to talk to him - I would say in a rather loud voice - "Ron". He would turn and we could communicate.

I do think that a lot of the crew on those gun ships did wear head sets. Maybe he didn't.

I've ridden in two helicopters. One nifty French jet jobbie. The other looked like a bent hot dog with a rotor blade on each end. This one was used to transport those stationed at the Goose Bay missile site( Battery C ) between the site and Anchorage. A distance of about ten air miles.

It was so very loud, it made your teeth vibrate. But it was either a 12 minute air ride or a 65 mile road trip. I worked for Fish & Game and made this trip several times when I was station at an ADF&G station on a nearby creek. I can see how you could easily get hearing loss in one of those things. They called it the "Flying Banana".

 

[Industrial Toys]

The show I saw, only had M60s suspended from the aircraft ceiling by a bunjie cord. Quite primitive. No GE, miniguns bringing "good things to life" yet!

Hollywood never gives any indication of the real sound levels of common weapons.

Never been on a chopper in my life. Most primitive noisy thing was an Air Canada Vangard, Montreal to Toronto, as DC 8/9 service was unavailable.

 

[Diggin It]

Sleep.

Getting to sleep.

Staying asleep.


Not working out so well no more.

 

[oosik]

Right Diggin it. Many years ago I gave up trying to get eight straight hours of sleep or six. Now - it's two or three here and again later in the day. I might even be able to get four if I go to bed around 11 or 12 pm. It's the pits. Around 2pm I get sleepy and need a nap.

So I go on a day long road trip. I better figure on a nap around 2pm or I might doze off at the wheel.