Baby Boomers

We went over to Sheffield yesterday to visit my elder daughter and see the house she has just (bought) committed herself to a hefty mortgage for. A little over a quarter of a century ago, she was a babe in arms and I had been introduced to the novel concept of being responsible for this new being I had brought into the world.
Now, she is a mature, responsible, confident adult, fully in charge of her life and making 'doctor-speak' comments about my cholestol level and pre-arthritic ankles! It must be a result of my encouraging her to specialise in geriatric care so that she can look after me in my old age!
When I look at young people of her generation, they seem so confident and self-assured, much more so than I was. "Work hard, play hard" is the motto and, indeed in today's culture of working endless hours, they do have to grab the chance to relax when they can. Those who have degrees enter the world of work already committed to paying off their loans before they can even think about taking on mortgages for houses with ever increasing price tags and by the same token, bringing up a family has to be juggled with staying at work in order to pay the bills.
There is a reason for that lifting of the spirits when 60's music is playing! It reminds my generation of our youth - those heady days when going to university or college was possible without having to live at home to lessen the expense. Those of us who needed it, had grants -
not loans, so we were not saddled with huge debts as a result of getting a degree. When the time came to settle down, house prices were usually affordable. Starting a family was usually possible on one person's salary or wages, so mum could at least stay at home for the first few years - as I did, and, looking back, I feel very privileged to have been able to do so.
So do young people now have a better life? I can't help thinking that we were the lucky ones. We were able to enjoy being young without the financial burdens that our children shoulder today. But then, maybe it's a case of 'distance lending enchantment' and I am looking back through rose coloured spectacles. All I know is, pre-arthritic knees or not, I am glad I had my youth when I did!

Birthday

My birthday today. For the past 5 years, I have been training everyone around to avoid all mention of it and I have refused to celebrate it, but you can't stay 21 (50) for ever so I have to bite the bullet and admit that each year I get older - just like everyone else!
Anyway, I've had a very pleasant day, culminating in being taken out to dinner by Keith....oh and being stung by a wasp! Well, it's the first time in all my 56 years, so I guess I've got off lightly till now - but it ain't 'alf sore!

New blog!

Just a brief note to announce the birth of my new blog - my photoblog. Welcome toPhotos at Jennytc. See, it really is addictive and I am obviously past redemption!

Vive les sixties!!!

Keith and have have a new game to play this week. It all started when he got a new mobile phone. Having made fun of my new 3G, all singing/dancing phone, he has now acquired an almost identical one himself. Our first game was the 'Who's phone is best' game and I must confess, I think he has the edge on me there as his is bluetooth and is also a speakerphone. However, mine has more and better ringtones, unless you want to spend £4 a time downloading them off the internet.
So, being a bit of a computer whiz, Keith decided he would convert one of his MP3's into a ringtone.
So, onto our new game. It's like this:
1.Keith spends most of the evening on the computer playing or downloading possible contestants for the honour of being the ringtone on his phone
2.The music he downloads is from the golden sixties era (Nothing decent has seen the light of day since then, with the possible exception of Abba and Mike Oldfield, as I'm sure you'll agree).
3. I have to guess the title and the group or singer within the first few notes - which I usually do!
4. No prizes for me, unfortunately, and Keith still hasn't decided on a ringtone.
Personally, I'd go for Lulu's piece de resistance, "Shout'" In fact, I might have that one for my phone!

Tearing my hair out!

Having noticed the smart scrollers on Dale's and Magz's blogs, by courtesy of Gemmak, I decided I would like one too, but, being the independent, stubborn creature that I am, I wanted it to be a learning experience - I wanted to do it myself! So I started.....at 7 o'clock....and finished.......at 11o'clock BUT I did it!
In fact, I did it within the first 10 minutes but the wretched thing just showed as an empty white box, so I thought I must have done something wrong - hence, another 3 hours and 50 minutes of fiddling, doing, previewing, undoing, redoing and copious sighs, ranting and swearing.
But what a great feeling of achievement when I discovered I had done it...followed by total disbelief that I had wasted all that extra time unnecessarily. (How many books could I have read?) I still don't know what the problem was, but it works and that's the main thing....I think!
You know what they say: A man who never made a mistake never made anything. I suppose that goes for women too????

Another joke

Another joke from my friend T.K. - internet related:

Subject: Fw: How the Internet Began


>Subject: How the Internet Began
>
> >In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham
>Com
> >did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot.
> >
> >And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg.
>Indeed,
> >she
> >had been called 'Amazon Dot Com.'
> >
> >And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why doth thou travel far from
>town
> >to
> >town with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?"
> >
> >And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short
>of
> >a
> >camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"
> >And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in
>between
> >to
> >send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling
>you
> >which hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and
> >delivery
> >made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."
> >
> >Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the
> >drums.
> >And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all
>the
> >goods he had at the top price, without ever moving from his tent.
> >
> >But this success did arouse envy. A man named Maccabia did secrete
>himself
> >inside Abraham's drum and was accused of insider trading. And the young
>man
> >did
> >take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung.
> >They
> >were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for
> >short.
> >
> >And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the
> >deafening
> >sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to the
> >drum
> >maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in
> >the
> >land. And indeed did insist on making drums that would work only with
> >Brother
> >Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.
> >
> >And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over
>by
> >others."
> >
> >And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be
> >known
> >"eBay" he said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."
> >
> >And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."
> >
> >"YAHOO," said Abraham.
> >
> >And that is how it all began. It wasn't Al Gore after all.
So now you know!!

London Underground

Whilst I have visited London briefly a few times in my life, I must confess it would take a lot to persuade me to go there these days. But you don't need to go anywhere near the metropolis to appreciate this little gem!. If you travel on public transport anywhere in the country, this will strike a cord. Enjoy!