Well, today I'm feeling kinda grumpy about being "fifty plus".

The very nice young lady who often waits on me at McDonalds rang up my Coke today and said "That will be fifty cents". I said "Isn't it supposed to be a dollar?" She replied, Well, you get the "Senior Citizen" drink price".

Gosh...who wants to be referred to as a "Senior Citizen" by an attractive young lady?


And, one other "blow" to my plans for aging gracefully. I thought that the ONE good thing that might come out of spending 1969 in Viet-Nam with the 1st Air Cav, and 1970 with the 9th Infantry MIGHT be that I could rely on the Army's promise of "free medical care" in my old age.

The guys who were well-informed on the "benefits" of being in Viet-Nam would say "Well, it ain't fun getting shot at for $370 a month, but when you are old, you are guaranteed great medical care...don't cost a thing".

To fund its "tax cut plan" the Bush administration is changing the rules for WHICH vets get "free" medical care, which vets get SOME medical care, and which vets get NO medical care through the VA system.

Someone once said that "Old age is a shipwreck". I'm beginning to see a leak in the boat already.

I am in the bottom-of-the-barrel category 8 in the VA health care plan. Does this mean I'm about to start having to pay cubic dollars for my health care?

My wife jokes that we used to close down bars, now we close down pharmacies......

When I was first married my wife used to rub my muscles. Now she rubs my belly and bald head.

You know, it's been a while since a pretty girl whistled at me.
I guess my goal now is to be a lecherous wolf at a retirement home.

My favourite Rodney Dangerfield joke was that he was stiff everywhere except where he wanted to be.

well, as far as the pretty young lady....that's just a blow to your ego , sorry (lol) ......
but seriously ,the Bush administration, with their policies towards vets, that's just criminal
Marge

I felt insulted when the young box office clerk asked if my wife and I qualified for the seniors' admission price, until I noticed that UltraStar Cinema sets the senior threshold at a mere 55 years.

Pretty girls used to whistle at you?

Never happened to me!

If you are not on the agent orange registry get signed up. If you have any of the related problems get on VA disability. Puts you in a different catagory. Find info at www.va.gov/agentorange/.

That senior citizen discount can be a blessing. Non supersized meals at reduced prices can help keep the weight down. Motel bills are much less. I earned them and I will use them.

The best part is when you are almost finished with a century and the young clerk in the convenience store is amazed at your abilities. Just enjoy the rides. Look at all the other grey hairs out there with you. We have learned to enjoy life.
Phil Vietnam '66-'67

Tell me about it 67-68 with the 173rd Abn Bde. I spend several weeks in the Miama FL va Hospital when I came back. I now throw freight around for FedEx to get my health Care Benies.

You must learn to count your blessings. We had a friend and neighbor who was out riding his bike who dropped dead of a heart attack at the ripe old age of 48. He was a avid bicyclist and in great shape but heart problems ran in his family and he waited to long to do anything about it.

I love being 53, I love the looks I get when I'm on my bike and love to stomp the young kids when I can. I'm in better shape now then when I was 25 and looking forward to retirement and senior discounts where I can save some extra money. I go to the gym and can out do just about every woman in there and my husband is darn proud of me, so that makes me feel great. Older age -- bring it on, I will stomp that too!

Try living in a college town - I've been a college professor since I was 27, for a few years I could pass as a student, but somewhere along the line (35 or so) that didn't happen anymore, I think I got my first senior citizen discount that year. They aren't singling you out - the average 18 year old thinks that everyone over 35 looks like a senior citizen - and they think that everyone over 40 IS a senior citizen. Personally, I'll just enjoy the discount.

I'm 55. I knew I was "old" when the 25-year-old women stopped looking at me, oh..a few years back. Alas, there's nothing for it. Somewhere in my 40's my body began to creak and kink. The creaking is only getting louder...

I got stopped by the police recently for riding in our paddock without my nicks on. I told him that it was my wife's idea. "you see officer, last week I rode with no shirt and got a stiff neck". bwaaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaaa

This is a true story...
I was driving my car home from work in my early 40's and stopped at a traffic light only to admire this beautifully, lean, sculpted body, dressed in spandex, sitting on a road bike. I nudged my car forward to catch a glimpse of this amazing athlete's face. He was in his 70's, maybe even his eighties. Wow! I hope I look that good if I am still alive! I went home and told my husband. Me and my hubby are in our 50s now and still riding and I hope that lean machine is still going too.

Disadvantage of being 50+. I hope I don’t get this thread confused with being married. Well, my gray hair thinned out, I look a lot older than I am. Out of 300 + employees at work I think I am the oldest one and to top that I am the only one that commutes. I am serious thinking of a recumbent for reasons only a mature experienced cyclist would think of. Come to think of it, I have more advantages of being 50+ than ever before now.
That is a whole different thread.

"The worst thing about being old is remembering when you were young."

From - "The Straight Story" film

The worst thing was when all the young women started calling me "Sir"

...the plus side (btw, Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 68') is that I've talked to more chicks than on my tricked out SR Fixie than I ever did in a car....it's gone from hi & hello to actual discussions here at the local University. They think I'm some kind of "dude"! Go For It and rise safely.

I don't know:

1. It was an accidental press of the "s" key instead of the "d" key?

2. It has a meaning that is completely innocent, but escapes me?

3. One of the cleverest double-entendre posts I've seen in a LONG time?

(all at once!!!)

what's worse is when the cute, young male "eye candy" (as my sister so aptly puts it), call you ma'm--if they talk to you at all. . .!

My wife says I'm still pretty good looking too--but only when I hide her glasses.

The worst thing is being able to afford a nice road bike, and having the time to exercise,so I drop all the kids. Well almost all. Mainly the ones that challenge me when I'm just cruising along.

Wait.......did you say DIS advantage?

We should all be very upset over that. Here's some info that I recently read that makes it even worse.

American veterans can take recourse to the same solution for their plight. The Bush administration plans to cut veterans' benefits by $28 billion over the next 10 years. Democrats claim the cuts could cause half of all veterans to lose their only source of medical care and could even prevent them from receiving their disability pensions.

Not to worry. All the 6 million poor and disabled Americans need to do is acquire Mexican citizenship and re-cross the border as illegal aliens. Once Americans acquire the status of illegal aliens, their medical care is provided free without even a co-pay.

Not to worry, veterans who defended your country, just become Mexican illegals, and you will be cared for.

New to forum. I was also with the 1st Cav in 69/70. Echo 2/5 Ta Nihn, Cambodia grunt. Where and who were you. Also thanks for the VA info. Sounds like I need to do some research.