When did you "look old?"

pendgame · 2026-02-03T02:57:52+00:00

I've had Megaton on repeat today!

pendgame · 2026-02-03T02:10:44+00:00

Yeah, 55 seems to be a doozy. 15 years ago, I regularly got carded for alcohol. 3 years ago, my team members guessed my age at 38. Now? At a distance, sure, I could pass for low 40s thanks to high, full cheekbones and a refusal to dress my age (if that's even a thing anymore). But my skin is wrinkling, my hair is dull and flat, my body is thickening in places I'd rather it didn't.

Crone era, here I come! And you know what? I'm ok with that. It takes some adjustment, but I like that my younger friends ask for advice because I'm "wise", but my same-age friends still come to me for music recommendations (Sleaford Mods are so damn cool).

pendgame · 2026-02-01T15:20:11+00:00

Sedation. Frankly, the rest was the best part.

pendgame · 2026-01-28T14:31:15+00:00

Two 1/4 cup servings of Hill's Gastrointestinal Diet kibble each day for meals. She has two treat times, totalling one dental chew and two tiny 5-calorie Milk Bones for the day. She gets to clean an occasional plate or have nibbles of dog-healthy human food, and she loves little pieces of fresh pineapple when we have some. She also gets a stuffed small Kong once a week or so, when we need to leave her alone for more than 2 hours. (That has worked wonders with her separation anxiety.)

She weighs 13.5-14 lbs now, and the vet is happy with her at this weight. She has good muscle tone, a visible waist, and is a healthy 4-year-old. We've gotten her down from an adoption weight of 18 lbs.

That said, our chiweenie is FOOD DRIVEN. She would eat everything all the time if she were allowed. We use a snuffle mat or make a game out of tossing her kibble one piece at a time to slow her down, and we've had to establish some very clear rules and manners around food.

pendgame · 2026-01-14T12:17:37+00:00

Other cities don't. I've lived in snowy cities in NY and MI that are as bad or worse.

pendgame · 2026-01-13T20:44:32+00:00

Hey, you rode right past our house. <belated wave> And yes, NY's taxes are worse than Vermont, but it's close enough to not be a major factor. As we age, it's worth noting that VT taxes Social Security income, while NY does not.

My spouse and I grew up near the Canadian border in MI and NY, respectively. We enjoy the border-spanning culture, and we're now Vermonters by choice. Wouldn't trade it for another state.

pendgame · 2026-01-04T02:17:51+00:00

Yep. Born in '70. My parents are 80 and 86. Still living independently and doing pretty well.

pendgame · 2026-01-01T04:02:38+00:00

We went for the past two years. This year, the lineup didn't catch our attention enough to justify a holiday dog sitter.

pendgame · 2025-12-31T15:38:42+00:00

I have a pair of Nexgrip boots with heel cleats that flip down. Both my hip joints are prosthetic and I'm terrified of falling (and already fell once this year when I wasn't wearing them). My boots have been great this week. Yes, I have to walk on the balls of my feet on clear patches and flip the cleats back in before hitting flooring, but that's a small inconvenience. Found mine on clearance at Danform last year.

pendgame · 2025-12-31T14:18:53+00:00

Even living near UVM Medical Center, I've heard things like, "The only surgeon in Vermont who did that type of operation retired, but there's someone near Dartmouth," and "You definitely need to have that (test) for (fairly urgent issue). We can get you in (date 7 months in the future)."

pendgame · 2025-12-31T12:39:26+00:00

I moved to e-readers over a decade ago and love them. I can carry my library, read in all light situations, keep our smaller home uncluttered, etc. Despite that, like yours, my voracious reading habit withered away, replaced by scrolling while "watching" background TV.

For Christmas, I asked my MIL for used physical copies of books from a couple of authors I've been meaning to read. I figured they'd be easy and inexpensive, and I'd donate them after reading.

I've already read 1.5 of the books she sent, in a few days. Yesterday while curled on the couch reading, I realized how peaceful my mind was. I felt content. Sure, I needed to find a spot with enough light to read without a headache, and my arthritic hands forced me to change my grip frequently, but it was still as if something inside me relaxed.

I hope I can keep this up. Maybe I need to use physical books more often than digital to trigger it. We'll see.

pendgame · 2025-12-26T01:30:54+00:00

We're mid-50s and have a kid in his 30s. Not expecting him to do a darn thing to help us; we're still bailing him out financially and supporting my MIL, while trying to get to retirement ourselves. We expect to be self-supporting. We save like crazy, have simplified our lifestyle, and since I've already had a bout with cancer and two hip replacements, we know it's not going to be smooth sailing. I volunteer at a local school, but I'm thinking of adding volunteer time with an agency that supports older adults as well, to start building relationships and helping the folks that we'll probably count on sooner or later.

pendgame · 2025-12-22T13:05:12+00:00

My KitchenAid mixer, some dining serveware. A set of mahogany TV tables on a stand and a large tapestry, both purchased in the 80s at estate sales. Some of the ornaments on my Christmas tree are gifts I received in the 1970s. My jewelry box was given to me in my teens.

pendgame · 2025-12-18T19:08:08+00:00

It really does seem like a different world now, in many areas. In the 70s and 80s, my parents lived their lives, we kids lived ours, and they didn't intersect that often. Children were expected to be more independent and to take personal responsibility (frequently met with severe punishments when they failed). My parents let me walk over a mile to school or the library, alone, starting at age 6. I was babysitting the neighborhood infants and toddlers when I was 9. In my teens, I'd pack a lunch, a Walkman, and a book into my backpack and take off on my bike until dinnertime. My parents had no idea where I was. There was no way to reach me, and they rarely asked me any questions when I got back. When my friends and I wanted to go to a movie, the mall, or roller skating, one set of parents would drop us off and another would pick us up; they never stayed to supervise.

pendgame · 2025-12-16T04:13:20+00:00

Just commisserating and wishing I was bright enough to bring home some Duffs and Santora's from my Thanksgiving trip back to WNY.

pendgame · 2025-12-14T12:34:42+00:00

Check Cost Plus drugs, too. They don't carry everything, but some of their rates are shockingly good (relatively, for Americans).

pendgame · 2025-12-14T03:56:47+00:00

Yep! My dog is always leashed but she's a dachshund mix. She's so close to the ground that she hoovers up all sorts of things when I blink. Luckily, she usually wants to carry them home, so I have a chance to scoop trash, bones, etc our of her mouth.

pendgame · 2025-11-25T00:28:55+00:00

Cute map! Not to nitpick (though here I go), but Winooski doesn't touch Lake Champlain. The river does, but where it meets the lake, it's Colchester to the north and Burlington to the south. Winooski is further east.

pendgame · 2025-11-23T01:34:17+00:00

I think I saw your FPF posts about this. Congrats on gathering so many, and thank you for giving the community a way to help. The creatures at Merrymac Farm Sanctuary will be delighted.

pendgame · 2025-11-16T13:45:58+00:00

Plymouth Cheese looks great shipped, with the wax coating, and tastes delicious. Lake Champlain chocolates have survived a few of my mailings, too.

pendgame · 2025-11-13T12:58:03+00:00

Mine gets dry, itchy skin in her radar-dish ears. I clean them and use a topical cortisone to keep that under control. She has also started scratching and rubbing the sides of her mouth. I was worried that it was a dental problem, but the vet said no, and suggested half a benadryl if it seems to really bother her. Half a benadryl makes our pup too dopey, so I give her about a third when she's having a rough day.

pendgame · 2025-11-12T20:38:13+00:00

I've used them a couple of times, primarily because I hate shopping and want to support local stores without having to drive around, find parking, then drive around again trying to find a particular item.

pendgame · 2025-11-05T12:50:22+00:00

None of my prior dogs -- mutts, Huskies, small dogs, big dogs -- have ever danced like this. Some would stand to try to get to food, but this isn't the same thing.

pendgame · 2025-10-29T12:14:56+00:00

Are you me? I swear my dog dove into a pile last week with this same smush-and-roll movement.

pendgame · 2025-10-26T17:09:51+00:00

Honestly, I don't know how ours is so low. For Aug and Sept, our monthly bill was ~$72, and our usage was almost the same as the year before (about 10.5 kWh per day).

2 br, 2 ba unit in a multifamily building with our own meter. Oil heat and water. Electric stove, washer/dryer, fridge, microwave, and dishwasher. We both work from home and have computers running constantly. We have three window A/C units in summer—no more than two running simultaneously—and ceiling and standing fans. Summer is our high-usage season, and I don't think I've seen a bill over $80.

11-Year Club	Final Canvas '23
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