I guess old age is catching me

In my youth I was known for having an explosive temper. It took a bit to get me lit up but when I did it wasn't pretty. My soon-to-be wife and mother-in-law watched me twist the hood off of a 1970 Mach I Mustang and leave it in their yard for several days. Needless to say my soon-to-be MIL thought I was crazy and her daughter had no sense marrying me. That was 43 years ago and we are still happily married and best friends. My In-laws got over their initial impressions and I have always been on great terms with them.

This morning I had to take care of some business at our county courthouse. It is an old-time court square with parking on both sides of the 4 one-way streets. I pulled into a parking space that was laid off for something slightly larger than a motorcycle. The vehicle on my right side was hugging the line so I got slightly over to the left to give them room, a courtesy I try to do at all parking situations. I was well within the lines of my space.

I went inside and got my business done, feeling pretty good. I came out to find a pick-up had parked on my driver's side, inside MY LINES!! My mirror was no more than one inch away from the side of the other truck. It was 24 degrees and I knew I was just going to be a couple of minutes so I had left my jacket in the truck and I had locked my keys inside like always. I never take the keys out. They are above the visor and I always use my key-pad on the door to open it.

I look at the situation and think how in the world am I going to get into my truck? I'm 6'2" and 300 pounds. The distance between the trucks is no more than a foot. The key-pad is between the trucks. I'm starting to feel that old blood pressure spike that used to have an effect on my sanity. I'm going to wait this person out and let them know what an idiot I think they are. Heck, I may just climb up on their hood and stand there till they come out to get in. All those old thoughts of raining misery down on this person who has so inconvenienced me with their inconsiderate parking came rushing in.

From somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain, the thought came to me to just make the best of it and try to get the truck open and get out of there before something was said or done I would be sorry for. I squeezed my big butt between the trucks and reached as far as I could but was able to type in my code to open all the doors. The back of my shirt wiped the side of the other truck. It was probably the cleanest it had been in years.

OK, now the doors are unlocked but I still had a considerable problem. My truck is an F-150 FX4. That means I have bucket seats with a tall console with the shifter in the console. I go around to the passenger side of the truck, lay my paperwork in the floorboard, and try to imagine the un-natural positions I'm going to have to use to get inside the truck and over that console to the driver's seat. I might as well start by getting into the passenger seat. Once I got there I had to bend my recently replaced left knee up and over the console. Once there, I managed to get my soon to be replaced right knee and leg up and over. The rest of me slid over without much bone crunching.

I sat there hoping that nobody saw and filmed what had just transpired. By now my blood pressure was down a couple of hundred points and I just got the keys, started the truck and backed out into the street---thinking of all the nasty things I probably would have inflicted on the person who had parked so close in my earlier days.

Getting old is a pain!! It also has the ability to help me make better decisions than in my youth.

I drove off.

I feel you buddy. I to have a bad temper and I have noticed the older I get the better I handle it. It's best to let it go but that redneck blood just comes out sometimes. You done good my friend

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They were begging to not have windows. I am a bit like you with the temper situation. I tend to believe the ways of the old west was not wrong. When someone NEEDS shooting you shoot them. Problem solved for the next guy in this persons path. :dono You handled the situation well. Good job.

WOW! Are we related somehow??? LOL! At 73 my tolerance for stupid is decreasing most exponentially. And my wife (married 47 years) knows it. If she saw that situation, she'd probably go into the establishment and call the cops BEFORE I exploded! LOL. Yeah, no one ever told me that getting old was going to be fun. But I'd like to get my hands on the dude that said these were suppose to be our Golden Years!" :biggrin

Well done! I’ve always had that temper, I just never had the body to back it up (5’8” 150 lbs). In other words, my mouth wrote checks that my body couldn’t cash!

Thanks for the laugh. Watching you climb into your truck was the funniest thing I'd seen all year. I'll post the video later. [emoji23]

I know your pain, and have had both knees replaced. You handled it better than me. I may have accidentally fallen between the trucks and flattened a tire while trying to get up.


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You should of drove to the shop and captured one of them rattlesnakes went back and put it in that vehicle. Then sit across the street and take a video of it.

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Originally Posted by wilbur

You should of drove to the shop and captured one of them rattlesnakes went back and put it in that vehicle. Then sit across the street and take a video of it.

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Attachment 284753

Like this?

One I just mounted but haven’t done finish paint.



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You did the right thing though. I hope your tongue isn't too sore from biting it. It's really hard not to wait until they come out and say something smart or sarcastic. Like its really going to help make their behavior change or you feel any better about it. Better off chalking it up to recessive genes. Some people just can't help the way they are, its in their blood.

Wise decision sir. Back when we were younger you could dust each other off then part ways win or loose and learn something from either. Now days you run up on one of them uppity types that prefers his "safe space" over a good "teachable moment" and you'll be paying the rest of your life for the emotional distress you caused him by challenging his entitlement.

Sadly, things can escalate quickly and poor judgment in a heated moment can be life changing. You are better for taking the higher road...

You did the right thing. I have a very very bad temper. And when I get stressed it even gets worse. I have someone do me that way one time. After getting through riding my name and phone number on the side of their vehicle i crawled in mine and left.


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Sadly, you did the right thing. But, there is no law against dreaming about all of the funs ways to which you would have liked to handle the situation.



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You did the right thing. If it helps any just make believe it was just a little blue haired lady on a cane that only could see out of one eye very well. Just trying to cheer you up my friend.

The test of a man is not how he acts when things are going his way, but how he reacts when they don't.

mrdux ---- how did you get that snake that was chopped in a hundred pieces put back to look real

I gotta feeling me and you are kin. Some people fight the urge to carry a pistol. I fight the urge to carry a valve stem remover.

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Mrdux you done good. I worked in the prison system over 25 yrs and I to have a temper but after getting older I have learned to kinda turn the other check , I don't have much patience for stupid nor can you fix stupid. The mount looks good but when I paged down through the post and saw that thang my dadgum skin started to crawl. Im scared to death of a snake only good snake is a dead one. :bash

You did the right thing my friend. Stupid people like the one who parked so close to your F-150 are the ones who escalate such confrontations into shooting. I know in my younger days, I do would have waited on that individual and confronted him....but now 72 years later, I would have tried to get in my truck like you did or waited until the stupid person drove off. I also would have taken a photo of his truck over the line , not letting me have enough room to get into my truck and filed a formal complaint with the local police.

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Parking lots are a nightmare , when I was about 17 I had a nice 1957 Chevy pick up I truly loved . I spent a year doing body work on her to get her perfect . We put a heat orange paint job on it that was like glass . One day I had to hit the trusty Gibson’s for some fishing tackle items and made sure when I parked it I was about a mile from the store in the flat out way out there open area away from any vehicles by forever .
When I came out to get in it someone had parked inches from my driver door ! I contemplated waiting for the driver of the vehicle to give them what would have been a fight starting verbal thrashing . My ding dong young attitude made me wait them out .....along comes a mom with about 4 kids and I started the truck and drove off as they approached biting my lip.
Of course many other times I didn’t and today I am considerably cooler than back when , but I feel your pain brother .
parking lots ain’t fun ,a lady bumped into my wife’s car while my wife was watching last year and my wife gets really tight about her little red Honda and she isn’t near as nice as me and she confronted her and the lady denied hitting the bumper , it didn’t harm the cars but it was the principle of it that was astonishing, the lady backed up after she bumped the car so it wasn’t like she didn’t know she did it ....
Good on you sir for keeping your cool it always easy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35K4SRK2LIg

Proud of you Doug. Thanks for letting it out and sharing online instead of on someone's head! lol

All of us older folks grew up in a different time,most everybody had some respect,those that didn't could be confronted physically,once it was over ,it was over.Nowdays,a physical confrontation will land you in leagal trouble,costing more than it's worth.Ive said it more than once,if folks were still allowed to lay hands on the offender,there would be a lot less offending.
I thank My God above,I've mellowed over the years,( my broken down body wouldn't last long enough to finish the job )My last episode was with a man 20 years my junior,he huffed and he puffed,and flexed his flexes,but something about my walking right at him without blinking made him suddenly wiser ( I'm probably pretty thankful ), either way,he showed back up at my house three days later,shook my hand and apologized.
I was a bit astonished,and confused that this big bruiser not only backed down,but returned with his hat in his hand.A few days later,a buddy of mine called me and said he heard the fellow talking about how he was gonna come back and manhandle me.My buddy has known me for thirty years,he told the bruiser,he had better make things right,because escaping my wrath once was his lucky day,it wasn't going to happen the second time.............I think I might owe my buddy a steak :biggrin

Good job Mrdux. I too have a temper but at 68 next week, I have mellowed a good bit. I too,like ER was 5'8" and 150# for most of my life, but I spent a lot of time and money learning to take care of myself. I am too out of shape to be in a long fight so they will have to be taken out quick. I have been lucky enough not to run in to some one that was more prepared than I was.
Now days I try to take the more diplomatic approach.

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Originally Posted by Osnola

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35K4SRK2LIg

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That is my second biggest pet peeve, first is watching someone park in a handicap parking spot that aint handicapped. My dad came across the exact situation at the mall during Thanksgiving. He wasn't able to squeeze in beside him, but, well lets just say red lipstick looks real good on white paint.

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Probably a local Gil netter!!!!!!

Wisdom comes with age. I know that it is hard sometimes for us to turn the other cheek but it is better if we do. Times have changed since we were younger. Back in the day confrontation was acceptable in these situations. Today things are different. You did good.

Proud of you Doug. I too am at the point in life where I can write a lot of checks that are from an almost bankrupt account. I take a lot of static walking the other way, but that doesn't mean I'm not shaking sometimes from the old me that won't let go.

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Originally Posted by Nutbush

That is my second biggest pet peeve, first is watching someone park in a handicap parking spot that aint handicapped. My dad came across the exact situation at the mall during Thanksgiving. He wasn't able to squeeze in beside him, but, well lets just say red lipstick looks real good on white paint.

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How do you tell if someone is or isn't handicapped?? I have a handicap tag, but never use it because I don't look handicapped. I have an artificial aorta, a pig valve and a double by-pass all at the same time and unless I don't have a shirt on there's NO VISIBLE sign that I'm handicapped.
By the way, I don't even think of myself as handicapped, I think of myself as BLESSED that the good Lord sent me to a great cardio-surgeon.

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Originally Posted by wannabe fisherman

How do you tell if someone is or isn't handicapped?? I have a handicap tag, but never use it because I don't look handicapped. I have an artificial aorta, a pig valve and a double by-pass all at the same time and unless I don't have a shirt on there's NO VISIBLE sign that I'm handicapped.
By the way, I don't even think of myself as handicapped, I think of myself as BLESSED that the good Lord sent me to a great cardio-surgeon.

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Well, I work with a guy that has a handicapped sticker. No idea how he got it, but he aint handicapped. And, if they don't have a handicapped plate then they don't need to park there. Same goes with those wheelchairs at Walmarts. Most of the time I see folks in them that are just too big and lazy to walk.

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Originally Posted by Nutbush

Well, I work with a guy that has a handicapped sticker. No idea how he got it, but he aint handicapped. And, if they don't have a handicapped plate then they don't need to park there. Same goes with those wheelchairs at Walmarts. Most of the time I see folks in them that are just too big and lazy to walk.

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agreed ever notice how many people ride them out to the parking lot and wonder how they got in the store without it? Sometimes I want to ask them why they're leaving it in the parking lot when someone else IN the store might really need it.
the problem with tags is you never know if it belongs to the person driving the car, I know if I hang my tag on my rear view mirror and jump out of my car I get looked at kind of funny for the simple reason I don't LOOK handicapped and there are a lot of others like me.
The rub is that a LOT of people use their grandma's car because it has a tag and they're the ones that need to be chastised for doing it.

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Originally Posted by wannabe fisherman

agreed ever notice how many people ride them out to the parking lot and wonder how they got in the store without it? Sometimes I want to ask them why they're leaving it in the parking lot when someone else IN the store might really need it.
the problem with tags is you never know if it belongs to the person driving the car, I know if I hang my tag on my rear view mirror and jump out of my car I get looked at kind of funny for the simple reason I don't LOOK handicapped and there are a lot of others like me.
The rub is that a LOT of people use their grandma's car because it has a tag and they're the ones that need to be chastised for doing it.

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And another thing, my grandma who has had both knees replaced, and both hips replaced, and in her 70's can't get the welfare check because she makes about $20 too much on her social security. But, my sister who has had 4 kids, 3 put up for adoption, and can't make her hold down a job, and my cousin who is just flat out too lazy to work, they both get all of the gubment assistance there is. Ok I'm don't venting :peacesmile I guess I might have hijacked this post enough.

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Originally Posted by Nutbush

And another thing, my grandma who has had both knees replaced, and both hips replaced, and in her 70's can't get the welfare check because she makes about $20 too much on her social security. But, my sister who has had 4 kids, 3 put up for adoption, and can't make her hold down a job, and my cousin who is just flat out too lazy to work, they both get all of the gubment assistance there is. Ok I'm don't venting :peacesmile I guess I might have hijacked this post enough.

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Yeah I think both of us have [emoji2]

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Ain't bothering me guys. Go for it.

I have a handicap permit. Due to an auto accident I am legally mentally disabled. I have had 3 heart attacks and living on 25% heart. You cant tell when you see me but I meet the requirements from 2 angles. You never know by looking.

It's not really hijacking the thread,as it seems to roil folks to anger.I learned a very valuable life lesson,when it comes to judging the disabled,and it might be wise for all of us to be careful.I became disabled due to a back injury,( 4 surgeries )I cannot walk on hard floors,or pavement without severe pain.I refuse to use my sticker ,and I never park up front,I struggle to make it to the benches in wallyworld,often I'm so humped over,I can hardly walk,but I have never used a motorized cart
Yes there are folks that abuse the system,and there are many who suffer and some of us are even embarrassed about not being able to work.I still have to tamp down my thoughts on who is and who isn't,but it's gotten a whole lot easier now that I'm one of the folks that get the stink eye,lesson learned.:Doh:

My wife's Grandmother had severe health problems in late life and got a handicap placard for the mirror of my Mother-in-Law's car when they had to go to the Dr and such. Once when we were going to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville and I was driving MIL's car into a stack-up parking garage, MIL said just pull into the nearest handicap parking spot and I'll use the placard. None of us in the car were handicapped. I told her then and there that I thought it was sorry as H$$$ that she would even think of doing that. She didn't like it but there was no room for doubt where my Wife and I stood on that issue. I dropped them off at the next elevator and found a parking place with no restrictions.



I despise people who misuse the placards but one never knows why they have one. I just hate to see some 20something jump out of a car with one and run to the door of a store.

Those placards are just like other things. The people that really need/ deserve them are too proud and independent to use them.