8 Adult Things I Do

I have a mammogram every other year
Post menopause, and past having kids, I hope, I still go regularly for my pap smears and mammogram, but now, I do them every couple of years (as recommended). Believe me, Ladies, this is not something you should skip, ever.

I go to bed early
As in, I mean, by 10:30 pm every night. Nothing to do with a pandemic and everything being closed, and more to do with a change in life-style choices and, as I’m not as young as I once was, I no longer want to go out late at night. Doesn’t matter if I’m reading a good book, I’m in bed by 10:30.

 

Tax returns are a breeze
No, really. After doing them for, well, too many decades, it’s become almost rote. And, after all, now you can upload software, go through it step by step, and, of course being semi-retired, it really is easier to do at this age than in years gone by. Thank god for getting older.

I have savings
Yes, thank you pandemic. I no longer go outside, or shop (even online) so guess what? That every day latte, or lunch out money is now resting in a high interest savings account and accruing me enough for, I hope, another holiday in Europe. Or, at the very least, a small nest egg and financial buffer for future things to come.

My bank is a Co-op
Yes, I own part of my own bank. Well, I’m a paid up member and can buy shares, if I want. I can even participate in elections for said bank. The advantages are numerous with this arrangement, but also, like any bank, it can have its downside. Usually fees.

I’m old enough to not give a fuck
Yep, you bet I no longer give a nickel what most strangers think. I’m living my own life, my way without hurting anyone else. And if how I live my life offends you in any way, then you’re the problem not me.

I haggle
And you should too. Being my age though probably has its advantages. When I bought the new bed I haggled with the salesman about pricing and then, got quite a substantial discount. I think I wore him down and he just wanted to get rid of me. I did the same thing buying a series of carpets. I was buying several for the new apartment, so yes, I wanted to get the best price possible.

And yes, I complain
If I’m paying for something, I have a certain set of expectations, especially with equipment like white goods for the house. And if they fail to meet expectations—like not lasting past 3 years for example—you bet I’ll complain and demand to know why or ask for a replacement.

And you, do you Adult with the best of them?

TV Shows: High Potential

High Potential, Season 1 (2025) ★★★★☆

I finished watching this show last night with the last episode full of cliffhangers that were both a little exasperating (I mean, haven’t we moved past silly cliffhangers by now?) and comforting in knowing that, hopefully, this means we’re in for a season two.

All that to say I thoroughly enjoyed this quirky series. While a police procedural at it’s core, the twist is Kaitlin Olson playing Morgan Gillory, has an unconventional knack for solving crime, because she has HPI. Basically, she has a high IQ and retains everything.

Great fun, go check it now.

The Simple Life

I try to keep my life simple and, for the most part, it works. I have my routines that, if not followed, end up leaving me out of sorts and yes, even grumpy sometimes. And no, that’s nothing to do with my no longer drinking coffee—something I had to do cold turkey on orders of my doctor. You wouldn’t have liked me during those first few days/weeks … oh boy, no.

But where was I? Oh, yes, routines. I get up at roughly the same time every morning, 7:45, when my iWatch quietly chimes at me. And yes, it’s enough to wake me. Most morning I step in the shower even before I brush my teeth. It’s the one thing guaranteed to wake me up. I have something of a leisurely breakfast compared to most, including the OH, who never allows enough time to get themselves organised before heading out the door for work.

Continue reading

My Nomenclature Habit

I don’t know about you, but I have a terrible habit. One I’ve had since I was knee high to the proverbial grasshopper. I name things. And who doesn’t, right?

I mean, I name just about everything. What started with teddy bears and the like, moved to other things growing up till I hit adulthood and then? It moved from favourite childhood toys to grown-ups toys, namely, phones, fridges, cars. You know what I mean. Go on, you do it too, don’t blush. We all do it to a certain extent.

Phones have become the most inventive of the nomenclature I’ve started and has been wildly fun over the years. What started simply as Mister Beep, my first phone, moved swiftly to Noisy Parker, and then, my first flip phone—and oh how I loved that Nokia phone and that feeling I had just arrived on the set of Star Trek!

Continue reading

You’ve Got Mail

Last summer I read Veronique’s post, Just A Small Town Girl, and smiled as I always do at her lovely doodles. But there was one that thing caught my eye and brought a lump to my throat. It featured a hand drawn stamp and the words, Post Air Mail. Then it hit me. I hadn’t read any mail from anyone (not including the odd birthday or Christmas card) not since my mum passed back in 1999.

This realisation sent a shiver down my spine not just because that was over 20 years ago, but because it was the last handwritten letter I ever got … from a dead woman; my mother.

Continue reading

Duh!

Don’t you just love that awkward feeling when you stop and ask Siri what the temperature is outside and then, realise with dismay that, you’re in the kitchen and Siri is in the bedroom …

Book Review: Dead Stop

DEAD STOP
Author: Barbara Nickless
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 9781503943384
Genre: Murder Mystery

DEAD STOP by Barbara Nickless is one hell of a twisted read full of taut drama, nail-biting tension, with a compelling plot that utterly blindsided me. But what sets this book apart from other murder-mysteries I’ve read of late is, Sydney Rose Parnell is the kind of character you not only root for but is someone you can identify with. I felt a real affinity for her because of her past, because of the baggage she carries.

Baggage that makes Sydney while not totally unique certainly different. Having done a couple of tours of Afghanistan she’s seen death on a scale we can only imagine. Working in Mortuary Affairs Sydney knows all too well what the true horror of war looks like. From the broken, twisted remains of soldiers blown apart by an IED, to collecting, identifying, and carefully piecing together her fellow soldier, bit by bit, by bit. The weight of the dead with her even after she returns to the US and back into civilian life, to work as a Special Agent for the DPC railway as a cop and dog handler.

Continue reading

Random Thought

You would think at my age, I would have figure out by now what I want to do with my life. But nope. I have yet to grow up significantly enough to worry about stuff like that.

I am, after all, the age of my shoe size.

Forever 8. 🎈