I’m going to go ahead and go off script a little for this time of year. I’m not going to talk about my resolutions or how I’m going to improve myself. We all know, I never do that anyways.
What I am going to do is go ahead and tell you all about what I did for Christmas. Cause you know you want to hear about that.
You know I can’t go anywhere without a little drama. So we decided that we were going to go visit my parents. They live in the same state as we do, but in the much nicer weathery part down south. We figured since it was December, the weather would get better the closer we got to the equator. When the weather is nice, it would take us about 3 and 1/2 hours. But if you add snow, rain, hail, fog, ice or anything not so nice, then it becomes considerably longer.
As one who never catches a break, because I’m bitter and I earn it from being bitter, we did not catch a break. We got snow, rain, hail, fog, ice and everything not nice. So it took us a while. But we made it thanks to the driving skills I forged from driving in South Dakota all those years.
We floated in on a broken wing and a not so nicely uttered prayer. We landed safely and crankily in my parent’s retirement community. Almost immediately, we had a reverse Cocoon situation on our hands. If you’ve never seen Cocoon, don’t go see it. Just know that it was about some alien force making old people that entered a pool feel young again.
I almost immediately transformed from Middle Aged Bitter Ben, to Old Bitter Ben. I expected quiet around the community, or I would crank about it. I started enjoying riding my dad’s golf cart around. I started yelling at little kid’s to get off my artificial turf. I started turning up my hearing aid at the movie because the Dolby 7.1 surround sound blaring at full blast just wasn’t loud enough.
I complained about how about how the plot to Rogue One didn’t make any sense. I started taking every pain pill known to man, just to get up in the morning. Limping slowly was my only mode of transportation. I was even starting to crave prunes and cole slaw.
When we went swimming, I got mad at the dang kids who were splashing and getting in our hot tub that the rules clearly stated were for us 55 and over people. And for goodness sakes, the road sign showed that people are not supposed to be dragging mud on Old Marsh street. I’m so irritated, I’m going to strongly word a letter through the Pony Express to our HOA organization.
Somehow I made it through all those naps and the 4pm dinners, and the waiting around in my recliner chair to be woken up for my 6 pm Jeopardy that I would mumble incorrect answers to, then get my cane so I could to sleep for 12 hours. I then woke long enough to tell a long, drawn out story about the log hut I grew up in.
But soon, our vacation was over and we had to go back home. Almost immediately when we left the retirement community, I started to feel younger already. Strength was restored to my bones, hearing came back to my ears, rational thoughts entered my brains, and I started getting a few Jeopardy answers right.
Man was I bummed. I longed for the days when I could be Bitter Old Ben again.
ARRRRRGGGHHHHH
Bitter Old Ben
LOL, you are amazing. haha this made me laugh so hard 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was certainly enjoying being old, until I was thrust outside of St. George, and become middle aged again.
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Cocoon? It sounded more like you went Back To The Future! Well, at least now you know what lies in store for you when you get old permanently 😉
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I was enjoying my time as an old person. I never realized how well off they have things. Who wants to be young when you can be old?
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Is cole slaw an old people thing? i knew about the prunes, but who doesn’t?
What about big Jello castles with suspended fruit? Seems like Jello was all the rage for a while and some people never got over it. One time, I fell down a strange rabbit hole of researching old jello recipes and saw some things that can’t ever be unseen… tuna salad in lime Jello… canned salmon jello… *shiver*
“Dinner at 4 pm,” haha 🙂
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Wow, sorry I brought up old people food, because I see now that it has lead you down the rabbit hole of Jello. Let’s just not talk about the former Jello spokesman.
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I would have OWNED THAT. Good for you. And happy new year, I guess.
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Yeah, being old was fun while it lasted. Though I’m guessing I will day the last day of work before I retire. My bitter luck.
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This post is really funny. I remember Cocoon – strange movie.
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Yeah, such a weird one. I remember just wanting to watch Back to the Future or Goonies to get the bad taste out of my mouth.
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You will make an excellent bitter old man! Glad you got a little bit of practice in this Christmas 🙂
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It was very enlightening. I got a taste for it, and now I crave it. So many things to be bitter about. And the excuses to be bitter only increase as you age.
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Go bah hum bug man. It’s the only way to rule.
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You know it. I was having the ham buggestie time for the holidays. It was a bitter old time.
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Awesome!!! That’s the waaaaaay it’s gotta be Mr. Ben! Whew! Happy New Year! No matter what… Happy New Year to you!
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No way, a bitter new year’s to me. And hopefully, I can make your’s bitter too.
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Aw no way! I am so ahead of you! Am going thru divorce! Am SOOO jaded! Blissfully bitter! Wooo Hoo! But peace to you my bitter comrade! All is well.;)
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Ahh, the jadedness is already setting in.
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I’m so sorry you had such a good vacation, Ben. Take heart, though, it’s a new year and after a month or so you’ll be back to your old bitter self. 😀
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Trust me, it has already worn off. I’m feeling bitter already and 2017 just barely started.
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LMAO! 😀
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LOL, BB. Almost needed a Depends undergarment when I read this: “I was even starting to crave prunes and cole slaw.” Hope you made it back home safely and everything has returned to regularity. 🙂
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I knew I was old when I started craving that stuff. That was probably the only downside of being old.
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😂😂😂
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Oh, my gosh, your emoji’s are crying again.
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Still laughing Dude!
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Cry emoji’s cry!
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😥😥😥😥
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There you go, so great to make you emoji’s cry.
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😂😂😂😂
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Why are your little emoji girls crying? Are they sad because they want to be old too?
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Yes they do. I want pudding before bed and someone to make my bed in the morning. Seriously you made me laugh for a good long time. LOL
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Well, it wasn’t my intent to make you laugh. I’ll try harder to make your emoji’s be bitter next time.
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Too late! You always make me laugh!
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It’s never too late to make someone bitter!
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I liked Cocoon. It’s probably a good thing you’re young again because you will have more energy for bitterness.
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I don’t know, I think bitterness makes me feel old again and that is a good feeling.
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Bitter Ben – those days of Old Bitter Ben will be here before you know it. There is something wonderful about yelling at kids to get off the lawn. 4 pm meals can be okay. You get used to it. It is like vacation. Then reality sets in ………for kicks, just yell at kids in your neighborhood or even in your house. It will bring back the good old days in a heartbeat.
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I would have yelled at those kids to get off the lawn, but it wasn’t even a lawn, it was just a bed of rocks mostly. I try to yell at the kids in the yard, but it just hasn’t been the same since I came back.
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You aren’t around jogging suits & blue hair.
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Yeah, the blue hair would have been okay, but all the teens are thinking that it is an acceptable hair color for young people now.
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It isn’t?
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Nope, they should stick to their bright colored purple and pink and leave the blue hair to the old ladies.
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I agree!
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It’s nice to be old. Better than being a kid. You don’t have to work or go to school. You have no parents to boss you around. You can be as lazy as you choose to be. And every day is a Sunday, except that nobody can make you go to church. You had it made, Old Bitter Ben. You should have never returned home.
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I totally agree, Tippy. I didn’t want to leave once I got there. Why did I have to come back?
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LOL! You forgot walking 4 miles to school in the snow. 🙂
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I was actually driving a mile or 2 in my dad’s golf cart. Now that is what I should do all the time. Especially when I want to go from the couch to the kitchen.
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Sounds like you were right in your element!
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Yep, being old and sitting on the couch all day. I was so sad to be 43 and young again. It was terrible to have to come back and do things.
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