Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Seven

[yiddleboge6]

............

To the Seventh incarnation of the Back Porch​

Being a charter member from the very first 55 and Older......which split into the two porches, I am honored to carry on what Txtumbleweed started and Mike had so beautifully continued.

For those who weren't fortunate enough to know him, Txtumbleweed was a friend, mentor and great story teller. A person who cared that we older folks had a comfortable place to ask questions, share knowledge, and our vaping journey. When that first thread was moved to the lounge because of too much chit chat and off topic posts......he started the Front and Back Porches, and guided those threads with a gentle hand.

The Front Porch, where posts were to be kept to vaping subjects, so as to keep it in the general discussion area of the forum, where new members to ECF could easily find it. The Back Porch is where we can all hang out, share our stories, pics, music, jokes, important life events, be they happy or sad. Just about any topic......within reason .... can be discussed here

And if you wish to just keep it to vaping......please join in on The Front Porch

Older Folks and Vaping Front Porch - Part 5


We've got a new Back Porch.....so pull out those chairs, rockers, recliners, put your feet up and enjoy. There is no age limit, no ID check....Many have come and gone, but all are WELCOME....and we hope you stay and sit a spell

​

We've quickly approached the 15k limit for a thread. In advance of Randall's/Txtumbleweed birthday tomorrow, it's a perfect time to carry forward the Back Porch he initiated.......which I will do for as long as I'm able.



https://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/threads/older-people-55-and-up.289745/- precursor to Back Porch

Older Folks and Vaping - precursor to Front Porch

Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part 2


Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Three


Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Four


Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch - Part Five


Older Folks and Vaping Back Porch-Part Six

 

[Rat2chat2]

Just thought this was funny and true. . .

A guide to man language

"I'm going fishing." Means: "I'm going to drink myself dangerously stupid, and stand by a stream with a stick in my hand, while the fish swim by in complete safety."

"It's a guy thing." Means: "There is no rational thought pattern connected with it, and you have no chance at all of making it logical."

"Can I help with dinner?" Means: "Why isn't dinner already on the table?"

"Uh huh," "Sure, honey," or "Yes, dear..." Means: Absolutely nothing. It's a conditioned response.

"It would take too long to explain." Means: "I have no idea how it works."

"I was listening to you. It's just that I have things on my mind." Means: "I was wondering if that redhead over there is wearing a bra."

"Take a break honey, you are working too hard." Means: "I can't hear the game over the vacuum cleaner."

"That's interesting, dear." Means: "Are you still talking?"

"You know how bad my memory is." Means: "I remember the theme song to ‘F Troop', the address of the first girl I ever kissed, and the vehicle identification numbers of every car I've ever owned, but I forgot your birthday."

"I was just thinking about you, and got you these roses." Means: "The girl selling them on the corner was a real babe."

"Oh, don't fuss, I just cut myself, it's no big deal." Means: "I have actually severed a limb, but will bleed to death before I admit that I am hurt."

"Hey, I've got my reasons for what I'm doing." Means: "And I sure hope I think of some pretty good reasons soon."

"I can't find it." Means: "It didn't fall into my outstretched hands, so I'm completely clueless."

"What did I do this time?" Means: "What did you catch me at?"

"I heard you." Means: "I haven't the foggiest clue what you just said, and am hoping desperately that I can fake it well enough so that you don't spend the next 3 days yelling at me."

"You know I could never love anyone else." Means: "I am used to the way you yell at me, and realize it could be worse."

"You look terrific." Means: ""Please don't try on one more outfit, I'm starving."

"I'm not lost. I know exactly where we are." Means: "No one will ever see us alive again."




I'm sure this does not apply to the wonderful men in here.

 

[clnire]

A little break from the kodi talk... I gotta brag!!!!!!

This weekend the IACBA (International All-Breed Canine Association) held a weekend of shows in Ocala, 4 shows in 2 days. It's a wonderful, informal, fun format. The judges rate the dogs (most excellent, excellent, very good, good, etc). You need 3 most excellent ratings for the International Title, you don't have to "win" to earn your championship. It's all about the dog. Plus the judges give a written critique on each dog. Yea, long days, BUT!!

Not only did we (Geordi and I) walk away with enough most excellent ratings to get our International Championship (every judge gave him a V-1), we got 1 Herding Group 2, 3 (count 'em 3!) Herding Group 1s, AND, drum roll please, 1 BEST IN SHOW!!!!!!! Needless to say, I am floating on air! Geordi was fantastic!

My good boy with his loot (yea, the picture is big..) :

Heck yea I'm a dancin'!

 

[Uncle Willie]

I was asked by a couple of lovely young ladies a while back if I would be continuing the Tradition of bringing over some of the random bits and bytes that have accumulated over the years .. we are now on Lucky Number Seven, and, although I know some believe I have likely overstayed my Welcome by at least Six Threads, today, especially today, I am compelled by the Spirits of those that have come and gone over the years as well as those that have Joined The Journey and hung on for dear life .. at any rate, here we go ..

I'll be bringing over a few bits and pieces from previous Threads .. I believe we need to carryover some things and maintain them in a live thread .. I don't want them to get lost and it's a good reminder as well as little History for new porchers .. beginning with :

And so it is reborn once again .. I'll muse for a moment and say : Will the Legacy be around in 50 years .. ?? Will it continue in 100 years .. ?? Whether or not, certainly the bits and bytes will reside somewhere in another time, and perhaps, someday, someone will stumble upon the stories of us, the slices of time that we're all had a hand in .. as long as the baton gets passed .. Salute to the ones that stayed, Salute to the ones that came and left for whatever reason, Salute to the new folks .. Salute to those that left and came back, and certainly, Salute to those that have departed .. Raise a Glass ...

.. My feeble attempt to encapsulate the Man we Owe a Debt of Gratitute to .. In Memoriam ..

"I believe every one should have a lasting Memorial that attempts to capture, in some way, a tiny bit of the essence of a person. So, on the cusp of the passing of our old friend, Randall (txtumbleweed), I have tried to put together a small Tribute to the man that we, for the most part, owe a debt of gratitude for initially bringing us together here. It has been a few moons now, since TX passed .. many have come to the Thread, many have come and gone, some have stayed .. the landscape changes, much like life itself .. Tex envisioned a Thread where we could tell our stories, share our lives, gain support and essentially maintain a Chronicle ..

I always figured Randall used the term "Tumbleweed" because it best described his life. He mentioned in many posts that he always wanted to sit down and write a book about his Forrest Gump like life. I don't know if that book ever got fully written, although he did write .. I hope it did get finished, because Randall had a story to tell. One of the reasons I tried to stay in touch with TX both by email and phone, was because, in a way, we were somehow kindred spirits, since both our lives had taken dramatic turns and twists as the Journey unfolded ..

I'm going to just hit what my memory can bring up, I will be brief and I encourage all of you that remember TX to add to the narrative ..

Born in the California San Joaquin Valley, raised in Texas .. As a young man, Randall and his brother rode the rails of America, as a vagabond, as an adventurerer .. he was a proud Veteran of the US Miltary .. his failure at married life left him a self declared bachelor, although he deeply wished that a Soul Mate could have been found, it was not to be. His free spirit was really not designed for domestic tranquility .. even though he had a bit of the Romantic in him (Randall actually wrote poetry) .. as a child, he and his Brother were swept out to sea on a raft .. and almost drowned. He loved the Redwoods of Northern California and called it his favorite place on Earth. TX lived in a logging camp for four years back in the early 50's.

"Thanksgiving 1959 I was sitting in the Hoosecow in some little town in Florida, Orlando I think. My brother and I were arrested for riding a freight train. We were trying to get back to California and after spending four of the worst days of my life in a terrible jail with terrible guards, the Judge let us go. I hitchhiked the rest of the way and joined the Army when I got home. lol Memories!

It was all a good life experience! I was 19 and my brother was 21. Orlando was just a sleepy little burg then and they didn't care for strangers. The police just wanted 25.00 each from us and they would have let us go but all we had was 35.00 each to make it to California so we set out the four days. lol They just about starved us but did give us two pieces of chicken on Thanksgiving and it was the best chicken I've ever had. lol I can still flash back to that day and remember sucking ever bit of marrow out of the bones. lol The judge was a good guy but the policemen were really some cruel jerks. We got the last laugh on them because the Judge chewed them out real good for arresting us for "hitchhiking" and had them take us to the bus station where we got a ticket to the next town so we could continue our adventure. "

Randall dated an original Mouseketeer, her name was Margene .. he worked, primarily as a Lineman, for 30 years. Then, at the age of 50, when most men are beginning to think of retirement, slowing down, settling down, etc .. while living in Seattle, he sold his truck and bought a one way ticket to Alaska. Because the Vagabond was still itching .. all his life, Randall had dreamed of working on a fishing boat. When he got to Alaska, he landed a job on a trawler out of Dutch Harbor and spent 10 (that's ten) years working on the Northern Jaeger fishing all the way from Siberia to Northern California and the Bering Sea .. what man does that at 50 .. ?? And for 10 years, no less ..

And he danced .. a self declared bonafide avid, wood floor, honky tonk line dancer that would tell us about the many pairs of cowboy boots he wore out and the ladies he used to swing around the floor ..

What I remember most, though, about Randall is the fact that he never had a bad word to say .. sure, like all of us, he had his ups and downs, but no one that visited the old threads got anything from TX other than a warm welcome and an encouraging word .. that and his Faith .. you see, when TX initially went in to have a lump on his neck area diagnosed, all of us back then went on the Journey with him .. he kept us updated, but most importantly, he stayed strong, he never let his Faith waver, his optimism was and is an example even to an admitted Faithless man, such as myself.

His postings got to be fewer and fewer, yet almost had a palpable feel .. you could sense things were not going well as time passed, yet he believed, to the End, that whatever lay in store for him was just another part of the Story he had lived .. and TX considered us his Friends and Confidants so much so, he brought us with him on the Journey.

So let us rejoice a Life Well Lived, from the man that was instrumental in many of us joining hands here in our small corner of the CyberWorld. The final two slides reflect Randalls posting tag and his favorite saying as he approached the end .. "

The Tribute is held in my Google Drive, thus it can be had for anyone that cares to download and save or share ..

CLICK BELOW LINK ..
txtumbleweed.mpg

 

[Flowersoul]

Getting an early start on my walking trail this morning. Sorry for the extra large pic....always have a problem figuring it out!

​

 

[2legsshrt]

Well good news. Alyssa found the owner of the doggie. She lives 2 houses down and has been working 16 hour days. She just got her 2 weeks ago and hasn't had a chance to update the chip, so Alyssa is taking her home after work. Good thing the ladies friend saw Alyssas notice with pic in FB and told her and she messaged her. Glad she was a good enough person not to take her to the pound. Her Goofball doggie will be much happier now. So that all worked itself out.

 

[Kenna]

Speaking of pups...meet my Sister's new baby girl! This is Bella! Lab mix.

 

[Mice Elf]

I love "vet day".
"OK, c'mon. Anybody gotta pee? Nope. OK. Get in."
"Bodhi, kennel" (he jumps in the back of the SUV).
"Neha, kennel" (she jumps in, Bodhi jumps out).
"Neha, stay! Bodhi, kennel!" Bodhi jumps in, Neha is sure she's in trouble so she jumps out.
This continues until the dogs are convinced their middle names are Dammit. But eventually...
off we go.
They both pop up after about a mile because, "WE'RE GOING TO THE RIVER!". "WE SEE THE TURNOFF FOR THE RIVER!!!" Convinced I can't hear them and concerned I've forgotten the way, the notifications that the river is coming up continues until I pass the turnoff. Sigh.
Silence. Now all three of us know we are going to the vet.

Into the parking lot I drive with two of the saddest dogs in the world. There is no joy in Kennelville.
It's a pain to put collars and leashes on two limp, heartbroken, and unmotivated bags of fur and skin; evidently all muscle and bone has dissolved upon the realization that we're at the vet's, but I get it done and we walk to the door.
"Wait, I gotta pee".
"Wait, I gotta pee, again".
"Well, he peed so I gotta pee".
"I gotta pee where she peed because, dog stuff ya gotta do".

The vet asks, "How are they doing?" I decide not to say what I'm thinking.
Eventually, amid a few glares and mumbles, we are ready to leave the vet and head home.

"OK, c'mon. Anybody gotta pee? Nope. OK. Get in."
"Wait, I gotta pee".
"Bodhi, kennel" (he jumps in the back of the SUV).
"Neha, kennel" (she jumps in, Bodhi jumps out).
"Wait, I gotta pee".
"Neha, stay! Bodhi, kennel!" Bodhi jumps in, Neha is sure she's in trouble so she jumps out.
Sigh.

They both pop up after about a mile because, "WE'RE GOING TO THE RIVER!". "WE SEE THE TURNOFF FOR THE RIVER!!!"
Sigh.
You win. Bodhi Dammit and Neha Dammit are going to the river.

 

[MattB101]

Hi Guys (and Gals),
Sandy just left me a message (sorry I couldn't get outta bed fast enough to get to the phone). I'm ok. Not great but, ok. I have uncontrolled atrial fibrillation (afib) and tire very eaaily so I have been napping a lot. The gave me Xaralto to keep me from clotting and are running a bunch of test. I had the Holter thingy that you wear for 24 hours the day before yesterday and am scheduled for some more tests next week. The cardiologist is concerned about the circulation in my feet and says there is a bit of gurgling in the arteries in the right side of my neck. He has an excellent reputation and seems like a great guy. First thing he told me was not to worry, we can fix this.
Just been keeping quiet and relaxing. Not doing much of anything which sux because I have bunches of stuff that needs doing. I apologise for not keeping you all better informed and I promise to do better.
I'm way behind here too so if I miss some messages from anyone please, don't take it personally.

 

[2legsshrt]

As you all know of my problems with weight loss. You also know that I have been talking to a doctor who is now in S Dak that saved my life once already and amputated my legs. I wanted you to read the letter that I got from him so I will post it. This is a caring, excellent doctor, very hard to find. I couldn't believe it myself.

Pat
Giving up is not a good option. I would be happy to take care of you and fix this problem. Don't give up.

You will need revisional surgery. With some pre-operative preparation you should be able to get through it just fine. This has been going on for quite some time. My guess is we could have you beefed up and fixed within three months. There are some things you're going to need to do on your end to make this work. One thing you can work on now is obtaining your operative note from the your bypass.

Driving out here can be done in one long day. If you are comfortable I can make arrangements for you to stay at our home.

If coming out here is something you would consider we will need to talk on the phone. In regards to your endoscopy that's being done, there's nothing specific I need.

Lee

Choose to recognize the blessings in your life.... each day.

 

[Uncle Willie]

Thank you so much, but be careful what you wish for .. my compulsive behavior may kick in ..

"There is no street with mute stones
And no House without echoes"

From Thread One, you folks have made me laugh, you've made me cry, you've infurated me, you've run me through a gamut of emotions .. the one constant being, no matter who has come and gone, and there have been many, we've somehow, thru the thick and the thin (and, it's gotten pretty thin at times over the years) .. kept at least the nitty gritty, essential Spirit of what Randall wanted at the get go .. yes, things have morphed, but I like to think the basic atoms of the Spirit still live and breath, right here, right now ..

Many times in long past posts, I have mentioned that I am not a Religious Man, although I respect those that are .. to that end, you have never seen me offer prayers, since it would be hypocritical for me to do so .. Sometimes, I think I am somehow not part of the things that so many here over the years have offered to others in the way of prayer, etc .. yet, in my own private way, I have an honest and sincere wish that each and everyone of you pull thru, heal, move on with Life and find the Peace and Tranquility you seek .. Being closer to the End than the Beginning has caused me many hours of personal reflection, and following all of you over the years has been a Rock of sorts, a safe harbor in what has sometimes been a raging storm ..

At any rate, the following goes back to the 1960's .. I can't really remember the date, probably mid 1960's .. You know what they say, "If you can remember the '60's, you were not there .." .. the Old Martin and me, the one guitar from that time long ago that did not end up in a Pawn Shop when I was an addict and still resides with me .. back then, multi-track tape machines were still expensive, so, as a work around, if you wanted to simulate overdubbing, you would record what you could on one machine, then play it back facing a microphone while recording another track on a different machine simultaneously .. this caused excessive tape hiss, which you will hear on this .. I could have removed it, but decided to leave it as is ..

This is for all of you, no matter how long you've been on the Thread .. a brief Time Travel .. I hope that I do not insult anyone with this and I hope no one feels I am being intrusive by saving these PICS .. Another thing that you have never seen me write as it relates to our time together here is the word "Love" .. for me, it's a strong word, and I have always been very selective with it .. because there are degrees of "Love" .. however, I would like to think, my actions and participation over the years speak for themselves ..

Lastly, the PICS may move a bit fast, I think I tried to cram as many as I could in, but I do have more .. sometimes, the resolution of posted PICS I have saved over the years is less than optimal, and, some folks never posted PICS, others posted a lot, so don't feel left out .. finally, if you can guess who the "Dish" is at the end, you win absolutely nothing except my respect for recognizing a very attractive young woman I am proud to call my Friend ..

 

[Rotowoman]

Well, folks, the verdict is in. No cancer. I almost fainted on the table with relief. It was pre-cancerous cells, but the doctor got them all. Now there will be close monitoring, but at the moment, I am good. God is great ALL the time.

 

[MikeE3]

Holy cow @Uncle Willie, you sure have a nack for bringing the past to the present. I don't think I could even have found my old posts yet alone the others. Fantastic flash back indeed!

So I hear by proclaim you to be the official archivist of the back porch.

 

[classwife]

So I am in the middle of binding an Auto Policy today...I had started it with the husband and he didn't have all the info to complete it so he had his wife call me back.

When she did we got to the end and the system kicked me back to the beginning...dang...

I asked the wife the question I had missed...
What is husband's occupation...
She said Idiot.

I laughed sooooo hard !

 

[Kaezziel]

Time for an update concerning my Bride's cancer treatment and stuff for those that are interested in following along. If not interested, please feel free to bypass the rest of this post.

We spent the 15th and 16th in the emergency room because she was having trouble breathing and her oxygen stats had dropped into the 70's, according to our pulse oximeter at home. They ran several tests and determined that she had fluid in the pleural space (the pleura is a sac that encases the lung; the pleural space is the area between the pleura and the lung). The doctor came in on Sunday the 16th and performed a thoracentesis (stuck a needle in her back to drain the fluid). We went home that night and she was feeling much better, but she's been on home oxygen since then.

She began having trouble breathing again this past Monday, so we managed to get in to see the doctor again yesterday. The doctor put in a catheter so that I can drain the fluid off from home. We'll have to do that for about the next six weeks. After that point, she says that the pleura should re-attach to the lung and there is a less than ten percent chance that fluid will accumulate after that. So that was good news, because we were expecting that this was going to be a long term issue.

Also, yesterday afternoon, we heard back about the clinical trial medications. Our insurance had denied coverage and denied all appeals. We applied for Merck's Patient Assistance Program. About a week and a half ago Merck denied our request, but said that we may qualify for an exception clause and allowed us to apply for that. We did, and it was approved yesterday! YAAYYYY!!! So now, we're waiting to actually receive the medications, which shouldn't take too long. We have a CT scheduled for tomorrow morning, and will likely have several appointments next week so that the doctors can run tests to establish baselines before beginning the treatment. She will take the treatments for two months, then have the scans and blood work done again to see if it is doing any good. But we're finally On The Path! She has been without any treatment for the past three months or so, and we've both been very anxious to get something started again.

So, that's the long and short of it for now... sorry for not updating y'all in a while, but we've been in limbo for a while and finally have some news to share. At least it is the beginning of some good news. Much love to all, and thank you all so much for following along in our journey.

 

[Bea-FL]

We all need a little humor to start the day. I never laughed so hard in my life. See how many of these you identify with!

 

[Mice Elf]

beautiful Aussie shepherd in your avi! Boy/girl? name? we need doggy deets!!! lol

He's a boy and his name is Bodhi. He came from a ranching family south of us in San Luis Obispo. Ironically, he was the ugliest puppy I've ever seen; when I brought him home my wife took one look and said, "Are you sure he's pure Aussie?". She was not a fan. Of course, being a very smart dog, he cried that night until my wife got up and held him. He snuggled under her neck and promptly fell asleep. He was immediately elevated to "The Most Perfect Dog in the World" status. Come to think of it, she kept me for pretty much the same reason...

 

[Diver9543]

Ok, I like to do things to keep my mind sharp. I do Soduku and other mind games. My daughter has talked about "coloring for adults" as a way to help relax and clear the mind. I was at Sam's Club yesterday and picked up a set of colored pencils and a coloring book for adults. There happened to be 36 pencils so I thought, oh great, plenty of spare pencils in case I broke or misplaced a couple. I made the mistake of going online for maybe a hint or two about doing this relaxing hobby to clear my mind. I watched a couple youtube videos and they were talking about burnishing and blending and using the pencils to fade and highlighten different areas. I'm like wait a minute, I just want to relax. Then I opened the box of pencils. I am a Windows kind of guy, 16 basic colors. What I thought were a few extra pencils turned out to be 36 different colors. I had no idea there were so many shades of the basic colors. I'm now having to a ask myself, "This is relaxing?" Oh well, I'll take it easy and see how it goes.

 

[Uncle Willie]

My somewhat traditional Veterans Day post .. first, click the following link to be magically transported to my friend Ryan's site "Military Wallet", in order to be given the most comprehensive list of Vet discounts, freebees, etc ::

2016 Veterans Day Freebies, Retail Discounts, and Special Offers

If you are a Vet, it's worth signing up for his periodic newsletter ..

I will be heading out shortly, for a day spent visiting my Fellow Brothers in Arms at the Jefferson Barracks VA Center in St Louis .. I'll be bringing my old Martin in a feeble attempt to regale those that care to listen .. and, will go room to room to the shut in's as time permits ..

As I generally do during Holidays, I'd like to once again encourage you to consider giving back thru Volunteerism in your local Communities .. there are always folks that appreciate and need help .. you don't have to give money, just some time .. most all areas have some sort of Community Outreach that can help guide you toward where Human Resources are needed .. even small things like checking in on folks, lending an ear, making some calls just to see if a person is doing OK .. they will appreciate it, yet you are likely to gain the most in a feeling of doing good .. it never hurts to add some positivity to the Karma Bank .. while you can't change the World, you can add some joy to someone's life .. .. this is especially true during this upcoming Holiday Season ..

Lastly, I would encourage all Veterans to post their affiliation and/or deployment ::

4th Infantry, Camp Holloway, Pleiku Province, South Vietnam, Combat Medic

Salute to all of you ..

 

[umanbean]

Good morning Good Folks!

Long time no see...

Real Life has kept me Real Busy lately... plus Fall is my favorite and most active time of year - I LUV it!

Went back a few pages just to get into the swing of things, and saw where someone brought box-o-wine. We keep a box in the spare fridge. Wish I'd gotten here yesterday evening to have a glass with y'all - I see it loosened the ladies up a bit... hehehe...

My name's not Dwight, my pants aren't painted on, and I can't sing or play the guitar worth a toot!....... but do y'all still luv me anyway?

Later taters...