Today I am 60
It is my 60th birthday today. I’ll be spending the day at a conference on postal services, but this evening my wife Vee will be taking me for dinner at our favourite local restaurant “Incanto” and then on Saturday we will have a gathering of around 50 family and friends to celebrate.
I feel that I have been very lucky with my life as I explain in these notes on “Why It’s Fun To Be In One’s Sixties In Britain”.
Footnote 1: A sign of the electronic times is that, as well as (so far) 27 birthday cards through the post, I’ve had six e-mails (including one from Afghanistan), five SMS message (including one from Zambia) and nine blog comments (including one from the USA). Thanks to all!
Footnote 2: My wife has bought me for my birthday the two books written by Barack Obama: “Dreams From My Father” and “The Audacity Of Hope”.
Footnote 3: As I mentioned in this posting, the management term that currently most irritates me is “going forward” (what’s the alternative?). At the postal conference I attended today, I counted 20 instances of the use of this phrase, no less than 15 of them by Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of Royal Mail.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:16 am
hearty congrats sir.
hope you’ve warned the fire brigade if you’re having candles on your cake 😉
June 25th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Happy Birthday Roger. See you on Saturday.
June 25th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Congratulations and here’s to another 60!!!!!!
June 25th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Happy birthday, Roger!
June 25th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Welcome to the Bus Pass world.
June 25th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Happy birthday Roger!
June 25th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Happy Birthday! ¡Feliz Cumpleaños! (Spanish) Yom Uledet Sameach! (Hebrew)
Let’s see in how many languages your friends and readers can give you their best wishes for the day!
June 25th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Til hamingju med afmaelisdaginn!
(Icelandic you know!)
Hope you have had a lovely day Uncle Roger, see you on Saturday. xxx
June 26th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Happy birthday! (belated)…
June 26th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Many thanks to all for the very welcome birthday wishes.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!
01. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
02. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
03. No one expects you to run–anywhere.
04. People call at 9 pm and ask, did I wake you?
05. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
06. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
07. Things you buy now won’t wear out.
08. You can eat supper at 4 pm.
09. You can live without sex but not your glasses.
10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
13. You sing along with elevator music.
14. Your eyes won’t get much worse.
15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either.
18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
19. You can’t remember who sent you this list.
Hope you had a great time today (well yesterday, Saturday really)
June 29th, 2008 at 10:27 am
Thanks, Mavis – that’s reassuring!
June 30th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Many happy returns Roger