Turning 50

[Hans Tucker]

Well in a few days time I hit the big five zero :sadeyes: kind of depressed about it in a way. Where did the time go. To cheer myself up a bit Maybe a bit of retail therapy...on turning 40 I decided on a new car...at 50 maybe I should take the plunge and finally get that Mewlon 300 I have always wanted, but put off once I heard about the FSQ-130. Trouble is I would need a more beefier mount though.

[Brian3.]

DON'T PANIC!
At 55 I was lost in contemplation about the structure of space and time and on my birthday asked the same question:
"Where has all the time gone?"
That thought rebounded and the question became a statement followed by "wait a minute, you can't get rid of 13.5 billion anythings, the numbers to damned big..." There was a truth lurking there that sent me on a journey that has not reached its final conclusion yet...
Age can be an advantage in understanding the universe!
Enjoy!

[glend]

Well I am 65 and can say your still a kid. Don't obsess wbout 50. However I believe the biggest problem that anyone over 50 will face is age discrimination in the workplace, especially for certain tech based careers and service industries.

Spend your money you can't take it with you, and if you don't spend it and enjoy life then what's its purpose. Buy your dream scope and remember

'The time a man spends looking at the stars is time added to his life' - there's the relativity theory for you.

[xelasnave]

As the years go by ability becomes less so don't wait to act.
I am 67 and find I can't pull an all night imaging session.

So please get your scope.
Don't worry about age.
I can honestly say after 50 have been my most enjoyable years.
I just met a wonderful girl ..a really attractive intelligent lady.
Discussing her with a mate we saw the only drawback being how young she is...a mere fifty..A bit too young he concluded...

[xelasnave]

But you should concentrate on staying fit.
It is so important to exercise so as to remain flexible.

[cometcatcher]

+10. Don't stop moving. Take up cycling. Anything. My father was an active farmer and at 73 would put most 20 year olds to shame.

[ZeroID]

At 50 I started a whole new life ! Seperated, divorced, remarried and went back to being the person I really was, some sort of hoon nutcase that just keeps going. I'm now 65 and nothing has changed. :P

Happy Birthday anyway !!! :thumbsup: :D

[xelasnave]

My newest daughter was born when I was 50 approx, It was like starting again.
My recent leg problem slowed me up but I went out recently again and it's back to 18.
Main reason for another post is to wish you a happy birthday.

[Terry B]

About 2 weeks after I turned 50 earlier this year a parcel arrived from the gubberment. They very nicely send you a gift just to make sure you know you have turned 50. It is you faecal occult blood testing kit. Enjoy. :P

[Marios]

I say go for it dont wait for tommorow. My wife was complaining that I always want to go out imaging. She said why dont you wait tilll you are retired and then you have the freedom to do what you want.

I repllied and give up 30 years of Astro imaging, no thanks!

[Kunama]

Nothing to be depressed about Hans :thumbsup: Hope you have a fine 50th !

Apparently 50 is the new 30 !!!

I was incredibly fit at 20, reasonably fit at 30, rather unfit at 40, then at 50 I decided to get back to the fitness level I had at 30.
Now as I approach 60 (in 2 years time) I am again as fit as I was at 30 having lost 10Kgs in 4 months. Cycling, skiing, ice skating...........

Ageing is in the mind ........

As for using this as an excuse to fork out the big bucks for the FSQ130ED ... only you can decide that one. However, I have found that the presents I have bought for myself have often turned to be just perfect.

:birthday:

[el_draco]

Age is a state of mind.

I am chronologically a bit beyond 50, feel 80 and act 25.... Maybe there's something in that for me think about... :lol:

[Ric]

Growing old is mandatory, growing up isn't. :D

I'm 55 next year and going to buy a Harley :thumbsup:

Have a great birthday.

[chrisp9au]

Turning 70 in a month or two, still wondering what I'm gunna be when I grow up! :D

Chris

[Stardrifter_WA]

Hi Chris,

My motto is "growing old may be compulsory, but, growing up is optional......tag, you it!" :lol:

I turned 60 on the 1st January this year and a person said to me, on my birthday, "Gee's you're getting old". Without thinking I just replied "I don't have a problem with that, as long as I keep getting older." :lol:

Happy 70th Chris, for when it arrives.

Cheers Peter

[jjjnettie]

Didn't you know...50 is the new 30. :)
When I hit the big 5 Uh 0 I decided to start travelling, overseas and here in Oz, and oh boy have I had some adventures and met some absolutely amazing people since then. :)
So enjoy it, this is the time of your life. :)



And so you can enjoy even more good times, please please please do the faecal blood test. Nothing stops you in your tracks faster than a late staged cancer. Early detection is the go, you want something like that nipped in the butt...I mean bud, while it's small. Seriously, please take the test.

oh, and buy yourself something nice for your birthday. :)

[Terry B]

Already done. Since I spend a significant part of my work putting people to sleep to have colonoscopies I've seen enough bad outcomes.
Certainly different having the test rather than ordering it for other people. :rofl:

[MattT]

Don't think about it as….
It's still 50 years to the BIG ONE :party:

[LewisM]

I am only 41, but I decided, due to the prevalence of cancer in my mother's side of the family, to have a voluntary Occult Blood Test. Came back positive to 2 of the 3 probes.

1 week later I was drinking that gad-awful laxative (I did it in ONE go each time,rather than drinking it over an hour or so), then into the day surgery.

GLAD I DID IT!

Moderately advanced, benign adenoma of the sigmoid colon. Removed via snare in situ. Doctor said I was one VERY lucky person, as even another year could have been BAD ju ju. They initially put me down for a 5 year review, but recently amended that to 3 years. Stuff that, I am having another in 12 months!

Oh, larger mount eh. Tak NJP do? Contact me if it is of interest. Rather not mention it here, seems to cause no end of calamity with some people.

[CJ]

Years ago, the Irish comedian Dave Allen said "I don't mind getting old. Not when you consider the alternative ;)"

[Hans Tucker]

Thanks all for your replies. I never gave age much thought when I turned 40 but for some odd reason I have been mulling over turning 50, silly when you think of it. A common theme I have noted in this thread is that one has to keep on top of ones health. Interesting point jjjnettie raised...travel. I have never travelled outside Australia..maybe this is something I should give more thought to.

1 hr 14 minutes to go.

[jjjnettie]

There's that Total Solar Eclipse in 2017 in the US that has a contingent of IISers attending.
Or you could attend Spacefest in 2016, held in Tucson.
Honestly, Spacefest is the most amazing event I've ever attended. The heads of the largest space missions attend to give the latest updates, and you get to hang out with the loveliest guys to have ever left the planet, Apollo Astronauts. Again, there is a small contingent of Aussies who attend, some of the from IIS too. So it's not as if you'd be turning up on your own. :)
The US has such an array of landscapes, National parks full of incredible natural beauty. Most of my life I'd vowed never to go there, but I've been converted, I love the USA. :)

[Stardrifter_WA]

I think Dave Allen was the funniest man I ever heard. :)

I have never understood why people get a little depressed when reaching certain milestones. I never have, as I celebrate my birthday, not for the day I was born, but rather for having made it through another year. So many times I nearly didn't make it, too many actually, which I guess provided me with a different perspective. Every day I wake up still sucking air, is a great day indeed! :lol:

So, yeah, Dave Allen was right! The alternative would really suck!


Cheers Peter

[uwahl]

I spent the first decade after leaving school working as a metallurgist for BHP then went back to Uni and spent the next 32 years in public health. I turned 66 today, have been retired for 11 months and am learning about polar alignment, quantum efficiency, Fourier transforms, darks, flats etc in between travelling the country in a 4x4 and caravan. I'm having a ball!!:D

[Neil]

I turned 60 a few weeks ago, I also need to lose about 10 Kilo, so I'm going for a walk to the shops, about 1K return, up hill, see ya, clear skies.:):D:)

[OzStarGazer]

Don't worry. What you see through your scope is much older and still very attractive. :)

[Dealy]

Congrats on your birthday Hans.

I turned 50 this year also, and it sure does make you wonder where the years went. In my mind I still feel 25 but when I look in the mirror ... holy dooley what happened there!!

I also received the gift in the mail but haven't done it yet. You've all talked me into it.

I'm building an observatory for my present to myself. Hopefully I'll get to use for a long time.

Kev

[el_draco]

Gawd yes... Remember the graveyard joke, stormy night, drunk falling into the gave.... Haven't heard it by Dave for decades but giggle just thinking about it. Pure Genius :rofl::rofl:

[Stardrifter_WA]

Yes, I remember that too. I always loved his stories about how he lost his finger. :lol: I agree, that man was pure genius when it came to comedy.

[FlashDrive]

When I turned 50 , I just told everybody it's taken me fifty years to look this ' good ' :lol:

Flash....:D

[rrussell1962]

I had a week or so of..."How did that happen?" then, well, nothing changed really. I still haven't used my birthday present from the Government. Does it have a use by date?

[xelasnave]

The doc gave me a referral for a colonoscopy before my legs gave out which tied me up for a while.
I range today to get an appointment and was told mid May...
That's seems strange for such a long wait..I could be dead by then.
Not very encouraging and let's the test program down.
I might see the GP and see if he can send me elsewhere.

[xelasnave]

Well here is a cheer up for you fellas worrying about getting old.
I arrived home today to find two female visitors staying in a caravan up the top.
Invited me in we played music all afternoon and same tomorrow.
Both under 30 my 65 yr old mate who also lives on this property invited them for a holiday.
That never happened when I was under 50

[jjjnettie]

I'd check the packaging for a date. I'm sure they'll send you out a new one if necessary.
It's an icky process, but well worth taking the time to do.
I was diagnosed at age 44 with the damn disease, and it's only because it was found early that I'm still here, nearly 8 years later, to nag you guys about taking the test.

[GrahamL]

Best wishes to You Hans in your 51st year :) as the clock has ticked on .

It dosn't always do that for all of us, be thankfull my friend for all the positives in your life and for the stuff you can't change like another year gone ,, see some good in that to :)

[MattT]

Yep,
After a while they send you a letter saying you got 6 weeks or else your off the program.....

[Stardrifter_WA]

Happy Birthday to all those that have reached a milestone this year, or who are to reach it next year.

Don't be sad, just think, you have made it! And that should be celebrated.

Cheers Peter :)

[Hans Tucker]

Well its been a good day. Guys at work had a cake for me and I had to endure their ribbing throughout the day, wouldn't have expected less from ex-airforce members. I have also enjoyed reading the responses in this thread and thanks to all for being indulgent in my self serving moment. Also like other IIS members have done in this thread I would like to say congratulations and best wishes to those that reached this milestone age.

[RobF]

I sent mine back about 4 months late and the results came back quickly. The private path people contracted to do the work will be keen to get a payment for every test returned they can.

The kits are only plasticware for collection and collection media, so there's nothing to go off (well, not much). As long as you send the samples back promptly, all the magic and reagents with expiry periods happens in the lab (very accurate immunometric methods nowadays - much better than the old false positive prone peroxidase/Hb methods).

[Octane]

Happy belated birthday, Hans. :)

I hope you've ordered that FSQ-130ED. :O

H