To us, it seems like the world has been at war forever

On Pearl Harbor day, Dec. 7, the Old Men of the Mountain met at Mrs. K’s restaurant in Middleburgh. Some of the OMOTM remember the day that would go down in “infamy.” This was the war to end all wars. The OMOTM said, “Yeah right!” to that one.

To the OFs, it seems like the world has been at war forever. The museums around the world are filled with war records, and war machines, from stones to trebuchets, to horses, and to tanks. Even the oceans could not escape the horror of war machines, from canoes to battleships. The OFs seem to have been involved in one way or another with all of these, even the stones.

The end times are predicted to end with the battle of Armageddon. One OF complained that he is at war all the time. The reason for this battle is, as the OF put it, “crappy wife.” Considering the source, one OF said, no wonder the wife is crappy — she has a right to be. See how easy it is to start a war.

The OFs talked about some of the other OFs who are missing because they are under the weather and the condition of how they are progressing with their recoveries. Those who knew said that, as far as the news of each one in this situation, the recoveries are coming along nicely, or as best as can be under present circumstances.

One OF said with all this COVID business, the hospital, or doctor’s office is not the place to be.

Another OF reported that one of his doctors (“One?” The medical profession is becoming so specialized that an individual has a group of doctors to take care of the OF) said that the hospital is no place to be; the doctor said he knew that because he works there.

What’s next?

The OFs discussed downsizing, leaving the home, and moving to senior housing or apartments, and how that is not an easy decision to make. One OF said that, to him, an apartment is not a home. To him, apartments are more like fancy hotel rooms.

But another OF said there comes a time when the body says this is the way to go.

Still another OF commented, “What do you think we had all those kids for? Those offspring cost a lot of money to bring up. We are going to move in with them and let them pay for us now.”

“Not me,” another replied, “Our kids were a ton of fun and we do not in any way want to be a burden to them. That is why we try to stay active and maintain our health.”

“Well you’re going to die from something, there is not a switch up our butt that we can just turn off when our life is over.”

“Nope,” the OF said, “But we can die in our sleep; that is the way we want to go.”

Of course, there is always one in the crowd and this one OF piped up, “He wants to be shot by a 30-year-old jealous lover.”

An OF jumped in on this one with a very true observation, “You OG! If a 30-year-old lover came in to shoot you, you would already be dead because you, you OF, you couldn’t handle a 30-year-old. It would kill you. That lover could save his bullet.”

This scribe thought, give me a break! Thank goodness the OFs went on to something else.

Well, the OFs did go to something else and this “something else” was what happens to your stuff when the OF kicks the bucket. The discussion with some of the OFs took on wills and irrevocable trusts.

The first thing one OF said is, “It is really necessary to know you can rely on the members of the trust to handle your affairs when you pass on. One rotten egg can spoil the whole thing.”

This OF said it was a good idea to have whoever draws up the trust be an elder law attorney, someone who knows the ins and outs of what is required when members of the trust are no longer here.

Another topic (thank goodness) that did not come up then but was darn close, was about what happens when we die and then where are we when we do? Whew.

Electric craze

The OFs discussed pricing again, and probably will discuss it again next week. The price of most everything is getting out of hand.

Gas, some of the OFs could understand. The OFs think the companies that manufacture petroleum are getting the prices up there so the OFs get used to it and are willing to pay the enormous high prices, so the petroleum companies can prepare for electric this and that.

The OFs think they will be able to sell fewer gallons and still make the same bucks.

The OFs want to know if this electric craze is the way to go. One OF thought there was more material in a battery than in an engine.

Then another OF said we can fix an engine to run for years but, when a battery is done, it is done, as far as he knows. Then one OF suggested it is possible to get an internal combustion engine to run on anything.

Willie Nelson has his buses run on grease from the kitchen. That ain’t so bad to have engines smell like bacon cooking when they are running.

One OF thought the way to go is magnetism, to which another OF told the first OF that he would have to improve his reading and get out of the comic-book section. But the OF reading comic books might have a point — think of Buck Rogers and Dick Tracy.

Those Old men of the Mountain who made it to Mrs. K’s in Middleburgh in their magnetic vehicles and stuck them on the parking meters were: Glenn Patterson, Mark Traver, Roger Shafer, Paul Nelson, Rich LaGrange, Jake Lederman, Ted Feurer, John Muller, Ed Goff, Paul Whitbeck, Ken Parks, Bill Lichliter, Robbie Osterman, George Washburn, Jake Herzog, Elwood Vanderbilt, Dave Hodgetts, Bob Donnelly, Lou Schenck, Jack Norray, Rev. Jay Francis, and me.