Old Guys Rule!

"Are you sure?"

Missing in this months’ blog are:

• Two extended charity cycle rides of 60 and 25 miles
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Copleyphotos/Cycling#
• The first Motorhome holiday
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/Copleyphotos/CopleysOnTheRoad2010#
• The School trip (how not to lose kids(slipperymonsters))
• Pilates for the ambitious middle aged male

At last the house is empty this morning and I can get to the computer. At anytime however in the afternoon I could hear the front door open and my eldest, Daniel flake into the house, absent of lessons that afternoon and, dropping his bag just inside the door collapses into this very chair to check up on his virtual social life via Facebook. It’s tough being an A-Level student because I know in five minutes time he’ll also have to get up and move to get out the box of Pringles from the kitchen and start to demolish the contents. Perhaps a grunt or two will pass as conversation but the computer is in his possession now and it’s every teenager’s right to have control when they are free of the shackels of school. Challenging this status inevitably will lead to confrontation as this is obviously a homework issue and Facebook was a momentary aberration in his workflow. And no doubt when his brother gets in the challenge and response (argument) for control of the electronic social networking sites will continue until the referee is either summoned or attracted by the raised voices. No “goal line” technology required here, just an impartial review of the relevant information and who plays the “homework” card best. But why the fights? God only knows because I’m fortunate enough to be sitting next to a second computer with exactly the same speed and programming but… there will always be an excuse. Welcome to parenthood to those who aren’t benefiting from teenagers.


As I fast approach my fiftieth birthday (check out the reminder birthday invite attached to your email) perhaps it is time for reflection. Don’t worry I’m not going to hit you with any heavy insights and reflections…at least I don’t intend to at this point!
Am I growing old gracefully? Life they say now begins at 55 not 40. Considering the average life expectancy at the turn of the century (1900) was 46 years, it must have been a bit of a bummer cramming all that fun into six years! Today with our national health being better (with the odd exception) we live on to old age just getting grumpier at our surroundings and those irritating things around us called “people”. Do we find that our tolerance gets whittled away to nothing as we approach our mature years? There are no doubt many reasons I’m sure but I am no physcologist and will not attempt to explain away our little nuances and irritants. Perhaps we learn to tolerate that which we cannot change but when something comes along out of the ordinary we react. For sure under this laconic, calm and collected exterior of mine must lie a grouchy old man waiting to get out. For example:

Recently I have taken the Chief Constable of Essex and the CEO of Tesco to task for an incident. Now I have time on my hands I feel that I can treat this as more of a hobby than a rant about injustice. I researched the correct titles and names of officials, their correct addresses, any previous recorded events of similar incidents etc etc.. Then on quality paper and envelopes and only just shying clear of using my Captain prefix by a whisker (I’m told it looks good!?), letting the evidence and the power of the almighty word do its magic. Ok, so what has Copley been up to? NOTHING… that’s just the point!

The brief version…I hope!

I filled up my car with petrol at a Tesco Express ,together with a few groceries. The total amount for fuel charged was to be taken by credit card and was notified verbally by the cashier before the standard transaction was made. One hour later a police car with two officers called on me to inquire why I had driven off without paying. Incredulous, I get the receipt which has indeed omitted the fuel. Tescos had reported me as a “Drive Off”… a criminal offence. Now, how is this for coincidence? I have just taken a call from the Inspector conducting the investigation and he has successfully managed to appease this grumpy, defamed old man. He informed me that Tescos had intimated in their call that I may have deliberately distracted their cashier by talking to him and confusing him in the process. Perhaps we live in a soft world but when does a common courtesy of perhaps a ten second conversation as how much fuel my Voyager takes, become a criminal intent to defraud Tescos? Anyhow, the Chief Constable, through the district Chief Inspector has revised the Standard Operating Procedures for these types of Drive Offs with his staff and will speak to Tescos accordingly about wasting their time in such obvious civil matters. Other avenues are available to them via the DVLA and civil action but it is evidently Tesco policy to report every drive off and see if the police bite! I await the Chief Inspectors letter and then will turn my attention again to Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco CEO. Me grouchy? Na, just incensed at being labelled a thief for Tescos commercial gain.
Let the battle of letters continue with any “smoothing of waters” from Tescos being in the form of a charitable donation to a charity of my choice. Once I smell blood!


Talking of blood…tenuous link#1

I am pleased to inform you all that my health is going well. The CT scan and MRI have shown that many of the small tumours in my head have completely disappeared, with the rest shrinking. I get the feeling they (the doctors) were not expecting such a result and are more than happy that the combined radio and chemo therapies are complementing each other. The rest of my poisoned body is of little interest with stability being the key word. So all told, a great result.

Thank you all for your continued support it is still very much appreciated.

Don’t forget my Birthday Bash coming up on the 6 November if you can all make it. As the T-shirt says “Old Guys Rule”.

Richard