| lesley153
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Jonathan and his girlfriend's father have the same birthday. Unusual? Probably. But he fell off his chair today when she told him that they were celebrating her grandmother's birthday next week. It's the same day as his grandmother's, and only one year's difference.
What are the chances of that happening? |
Reply #542. May 22 10, 5:24 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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Hmmm...Meant to be? Possibly, but odd just the same!
Reply #543. May 22 10, 6:37 PM
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| Lochalsh
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When I dated the man who would eventually become my husband, we quickly discovered that we shared a birthday, though he was two years older than I. We broke up for a while, and, during that interim, I dated a fellow with whom I shared a birthday, though he was one year older than yours truly.
I can't figure out the statistical probability of dating two birthday mates in a row, but I do know there are only 366 birthdays to go around. I suppose astrologists would say that we seek out those who mirror our own characteristics.
Beau #1 has been my ex-husband for years; now, I'm just glad that he's heading into the baby boomer sunset more quickly than I am!
Reply #544. May 22 10, 6:46 PM
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| Lochalsh
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Gosh, Lesley, it's your blog, and I didn't even respond directly to you! Thoughts of the long-ago ex rattle me still, I guess.
Will a hug make up for my peccadillo?
((((((((((((Lesley))))))))))))
Reply #545. May 22 10, 6:49 PM
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| lesley153
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Astrologists would say that, and family therapists would too, probably, but how many people want to know your date of birth before you go on a date? (Asking "What's your star sign?" doesn't count.)
I do know a married couple who share a birthday but the odds against finding two must be staggering.
And now I shall go for the hug - yay! I am a shameless hug tart, and any excuse will do!
((((((((()))))))))))) |
Reply #546. May 22 10, 7:13 PM
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| Lochalsh
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how many people want to know your date of birth before you go on a date?
__________
Virgos would. We're obsessive and detail-oriented, so they say.
__________
You're a hug tart? I never would have known! :-)
((((((((((((((Lesley)))))))))))))
Reply #547. May 22 10, 7:30 PM
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| lesley153
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Ooh more hug! Lovely!
I'm Pisces with Virgo rising, which probably explains why I'm permanently perplexed.
When my SIL had been married for more than ten years, I asked her when her husband's birthday was, and she didn't know. She's Scorpio. I don't suppose that's why.
(((((()))))) |
Reply #548. May 23 10, 7:00 AM
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| Lochalsh
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Lesley, my ex-husband forgot my birthday one year. See above for date of his own.
Reply #549. May 23 10, 7:33 AM
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| lesley153
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And presumably remembered his own. That's impressive.
I've just remembered - Jonathan's ex's parents recently celebrated her 50th birthday and their 25th wedding anniversary. Mother explained: she picked her 25th birthday to get married on, to make sure he'd remember at least one of the dates. She laughed as she said it. I think she was joking. (I'm not sure.) |
Reply #550. May 23 10, 8:12 AM
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| lesley153
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| And another memory triggered. I don't know if Jonathan thinks it was meant to be - I'll ask him one day. But I remember a man who said that he and his betrothed were meant to be, and he tried to show off by using the Hebrew word for "ordained." But he put a dot in the wrong place, and ended up saying that their love was slaughtered. |
Reply #551. May 23 10, 8:15 AM
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| Lochalsh
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Isn't the verse "It is not *meet* that a man should live alone," rather than "It is not *meat* that a man should live alone"?
Okay, that was a stretch. *yawn*
Reply #552. May 23 10, 8:37 AM
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| lesley153
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| It was a good stretch though. So was theirs - their marriage lasted four months. It's what happens when you marry a show-off who's trying to pretend that he's not an idiot. |
Reply #553. May 23 10, 6:28 PM
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| lesley153
|
A friend of a friend has a 16-year-old grandson, who is preparing to go to agricultural college, and was offered to me as a gardener. Did I accept the offer? Need you ask? He is, very simply, wonderful. My front garden now looks like a front garden, not European Set-aside Jungle, and I can see it when I open the curtains.
A month ago, all I could see were the huge bushes growing just outside the window. (I had at some stage managed to keep them in check, till I ran out of motivation and energy and just gave up. If they want to run riot, who am I to try to stop them?) His father brings him sometimes and usually takes him home, and gives him advice when he isn't sure what to do.
Twenty or so years ago, an ash tree took root just inside the front fence. It's long gone but stayed for long enough to push the fence out of line. Over the last couple of weeks, his father has pushed the fence back where it should be, and shown me a colour chart of wood treatments. This week, he arrived with a huge tin of five-year fence paint, and painted the front fence, and one of the gates. It looks so good, I'd do a Happy Dance if I didn't think I'd fall over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The good side of diuretics is that they've help me lose a load of weight. The bad side is that they can have undesirable side effects. The one I got is gout - ouch. My right big toe was stiff and swollen, and felt like a million Lilliputians had congregated on it with pickaxes, and were chopping away like there was no tomorrow. It tailed off slowly and was gone within a week.
Or so I thought. The sneaky buggers had jumped down, tiptoed behind me when I wasn't looking, and jumped on my left toe. I can feel them chopping now, and I'm sure, when it's very quiet, I can hear them laughing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan's girlfriend finished her music degree with a violin recital at the end of Thursday morning. At three o'clock Thursday afternoon, they were on a bus to Stansted airport. They flew to Venice and stayed till Saturday night, when they took a night train to Rome. They flew back to England on Monday evening. Their plane landed in Stansted just before midnight last night, and they arrived home in London at three o'clock this morning. They're exhausted but happy, and I'm quietly envious. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had been tracking the plane journey online, and knew it had landed at ten to midnight. At twenty past midnight, I got a text, and was a bit peeved to discover that it wasn't from him. It was from my Erstwhile Friend, the one who doesn't consider my company worth a two-mile drive. I haven't had or wanted a peep out of her for the entire month of May, and here she is, out of the blue, asking me how I'm faring, hoping the hospital did a brilliant job, and hoping I'm "on the track" again. She's had a cough for as long as I've known her, and nobody has been able to find out why. It's got worse recently, and needs to be investigated. "Perhaps the end is near (two exclamation marks)" (Not funny.) She finishes by saying she's glad of the half-term break, and signs off with a laughing smiley and kisses.
Rather than asking if it was brilliant, why doesn't she start off by asking how I am or if I've had it yet? She took early retirement a year or so ago, and is now a "supply" teacher, taking temporary teaching jobs, anywhere but the school she was teaching in when she retired. Nobody is forcing her to work, and she won't starve when she stops. She may just have to cut down on her holidays in New Zealand. If she's so glad of a break, she can retire properly, which means not working at all, and leave room for a few younger teachers.
I'm irritated by the message, and slightly irritated by the time of day that she sent it. Normal people don't send texts after midnight, unless they're your son telling you he's off the plane now, or they're drunk.
Actually I'm slightly irritated by the fact that she sent it at all. I haven't done anything with it. I was thinking of replying with a bald "Haven't had it yet." Shall I ignore it? If I answer it, what shall I say? All suggestions warmly and gratefully accepted. |
Reply #554. Jun 01 10, 3:17 PM
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guitargoddess 
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Maybe just a "Thanks for thinking of me" reply.. you'll know there's a touch of sarcasm there but she won't be able to prove it :P
Reply #555. Jun 01 10, 3:51 PM
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| lesley153
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| Thank you, GG - I wish I'd thought of that. |
Reply #556. Jun 01 10, 3:53 PM
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MarchHare007
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How about 'No', 'Not Yet', 'Getting There' and 'When's your next trip to New Zealand?' - all sent at 20 minute intervals from midnight? *smiles sweetly*
How nice to be in the 'middle of Europe' and hop planes and trains for such a lovely touring weekend. I'm not Quietly envious!
My niece has just Facebooked me ....from Santorini (by way of Hong Kong and Thailand) on her way to Greece for 10 weeks!
Oh to be 25 again!
Your garden sounds lovely, Lesley. A nice way to help you out and give a budding horticulturist some where to practice. Nice that his Dad is hovering too, to provide the nicely straightened painted fence.
I bet that all helps you feel better too. :)
Reply #557. Jun 01 10, 7:06 PM
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| lesley153
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Sounds like a very good plan. She once sent me a text as she was having breakfast in Singapore. Her leisurely 10am breakfast was my fast asleep (What? Splutter! noisy!) 5am. Ouch. She laughed and said she switches her phone off at bedtime. She might but I don't. Something else I don't do is assume that everyone else does what I do. Grr.
Lucky niece, and yes, to be twenty-anything again really, but perhaps with a little more money than we had then.
The garden is coming to life and I think yes, it is bringing me with it. It's also giving him a bit of cash. Good for him for finding work, and not putting his name on a waiting list for a shelf-stacking job in Tesco. Best of all, he's got a father who sees beyond lawn-mowing, and spots a Little Old Lady who desperately needs rent-a-husband. I've never had a gardener who saw the fence as part of the garden. Serendipity. :) |
Reply #558. Jun 01 10, 7:56 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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The garden and the newly painted fence--Wonderful!
Good for Jonathan. I'm sure they had an absolutely amazing time! It makes me *smile* just thinking about it.:)
As for the 'friend,' I don't think she deserves a reply at all. When she discovers that you haven't...Well, we'll see!
Keep looking out the window Lesley, and talking to the kid. You're going to be fine! :)
Just in passing...I wouldn't be 20 anything again, for the world!
Reply #559. Jun 01 10, 9:20 PM
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Professer
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Lesley sent a pm re emails hope you got it, i have one email working at the moment but the other is not one you have that is.
Seems Virgin media have major issues
Reply #560. Jun 02 10, 2:37 AM
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