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18 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Yes these games and puzzles are fun and I'll accept that they can play a part in keeping the grey matter active. I partake a few of them myself, especially Sudoku and Kakuro. But don't get too hooked on them. Most of us have come across the new  phrase “sitting is the new smoking” and it's very true.

 

I like to imagine that pension providers love it when retirees get themselves a big comfy armchair and a big screen TV, or the 'home office of course'. To my mind it's a slow death, both mentally and physically. Humans evolved to move and most of us need to do a lot more of it. (and not just lifting a beer glass either!)

 

I like to walk at least 3 miles (6 to 7,000 steps) per day and I wear a smart watch to ensure that I do so. That same watch also gives me an hourly 'get up and move' alarm to remind me do just that. I also practice Qigong (similar to Tai Chi) twice daily. I'm 78 years young, fit, healthy and medication free. 

 

Mens sana in corpore sano. Juvenal got that one right.

Yes , totally agree with you , for me it is not the puzzles themselves per se that I am hooked on , but more the challenge of extending a winning streak or breaking a time trial record , I am also the same physically at 71 years young , but still running marathons and being competitive ..

I keep my brain active by doing SuDoku puzzles daily from the New York Times site www.nytimes.com.

I set to the HARD level and try to complete against the clock.

My best time to date is 11m:48s set on Wed. 27th March with no guesses and no cell reveals..this feels as though you have ran a 5km flat out ..exhausting .. I even have a warm up before and juice up on coffee or M-150 ..

I also do the WORDLE puzzle daily from the same website ..record streak to date 237 , currently on #78 streak.

When I am in Europe , I tend to do Cryptic Crosswords , very rarely manage to complete one , perhaps around 1 in 10 , London Times newspaper.. 1 in 4 Metro (free London Morning newspaper)

9 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

I always favored the scales method, where the passenger stands on a scale with ALL their luggage etc and are charged per total weight of everything including them, not individual parts of it.

What airline does that?

I have just recently flown with a certain LCC from London Stansted to Boston via Rejkavick and they are now charging extra for luggage to go into the overhead lockers.

They have 2 of those luggage frames at check-in desks and again at the boarding gate.

1 frame is used to test luggage dimensions for the overhead locker and a smaller frame is used for luggage that should fit under the seat in front of the passenger.

They were rigidly enforcing this requirement at both positions (Check-in and again at Boarding Gate) and anyone who had not prepaid for hand luggage/overhead compartment were being charged 90 Euros..

There were arguments all over the place and the flight was delayed by over an hour because of this nonsense..

My State Pension has now moved higher than the tax-free allowance (£12,570) following this Years increase of 8.5%

On my Notice of Coding for 2024/25.

the treatment for tax purposes of my State Pension remains untouched ie the excess has not been taxed DIRECTLY

, but I have been given a K-- code , which means that the tax that I should have been deducted from the State pension is deducted from a secondary pension that I receive.

The secondary pension then is first taxed as per normal ie -20%.

The remainder is then taxed using the K-- code/12 as it is paid Monthly.

I do not know what would happen if one is only in receipt of the State Pension , but by the looks of it , it would appear that the tax would be held as a debt owing to HMRO. 

Flying next week London Stansted to Boston and they are charging for use of overhead lockers , that must be a first , your carry-on baggage must be able to fit under the seat in front of you to avoid being charged extra.. 

29 minutes ago, Jumbo1968 said:

I think coming soon meals will be optional on long haul flights, if you want one you will have to pay for it. 

already the case with airasia flights from KL or BKK to Sapporo.

When I go out for an early morning run , I take this light from my bike with me and set it to strobe. I have been using this device for over 5 years now and it works a treat on aggressive dogs , they cannot help but stare at the flashing light and are , of course temporarily blinded. I have become so used to running with this that I don't even have to break my running stride whenever I encounter any dogs ..

it is now , just checked..

Firstly , apologies if this has been asked before , did check , but found nothing..

I will be arriving at Phuket International Airport from Kuala Lumpur in April and would like to know if there is a fast track lane through passport control for the over 70's.

I have found , through this site , that they have such a thing at BKK.

Last time I arrived on this flight a few Months ago , I had a wait of over an hour and don't think I could go through that again at my age.

Did a lot of searching for this information , but all I could find were some kind of dodgy looking sites charging a steep fee , for so called priority service.

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The American woman, Kiaa, chronicled her journey on social media, which began with a spontaneous decision to embark on a one-way flight to Japan. However, within a day of arriving, she realised Japan wasn’t her destination of choice and promptly boarded another one-way flight, this time bound for Thailand.

Why Japan , perhaps she was looking for a genius for companionship ... 🤣

Why is she wearing a pomelo on her head?

3 hours ago, Seppius said:

In June 2009, 28 years after the release of the recording, Larrikin Music sued Men at Work for copyright infringement, alleging that part of the flute riff of "Down Under" was copied from "Kookaburra".

My daughter , when she was just a toddler, learnt this song at nursery school and would sing this everywhere and to everyone for a period , the funniest , when she once broke into song and entertained the people waiting in line , whilst we were waiting in the queue at the supermarket checkout..

Beigel Bake in Brick Lane , Salt Beef Beigel with Gherkin and Mustard that make your eyes water , with a cup of Tea , so strong that you can stand your spoon up in.

yeah! ,  yeah! , we get it  , Mr. Panya stopped at a red light whereupon Mr. Prawet allegedly approached him and shot him multiple times , but no mention what the victim was wearing at the time , very poor reporting..

I have heard tell , that they have competent fully trained technicians in Pago Pago ...

These worked well for me on my recent visit to Japan. Salomon SpeedCross5 with Evadict gaiters.

My daughter recommends Salomon Winter Cross Spike , which she covers 5km daily on , going to and from work in snowy & icy conditions.

3 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I'm thinking...

 

If I decide to move, for good, and FOR THE GOOD, to Pago Pago....

 

I could just put all my stuff in on shipping container and ship it to Pago Pago.

I doubt there are any import tax/duty on personal belongings ....have you checked?

, such as 4 microwave ovens, and 2 refrigerators, etc. ...why on Earth would you even have 4 microwave ovens? 

 

Once I go, I will never return, obviously....then why did you post return flight prices shortly after?

I could not make this long move two times in my life.