The Retirement Thread

[SpokeyDokey]

Same here. I get my very first pro rata payment next month.

I have discovered nice shoes. Wooohoo

I get confused on the pro-rata first payment.

Not checked for yonks but don't you just get payment from the first whole week after your birthday or some such?

 

[numbnuts]

Mousey problems -
Thank you for your email regarding the probable ingress of pests within the fabric of property.
I have arranged a surveyor’s visit with Simon Lockyer and this has been scheduled for 29/03/2022, between the hours of 08:00 and 17:00.

Maybe I'll sleep better tonight knowing they are going to do something

 

[SpokeyDokey]

To be honest and joking apart, sometimes I wonder, living or just existing

Despite having my first really upbeat day today since my op' last week I keep thinking about this post and it makes me sad tbh.

I don't know your back story and I do hope that you are ok.

Life can be tough for sure at times but generally the troughs are transient.

All the best. 👍

 

[ColinJ]

A new take on EV's/e-bikes?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzhREYOK0oo

It looks a lot of fun, but does the world really want/need thousands of those things flying around at speeds of up to 100 km/hr at altitudes up to 1,500 m?

The potential for disaster is high!

In other news...

My bike is still noisy despite a new chain and tightened-up chainring bolts!

The 52 tooth ring and 19 tooth cog have seen better days so I might try replacing them with a 42 ring and 15 sprocket which I have in my junk box. That would give a gear ratio 2% higher than what I currently have so very slightly harder on climbs and slightly less 'spinny' on faster roads. That would be the cheapest option and might stop the noise. I suspect not though...

The Campagnolo parts I am using are way more expensive than Shimano, so if I have to buy parts I might switch to Shimano. I have an old Shimano crankset and a 39 tooth ring. I may even have a suitable Shimano bottom bracket somewhere.

Money...! I received a letter giving me updated figures for housing benefit and council tax benefit. I checked those figures and spotted something odd - the 'applicable amount' used in the 2 calculations was different. I phoned up to query the discrepancy and they promised to get back to me. If it turns out that they should have used the new higher figure for housing benefit too then I will be £478 p.a. better off, which would go a long way towards paying off the coming increases in fuel bills!

I'm going to phone Plusnet later and see if I can get them to do me a better deal.

The Metro had an article about someone with so many bikes in their back garden that it is obvious from the Satellite view on Google Maps! There is a suspicion that bike theft might be involved...

 

[ColinJ]

I get confused on the pro-rata first payment.

Not checked for yonks but don't you just get payment from the first whole week after your birthday or some such?

I am currently being paid 4-weekly***. They paid me 2.5 weeks to get me to the first of the full 4-weekly days and I am now getting regular 4-weekly payments. They clearly have some schedule for when they make these payments. They do NOT just start ASAP after pension age.




*** That is the default frequency. I heard that it can be switched to weekly and wrote asking for my payments to be made weekly. So far they have not responded.

 

[numbnuts]

Despite having my first really upbeat day today since my op' last week I keep thinking about this post and it makes me sad tbh.

I don't know your back story and I do hope that you are ok.

Life can be tough for sure at times but generally the troughs are transient.

All the best. 👍

When I was born I was queuing up for the straws......they had run out by the time I got there......... not even a short one
and it went down hill after that, it just seems that when things start to go well, it is followed by a disaster and I have to start all over again and finding mice in my flat just pushed me to the limit, there is nothing worse getting up in the middle of the night to find a dead mouse in your kitchen and then wondering the rest of the night will one come into the bedroom.
It may be small to some people, but to me it's a big deal and I hate it, but the good news I have someone coming around next week.
Many thanks for your concern

 

[SpokeyDokey]

When I was born I was queuing up for the straws......they had run out by the time I got there......... not even a short one
and it went down hill after that, it just seems that when things start to go well, it is followed by a disaster and I have to start all over again and finding mice in my flat just pushed me to the limit, there is nothing worse getting up in the middle of the night to find a dead mouse in your kitchen and then wondering the rest of the night will one come into the bedroom.
It may be small to some people, but to me it's a big deal and I hate it, but the good news I have someone coming around next week.
Many thanks for your concern

Ta for the reply - hope the mice issue gets sorted ASAP. 👍

 

[ColinJ]

Despite having my first really upbeat day today since my op' last week I keep thinking about this post and it makes me sad tbh.

I don't know your back story and I do hope that you are ok.

Life can be tough for sure at times but generally the troughs are transient.

All the best. 👍

It's a nice post, but unfortunately there are many of us for whom the troughs are the normality and the peaks are (very) transient.

I got quite choked up last summer after a lovely sunny walk with my stepdaughter, her dog, and her mum. What upset me was realising that I felt happy. Yes, I felt happy that afternoon, but I was unable to think back to another time when I had felt that good. That really isn't normal for a 65 year old...

 

[Mo1959]

It's a nice post, but unfortunately there are many of us for whom the troughs are the normality and the peaks are (very) transient.

I got quite choked up last summer after a lovely sunny walk with my stepdaughter, her dog, and her mum. What upset me was realising that I felt happy. Yes, I felt happy that afternoon, but I was unable to think back to another time when I had felt that good. That really isn't normal for a 65 year old...

More common than you realise I think. I’ve always felt sort of on the outside of things and only really been of importance to anyone when they have nobody else or need something. Fortunately, most of the time I seem to be able to remain reasonably content with my own company.

 

[numbnuts]

It's a nice post, but unfortunately there are many of us for whom the troughs are the normality and the peaks are (very) transient.

I got quite choked up last summer after a lovely sunny walk with my stepdaughter, her dog, and her mum. What upset me was realising that I felt happy. Yes, I felt happy that afternoon, but I was unable to think back to another time when I had felt that good. That really isn't normal for a 65 year old...

I know how you feel, to be honest I've been feel low for a long time and with the covid lockdowns just made it worse, I can't remember when I was last happy, I kid you not and to me every day is the same day in day out and losing the car has not helped either as I can't do the things like kayaking and fishing, never went to the beach last year or walks in the New Forest,the only thing that keeps me going that I say to myself “your time will come” and everything else will be back to normal again

 

[Mo1959]

I know how you feel, to be honest I've been feel low for a long time and with the covid lockdowns just made it worse, I can't remember when I was last happy, I kid you not and to me every day is the same day in day out and losing the car has not helped either as I can't do the things like kayaking and fishing, never went to the beach last year or walks in the New Forest,the only thing that keeps me going that I say to myself “your time will come” and everything else will be back to normal again

Was the insurance pay out not enough to even get a little run about just to get you out and about again? You could always get something newer later if things improve?

 

[ColinJ]

More common than you realise I think. I’ve always felt sort of on the outside of things and only really been of importance to anyone when they have nobody else or need something.

That sounds familiar!

Fortunately, most of the time I seem to be able to remain reasonably content with my own company.

I'm the same but every now and then I think the same as @numbnuts - there must be more to life than this!

I know how you feel, to be honest I've been feel low for a long time and with the covid lockdowns just made it worse, I can't remember when I was last happy, I kid you not and to me every day is the same day in day out and losing the car has not helped either as I can't do the things like kayaking and fishing, never went to the beach last year or walks in the New Forest,the only thing that keeps me going that I say to myself “your time will come” and everything else will be back to normal again

Yes... One of the things that keeps me going is meeting up for forum rides but Covid really knocked that on the head for a long time. I need to get my fitness level back up and plan some more rides for this year! I already have a couple of new routes planned and aim to repeat a lot of the past favourites.

The winter really doesn't help. I usually start to come out of the winter slump around the start of April and aim to get 6 or 7 decent months in before it all happens again.

I must try to make enough money to be able to clear off to somewhere sunny for future winters.

 

[welsh dragon]

I get confused on the pro-rata first payment.

Not checked for yonks but don't you just get payment from the first whole week after your birthday or some such?

No. It is tied in with your birthday, and your national insurance number. The national insurance number determines the date you get your pension I believe, so between my birthday and the date I would get my pension 4 weeks later gives me pro rata payment for the first time. After that, I will be paid on the right date and the right amount

 

[numbnuts]

Was the insurance pay out not enough to even get a little run about just to get you out and about again? You could always get something newer later if things improve?

Hi Mo I've got £10,000 put by for a car, but I can't find anything that is low mileage, auto and an estate that I can fit my trike inside, The Ford Mondeo Est was great, but all the ones I have seen have 90,000 miles + or are too expensive. Since the accident second hand car prices have risen by over £1000, people are not changing their cars so there is a shortage, well there is in the south, but I'll keep looking something will turn up.

 

[pawl]

Thats normal enough and I identify with your sleep pattern and thoughts. I go through patches of sleeplessness but I dont worry too much about it. I can go to bed full of enthusiasm about projects I am about to undertake but wake up deflated and feeling overwhelmed , lacking confidence , wondering am I taking on too much ? I try to ignore my age and climb ladders to paint outside of house etc . Her indoors gets edgy when she sees me but I think keep doing it while I can .Every day above ground is a good day , especially beautiful sunny ones like this . I looked up signs of depression online but reckon its covid plus ageing etc . We will all be dead long enough ! so make the bloody most of each day we have . Each day is a gift

Mrs p gets a fit of the vapours if I stand on a chair to get some item out of one of the cupboards I can’t reach the back of