Happy thread

TrevL · December 15, 2021, 06:21:46 PM

Yes very good, it always amazes me how they could find so many potential high jump champions with un-natural ankle joints.

joe cassidy · December 15, 2021, 08:45:48 PM

Quote from: class37025 on December 15, 2021, 05:47:22 PM
I think this should be in the happy thread, but then I could be wrong.

just been checking my bank account, and see that I have received my state Xmas Bonus

a whole, whopping £10 just the same as when my father-in-law first got it in the late 1970s

nice to know that nothing has changed since then.....

wages
costs of heating and fuel
MPs expenses

so in 1970s £10 would get him something

in 2021 £10 will get you all.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone actually thought about this sort of thing ?

winter fuel allowance, been £200 since first paid, no adjustment depending on the annual prices.

this insulting 'Xmas Bonus'.

and on top of everything, each year the pensions rise for the next year is calculated on the same month ...
which turns out to be the month with the lowest figures for inflation
until last year when we pensioners would at long last have had a decent rise...

but the goal posts were moved so we basically got all again.

I will stop now, before I over step the mark, but will fill my thermos, and pack some Jaffa cakes, just in case I once again get sentanced for political comment.

now, what shall I spend my ill gotten bonus of £10 on ?

might manage a bunch of flowers for SWMBO, if I don't go mad :'(

The cost of transfering £10 to your account was probably at least £11 ?

joe cassidy · December 15, 2021, 08:47:12 PM

Quote from: TrevL on December 15, 2021, 06:21:46 PM
Yes very good, it always amazes me how they could find so many potential high jump champions with un-natural ankle joints.

One of the benefits of drinking Guiness ?

dannyboy · December 15, 2021, 08:53:20 PM

I have to say that the Irish do tend to look after the pensioners. I received my UK Xmas bonus (£10), last week and had €11.71c paid into my bank account. I also had the Irish Xmas bonus paid into the account - €248.30c!

joe cassidy · December 15, 2021, 08:55:55 PM

Do they still get free Guiness in the old folks' homes ?

dannyboy · December 15, 2021, 08:58:37 PM

Quote from: joe cassidy on December 15, 2021, 08:55:55 PM
Do they still get free Guiness in the old folks' homes ?

Not in this old folks home.

. (Do not tell Louisa I referred to our house as an 'old folks home'!)

railsquid · December 16, 2021, 12:44:40 AM

In the summer of the year the currently fashionable virus is named after, the local authority sent me coupons to be redeemed at any reputable local hospital for a rubella vaccination as coverage is apparently lacking in my age group, anyway finally got round to redeeming mine and it turns out whatever childhood shot(s) I had many decades ago are still strutting their stuff and no vaccine need

Bealman · December 16, 2021, 01:26:58 AM

How do they work that out?

railsquid · December 16, 2021, 01:44:24 AM

Well now I'm double-jabbed I thought it would just be a question of connecting to the hospital's 5G wireless network, but apparently they still need to do it the old-fashioned way by sticking a sharp pointy thing into a limb, extracting some red stuff and sending it off to a coven of witches for analysis.

Bealman · December 16, 2021, 01:52:33 AM

Oh, ok. A blood test.

railsquid · December 16, 2021, 02:12:39 AM

Ah yes, that's the phrase I was looking for. Diagnosis was "firm with a fruity bouquet", oh sorry that was a wine tasting. Score was 43 out of a maximum of 99999.0 according to the paper I gave me, anything under 6 would cost the government money.

dannyboy · December 16, 2021, 10:17:06 AM

I suppose with a pass rate of 6 out of 99999, a score of 43 is quite good. Well done that man.

Richardxharrison · December 23, 2021, 10:04:26 AM

Well I hope this qualifies for the happy thread! Applied for my passport renewal on the 14th December and by the 21st December I had my new passport in my hand, amazing service in these challenging times! I only hope the US embassy in London takes note for when I need to renew my green card next year! Happy Christmas everyone.

Jon898 · December 23, 2021, 07:34:34 PM

The bald eagles are back on the nest by the lake. The eyrie was partially blown down in storms a couple of years ago and, while the eagles tried it for size last year, they passed on it and it was appropriated by a pair of osprey for the summer. Hopefully the eagles will not give up this year and raise another brood.

Jon

Jon898 · December 26, 2021, 07:31:34 PM

Quote from: Richardxharrison on December 23, 2021, 10:04:26 AM
Well I hope this qualifies for the happy thread! Applied for my passport renewal on the 14th December and by the 21st December I had my new passport in my hand, amazing service in these challenging times! I only hope the US embassy in London takes note for when I need to renew my green card next year! Happy Christmas everyone.

Are you sure it's the embassy? Apparently USCIS has closed most of the overseas offices and it's not possible to start the renewal if you're outside the US. Additionally, if you've been gone more than a year and didn't get a Reentry Permit before you left (valid for 2-years), they can consider that you've abandoned your resident status and you have to start the Green Card process all over again. Before I went the naturalization route, while I was working I was always concerned that I'd be assigned out of the US and it would drift into being more than a year. Back then the Green Card (I-551) didn't expire, but the 1-year/2-year limits were still in effect. By the way, it's not cheap (currently USD540) to renew, and if you've done it wrong the government pockets the payment and makes you start over.

Good luck,

Jon