Paddy and Mick are walking down a street in London.
Paddy happens to look in one of the shop windows and sees a sign that  catches his eye.
The sign said: "Suits £5.00 each, Shirts £2.00 each, Trousers £2.50  per  pair".
Paddy says to his pal, "Mick, look! We could buy a whole lot of dose, and when we get back to Ireland we could make a fookin' fortune.
Now when we go into the shop, you be quiet, OK? Just let me do all the talking, cause if they hear our accent, they might not be nice to us.
I'll speak in my best English accent." "Roight y'are, Paddy, I'll keep me mouth shut, so I will," replies Mick.
They go in and Paddy says, "I'll take 50 suits at £5.00 each, 100 shirts at £2.00 each and 50 pairs of trousers at £2.50 each. I'll back up my van and…"
The owner of the shop interrupts. "You're from Ireland, aren't you?" "Well… Yes," says a surprised Paddy. "How der hell d' y' know dat?"
The owner replied, "This is a dry cleaners."

Lets see some more so we can all have a laugh!

Monica

I'd like to hear what others do or plan to do!

Monica

Any other tips appreciated.

Shirley

July 4th is a popular time of year for many people. Numerous fireworks displays light up the sky in cities all over the world. However, if you are not fond of crowds, these Independence Day events can be quite daunting. You become just like a sardine so crowded that you are unable to move around freely during the actual actual fireworks displays. My family and I ended up watching the fireworks on TV this year. We were able to see everything clearly, and enjoy some delicious ice cream at the same time. Where did you spend this 4th of July? Perhaps you have a special place that you visit every year. Maybe you went to a new place to which you have never gone. The Independence of the United States is a marvelous thing to celebrate.Alex
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:55 am

I have heard so much about what has one on in Mexico over the past few months with the "drug issues" but I have to say at least they are looking at it face on and making every effort to make it safe.

My husband and I have had the priveledge of going to Mexico several times and have gone to the various area form the Mayan side to Puerto vallarta and the Baja. We never thought anymore than going for a vacation to help recover from a tragic event that happened in our family, but it had a whole different affect on us.

Throughout dealing with our loss and sadness we gained a new appreciation for how people lived and who they were. They knew nothing of us but showed us kindness and warmth, we loved the idea of simplicity, the warmth of the sun, sand between our toes and the soothing feeling of the waves washing over us.

It truly was a whole new experience and we hope to spend more time as we wind down in the world of work. The pace of live is wonderful, the people, the choice of places, the availability of flights is incredible and who can ignore the cost of living; the average per person all in to live very comfortably $1200-$1500 per couple (exc cost of home or rental).And to meet other people who have moved to Mexico, I have heard that they make friends and create their "Mexico family", very quickly, throughout volunteering in rewarding places such as animal shelters and orphanages. Not to forget the wonderful food, downed by Tequila and some lively music.

Not to say we would live full time as we have family here , but at least for the winter months. How about you, where would you spend some time if you could? And what have your experiences been with over seas living? I would love to hear, please tell. Poppie
 
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:45 pm

A great way to save money when you travel is to go on timeshare tours. My family and I actually made money during our last vacation. How did we do it? We went on two tours? One tour allowed us to get a nice hotel room for $25 total for 2 nights. The other tour put $70 of cold hard cash in our hands. We used the money to pay for our gasoline. Of course, if you do not have the patience to sit through at least 1.5 hours of sales pitches, this is not an option for you. Now that you are over 50 and have the time to travel, How do you save money when you go on vacation? Any great tips we can put to use on our next vacation adventure would really be appreciated. Saving money is always a good thing. Alex
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:55 amTop

While this may seem a little silly, taking a vacation within your own town can not only be fun, but it is a great money saver. I got the idea from a bookstore one day when I was looking to pick up my newest read. There was a great kit available for my city, so I grabbed it and added it to my checkout pile. When I got home, I started thumbing through the cards with local activities and quickly realized that while I have lived here for nearly 20 years, over 2/3 of the items listed I had never seen or done. So, I made a list and started visiting the items that were recommended. I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed being a bigger part of my city and would never have known some of these great treasures were here had I not attempted to become a local tourist.

What things are in your local area which you have never seen? Texaslady
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:30 pm

Some of my male friends have booked and went on international trips alone, but I haven't attempted it as of yet. I recently came across an all women's travel organization and I found the concept intriguing. This group of women visits such countries as Greece. The trip's itinerary includes food, tourist locations, guided tours and 2 days of a motivational leadership training facilitated by well known female figures. The cost is similar to traveling solo or with a partner. So, I am strongly considering attending one of their vacations in a few months.

Have you ever traveled alone? If so, what was your experience? Did you go alone or with a touring group? What would be your advice to me as I consider something similar? Texaslady
 
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Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:30 pmTop
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I love to travel, and I love to cook. So, I have recently considered taking a cooking tour through Italy. But, I don't know anyone who has ever done that and so, I am reaching out to the forum for answers. I am planning the trip for next year, but of course, I want to learn as much as possible before I book my trip. From what I understand, I will be able to visit all of the major hotspots in each town we stop in, while cooking with great restaurant owners along the way. To me, it sounds amazing.

So- if anyone has personally take a trip like this, or knows someone who has, please provide me with the feedback! Thanks in advance!Divachef
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:24 pm

I have considered buying a time share a few times, but was always a little scared off by negative press that I had read over the years. Recently, I was discussing the idea with a family friend of mine and he shared that they had bought a Ritz Carlton time share about 5 years ago. He has taken his entire family to the islands every summer as part of their time share and on a few other occassions, they had traded their time share with other properties and visited places like Aspen. So, I am wondering who else has had positive experiences with vacationing and time shares.

Do you have a timeshare? Where is it? Have you gotten your money's worth from it over time?
Bostonguy
 
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:22 pm

I checked my Facebook account yesterday and had a little chuckle. My daughter lives in Southern California with her 3 sons; 5, 3 and about 8 weeks old now. Both of her sons have fairly long hair (as that seems to be the current style, not to mention that her husband has the same trendy haircut). Well, my daughter decided to take Jack to get his haircut (a bit) and needless to say, he came back with a super short haircut. She was furious and complained but of course, once the hair is gone, it is gone. I tried to tell her that it will grow back, and while I think she will get over it in a day or two, she even uploaded pictures to her FB account noting, "He doesn't even look like the same child." Who else has a great bad haircut story?

There are over 2 million people getting divorced on a yearly basis. Many of these situations can most likely be avoided, if those of us who have successful relationships, share those skills with others. People learn by what they see, and if you did not grow up seeing a healthy marriage in your house, you need to learn a totally different skill. The great thing about those over 50 is that with age comes maturity and wisdom. The more years someone is alive the more chances there are to learn those things that can only be learned through experience. My top secret for relationship success is to always put the other person first. If I want to do something, but my wife does not, it is vital to the health of my marriage that I let her do what she desires first and then make sure my needs get met. This will make her happy, and I will eventually get to do what I want later. What is your number one secret for a successful relationship? If you have been married for a while, you most likely have a treasure chest of advice to draw from and enlighten us all. It would be great to hear your secrets to relationship prosperity.Tony
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:18 am

I hear so many friends talk about how their marriage changes after they retire. Where work primarily filled our lives before retirement, empty calendar space is now present. While many of my friends have been struggling to reconnect and stay connected with their spouses, I have not found the same issue to be present within my own marriage.

Sometimes my friends ask me how we have been able to maintain such a great relationship. My answer has always been simple- independence. Each of has a set of hobbies that are completely different than the other, yet we also have things that we enjoy doing together. The joint activities allow us to stay connected, while the individual activities allow us to maintain our individuality and independence.

How are you maintaining the connection in your marriage? Divachef
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:24 pm

Some people get in and out of relationships so quickly they don't know what hit them. These are usually the peolep that just can't stand to be on their own. They have to be in a relationships even if it's a bad one. These are not just the young people either. I've known several people in their 50s that do this. It's no surprise that these relationships usually don't last long.
I know of others that have found love late in life. Most often these people have been married before and have lost a spouse. They are the ones that enjoy being married. They marry again and spent many more years with another companion.

Some come out of a relationship and find it very difficult to get into another one. It seems for some the longer that they are on their own the more picky they get, making it less likely that they will find another partner. They are no longer willing to put up with things that they may have put up with in previous relationships.
Why are relationships so difficult?

While my family, friends and I were spending some time by the pool one of our friends told a great joke that she heard while on a cruise ship. This joke was about Jehovah Witnesses. We all know that they share their faith by knocking on doors. So what is their favorite type of joke the comedian asked. Can you guess? Knock Knock Jokes. Jokes are great because they make us laugh and help us to forget any health, financial or other challenges we may otherwise be facing. What is the funniest joke you have heard recently? You may have heard it on a cruise ship like our friend, grocery store, TV or even over the telephone. I am sure everyone would love to hear it. Humor goes a long way to make us feel good.Maria
 
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Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2009 11:20 amTop
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