Apart from a white-knuckle landing at Stansted, my sojourn in England was a study in the indulgence of the aged. I was ferried and fêted to my heart’s content and entertained royally by the eight grandchildren, who are already preparing their wish-lists for the upcoming season. One twelve-year-old, engrossed in her maths homework, enquired what I had studied at university because she needed some help! Luckily neither of us was embarrassed by my efforts.
But somewhere out there – in the æther – a much cleverer toe-rag was mucking about with my email account and sending oh-so-hilarious messages from ‘me’ to my contact-list. My daughters received them while we ate dinner, witnessing my total innocence. I of course leaped to the nearest screen, to discover that my account was ‘blocked on account of unusual activity’. All I had to do was change my password. Yeah, right. The account was set up 12 years ago in some foreign clime and is now under the auspices of AOL. All I had to do was remember a couple of security answers. But, try as I might, I couldn’t. So I could ring the USA help number, it said.
The upshot was that I decided to forget it. I now use another address and have duly informed family and friends. Oh yes, and the tax office without whom life would be incomplete.
Boadicea's Chariot 
Glad you are back, Janus. Good to be spoilt by the family.
Pain about the email account though.
Hello, Arrers. Ain’t life grand? 🙂
Re: blocked emails, I once had to go through the process, I had, in a moment of past weakness provided an answer to “Name your favorite rock group” as one of my hints. Whaaat? after much searching I found a note I had made at the time, of course “The Amadeus String Quartet ” what else! Since then I have used this response to all the secret questions, “Hometown?” “Amadeus String Quartet” Favorite teacher? ” Amadeus String Quartet”, ” Name of first pet?” ” Amadeus String Quartet” Simple.
I always push that crap onto spousal unit! Can’t be bothered. If an email gets screwed use another.
I never bother with internet banking, I send a cheque instead. Quite interesting that I can still ring my bank in Milford Haven, they know my voice and just do things over the phone -Oh the joy of being behind the times, well considering half their customers and nigh on illiterate they have to.
If someone can’t be bothered to send me a proper letter then screw them I’ll do business with someone who will. Very little has to be THAT fast once one is retired. Make them all wait. Mind you I do have unlimited International phone calls for $5. per month, that helps!
No deals on the phone there Janus?
Denmark sounds hideously expensive. Is it cheaper than the UK?
Christina, I presume your last question is a touch rhetorical. 🙂 The only things I have found to be cheaper are beer and tafelwein (or plonque). Xmas trees @ min. $5 a foot? Netbanking is attractive because cheques are almost dead here, with huge charges for recipients. One of my UK pension providers pays out annually by cheque (yes, I have complained unsuccessfully to the Financial Ombudsman!) – costing me 3 x £15 a year! At the other end of the scale every basic plastic bag provided by a supermarket costs £0.25p! Food prices are elevated by 25% VAT (on everything you can think of and even more that you can’t).
However – it pays to be a state pensioner here with basic payments at double the UK level – but you only get one-fortieth for every year of residence, but every little helps as the old lady…..etc!
Heavens Janus with those costs sounds quite awful. Did you never think to decamp to a third locality where things are a bit more reasonable? Interestingly over the ten years I have been in the USA this time it has relatively become more and more cheap compared with the UK. I blanch every time I return and thank God that we chose to go the other way to live. At the time ten years ago the prices both ends weren’t that different, swings and roundabouts, what was significantly different were tax rates where spousal unit would have paid double the income tax in the UK compared with the US. Pensions here are very generous too, they even have just given me one just for being married to a US national!
I think it quite wrong to get rid of cheques, I’m sure both charities and grandchildren suffer from reduced contributions and what about the poor and elderly that do not have internet access? Quite wrong.