Just recently a flight scheduled to take off for Seattle from Mexico City, sat for 16 hours on the tarmac. When it finally did get into the air, because of thick fog, it landed in Portland at midnight.

Then, once the flight landed, the passengers were held aboard for another four hours. The airport claimed the flight was totally unexpected, and no customs agents there at that hour to check passengers from Mexico back into the U.S.

It may not be like a sunny day lolling on the warm sandy beach, but there are things you can do to make that flight comfy enough to drift off to dreamland. First, of course, if you’re flying economy, the problem is that seats there seem to be designed more for torture than comfort.

However, there are ways to relieve the situation. When you book, call as early as you can and ask for a window seat. It suffers no aisle traffic nor overweight seatmates climbing over you, and you can lean up against the bulkhead to snooze.

Once a thriving 19th Century Arizona mining community, history has long since abandoned Jerome. The remains of a few buildings still stand precariously, including this two-seat privy. If the town were built today, would a three-seater be required: male, female and transgender?

Q: I know travel4seniors.com offers all kinds of travel solutions, so maybe you can suggest a personal one for me. I’m divorced, in my late 50s. When we met on a singles cruise, the guy said he was widowed. We hit it off very well. By the end of the week, we were in love. At least that’s what I thought.

When the cruise ship docked, we exchanged email addresses. Then he left for New York, and I went home to Baltimore. We made all kinds of promises to see each other again, but that’s the last I heard from him. I’m old-fashioned and believe he should be the first to make contact. What do you suggest? PBL, Baltimore MD

A: Hey, whadda ya think our site is, a lonely hearts column? OK, seriously, too often the old term shipboard romance means just that. It ends with the cruise, and the temporary lovers return to their lives, too often their wives and husbands.