You might believe that once you enter your 40s, you stop having fun and spend most of your free time saying, "Nine-thirty already? Guess I'll go to bed."

Rubbish. Those on the edge of middle age in Luxembourg are more active than ever, with many of them taking part in a range of hobbies that are both exhilarating and deeply satisfying. Which are the most popular?

Competitive fuel-price watching

This game is easy and fun. The rules are simple: keep your eyes open for news stories about the price of petrol going up or down and be the first to inform your partner or a close friend. Then fill your tank at the right moment. For added fun, compare the price change reported in the news with what you observe first-hand at the petrol station. Inform your partner of any discrepancy.

Perfect parking

With advancements in car technology such as rear cameras and a little thing that goes beep-beep-beep if you get too close to a wall, parking can provide hours of fun no matter where you are. Position your car between the lines and ask yourself if you did it well enough. If not, then you can back up and do it again. For extra fun, judge other car owners who haven’t parked as perfectly as you have and imagine a scenario in which you confront them or boast about your skills.

Start to collect injuries and ailments 

For centuries, this has been a very popular pastime for anyone on the verge of middle age, which is generally considered to be around 45. (Note: in the 1800s, middle age started at age 17.) The aim of this is to make a mental inventory of all the ways your body is starting to fail you: bad knees, weird skin spots, gout, high blood pressure. The list can be endless – literally. Rank your issues. Which is the weirdest? The most annoying?

Creative excuse-making 

People in their 40s sometimes like to stay home at night, sit in a chair, and for a few hours listen to TV theme songs from the 90s. The problem is, sometimes they get asked to join others in a social activity, but they are too ashamed to admit the truth. Making excuses allows you to flex your creative muscles. "My cat has managed to lock me in my laundry room," "I’ve got to assemble a tiny towel rack for the mice in my attic," and "I've got to grate nine kilos of carrots to make a giant carrot cake for the Grand Duke’s birthday" are just some fun creative excuses.

Remarking on what neighbors do / don't do

This is a fun and easy activity that you can do alone or with other 40-somethings on your street. Organize a gathering and then remark that so-and-so in the neighborhood is doing such-and-such a thing. Whether it is not putting back their organic waste bin in a timely manner or building an extension, this hobby offers many opportunities for fun.

Reminding young people that smartphones didn't use to exist

While real older people understand that change occurs and don’t feel the need to obsessively talk about it, people in their 40s still haven’t come to terms with the passage of time. That’s why they love reminding young people, especially their children, that smartphones didn’t exist in the 90s and early aughts. In fact, they love doing this so much that they sometimes do it between 10 and 20 times per day. "When I was your age, I had an actual alarm clock" and "When I was a teenager, we didn’t know precisely where our friends were at all hours of the day" are just two perpetual fun favorites.

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