Mutau

Cat, You have encountered the bastion of why fix it when you can buy new!! To repair anything these days requires an individual who cares, an individual who has practical hands-on experinece and an individual who loves what they do.

Trace, the answer to your question is quite simple: women are more intelligent than men! Why spend that amount of money on an inanimate object. One can easily use the cash on live human beings and have more enjoyable and varied experiences.

It is as Michelle states: Life is about choices. If we decide to travel, then we need to choose the method we wish toi use with all of the complications that that particular mode may entail. If we take our car or a rented vehicle, then there is the length of time on the road and the consequent fatique. If we opt for a bus company, then there is having to plan and co-ordinate schedules (on the plus side there is no screening, nor are there any security checks). Should we prefer travel,on the rails, then there are the same challenges and benefits as with the bus except one can get up and walk around with much more ease and if in the proper class on the train catch up on e-mails and work the Internet. The idea of the body scan at this point in time affects only those deciding to travel by plane. Unfortunately, in this day and age of extended business travel, and at times on a frequnet basis, there is no escaping the necessity to use air transportation. I really do not see a business allowing employees to take the train from say Toronto to Vancouver simply because they do not wish to pass thropugh a full-body scanner. As well, the addition of full-body scanning technology is one more inconvenience and extended lne-up at an already hassled airport experience. How much time will we waste standing around waiting to go through the small number of available machines? What happens when they break down (never during a quiet period, but usaully during the busy period of the day) and need to be repaired? Oh the joys of travelling!

Have read with interest the comments on retiring and not really hanging up one's spikes (pun inteneded). My story is similar to Spike in that work started at the young age of 14 and changed at 57. I moved from my full-time position to several part-time contract-style undertkaings. Currently, I have transitioned to working for myself on the international front. Several short-term contracts per year which allow me to partially quench my travel bug and at the same time provide assistance to the citizens of developing nations. I concur with Cat that mandatory retirement is a real heart break. The aging workforce only means that our experienced people are being required to depart when they still have many years left to contribute. Our grey matter is a valuable resource and should be put to use doing what we like, when we want and for however long we desire. Enjoy the transition Spike. There are always challenges in life: we only have to choose the ones that suit us!! Mutau