jasdip - it is getting that I am afraid to leave Ontario. (I live in Toronto.) We have an annual multi-trip out of country/provincial medical/trip cancellation policy that is not cheap - and renews every Sept. I am well aware that each province pays differently - and we are under 65 - not by a lot though - just off. A change in medication - even if you are run over by a bus, can result in the company not paying. It makes absolutely no sense. We also have extra life insurance through the company noted in the Marketplace expose - funny, I never watch Marketplace and neither do many of the people we know, but I guess everyone was flipping chanels and everyone saw it. It is very true - I have seen their medical form since they send it every year trying to sell us more insurance - my doctor wouldn't be able to fill it out. And if you call, as the program pointed out, you do not speak with a licensed insurance rep - you get someone who has absolutely no idea what would happen if you died of something totally unrelated to something they think you "lied" about. One section asks if you have experienced - even once - basic things - a migraine, a UTI etc. So what, you were run over because you might have had a headache? Hard to lie when you didn't even know about something. Same with the travel plan - what do you do, call them and report if you have to take Sinus meds for 6 days? Or you are given painkillers due to a root canal? I know someone who was told when she purchased private insurance that birth control pills were a pre-existing condition so would not be covered. Then there is me - I have been called - AGAIN - as a potential juror for a FIRST DEGREE (wonderful) murder trial. The insurance company tried to tell me last time that jury duty was a pre-existing condition - that one I won. But I am appalled that I might be called for a 6 - 8 week trial - my dog would have to be boarded - and I wouldn't receive any $$$ for the first 10 days of sitting plus the 5 days while they pick the jury. Even taking public transportation alone would cost about $105.00 - before the cost of boarding our older dog - or sending him to daycare. There is something wrong with our system. And I almost bought a cheap ticket to NY on the day the jury notice arrived - 10 minutes before - but the AC website crashed. Just as well, because the insurer allows 14 days from date of the summons to cover the cost of a ticket - it took 18 days for it to get here. The person did believe me - but he told me that claims would have given me a very hard time. Last time I was given only 5 days' notice and they wouldn't let me out of it and I had a plane ticket. My husband is also on the rotation - yet so many people have never been called - and others have been excused for the most frivolous of reasons - while others with very legitimate reasons have to serve. At least pay me my costs. Once the $40 a day kicks in in week 3, that would have to be taken into income. Can't win! I would hate to be an honest banker on trial - or someone with money. Last time I wore a suit and was accused of being a lawyer - unfortunately I am not so had to stay as well as a "sneak in a suit". Many people were there in Joe Boxer PJs and slippers. When my husband served the person responsible for filling Ontario juries wrote an article for the paper reading that jury panels do not have a proper demographic because too many people get out of it leaving only those with a similar mind set. On the news there was an interview with the public defender for a murder trial - jury selection started this week. He said that the best jurors are construction or trade workers because they are much more independent thinkers? What was he smoking? Some provinces pay everyone the equivalent of UIC from day one -that we need. This will cost us our vacation.

There is actually a hotel in Treasure Island, Florida that is specifically for people that travel with pets. It's called the Lorelei Resort Motel and their website is listed below. We stayed there several times with our black lab. The entire property is fenced in so that dogs can be off leash. They are on a very wide canal, and they have a ramp off the dock so the dogs can walk down into the water. They offer pet sitting if you plan a day trip while staying there. I remember our dog got a little treat bag when we checked into the hotel. They have towels to dry the doggies off after swimming. We really loved it there and plan on going back, probably this summer. It's not a really big hotel though, maybe 15 rooms or so, so you may want to reserve early. Oh, Treasure Island is a very convenient location, too. Near Clearwater, Tampa, and about an hour and a half from Disney. Here is a link that might be useful: Lorelei Resort Motel

One good place to start is with this idea that a kitchen needs to be remodeled every five years and of course necessitating all new appliances. Ironic you should speak of refrigerators. I just replaced mine a few weeks back. Yes, it seems that it should last more than 28 years, and yes it's possible it could have been repaired but repair costs would likely have been near the cost of replacement. Sometimes, though it's better to repair than replace, but that's another topic. I did some thinking about cost comparison between the two refrigerators. Neither were bottom of the line, obviously nowhere near top of the line. In 1982 I paid about $675 (plus tax) for a refrigerator, the cheapest available about then IIRC was around $500-$550. I don't recall if I paid extra for delivery and disposal. I might have but since I don't remember I won't include it. This was 1982 dollars which according to The Inflation Calculator puts it at $1480.92 in 2009 dollars. So if I bought a comparable one, which I did, I should expect to pay $1480.92 and possibly more for delivery & disposal. I bought one for $380 (plus tax), including delivery which means I could buy nearly four for the price that I paid for my old one. Practically speaking, this means that if this lasts more than seven years, and I have no reason to believe it won't, I'll be money ahead by comparison. Plus it supposedly uses "much less" electricity about which I'm skeptical but waiting to see how the bills compare down the road. Even discounting any allowance for different dollars, it was nearly $200 cheaper than my last one. It's missing one feature I fear I might miss, but has a few other features I like and were only available on much more expensive models back then. Water heaters OTOH, are troubling to me. I don't see any reason why a water heater life should be 1/4 - 1/2 of what it was only a few decades ago. But it comes down to a simple thing. We in North America seldom buy for quality, despite what we purport. We buy for price and always try to get it cheaper, or at least the illusion of it being cheaper, that illusion for which many will pay any price.

Like many of you, I take old paperbacks and leave them behind. We are leaving for Cape May in a week or so and I will have my bag of paperbacks at the ready. Usually, I find one or two mysteries I HAVE to read at a rental cottage. I feel no qualms taking one or two home with me if I have the same amount to take their places. If traveling by plane, boat, or train, my system is thus: Pack three in the carry-on, pack ten in the suitcase. What's a few more pounds in the suitcase now that everything has wheels on it, right? And whilst on vacation, I usually look like quite the bum. I take old clothes and toss them out, diddo the old socks. Wear and toss. By doing this, I always have room for the books I buy while I am on vacation. And when I really find a lot of books I want, I just stop at the post office and ship them home. I've done this a couple of times from both England and Australia. But this only works if you are not on a guided tour. Netla, I feel for you about your Iceland trip. What a wonderful adventure! My own two cents is a book per day to start and then try to figure out the average number of hours you'll be sightseeing per day and then adjust your number of books. If you are anything like me, you'll come up with a reasonable number, then toss in three or four more at the last minute "just in case". HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME! PAM