Maybe the car thing still carries some weight in some circles but....... I was at a social gathering last summer which included a number of my husband's clients and possible prospective clients, some from here and some from down in the States, when an American gentleman approached me and suggested that I should convince Jim that he should get a more appropriate car, as his current vehicle might not be confidence inspiring. He obviously didn't realize that most of the people there were already customers, despite the Columbo cruiser.

My husband is sort of oblivious to his mode of transport as long as it runs and he can continue to use it as a mobile office, garbage can and paper storage bin and if he has to transport a customer, he just clears a space in the mound of debris and somehow they cope. His current vehicle is now 29 years old and there are a few rust spots poking out through the dirt.

We have other money pits (two daughters in post secondary education) so a new car is currently not a priority and we also have always had more work than we can sometimes handle comfortably, while still maintaining a commitment to service and basically a one man show.

My husband guiding principal....be a good listener.....tell the truth.