Stilly, in my opinion an SUV is a better buy than a pick-up truck simply because its cargo area has a roof! It’s also more stable on the road and safer in a collision.

But that’s not enough to tempt me to own one — I’m just too stingy to buy the fuel required to run it.

Preparing for my trip to Ottawa makes me wonder how my life got so complicated. I have a long list of people to be told I’m going away, and chores to do in order to ensure that I don’t return to domestic unpleasantness.

Once upon a time, I could just toss some clean underpants in a haversack and lock the door on my way out. Those were the days!