Ok, my turn. I and my wife are 57 this year, married for 30 years and
retired 4 years ago. Boring stuff eh?

I spent the first 16 years getting into trouble and the next 12 years
getting an education: B. of Engin. (Engineering Physics) and a Ph.D.
(Nuclear Physics). When I raised up my head  long enough to look around,
there was only one year of the '60s left so my wife and I (we were married
during graduate school) spent the next 2 years backpacking around the world:
Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, W. Samoa, NZ, Australia, Singapore, Borneo, Indonesia,
India, Kashmir, Turkey, Greece and then ended up living in Germany for 5
years 'til 1976.

We returned to Canada to be by my critically ill father. He recovered but we
stayed anyway. Canada can be a boring place but its a pleasant sort of
boring. We've been here ever since.

Work? Oh ya work. If it had to do with the software side of computers, my
wife and I were there. You can blame us for the Y2K problem.

Cars? The only North American car I ever owned car was a 1950 Chev (go
anywhere, do anything car) given to me by my Grandfather. Half a dozen
British sports/sporty cars (on temporary loan from the oxide heaps). 1973
Super Beetle (1303 LS) in Germany, 1976 and 1980 Saab 99 GL in Canada, and
we currently own a 1986 Subaru (our backup vehicle), a 1986 Syncro Westfalia
(the best all round mover we've ever owned) and a 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo (to
drive it is to believe).

Currently we live in the semi wilds of Ontario, Canada where the bears,
deer, moose, Canada geese, loons, otters, fishers, weasels, trout,..(a
forever list).. still think they own the place. Last week we just finished
making 20 gals of maple syrup (its so good that it should be a sin). Between
fiddling with Fritz (our Westfalia) I help my neighbours with their home
computer systems and of course we travel. Our Westy gives us the freedom to
wander where our interests shift - the dream of the '60s - easy rider - Zen
and the art - you get the picture. Our only anchor in Canada (or anywhere
else for that matter) is my wife's 90 year old mother (who just gave up
driving this year - a 1967 Cougar if you can imagine). The call of the
55-south venture is very compelling and we're struggling with the knowledge
that the trip would be the end of Fritz. And then there is my wife's mom.
Routes! Roots?

Larry Johnson