1998
After Bob and Margaret's home is robbed, they file a police report and an insurance claim. Bob tries to get Margaret to lie on the insurance claim so they can get bigger/newer/flashier/fancier high-tech replacements. Margaret feels that this is dishonest and leads to high insurance premiums; she'd rather get comparable replacements and install a home security system. Meanwhile, the thieves watch for empty shipping boxes left for the trash collector.
1998
It's Halloween. It is also Bob father's birthday and his mother wants to celebrate by visiting his grave. Bob is not comfortable with this and tries to get out of it, but can't because his brother Peter is away making another one of his cooking shows. Bob receives a call from a woman who tells him that her husband, an old school friend of Bob's, has died while repairing his roof. Bob cannot remember this man and, as he hates funeral's anyway, does not want to go. He relents under pressure from Margaret. At the funeral he finds that virtually no one at the funeral remembers the fellow either. When they leave, they notice a man sitting alone. The man ends up getting a lift from Bob and Margaret and talks to them about the fragility of life and coping with death. It turns out that he is not just an upset mourner, but an insurance salesman looking for customers. Somehow, Bob finds wisdom in his patter and learns to accept his mortality better through the reality of statistical probability.
1998
In this story of neighbourhood social angst, Bob is having a complex burglar alarm installed by Graham, a sad, lonely man whose confidence is lifted immeasurably by this rare sale to Bob. That evening, new neighbours move in next door to Bob and Margaret, who decide to make a point of being friendly with them. The new neighbours turn out to be friendly Americans, Kitty and Larry. Kitty is French Canadian and Larry is a TV antenna's salesman from Miami. They have two dysfunctional children and a dog who has been in quarantine for too long. Bob and Margaret, intimidated at first, quickly warm up to the family and make a point of inviting them out for dinner, to a horrible American style theme restaurant where nothing goes well. To make matters worse when Bob and Margaret return home from their horrible dinner, the new alarm is ringing and the whole neighbourhood is out in force, screaming and arguing.