As you may remember from our correspondence last year I too started with the same film SLR as you, and still own it with loads of fab lenses.
Lots of folk on RR have said to me to get a DSLR, but my relply has been that I should probably never take another shot if I did! I don't like carrying stuff, and I also knew I should experience exactly what you describe!
Like you and your Nikon, my Panasonic TZ1 and I are never apart except when sleeping, and so no preparation is needed to get ready to take pics. It is there when I'm gardening, shopping, dogwalking etc, and 90% of my shots are opportunist.
I recently bought another 2nd hand Panasonic pocket camera, the TZ3, but it doesn't have a hard lens cap so can't live in my jeans pocket. So it gets less use.

Maybe you will find other subjects for the new kit, Lee!

Your fellow pointandshooter
Andrea