greg, When Spike ran things here, he took a dim view of copying identical items from one forum to another. Possibly we can get away with it, these days. But I guess I sort of got habits entrenched at an earlier time. Somewhat similar to the (probably mythical) sign by a Prairie dirt road, which gets rather heavily rutted after a rain, "Pick your rut carefully - you'll be in it for the next ten miles!". Make a list of all the friends, relatives, acquaintances you've known thru life, their phone, email, etc. Plus their training, interests, work, skills and various other issues related to them. When you need something, consult one of them who knows about that situation: most folks like to talk about things that they know about (and some of us like to talk about most anything). Some of them may be able to help you find the product or service that you need at a better price, that'll give you better service, e.g. mechanics who know which engines in which cars have given trouble, etc. Add to the database as more information comes along. It should save you hundreds, possibly thousands, during your lifetime. I'd plsanned to go to the Kitchen Table and add another message, which would bring the post to the top of page one again (moves about 2 pages per day) but haven't done it yet. Hope that you have a really fine New Year. ole joyful P.S. On the other hand ... you could go back to look for a former year's post, on a slow-moving forum, as the message might still be there. I posted it on different forms in successive years. o j

Hi folkvictorian, Some months ago I spoke of having what I thought to be a problem ... that some of my old underwear briefs had developed elastics so old and tired that they were inclined to stretch things ... ... and would slide down around my knees on the outside, while hung up by the crotch of my pants, putting me in a bind so to speak ... ... but that when I realized that, were I a female, gone shopping downtown in a dress, and had such a situation befall me - that would be a PROBLEM! My situation was merely a dilemma! One responder said that she'd done such, they tripped her, she fell with her forehead hitting a wooden container in the store, with blood flowing, ambulance called, etc. - costly! I'd thought to install short pieces of elastic, but that would cause bunching, and stretching between them (with possible rips), and were I to install a new elastic all round each of the nearly a dozen pairs ... it'd be darn near as costly as buying new! So I thought that I'd get a single stretchy elastic and make a belt, which would work for a half dozen or so of the briefs, but came to ask how to fasten it, as a button wouldn't do in an elastic. Everyone said that I should merely buy new ... but I said that few were holey ... and the one(s) that were, were mainly in the middle of the back, not under the hip bones where they should be - so I wondered whether I must have been jet-propelled at some time (that I'd been unaware of). And they were scarcely discoloured, so I felt that they had a substantial amount of potentially useful life remaining, given some alteration. Someone made an intreresting offer - that if I'd send the affected ones to her, she'd replace the elastic in each of them ... ... for $10.00 a pair. One or two others felt that to be a wise offer ... to a frugal old fella like me. Someone came on to suggest that this seemed a rather frivolous post ... someone wondered whether it was for real ... and someone else said that she'd been having rather a dreary day .... until she'd come upon that thread ... and that it'd made her day! My landlord, a busy sod farmer (though not so busy last year, with fewer houses being built, as we've had a major plant closing, with a major Ford assembly plant nearby about to close next year) said that I have too much time on my hands. 'Nuff said. ole joyful

Hi again, senior gal ... ... wow! when I saw the title of the thread ... I thought ... "What a quick reply!". And, now that I read the substantial missive, written in that short time ... it looks as though I'm not referring to the same husband that you were caring for when you joined Gardenweb. But ... a great story! Thanks for sharing (with this old fart)! I met my ex-, an Iowa gal, on a blind date when she, who'd transferred from Iowa State to Cornell (hospital diet program) met me, a missionary who'd helped refugees re-establish in Korea just after the Korean War ... ... and she wasn't my date. We began seeing one another ... and there was talk of marriage ... but I suggested that she finish her degree, which she did, then travelled to Korea, where we were married, with no member of either family in attendance. Son born there, has dual citizenship, and the Japanese shopgirls went ga-ga over his fine, flaxen hair when we were en route home when he was about 20 mos. Daughter born here ... Sue back to her career when she entered kindergarten, worked as second head and head of food service in a substantial psych. hosp. near here. We were together for 11 years, apart for 40 years. When there was talk of closing her hosp. or a similar one nearby ... she took early retirement, had 10 years to have a ball ... ... and she, who'd fed millions - ironically, contracted colon cancer, died 7 years ago, at 66. "Kids" (50ish) said that in the ordinary course of things, she'd have retired the year before, and I added that she'd have been sick for most of that ... ... but, having taken early retirement ... she'd had 10 years to have a ball (including travelling in her RV from FL to TX between about mid-Dec. to mid-Mar. - and to AZ when daughter lived there). Good wishes to you and your loved-one-deferred. ole joyful

Hi sock-it-to-'em, You don't even need to put me on your list - if you come here and ask, and I feel that I have anything useful to offer (or just want to have some fun with it) ... no doubt you'll hear from me, anyway ... unless I don't show up for a while. I'll be happy to be on your list: my email address is on my profile - all that you need do is go there. You're the first person in about five years that has made that request, if I recall correctly. I've even offered my phone number to a few, and on a rare occasion, especially if someone seems rather hard up, or deeply distressed, have offered that if someone gives me their phone number, I'll call them. Will you be on my list? Tell me about your training, skills, interests, contacts, vacation destinations, hobbies, experience in maintaining various home, auto, computer, leisure, etc. issues. You've probably become fairly familiar with a number of my training, skills, interests, etc. so that you may have an idea of what kinds of concerns about which you might feel it relevant to contact me. Plus - your email address, if it isn't on your profile. Good wishes for a really fine New Year. ole joyful P.. My friend gave me 5 pair of white sport socks for Christmas ... but no one gave me any underpants: will have to buy some for myself, I guess (if I want to stop the binding-around-the-knees by the half-dozen or so lazy-elastic ones). o j