Took the cupcake to son's place. His lady had forgotten about it, or would have made a cake ... but when she heard of it ... made one. So ... the cupcake came home - intact. Ham, pineapple and mango for dinner ... yummm! And ... it appears that I may be getting my computer back, fairly soon. Had a discussion with a nearby guy who does a lot of investing the other day - he uses satellite for internet. Maybe I'll have to spring for that. As we used to kid old uncle ..." you can't take it with you". Surprising result of my birthday commentary here ... scarcely any mention of the failing elastic in the nice pants! Maybe they just don't want to encourage me. ole joyful

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 there, old pal, I think that everyone was having a good time ... and were somewhat surprised by the unexpected result of the knock on the front door. o j

Hi again, guys, Just before Christmas, I took son and his friend 600 mi. on a Saturday to attend 3 Santa Claus Parades, where they blew up ballons to make hats, animals, jewellery, etc. for kids. Travelled 600 km. mostly on freeway (about 375 mi.) at a cost for gas of Cdn$32.00. Recently travelled just over 250 km. (about 155 mi.) in the Taurus, here and there, some stop and go - but at much lower speeds: gas cost Cdn$27.00. Boo-hoo. Just before Christmas I drove a friend in her Lincoln Town Car, mid-90's vintage, about 140 mi. on freeway to spend Christmas with her daughter, No. of litres (@ 3.85 per U.S. Gal) per 100 km. (62.5 mi.) was on average setting and we were getting about 12lt./100 km. while travelling about 100 km./hr. (62.45 m.p.h.). Later, with litres/100 km. gauge on current setting and travelling at about 65 - 70 km./hr. (40 - 46 m.p.h.) on regular coutry highway roads, I was consuming about 7 - 8 litres per 100 km. - about 2/3 the rate at which I was using at the higher speed on the freeway - I was surprised. I'm hoping that my Taurus will be so trouble-free that the mechanics at my garage will be so unused to seeing my face that when I come in, they may say, "What's your name, again"? Have a happy week, everyone. Frugal, too. Healthy, as well. ole joyful