A good friend had a birthday today. It has been a tradition for a few years that part of my gift to him is lunch, so this year I made something I know he likes and took lunch to his office. Another friend brought cake a little later in the afternoon---another tradition.

The birthday boy is the same friend at whose place of business my birthday traditionally gets celebrated. I like tradition, especially tradition that involves good friends getting together.

I wound up coming home with an early Christmas gift---a mix CD of Christmas music. I plan to curl up and listen to it in a little while. I got to help pick the songs on it, which makes it even more special.

After the gathering, yet another friend and I went over to get the computer adapter that the young geek had called about last Tuesday. I have come to the conclusion (this will not be news to you) that this child is earnest but not quite ready for prime time.

He for some reason seemed to need to tell me that it really wasn't necessary to send my computer back to the manufacturer (Duh! I told him that a month ago...and wouldn't let him send it after making him check the adapter with a volt meter, since it was the adapter that was defective). And he told me how much the thing had cost the store.

By the way---it didn't cost them a whole lot less than it cost me to get the one I bought last month. And I got mine overnight, instead of nearly a month after asking for it.

The good news about the adapter I picked up today is that it's the newer model, not another of the model the company has quit making. Since I've gone through two of that older model, I'm not sorry I won't be testing a third. And I won't mind if both adapters keep on happily working for a long, long time.