Another winter day just like yesterday only a little colder. This morning when I went out to read my weather gauges, I was struck by the appearance of the snow. I measured a little over 1 1/2 inches, but it was like fairy dust - lovely flakes sort of standing on end in an inch or so of fluff that made it difficult to decide what the measurement should be. I finally decided to report 1.6 inches new snow. Then I had the same problem trying to decide how much snow was at my stake. I have marked my stake at 3 in. intervals, but I've decided I really need to put a yard stick out there for a more accurate reading. I'll take care of that this weekend, but for today I read 19.5 in. at the stake, and that's close enough, I think.

Today is Fred's birthday, so I need to get into the kitchen to make a birthday cake. Chocolate on chocolate, of course! I think I'll jazz it up a little by using a little rum flavoring and chocolate whipped cream between layers. Sort of a giant whoopie pie. Bill and Diane Rossi have invited us there for dinner tonight, so I get to benefit from his celebration.

Our old standby electric drill, one that we inherited from my father, quit on us over the holidays. It would only run in reverse. We borrowed son Jamie's cordless to finish repairing the mailbox post after a neighbor accidentally skidded into it, and that made us consider buying a cordless.

We don't need a drill very often, so we did a little research on line, but couldn't come up with much. Better to actually look at one and maybe talk to someone about them - too much information on line. So we stopped at Home Depot when we were in Littleton soon afterwards, and talk about being overwhelmed . . . ! There were so many drills on display, such a range of prices, so much information and so many choices, we were completely numb by the time we left - with two, a corded AND a cordless.

Nothing is easy, though. We needed to go to Littleton again this week and took the cordless back. We ended up exchanging it for a lighter cordless model, but we haven't tried out either one yet. Like I said, we don't need a drill very often. One still may go back; I'm a bit partial to having something just like the one we had that had lasted probably 40 years, but of course that uncomplicated workhorse model isn't made any longer. Some new stuff is great, like Fred's new double duty computer monitor that he can watch TV on, (happy birthday, Fred!) or the digital camera we can take hundred of pictures on, all free and who cares if they don't come out good because there's no film wasted and no developing costs, just instant gratification. Then there are the gadgets in our car that tell us the direction we're headed, outside temperature, where we are (or where our car is, if it's stolen or we misplace it in a huge parking lot) or will notify emergency responders if we crash, and has a built-in telephone. All that is wonderful, and I've come to understand it. So why is selecting a new drill such a puzzle!?

We need to go and build something to try out both of our new drills . . . and we should toss out the old drill, which I may not do for a while. Maybe if we let it rest a while it will once again perform as it always has and my dilemma will be solved. Danged new fangled stuff, anyway.