You’ve not mentioned some other types of devices—switches, access points, and bridges—that are often combined into what you call a router. For the vast majority of people these combined devices work really well.

One of my favorite lines in all of 12 Monkeys was Jennifer’s delivery of, “Me? I’m a this and that kinda girl. Ten fingers. Ten pies. Potpourri. Russian roulette…It’s a real mixed bag.” It just seemed like a perfect summary of her character.

I don’t know about the slot cars. There’s probably a good chance they were from Radio Shack, because back then that was the most likely place around here to find something like that. There’s a brand called Revell, of course, that still makes all kinds of car models.

I got a similar cheap slot car set one Christmas in the ‘70's when I was about 10. On Christmas Eve I got up to go to the bathroom, and I found my dad in the family room playing with it. It at least came with 2 cars, but they looked like brightly colored Model Ts, and were very hard to keep on the track.

Queso??? I just found that there’s actually a cheese index, and it’s down more than 14% since the beginning of 2023! Plus, it’s currently sitting practically right at the 10 year average.

I planted some herbs about 3 years ago, but one of them is rosemary, and I’m in zone 6, where only one variety of rosemary has any chance of surviving. It lived through the first winter, but last year we had one rare extremely cold -7 degree F day, and that killed it. I replanted it this year, and this weekend I need…

We’ve got some here in Southern Illinois, but I wouldn’t recommend moving here because of it!

Ah. The only one of those that was left within an hour or so of me closed just this year. I think someone is opening it back up as a local ice cream shop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDQ-iaSf4mw

Don’t most Dairy Queens these days also server burgers and chicken? All the ones around here do.

It's called Great Pumpkin Dessert. It looks like there are several variations of it online. I think the one we use is the Allrecipes one.

Our family also has a traditional pumpkin pie alternative at Thanksgiving that’s essentially a dump cake. Delicious!

I was hoping to see “Knox blocks” in the list, a snack we had in the 70's. Basically Jello with enough extra unflavored gelatin added that they made squares firm enough to pick up and eat with your fingers. I never actually liked them much myself. They were somewhere between regular Jello and gummy bears in texture,…

I’ll miss you! Yours was a byline I always looked for. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

This has happened in rural Illinois, as well. The local hospital no longer does deliveries, and it’s more than 20 miles to the nearest one that does.

Was it a Chevette? The same thing happened to me in college on the way to class. The spot welds holding the shifter mechanism to the floor popped, and the entire thing came off in my hand. Mine was in 2nd gear, luckily, so I was able to make it home.

I kind of experienced something related to this, because one of our kids (who’s about to turn 30) lives overseas, but she sometimes gets mail sent to our house. I had to submit her overseas address and an affidavit that she doesn’t live with us to the insurance company.

I went to high school in Centralia. :)

PayDays have always been a favorite candy bar of mine. When I was a kid, they were made in my little Illinois hometown. Sometime in the ‘80's the factory burned, and production was moved away. I just learned yesterday that the town has a new claim to fame (if you want to call it that). The cardboard boxes for Kraft…

No, I'm in Southern Illinois. Dollar Generals in almost every little town over 250 people here.