Too few people understand a really good sandwich.

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-- James Beard

There is a person at my house who insists the cupboard always be stocked with fresh hotdog buns.

She fears an impromptu wienie roast might break out, or the neighbor kids might drop by or our son might get a hankering for processed pig parts and we would be found lacking.

I have mentioned several times that I grew up in a home where hotdogs were often eaten wrapped up in a curled piece of white bread, but the simplicity of my suggestion has yet to impress anyone.

All of this is a way to explain why we might often run out of bread at my place but never seem to be at a loss for buns.

Take Monday.

I was preparing my lunch sandwich before coming to work when I realized I had meat and mustard and cheese, but no bread.

There was, however (as always), a bag of fresh hotdog buns.

I did what seemed to make sense -- I laid the buns out on the counter and mashed them into bread slices.

For the record, it sort of works and sort of doesn't.

The bread still tastes like bread but the mustard kept oozing through the slice in the middle.

It's a bit messy, but still tastes pretty much like a regular sandwich.

Remember to pack napkins.

YOUR MAIL: Still looking for New Hampshire, but we have lots of cards from elsewhere.

Dot and Bob Gleason were enjoying Florida, where it looked like Bob got free dancing lessons.

Ed and Kathy (my traveling neighbors) send a card from the Napa Valley Wine Train. They write: "If we did this downtown maybe people wouldn't complain about trains.

Cal and Adam Williams , of Augusta, are on their first leg of a West Coast trip.

The Brinkleys , Hardys , Lumpkins , Carriers , Johnsons and others are all enjoying a fun family reunion at Edisto Beach.

Ruth Smith , of Martinez, sends a card from Cincinnati. And Betty and Wesley , of Belvedere are having fun in Kansas, despite the rain.

Judy Finley is having a great time in Hilton Head, probably because she's there with Summer , Tim , Darby , Tripp , Meredith , Pierce , Kelsey , Jeff , Stacy and Courtlyn .

Reddy's Travelers Cherianne Duncan , Delores and Audra Mack are in St. Louis.

Barbara Fiebiger , of Martinez, sends a card from the Michigan shore, but reports she didn't find any heat relief, even that far north.

Jamie Ward , of Martinez, however, found the weather "perfect" in Massachusetts. Allen and Shelby and Evan Junkins also enjoyed their trip to Massachusetts.

Across the ocean, Dr. and Mrs. Gene L. Colborn were having a fine time touring Lincolnshire's lovely villages with son Maj. Jason Colborn (of Evans High School), Ericka and little Adelaide (3 years).

TODAY'S JOKE: A wife told her husband she wanted to get a pet monkey.

"Where will it eat?" the husband demanded angrily.

"It'll eat at the kitchen table with us," the wife answered.

"But where will it sleep?" the husband asked.

"It will sleep in the bed with us." the wife said.

"But what about the odor?" the husband asked.

"He'll get used to you." the wife answered.