It's not the crises, but how you handle them.(THE LAST LAUGH)

You'd think that after publishing 186 issues of this newsletter, we'd have it down pat. No surprises, no problems, an easy procedure each month.

But this month at crunch-time, computer problems on both ends conspired to make it even more challenging than usual.

In the early days of WIHE the entire proof week was sacred; no haircuts, doctors appointments or even social events dared to interrupt the flow of energy needed to make each issue perfect, the very best it could possibly be. We never missed a deadline and each issue got in the mail precisely on schedule. Our goal is to get each issue on a subscriber's desk on the first day of the month.

After more than 16 years at it, I've taken a little more mellow approach. My best is good enough, and life is too short to sweat the small stuff.

Our response to all of today's computer glitches is laughter instead of tears or threats to throw the machines out the window. And after 186 issues, readers getting the July issue one day late will leave no permanent damage. (More than one subscriber has admitted to me that she often doesn't get around to reading the issue until well into the month.)

First hint of trouble

Each month a production schedule indicates the deadline for accepting ads, the day we proof editorial content, the day it goes to printe and the day it goes to the mailer.