tye:

thank you a million times! you absolutely, hands down, no doubt win my internet hero of the week award! the very first post, pre-edit, did the trick!

i was thinking that felt right, but the & was throwing me off and i wasn't making any progress, so i went off in search of other means and that's how i stumbled across pack. Thanks for the explanation of why pack was the wrong choice! your post was both helpful and educational! very much appreciated.