OK Amos, makes some sense.

I was working on a PhotoShop file for about two hours so that is where the memory began to get used up and saving the process (like saving the data on a clipboard for use with another application - Illustrator in this case) just added to the whole mess. Even with 512 megs of RAM!

So the 'cat WAS down a bit also and everything now makes perfect sense.

Thanks all and especially amos and misophist.

CB