harrysiegel -- I read your post this morning while still working on my first sip of coffee and I can't vouch I was there at the time. For what it's worth, on first scan, I read the second instance as a verb despite the offbeat meaning. In my haze of last night's toasts, I was so comfortable with that reading that I had a hard time understanding your question. But I think Bridge is right and right again that the redundancy is the wrench in the works. Existence would scan more easily but, at a step removed from the knitty gritty, I don't think it would say what the good AA intended.

Welcome to the rabble, may your days aboard be ever clear and tranquil. &

IP