Tried different people typing in the password, as well as three different keyboard. No joy. . . still logged on sometimes but not always (about 50-50).
While it was not accepting the password, I booted from my UBCD and changed the Administrator and the User to a [null] password and that let me in. Next I unselected the option to use the Welcome screen . . . relogged 10 consective times (about half were full reboots), and now is all golden.
The only thing I can think of is something in the Welcome screen or the SAM file was corrupted.
<BTW>, us old Swampsters can't smoke crack . . . it messes with our heart meds <VBG>.