how are you going through the data in the word pad file ?
im not to up on accessing text files et cbut on the data side how about uploading the data into an array make your cahnges in the array adn then save it back to the file, that should take no time if you use a Do loop
so for example
dim MyArray()
dim MyData()
Dim BrKctr
Dim CtrArr
set mydata = whatever your dataset is
Myarray() = mydata
Brkctr = Ubound(Myarray)
Do until ctrarr = brkctr
if myarray(ctrarr,5) = "Today" then
myarray(ctrarr, 6) = "Hullo"
end if
myarray (ctrarr, 2) = now()
ctr = ctrarr + 1
loop
mydata = myarray
i dont know how you would get the data in the word pad to the array , when yuo do a worksheet normally you select one cell and put something like Myarray = Range("a1"

.currentregion then when putting it back you simply recverse.
but if you loop through the array it will take seconds
hope this helps a bit
CHance