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On this first Tuesday of November, elect to join me in wishing Drew @Drew Dowdell an especially excellent day. Happy birthday, Drew!

I was wrong about the SS United States' speed on the Blue Riband winning crossing. Maybe you don't give a rat's a$$, but I'll still correct myself and tell you. I believe it was averaging around 35 knots, which might be 41 mph. It was NOT 41 knots. I wouldn't want a transatlantic crossing on any great ocean liner to be over in 4 days or less. Since there are no ports of call on the route, you can settle in for 5 or 6 days and take in all the different and interesting things there are to do on board.

Fall color in the ~at sea level parts of the Puget Sound B/basin (WA) and in the Portland area/Willamette Valley (OR) does occur in early November, so it's nice that it's "deferred." That way, a person can head to Eastern Canada, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and a few other places to also see peak color about a month earlier. I'm very much taken with autumn color.

Actually if you follow the threads in their recall, Toyota has reduced the size of the original 12V battery and now their battery cradel does not hold it in place. If you use 3rd party 12V batteries, most are still traditional size from your auto parts store, but looking at a new RAV4 the battery is much smaller than it used to which is my understanding. Leaves are just now changing here in Seattle and dropping. City does not suck them up, you have to bag them and put them out for pickup.