trinacriabob

starvation

Ambien

night (someone told me to watch "The Big Night"...they said I'd like it)

chicken

Thanks for posting the pictures, von. Surely, coming from AB, you must have really appreciated the change in weather and stark contrast in scenery. Sheez, I had no clue Goldwater lived to be over 90! I don't know about AZ...for me, anyway. One of my really good childhood friends moved from SoCal to Las Vegas where she could afford a (new) home, in nice quiet suburb actually, and she seems to like it. I went there in August 2007 and I can do without the 106 F. It feels like your skin is burning when you step outside in the middle of the day. I still maintain that a humid South Florida summer in the low 90s with high humidity is a little easier than a desert Southwest summer. Any agreement on that from those who know Miami, New Orleans or Houston? By the way, what kind of a rental sled did you ultimately get (in case I missed that currently)?

baked

saturated fat (gotta stay away from the cashews...damn)

cartoon strip

I was going to say that, for me, the dividing line seemed to be the type of upholstery. For some reason, those GM luxo-boat cars with plush velour interiors of yesteryear (Cutlass Supreme through 87, Cadillac DeVille and Fleetwood Brougham up until they still had the cloth seats with the Cadillac wreath) all smelled great...a little less so for the leather ones, IMO.

It is without a doubt that GM makes the best-SMELLING new cars. Check out the smell of an up-level GM brand like Cadillac or Buick, for example. I remember the great smell of our new Cutlass Supremes, so much so that I would get up on weekend mornings, in pajamas, put on a bathrobe, and go SIT IN THEM. I can't explain it...but they smelled new, clean, and neither sweet nor harsh. I am bringing this up because I just dropped by a Ford dealership this afternoon. I checked out some new Fusion 4s (not buying, just test-sitting). They don't smell that good. They (cloth seat equipped) smell just like a new athletic gear from REI. Kudos for being a great car that got everything right, but they didn't get the smell right. Same goes for most Japanese cars. They also don't have a good new car smell. Can't comment on Chrysler products, since there are none that interest me. Your take on this?

skeleton

retirement

future

telepathy (in pain part of today)

The Japanese have a lot standing reputation for organizational excellence. They will go back to the drawing board and resolve what's ailing their organization(s). Let's face it, Toyota is the land of "red dots" in Consumer Reports. They have produced reliable cars needing little work up to 200,000 to 300,000 miles. Those people will continue to stand by Toyota. With cars like Malibu, various Buicks, and Fusion/Milan, the Americans are finally reaching "red dot" land. I'm very happy about that. I'm also very happy to own two "mostly red dot" cars. So, at the end of the day, Toyota will figure it out. However, they will not be able to curb the improving quality of American vehicles.

my response to thread: e-x-p-e-n-s-i-v-e (that's what comes to mind when I think of SF)

I'm sorry to hear about that, Pedro. My mind shuts down after about 11 pm. I remember what long road trips are like when one arrives at their destination after midnight...muito cansado.

drawbridge

You can just imagine, on a Sunday morning in early January, walking through a parking lot to do some shopping...WTF... ...it was a combination of disbelief and doubling over laughing to being in pain. Fortunately, I always try to have a camera in my car!

performance

More of a tea drinker. If I cave in to coffee, it's because they ran out of tea bags or don't have the flavor I like. Then I drink decaf. I usually will drink my hot drinks at either Barnes and Noble or Borders. That's why I put "other" for choice 3.

Paul: I couldn't believe this. I was walking into Trader Joe's to buy yogurt and saw this. In California, no less. So I scrambled back to my car to get my disposable camera I keep around. Do you folks have Trader Joe's out East? Ok, hope you will have a great birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

save

arrogant (they can be...and think that, even if you're smart at something else, you couldn't possibly understand medicine)

A drive between Portland and Seattle yesterday netted a lot of sightings along I-5, most of them obviously going the other way (south)...that's how I got to spot them. First and foremost, a LOT of new Fusions. Unbelievable. But no Milans. A 1988-ish Coupe De Ville, burgundy, in perfect condition...meaning that their aluminum V8 (4.5 IIRC) can go the distance. Alongside me, a new silver Lincoln MKS. Beautiful. $h!, no perfect condition Cutlass Supremes or Grand LeManses from the mid-70s were spotted. Also, the LaCrosse, which now has about 6,000 miles, delivered 31.67 mpg (62 to 65 mph, on cruise) between Portland and Tacoma.