aurelia, are you/they sure it's not just the engine computer notifying you of scheduled maintenance for the timing chain?

That's not how it was presented to me, but I don't really know. The owners manual doesn't mention the timing in it's fairly detailed maintenance schedule. I guess I just need to take it to a dealership. Feh. And I'd planned to visit family this weekend.

aurelia, my boss (who knows an awful lot about cars) says, "if it's time to change the timing chain, it's time to change the timing chain" and that if you're gonna keep the car it's something that's gonna need to be done.

He also searched online and finally found that the Monte Carlo switched to a timing chain for '98. (He found that at the NAPA site.)

Did anyone else read Infinite Jest? I've always thought about that long footnote where they talk about how some people can turn even not-using-things-as-crutches into a crutch, or something like that. Only probably with more "and so but then"s.

his wife, Pat, didn't wear a mink, but a good Republican cloth coat.

Aha. Because I was sitting here thinking, cloth coat as opposed to... a coat made out of newspapers?? A coat of doughnuts woven together on chain link??

Sometimes, my imagination is problematic that way. Mink did not even enter into the equation.

Tep--your kink.

Anyone who tries to proselytize to me learns that it backfires quite spectacularly unless the doctrine in question involves things like boys in eyeliner or Apple products.

Yes. Any vegan who tries to take away my bacon will find out first hand how I believe in the killing of animals.

Tep--your kink.

Ah, yes. That.

Bullwhips for everyone!

Bullwhips for everyone!

... miniature American flags for others?

Bullwhips for everyone!

I found bullwhips, ask me how?

Bullwhips for everyone!

... miniature American flags for others?

And always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!