That's good news about your mom, Aims!

I was going to say that we have one of the CR annual report books floating around our place and it's yours for the asking, but it sounds like you've already got everything you need off their website.

I might still ask you for some info later. The website is mostly subscriber-only.

P-C, I know you don't want to buy the car that everyone has, but there *is* a reason that everyone has Camrys -- they really do last forEVER.

Unless, of course, you don't want to keep a car forever; I know plenty of people who prefer to have a new(er) car every 3-4 years.

Yeah, I know. And I do want to keep this car forever. But the Camry is not very fun. I want my car to make me feel better about myself. Heh.

I'm one of the freaks who knows that Toyotas score so high but I've never liked their interior designs and am not partial to their ergonomics.

Yeah, I wasn't too thrilled with the interior design. The steering audio controls were terribly awkward; I can't imagine why you would design them like that.

So I just test drove the Altima, the Mazda6, and the Malibu. Despite the hype and some cool features, I think I'm crossing the Malibu off the list because the salesman was irritating. And the steering wheel didn't feel right in my hands. And my legroom was limited. I don't know, I just wasn't feeling it.

Especially after the Altima and Mazda6, which were really cool. Very sporty interiors, easy-to-use dials, etc. Very comfortable seats. I liked them both, though I'm leaning toward the Mazda6 a little more if only for the steering audio controls. And the way it brakes—I've discovered that some cars have really high brake sensitivity, which I'm not used to. It's hard to brake smoothly when just tapping the pedal causes a big jerk. The Mazda6 also appears to have a ridiculous amount of legroom in the back. I think it's also cheaper than the Altima. I'm concerned that it didn't make the CR Top 25 list, but it's still highly rated most other places. The salesman was really nice, too. I know I shouldn't let that affect my decision, but it's part of the car-buying experience. It leaves me with a more positive impression of the car. The Altima guy was also nice, very informative. The Malibu guy was off-putting.

Juliana - someone asked me which bars we hit and I couldn't even remember the names, let alone how many we visited.

Grant & Green, Columbus Cafe, possibly Crow Bar

What a relief. Ulcer over a heart attack any day.

To quote Woody Allen from Love & Death (which was on cable today):

Russian Noble (actually played by Rhoda's dad): The duel is to the death!
Woody: I'm not allowed to do anything to the death. Doctor's orders. I have an ulcer condition and death is one of the worst things for that.

Grant & Green, Columbus Cafe, possibly Crow Bar

Actually, none of these. I know we started and ended at Amante. And Ace's was in there somewhere.

Belated birthday wishes, Suzi love! Sounds like you had an awesome time!

Aimee, I'm glad things are looking less serious regarding your mom. Fwiw, when I had my first acid reflux attack, I totally though it was a heart thing.

Of course I've forgotten Amante and Ace's. There's always a haze.

Fay, so much ~ma for those little ones without their dad.

Aims, I'm so glad that your mom's heart is doing ok.

Askye, bless you for taking in two adult cats, even though it is a challenge. They will adjust, and they will learn to trust and love you. Please have faith in that.

healing and dealing ma~~~~ off to Thailand

I'm going to have to take out a student loan for next year. Never had a student loan before, and the information that I'm finding online is confusing. Anyone who's done this before know the basics of what I'm supposed to do?