in Mendocino.

Oooh, where? The hardest part about staying in Mendocino was picking a hotel, because they all seemed awesome.

We're staying at the MacCallum, in this teeny tiny cottage!

I must say, after being exposed to this property by you I didn't look anywhere else. Considering the agony of choice I'm going through in Calistoga, I think that was a good thing.

Is referring to California as Cali considered something rubes do? I've noticed it creeping into my conversations, and I'm afraid I may sound idiotic.

We're staying at the MacCallum, in this teeny tiny cottage!

That's adorable! The breakfast is un-fucking-believable (mimosas included). IIRC, they ask you to pick a time that you'll come to breakfast, because they're small and couldn't possibly seat everyone if they all showed up at 10:00.

If the weather is at all amenable, eat breakfast on the outside porch of the main property.

The "credit" they give you towards dinner/drinks/dessert doesn't really go very far, but it seems to work out better than some bed & breakfast's "wine hours," which have crappy wine and a handful of cookies.

There are a lot of good places to eat in Mendocino, but MacCallum's restaurant is hard to pass up, because it really is amazing. It looks like they still have the same chef that was there when we were there.

We want to stay in Calistoga in between, but I am overwhelmed by the choices there

I do not recommend the Silver Rose. Barb, debg, PixKristin and I stayed at Golden Haven (I think? Correct me if I'm wrong, women), and it was a nice-not-fancy motel-style place (still had a great spa, though). But the giant pool and hot tubs made up for the lack of fancy.

I also had to chart out on a spreadsheet where we (by which I mean *I*) want to eat while in SF.

Like for instance?

Still sexy after all these years:

[link]

Bill Clinton, why the phrase Silver Fox was invented.

I would say go for a low mile used car.

I second this. My current car is a low mile used Suburu (Outback/Impreza model), and I LOVE it. I'm over halfway done paying for it (and I've been paying more each month than what I'd agreed to), and haven't had a single maintenance issue in the two plus years I've had. Oil changes have been the only expense apart from gas.

Granted apart from trips to Maine (and the trip to the Atlanta F2F), I rarely drive it any local distance (e.g. Salem to Boston) more than once a week.

Grammar question: I've been using e.g. to mean "for example", and i.e. to mean "in other words". Is that right, or do I have them reversed?

Emily, my '06 PT Cruiser was from Carmax. It's a really great place to buy a car. They won't sell previously damaged cars, either.

P-C, having bought both used cars and a new car, I really think you're going to get a LOT more value for your dollar if you buy a used car.

Is that right, or do I have them reversed?

Right. (i.e. correct).