**** for Annette, Bobbie, and TM! Yes, the most recent ocean to form is the Atlantic Ocean (lots of folks headed there for our long weekend) and it was the monks on the English coastline who first recorded the tides in 600 AD. Thanks for playing everyone. For those of us in the US, we will be observing Memorial Day which is actually on May 30th. It used to be called Decoration Day because the graves of fallen Union soldiers were decorated with flowers. Here is a short history: By proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, the first major Memorial Day observance is held to honor those who died "in defense of their country during the late rebellion." Known to some as "Decoration Day," mourners honored the Civil War dead by decorating their graves with flowers. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery. The 1868 celebration was inspired by local observances that had taken place in various locations in the three years since the end of the Civil War. In fact, several cities claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day, including Columbus, Mississippi; Macon, Georgia; Richmond, Virginia; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; and Carbondale, Illinois. In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon B. Johnson, declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo--which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866--because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event, during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags. By the late 19th century, many communities across the country had begun to celebrate Memorial Day, and after World War I, observers began to honor the dead of all of America's wars. In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. It is customary for the president or vice president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. More than 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually. Chuck always spends this Sunday at the Pentagon with the thousands of Rolling Thunder riders. He doesn't ride a motorcycle, but since this started with the Viet Nam vets and he was there, he always goes and talks to them and takes pictures while they are waiting to start the ride into DC and around the Federal City (across Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, down Independence Avenue to the Capitol, back down Constitution Avenue past the White House and back to Lincoln where the Viet Nam Memorial is located. Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I only have 14 days of school left! Cynthia

go to edmunds.com It's not an easy site to navigate but it has the most customer reviews of any car site I've found and will aslo have some editorial reviews that seem pretty unbiased unlike the magazines.

jem has a good point, is the shop working on your car the only choice you have. at that price they're using oem parts at least. you seem to enjoy owning nice (import) cars, higher maintenance costs are expected. i seen your earlier post talking about your volvo brakes and looked up parts/prices. that price doesn't add up?

I have no doubt that you'll love your RR and the cooled seats are a must in your area. I used to think they were over-kill but they're in the new F-Pace S that DH just bought and I will definitely get them in my next car. His seats are black and I swear that they get hotter than my beige ones so the cooled vents help. While DH loves his Jaguar I think it's just a tad too small for my purposes and probably for yours too. He traded in his MB sedan because he wanted something that was sporty and more fun to drive. He opted for the gasoline engine because I have a diesel MB SUV and that's the one we take on trips - better mileage and much larger than his car. His car also has the gas saving feature where the engine shuts off when the car is stopped - but you can also turn that off which is what we did. I wonder if you will have that choice with your RR? My car only has 30,000 miles on it and my DDIL needs a vehicle now that they moved out of the city to the suburbs. DS offered to buy mine since it's big enough for his 2 dogs and future children. I just have to find a replacement vehicle and I'm looking at RR. We want another diesel and MB, Porsche and Audi stopped making diesels in the US. I also detest run-flats and I think I can still get real tires at LR/RR. You'll have to report back and let us know what you finally picked - and photos too. Maire