Hi everybody! (hi doctor nick!) so here's my story. i just graduated from paramedic school. yay! it was 3015 hours in 16 months. it was hell. so my present to myself, i decided to buy a car. i've always like the mini (watching the italian job the night before didn't hurt any) but was sure it wasn't for me, for the laundry list of reasons i'm sure you all went through too. but i went to the dealer anyway. and my young and very helpful MA Mica, suggested i test drive a blue 07 S. after she said "let me show you some stuff cause we don't go with you" i started to get that grin. you know the one. the single raised eyebrow, glare at the round thing they call a key, and the, "hey thats pretty cool" frown and 2 raised eyebrows when you hit the start button. Now i've never owned a new car so i was very impressed with all the stuff goin on inside the car. "hmmm, sport button. *press* wonder what that does...". i left the lot and decided to get right down to it and see how wimpy this little motor was. revs climbing in first, "hey not bad". snatch second gear, and the incedental movement of my left hand almost put me in the guard rail. "OH *****!" still on the gass and no time to reflect now, cause 3rd gear is calling. I answer it, and honest to god, let a "YAHHH HOOO!" out the sunroof. tearing down the frontage road in 5th, that little voice says to slow down. the louder voice says,"i think i found another gear". 15 minutes later i came sliding back into the lot. i then spent 5 minutes opening and closing the door just to see the window go up and down on it's own. :) so now i'm picking up mad overtime shifts to get the down payment together. i really want to buy a used one as i hate to eat the deprectiation of a new car, but wow this thing is hot. and it's pretty dang cool that they build one just for me. so, see you on the tarmac in about 6 months! good to be here!