Thanks everyone! It was quite the whirlwind... got a call on Weds eve at 6pm asking if I was interested in a trip on the 27th (my b-day) with a 10a ETD, and returning Friday at 5p. I cancelled all of my meetings for the day, and my planned b-day celebration for that night, and went on a 31 hour job interview.
LOVE the Merlin. Big, roomy, fast, quiet, holds a lot of gas, and goes a long way. Great airplane. We meet tomorrow to "talk about what comes next". Whatever that means... Expecting great things.