My wife is literally becoming an old lady, while I am apparently becoming figuratively an old lady, fretting about tic-tic-tic after a cold start.

I start the car and drive with very light throttle for a few blocks.
I figure it will slow progression of the tic-ing.

My wife, on the other hand, just gets going, and I listen to her going down the street.

Question: Which is more important, my wife, or the car? ;-)

Nah, what I would really like to have is clarification of what Don Foster wrote here some time ago "Drive it easy for the first few minutes. You should easily get another 150k out of it, and probably more."

Implied: be nicer to the engine and it will be nicer to you?

(Foster also wrote, now in the FAQs: "Piston slap is sensitive to throttle position. That is, if you give it a bit more gas, the slap increases. Needless to say, when wife drives out in the morning I can hear the piston slap for about 20 miles." I hope sage Don is well!)

Thanks, all!