cool, thanks cre... I was hoping the rpm was just from the gas I gave and the noise I heard was the starter, just as you said... I just got the call saying 25% of the radiator was blocked by buildup and now that is cleared and the holes have been sealed... they've had her running for a while and the needle still staying under half way... so that's better than what I've seen since I've owned the car and I'm hoping that's all it was this afternoon... just really threw me cause I know the function of the thermostat, and I can (in theory) see how the needle might drop after the temp gets hot enough... but it dropped from 3/4 or 7/8's to the top right down to 1/2 way like I had shut off the ignition and the needle free fell... just didn't seem right to me... my luck, would have been something that got freed from the radiator and worked it's way into the system before the radiator was repaired... this way it can come back around and clog it up once it's fixed...
LoL... kidding, I hope that's not it anyways...