Running too hot!!

[DRASTiK]

well I just got back from taking it for a test drive. I wasn't able to get on it real hard, but I drove around slowly and stopped often for about 30 minutes. It didn't get as hot as before. My gauge started reading a little funny once. It moved up towards overheating temps extremely fast all of a sudden!!! I shut it down and popped the hood, but the motor didn't seem that hot. The upper radiator hose wasn't hot yet meaning that the new 180 stat hadn't been open. I took the radiator cap off and the water level had gone down a little, but not much, probably from the air bubbles getting out of the system, so I put a little water back in it and fired it up. It had only been sitting for about 3 minutes or so from the time I shut it down and when I fired it back up, the gauge read a much lower temp. I'm getting a new gauge tomorrow morning and I'll have more time to drive it around then too. I'll post what happens.
Dave