Papa John's guy, etc.

Pretty much the only cool thing that happened today had to do with a tiny greenish car with a big Papa John's magnet on it.

It started at a gas station.  I had pulled up to a pump that (little did I know) said "OUT OF ORDER" on it, started squeegeeing my windshield, finished, opened my gas cap, pulled out my card, and...AAAH WHAT out of order?  Really?  ...Am I an idiot or what?  Fortunately the lady at the pump in front of me was just pulling away, so I scooted forward and started pumping gas.  Papa John's guy (picture him small and kind of older) comes up behind me and is about to get out and I start gesturing to get his attention.  "It's out of order," I say, as if he can hear me.  He looks really confused.  He puts his hands up, sitting inside his car--what on earth is that strange little girl trying to tell me?  So I finally start making the hand cutting the throat gesture (not sure how to describe it) and he goes into reverse and looks for the OUT OF ORDER sign and sees it.  AHA!

After a second he finds another pump, gets out, and loudly says, "Thank you!" and I'm all awkwardly long-winded like, "No no, yeah, that's fine, I pulled up there initially and got out, and I was like aaaaah" but he was a little distance down the lot by then and I wrapped up my monologue.  The verb tenses here should make you cringe.

I thought that was it between the two of us.  I wandered in and used the restroom and debated buying a soda but didn't, and then I came out of the store and he was gone.

Like an hour or two later, I happen upon him again, this time on the highway.  The speed limit is 65, everyone is doing at least 75, and my dear friend from Papa John's is going 60 in the left lane and not changing lanes.  This was awkward, because typically I would apply some pressure ("hey, you know, folks are passing you on the right but I'm gonna chill here until you get over, please get over, I am becoming sad," that sort of thing), but he was my buddy from the gas station, so I passed him slowly on the right.  I knew him!  And I was worried about him because he was older and in a tiny little old car that wouldn't have stood a chance against MY car, and he was driving dangerously but he didn't know it, and UGHHH I worried about him for a while after that.  The lesson here is that if someone is acting like an absolute moron (going under the limit in the left lane), sympathize a little and pass slowly, because they might be older, or friendly, or innocent and vulnerable, or all of those.  Or they could be seriously impaired and you should be careful anyway just for that reason.

Also, there was an interesting old red SUV I couldn't identify that was hurtling at 80 MPH toward a group of cars going 65 at about the same place in the three right lanes (on a four lane highway).  I hung back because it looked like he was just going to go straight on into one of the rears of the cars, but he finally braked, hard (and much later than I would have), and stayed at their pace until he decided he needed to go 80.  Was he drunk?  Maybe?  Was he stupid?  Well, even if his drunkenness accounted for his behavior, he's still stupid for driving drunk, so yes?

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And a quick Birdy update:
JR put on that new valve cover gasket.  Obviously no change in performance or anything, but hopefully there's no oil leaking now.  Also, my husband and I noticed over the weekend that my front left headlight had gone out, so we swung by Advance Auto and got a bulb, and my husband put it in.  Love him!  I had had Birdy on premium to maybe help with any engine knock, so I moved her back down to midgrade with no change in driving.  She's just a little shakier than she used to be, and that seems pretty similar no matter what gas I'm putting in.

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And randomly, I want everyone to know that all my life I have idolized Carl Sagan.  He is eloquent, brilliant, and just generally awesome.  He's been the main "person I haven't met who I idolize" for a while now.  Dad borrowed the whole set of Cosmos from the library when I was maybe 6 and we would just watch them.  Sagan's got such a mesmerizing voice, and the series has some really pretty visuals.  After that I was always a fan.

A few months ago, I was looking up heel-toe (to see if I could ever learn to do it), and I happened upon a video of Ayrton Senna heel-toeing in loafers in an NSX.  I think that summarizes him pretty well.  After looking up more stuff about him (and watching that sentimental Top Gear tribute), I've decided that Ayrton Senna is approximately at the Carl Sagan level of awesome.  I mean, I would totally become an F1 driver if A) I had any talent, B) I was filthy rich or had a buddy who was, and C) there wasn't that whole dying in crashes thing.