There's a bridge from DC to Alexandria where you can find yourself having to cross all 4 lanes of traffic in the brief span it takes to cross to the Potomac, if you're coming from DC and going S in VA.

I believe this is no longer true. That area has gotten much more sane with the traffic patterns (if it's where I think it is).

Years ago, while driving down a long, straight, deserted road, I discovered that the engine computer of my Focus will kill the ignition if you go over 110 mph. (The ignition comes back on once the car slows down a few mph.)

And back in the early '80s, I got my parent's '73 Mercury Marquis (with the 460 cubic inch engine) up to 120 mph.

Anyway, I think those are the two times I've driven faster than 90 mph.

On Top Gear last night James May took the Bugatti Veyron to like 257 mph! It was awesome. Top Gear is like my favorite new show of the fall.

I have a mad crush on Richard Hammond.

Do they draw straws to decide who gets to drive the really fast cars? Did Jeremy Clarkson lose out because he got to drive the Bugatti across the continent? And why won't Bugatti let the Stig test the car on their track?

I LOVE Top Gear! So snarky and smart and fun. Of ocurse, the DH being an auto journalist makes it even more fun fo rme, as I acutally get someof the automotive in-jokes.

I am thinking May drove it because Jeremy drove the Bugatti before, and Hamster was, ahem, possibly unavailable.

I thought Hamster's utter joy before crashing the Vampire was adorable.

My comcast episode description said something about Jamie Oliver driving the reasonably priced car in last week's episode - - did that happen? Did they just decide to not show it? You know, so they could show more footage of them re-surfacing that road?

My comcast episode description said something about Jamie Oliver driving the reasonably priced car in last week's episode - - did that happen? Did they just decide to not show it? You know, so they could show more footage of them re-surfacing that road?

That road re-surfacing was deadly! I think they cut the Jamie Oliver piece in the American broadcast. He was credited, as was some other celebrity that escapes me.

Interrupting Top Gear (which I love!) talk for this quick work rant:

PEOPLE! PLEASE CHECK YOUR MESSAGE BEFORE YOU CALL BACK!

This is the last (I'm probably lying) time I'm going to say this. I do not know who called you. I'm not running down a list of everyone who works here, and I am not a professional sketch artist, such that if you describe their features to me, I will know who you mean. Everyone speaks Spanish, everyone teaches the classes, all of one person's cases are not transferred to someone else if they are out (That would be exceedingly stupid because, who would they work with when they got back? They're not just handling 6 or 7 cases at a time. Actively it's more than 70, but that's before we include the people who will decide that even though they haven't talked with us in over a year, suddenly they've spotted the house of their dreams so the counselor needs to dig out their file and get to work on it). I will not walk from office to office to ask everyone if they called you, and no we don't have an intercom.

JUST CHECK THE DAMN MESSAGE!

Thank you.