Sometimes it’s cool to live in Huntsville.

Sometimes it strikes me that Huntsville is a little unlike any other southern city. Today, on our return trip from visiting my family for Mother’s Day, Megan and I saw a car for sale. Its amazingly low miles and reasonable asking price made this ’96 model tantalizingly within reach. The moment demanded action: I dialed the telephone number, recognizable as a powertel prefix, as we drove away.

The woman that answered was pleasant, even eager to describe the car. We agreed to meet later in the afternoon so Megan and I could check it out from behind the wheel. As we closed the conversation, I realized I hadn’t introduced myself…

“I’ll see you at six, then. My name is Rod.”

“See you there at six… and my name is Jan Davis.”

Everything clicked — the front bumper still had a Texas plate (from Houston), the rear tag had an Auburn frame, and the ubiquitous red NASA rectangle stuck in the bottom left of the windshield.

Following some financial wizardry, a visit to the credit union for earnest money, and a rendezvous to return my sister to Dad, Megan and I met Jan a minute or two after six and drove the car (it’s everything we thought). Since she was singly stranded with two cars, I helped ferry both the beautiful roadster and her sleek new SUV back to her home.

Now how often do you run into someone that has spent nearly a MONTH in orbit? Frankly, I don’t know exactly what my subliminal preconception of an astronaut (albeit former) on an off day might have been, but she didn’t fit it. My preconception must’ve been something more or less than normal, because I was surprised and put at ease by her comfortable, easygoing conversation. And jeez, she’s like, the deputy director of the flight projects directorate at Marshall Space Flight Center or something. =]

Maybe the Mechanical Engineer in her shone through when describing the automaker’s craftmanship, but her time as an astronaut isn’t a badge or medal she wears overtly. She’s cool. And she unknowingly helped me correct a notion or two I didn’t even realize I had. Now if we can just buy her car…

No, I didn’t mention what sort of car. On purpose. If it works out I’ll let you know.