Funnel Shaped Tank

We're up and out of the hotel early on our way to Heathrow. I know that I'm probably going to have to fuel up on the way there or on the way back. I still have a quarter of a tank in this beast. Just about a mile into the M25 I get a message from the car stating that I need to fuel up shortly. I didn't expect it to tell me this far away. Then it's handy dandy computer system tells me I have 39km left. Holy Moly! 39km on a quarter tank? It must be off. At any rate, I still have several miles to go before there are "services" available. John tells me that he's convinced that gas tanks are shaped like a funnel. As I see the gas gauge move as I drive, I'm inclined to agree with him. We're running out of gas fast. Don't be on the edge of your seats. I can see that you are gripping the mouse with intensity. It's OK. Our heroes make it through the day.

We glide into the service station with a smidgen of petrol left. Yes, a smidgen. It's a bit more that a skoash and less than a bit. I fill up and almost have a heart attack as I've just spent over a hundred dollars on a tank of gas. ::choke:: ::cough:: ::sputter::

After the service station, we notice that on the other side of the M25 there is a car overturned in the middle of the road. Emergency people are all over the place. But, no traffic. Think about the I-5 with nobody on it. That's what it's like here. I look around thinking "what happened to all the other people?" Several miles down the road we get the answer; They are being diverted to another motorway. A motorway, by the by, which would not take me to where I will need to go coming back. So, I tell John that after I drop him off, I'll just continue all the way around the M25. Remember me saying it's a circular road? It's the London Orbital. So, I'd be going from, say 9 o'clock on the dial counter-clockwise to just before 3 o'clock.

I drop John off at Heathrow and head back out to the road saddened at his departure. It's hard to imagine how lonely it gets while you are out on the road this long. It's a true and wonderful gift to have a traveling companion. Especially one like John who is easy going, has plenty of stories to add, puts up with me and my stories (a difficult thing at times) and doesn't complain when things don't go quite right with the plans.

I drive around the M25 until I get to about the 6 o'clock position. That's when it dawns on me that I have no cash on me. It's going to be a bit difficult to get under the Thames, which is a toll road, without a pound to my name. So, I stop off at another service center and grab some cash from the Magic Money Machine and a bite to eat. I try out a Wimpy's. It's a burger joint. Long story short? It's not that good. I miss In'n Out.

It's Saturday, it's mid-day and I've got the day off. What do I end up doing? Programming. Sorry to say that. But, I had some things that needed clearing up. So, I spend the day programming my little heart out. I grab a bite and a pint in the pub for dinner that night and head off to bed looking forward to tomorrow. I'm not programming both days away...