Last night NASCAR driver Joey Logano visited our Home Depot (one of the few positive things about sharing a highway exit with the New Hampshire Motor Speedway) and off we went. Halfway there my husband pointed out I’d forgotten the camera and asked if I wanted to run home and get it. I told him it was going to be a standard 2-second sign-and-go and my cellphone would serve well enough. Needless to say, photo ops ensued. The poor quality of the pictures is all my fault and you can take pleasure in knowing I received a resounding spousal “I told you so”.

First, the standard 2-second sign-and-go (although, the SK, having the luck of his Irish forefathers, randomly won a $20 Home Depot gift card):

The line funneled back outside, where he checked out the #20 Home Depot Toyota:

Then we were told Joey would be coming outside to build a Home Depot derby car and the SK could watch. As he milled around, one of the HD employees told him to step up and make one. Joey Logano is on the right, in the white, putting his car together. The SK is on the left, kind of behind his dad (the camera’s on the SK):

SK building his car (I watched Joey putting the wheels on his and let’s just say it’s a good thing he has a pit crew for his real car):

Once the car building was done, the Short Kid wanted his signed. I’m sorry to admit I’m shy and not forceful at all.

Me: I don’t know, buddy. Nobody else is. I don’t know if we’re allowed.

SK: Follow me, Mom, and stay close so you don’t lose me.

The husband and I have met a lot of drivers—NASCAR and Indy car drivers at NHMS, as well as F1 in Canada—and this was a great experience. While I caught Zippy, his crew chief who also signed, sneaking a few glances at his watch, Joey was relaxed and smiling and laughing. He really gave the impression there was no place he’d rather be than hanging out in a Home Depot and then hammering tiny nails in a derby car while the crowd heckled and waited with cameras ready for him to whack his thumb.

On the DVD shelf in our living room—which holds DVDs, CDs, a few family pictures and paperback copies of my books—there’s now a Joey Logano shelf, with the signed picture, his derby car, and the #20 HD Toyota Matchbox car SK cajoled his father into buying him at the merchandise trailer. I have a feeling, come Sunday, we’ll all be rooting for Joey Logano.