I've been commuting for almost a year now. Over a year ago I wrote about my feelings toward Toyotas on the road. I still feel the same, but the Toyotas now have a rival for my anti-affection. They still taunt me on the road, but the vehicle that annoys me now as much, if not more, is the large white truck.
You've all seen them. And if you haven't, take a look at the photo on the left. Large. White. Truck.
These trucks are big. They are work trucks. And apparently, they are 100 times more important than the rest of us on the road. And to prove their importance, they are forced to pull within inches of my bumper when I'm driving to work. With their lights on. Which of course light up my whole car since they are four times as tall as my Honda. And then, when they can't take it anymore, because me going 71 mph in a 65 zone is just not fast enough, they whip around me and glare as they speed by.
Just go then, you freaking large white trucks of annoyance.
This trend seems to be increasing, and I'm seeing more and more of these trucks on the road. It doesn't seem to matter what time I go to work. If it's dark, they're there. Every now and then the large white truck is replaced with a large white van. They're like the younger brother of the large white truck. The one sent when the older brother is just too lazy to get up and go. They're go-getters. And sometimes even more annoying than the trucks themselves.
And oh yeah, they almost all only have one driver yet they are fully entitled to drive in the carpool lane by themselves. Oh that I could have that much entitlement in my life. That must be spectacular.
If any of you drive one of these trucks, please take note. While I'm sure you're a lovely person, you actually aren't more important than the rest of us on the road. We aren't impressed with your, ahem, size.
As I write this, I'm sitting in the San Jose airport waiting to get on my flight to Vegas for the U2 concert. I don't think I need to tell you that the plane is delayed. By 30 minutes. Neat. The bonus is that I'm sitting at the gate and an uber-important and ultra-cranky woman is talking so loud on the phone that I now know that she worked in a room with machines all day and didn't even have time to call his mother. I assume this is the mother of the person on the other end of the phone. The person who she continues to tell not to get mad, and not to be mad, and that she just doesn't have time. Oh yeah, she's busy. She told him. Multiple times.
As unbelievably exciting as this woman's continued sob story/crank fest is, I had to get the headphones out. It had to be done. I continue to turn the volume up. She is loud. LOUD.
Oh good. Now she's standing up. Wait...wait...this wasn't even her gate!!! Oh my lanta. Get out.
Last weekend my friend Jill and I went to see the new musical, American Idiot, based on the Green Day album of the same name. It's currently premiering in Berkeley, and I am thrilled we were able to get tickets during its short run there. It was AWESOME!!
I loved the album the first time I heard it, and now can't stop listening to it the second time around. When the album came out several years ago, I was intrigued by the story woven through the songs and how it made the most sense when it was listened to from start to finish, in the order Green Day wanted us to hear it. On their own, the songs are great. When they're put together in the right order, they can simultaneously excite me and bring me to tears. Seeing them attached to an actual storyline made them even more powerful. I cried three times during the performance.
The lyrics of so many of these songs are incredibly powerful, as the lyrics to many of the band's songs are. Here's a quick sample:
American Idiot - Chorus
Welcome to a new kind of tension All across the alien nation Where everything isn't meant to be okay Television dreams of tomorrow We're not the ones who're meant to follow But that's enough to argue
Are We The Waiting - Second Verse and Chorus
Forget me nots and second thoughts live in isolation Heads or tails and fairytales in my mind Are we we are, are we we are the waiting unknown The rage and love, the story of my life The Jesus of suburbia is a lie
And screaming Are we we are, are we we are the waiting
21 Guns - First Verse
Do you know what's worth fighting for When it's not worth dying for Does it take your breath away And you feel yourself suffocating Does the pain weigh out the pride And you look for a place to hide Did someone break your heart inside You're in ruins
It was sort of funny to see the crowd at the theater, especially since we just recently saw Green Day in concert (video below from our concert - click the link to see photos).
I would venture a guess that at least 75% of those in attendance last Saturday had never seen Green Day in concert and likely didn't own a single Green Day CD. Jill and I were among the youngest in attendance, and we figured most of the folks there were there for the theatrics of it all. It was quite interesting to observe. They actually handed out earplugs as we made our way to our seats - we passed.
I really hope this makes it to Broadway. It's been selling out pretty much every show in Berkeley, and it would be so great if more people could experience it. If you have the chance, SEE THIS SHOW!!
As a side note to our Berkeley adventure, we found a YUMMY Louisiana restaurant - Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen. I highly recommend it! Authentic hush puppies, po' boys and beignets. Not to mention good service! Check it out.
All in all, a fabulous day in Berkeley! Now the journey to and from on BART? Well, that's always an adventure unto itself...
I've been commuting for almost a year now. Over a year ago I wrote about my feelings toward Toyotas on the road. I still feel the same, but the Toyotas now have a rival for my anti-affection. They still taunt me on the road, but the vehicle that annoys me now as much, if not more, is the large white truck.
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