two things two-go

there are few things i truly detest in life. two of them, though, are bus cheaters and sucky root beer.

1. (this comment is totally un-pc, but i'm going to say it anyway.) i notice the bus cheating often. you know, those people who want to evade the driver and not pay, or those who want to sneak on and get the last seat before those who got on the legal and fair way can. i especially notice this when the bus stops at market on its way up kearny and towards chinatown. often, if i'm leaving work/the gym after 6:30pm, i hop on a 9x/30/45 so that i make my connection. otherwise, i'm stuck waiting for a 21 along market, which at this time runs every 20-30 minutes depending on if the driver showed up that day. and when i get to market, everyone outside at the stop crowds around the door at the back of the bus and then tries to get on while we're getting off. families, singles, elderly, children, two-headed. the sad thing is, they're all asian, (i've never seen so many white people do this, so maybe it's a cultural thing?) and they never flash their transfer/fast passed to at least make it seem like they paid. they just press up against the door and mill on en-masse.

the other evening, as i was trying to get off the bus, but couldn't, i said, "if you all actually moved out of the way and got on the front, those of us who needed to get off the bus could!" and you know what this little old woman did? she jabbed her cane into my foot as it was on the bottom step and then proceeded to walk up the steps pushing me back onto the bus. um. no. i want to get off the bus. and while i had the huge urge to slap her silly, that would be even more un-pc of me. so i stepped on her. (just kidding!)

2. two-go replaced my lunch's sprecher rootbeer with smuckers. guys, it's not the same! sucky natural root beer makes my 1:30pm conference call even suckier. gah.

whoever smelt it dealt it.

remember that shell station that i mentioned awhile ago whose prices were so high? well, about a month ago, their prices jumped again: $4.33/gallon for the low-grade. then the owner announced his high prices were in response to shell raising his lease. recently, the station closed, but not before offering $2.99 gas at a "discount." i feel bad for the people who paid $4.33!

in other petrol-related news, todd drove me to the airport and back recently for a business trip, and i submitted his time for a mileage reimbursement. we're getting back $15, which is about what he pays for... a month's worth of gas! guess that's what happens when you drive a hybrid AND carpool with 2 other people to and from marin. being green is sexy.

i learn something new every day.

diet dr. pepper is the soda of choice for male econ teachers (who also tend to moonlight as football coaches). go figure.

getting carded

this past weekend in a cheesy card store in the middle of nowhere (meaning not san francisco)-

card store woman: hi! welcome to [insert generic card store name here].
becca: hello.
woman: can i help you with anything?
becca: um. i'm looking for a father's day card.
woman: oh! great. that's coming up quick[ly- why don't people use adverbs anymore???]! here's our huge selection.
becca (perusing non-huge selection of about 35 cards centering around golf, ties, hand holding, god, bbq, and fart jokes): i'm looking for a more... basic card. no hobbies or pictures of naked babies on the front. do you have any cards that... say less?
woman: but it's father's day. the card should speak to all the wonderful moments you've had!
becca: oh, i totally agree. but my moments are... more appropriate to a blank canvas.
woman: hmphf. here.

and with that, i found the perfect card. a 4"x4" blank card with a generic image on the front. enough for me to write a quick note and pop it in the mailbox. this got me thinking, though, about why we send cards anyway. is it to show that we remembered a birthday or anniversary? my grandparents lined up their birthday cards earlier this year on the mantle, and there sure were a bunch. i'm also sure they could easily size up who didn't send them a card. on the flip side, my mom always insisted that my sister and i write thank you notes within a week of receiving a gift. birthday, hanukkah, arbor day, you name it, i thanked people for their appropriate (and sometimes not-so-appropriate gits). even when some guy gave me a liter of musky body oil at my 12th birthday party, i thanked him. my sister was always better thank you card writing. "let's get together soon!" she'd write. or "you always made the best rabbit-shaped pancakes. maybe you'll teach me next time?"

overall, it's more the pressure of cards that worry me from time to time. like being judged on what i wrote in the span of a minute or so and if my handwriting was good enough for them to get the gist of what i was trying to say. todd once told me i didn't write enough, and now when i give him a card, he reads the text out loud. luckily, the only person to hear my embarrassing limericks is alphie, and i've got one up on the furball. i've got thumbs.