More quick takes from somebody who hasn't been feeling the blogging lately

-Between Margie getting in trouble with Nikki, poor Vito on "the Sopranos" and the last fifteen minutes or so of "the Office," it's been one long, week of cringe on TV. I actually couldn't watch part of "the Office," the bit when Michael's two dates ran into each other, and the last five minutes or so, woo-hee.

I need to start watching something less stressful. Like "24".

-So yes, so far while driving I've cursed out my first fellow driver (for tail gaiting on a completely empty four-lane highway at 12:30 at night), gotten cursed at (for sort of crossing while yellow, but it had just turned yellow and it wasn't fair for me to get it considering three cars followed me across), been honked at for a near miss (totally my fault-- I totally missed seeing someone while merging onto an off-ramp), and had my first heart pumping "what the hell?" moment when some car in front of me on the 101 couldn't decide which lane to go into and went to and fro two lanes without signaling. The thing I'm waiting for most hasn't happened yet (well, other than being stranded on the 101 while waiting for AAA) is to get yelled at by a biker. I know that's coming at some point because those suckers do appear out of nowhere. And I really don't want that to happen because as somebody who used to bike to work, I was the one who was getting cut off by drivrers. I don't want to be that driver.

-Jaywalkers really piss me off. It's not just that some of them kind of lollygag across the street as if there's nothing at all wrong or dangerous about walking across the street right into upcoming traffic, it's the one dude who instead of running across the street, decided to stand in the middle of traffic and play traffic cop so as not to be hit. Dude, if you don't want to not be hit, don't stand there and try and make eye contact-- RUN.

-I was at the cafeteria at work and it became apparent that one of those co-workers who I don't talk to that much (my bad, not them) and I were about to get in line together to ring up the cash register. But when it became apparent, they ambled over to the fridge and pretended to look inside for a drink. In other words, they totally dawdled so as to not get stuck in the line together and make small talk. How do I know they did that? Because that's MY move.

-I know I harsh on "Lost" a lot and I shouldn't considering how great it's been lately and how much fun it is to read through people's Web sites in which they dissect the clues, but here's one more thing that I wish the show did better- trippiness. Considering how much weird things happen on the show, it should be totally whacked out and surreal. But it's not. It needs to be more "Twin Peaks" and it's not. If there was anything "Twin Peaks" did better than anything, was make your jaw drop and bring the goose bumps because it was so well done in it's surrealness. It was trippy as all hell. That's what "Lost" needs to be like.

Or maybe it was because "Twin Peaks" aired while I was in college and more susceptible to trippiness?

-Yesterday was one of those beautiful, cloudless, warm days we rarely get, the kind of day that reminds you that you actually do live in California and this is the way it's supposed to be. The reason why California is what it is. I went with a friend to meet up with other friends to go to the Giants game, a game they won by scoring 4 runs in the ninth inning to beat the hated Dodgers. Afterwards, we spilled out to a new bar partially owned by Sammy Hagar himself to drink margarita's, and then headed off to Gordon Biersch where we managed to somehow score a table in the outdoor patio. Safely ensconced there, we hung out for four hours or so, until dark where we sat and watched the Kaboom from the comfort of our own seats. While the Bay Bridge obscured our view, we were still close enough that the fireworks almost looked directly above us. And from our cozy little seats, there's something more dramatic about the fireworks when it's obscured like that. From where we sat, we saw people who were milling about, stop what they were doing to watch. We watched as the N Judah continued on with it's run right underneath the explosions and cars above on the bridge drive past. And then, towards ten or so, almost twelve hours from when I set out, I made it home.

Everyone once in awhile, you get a day like that, one in beautiful weather and a large collection of friends and something special like a Giants game and fireworks show and you realize once again what an amazing place San Francisco is and just what a great gem of a place it is.