Is There Gas In The Car? Yes, There's Gas In The Car

We spend last weekend driving in a very orderly fashion around the greater Phoenix area. Which should be news in and of itself. The last few years we can safely say that some of the gas shortage nationally was due to our inability to locate anything on our yearly Phoenix jaunts. But this year, we had a GPS unit and bless the silicon-based heart of the person who invented the damn thing. Because otherwise, we become a carload of haters.

It was a good trip, save for the usual mishagas from our Geico-caveman-in-residence friend. Who knows who he is. And we discovered the joy of U.S. Egg, and their great breakfast-based menu. One of the great unsolved mysteries of the trip concerned the mural on the wall of their Tempe location. Was the Statue of Liberty holding De Tocqueville's Democracy in America, or [my guess] Mario Puzo's The Godfather? The group consensus was on the former, in my heart I am hoping it is the latter.

We saw greyhounds run. Which is weirdly cool, if you get past the inhumane aspects of it. And the fact that I lost $12 doing it. But we did not go slick cart racing this year, sadly. I had some new moves I wanted to try out.

So here we are, 20 days away from the start of the regular baseball season. Can anyone else stand it? It is so damned exciting! Why isn't this dominating the national news?

My friend D. told me that his old friend, the professional comedian/actor/mascot for anti-smoking in Arizona/former Jeopardy loser J. bumped in to D.'s old business partner M. [whom we all sort of find amusing as a person, as in "to laugh at" not "to laugh with"] in Kauai. How does that happen? Two Bay Area ex-pats meet in Kauai?

Speaking of the near-ubiquitous gameshow Jeopardy, I think I know three people who have been contestants: stand-up comedian, Mr. Mishagas from para. 2, and my chain-smoking lesbian speech teacher from Junior College, P.G. Mr. Mishagas won in most impressive come-from-behind fashion [I've deleted the witty double entendre that used to reside here. Thank me later]. And P.G. was a five-day champion and was later on the Tournament of Champions. I know some seriously smart people, folks.

Speaking of the smart, one of my old friends has a book coming out next month, and it looks to be both good [and well-reviewed, which may be more important] and timely, in a high-profile way. Preview it here.

I'm currently reading about everyone's favorite drunken angel, Townes Van Zandt. God bless Townes.