Driving around town in the smart car in recent weeks, I get the thumbs up from just about everyone who looks my way. By far though, the biggest surprises have been the motorcyclists and the preteen girls who wave, smile, and yell out "I LOVE YOUR CAR!" The preteen girls in particular actually have engaged me in conversation about the environmental impact and gas mileage. Kudos to them, and their parents.

Today on my way to the Seahawks game, with Bobbin sitting next to me, I found myself slowed to a crawl on I-5. A combination of southbound 405 being closed, the Seahawks preseason opening game, and an accident just south of downtown made for a hellish drive. It took us an hour to get downtown and that was taking the fast route.

As I creeped along at 5 miles an hour along with everyone else, a giant white Ford Excursion started approaching in the left lane, which was moving every so slightly faster (as Murphy's law dictates it should). There were two adults in the vehicle - both "men" (really, their behaviour does not warrant that mature a label) who looked to be in their mid-20's. As he passed me in the left lane, the driver actually reached over his passenger and stared straight at me and gave me the finger. I have no freakin' clue why. he then drove on.

Had I not had Bobbin in the seat next to me, a string of explitives would have passed my lips and I would have rolled down my window, shouted "What the FUC|<, A$$HOLE?" and reciprocated the gesture. Of course doing so can get one shot here in the grand ol' U.S. of A. So I probably wouldn't have rolled down my window, but I definitely would have been cursing loudly.

Well, I'm not sitting beside Bobbin right now, and even if she was here, I'm pretty sure she can't read yet, so MR. D|(KHEAD WHITE EXCURSION: Here's to you and your CLEARLY superior intelligence and maturity. And while you're pouring over $550 a month in gas into your guzzler and barely scraping enough together to cover your rent/mortgage, monthly car payments, season tickets, and Monday nights out drinking with "the guys", I'll be tootin' merrily along in my 40mpg Smart Car, spending one quarter of that same amount in gas per month and squirreling enough away to pay our mortgage off early AND send Bobbin to Harvard.