Of Bears and Beets

Dear Everyone,

I’d just like to remind you that not all cars are blessed with the same astounding horsepower or are as brand-spanking new as yours. As such, when accelerating from a light, not everybody will be able to guzzle gas at the same incredible rate as you as you race to wait for 10 extra seconds at the next red light. If you perchance happen to be behind such a person, please try and be a little patient instead of ramming your headlights into their trunk in hopes that this will make them accelerate faster than their car is capable. You’ll find it saves you a little gas and them a little angst. Thanks,

Beet

• Having gone to school in New Brunswick for four years, I counted my lucky stars to have never really been through the glorious experience of bouncing around the halls of either hospital in town. But now that the closest hospital is the grandiosely-named Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, I’m lightening up to the idea of a broken wrist here or a gash in my thigh there. Unfortunately, it seems Raritan Bay is selling that branch, leaving it with only its Perth Amboy division. That’s still pretty close, but unless the purchaser can inspire the thought of seagulls and salty air and cool breezes, I’m going to stick to staying healthy.
   
• I don’t know if anybody else feels this way, particularly 8-year-old kids, but I had a bit of an epiphany the other day about cleaning my room. Mine currently hosts a pile of junk in the center (easily maneuvered around) which would cause my mom or girlfriend to pull her hair out. But I realized that I am actually looking forward to cleaning it, I’m just waiting for it to reach this criticial point. There is some sort of cathardic pleasure that comes from a cleaning en masse, as well as a sense of organization and control that comes with doing things in one big process, instead of short bursts that might keep the room perpetually neat, but might never give you that firm sense of knowing where everything is at that moment you finally finish.
   
• There are three bananas going bad on my kitchen counter, which is weird because I like bananas but I never think to eat them when I’m hungry. Maybe I’ll fry them up good and toasty and let my girlfriend at them 😉
   
• Finally, baseball is back tonight, thank Jesus Colome. It’s been far too long since the Rays and Sox both clinched, although I suppose I’ll have to reassess my definition of “too long” in about two weeks, when I’ll have to go four months without baseball. With Cubs having sunk somewhere in the cold North Atlantic after hitting that iceburg, it’s down to the Phillies and the Dodgers in the league that matters. I have a Wendy’s Frosty riding on Cole Hamels left arm in Game 1, so here’s to the Fightin’s.

~ beet