express lane

To open the tab I put forth that after a few middlin' albums, Bruce Springsteen has jumped the abyss and put out something worthy of his talent (note: some of that opinion was swiped from other music critics). I don't know that I can really hit him too hard since 35 years in music and a Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame induction is a hard life to exceed. In fact, if one considers Born to Run (1975) then he had nothing left to offer. It's a long road after seeing your fourth album reach that peak and somehow keep going. "The Seeger Sessions" is what he's forever been about, and to hear him do Pete's songs...so lively, so powerful, and so attacking the music is a wonderful thing.

(new episode)

Follow me. I'm in a store (TJ's, Wild Oats, Whole Foods, Super Wal-Mart, Raley's...) and I walk up to a register with the following in my hand-held basket:

olives
feta cheese
gyoza
a package of frozen salmon
a loaf of bread
bottle of wine
fresh sage

That's it. That IS an express line purchase. Actually, that's a European shopping at the markets of Venice, Florence, Barcelona, Paris, Stockhom.... I'm off along some tangent. There is NO way that "up to 20 items" is an express line...no WAY. Eight or less is the only thing that qualifies for express. 20? What? It runs parallel to the airlines deciding that the average human weight is 180 lbs. instead of the 150 lbs. of years ago, or that driving a gas-sucking EscalaHummer is okay simply because it's big and more (don't even get me started on gas prices), or living at the nearest Mall. More or bigger isn't acceptable. Here's the list of goods toted by the 'dude' in front of you at the express lane:

5 lb. mayonaise tub
package of frozen salmon
flatpack of 24 cans of dietary dog food
24 pack of toilet paper
DVD collection of the O.C. (first season)
case of fully-leaded Coke

(stay the course)

bonus collection of Extra Strength Sudafed cold medicine (card required to avoid production of crystal meth)
a sixer of PBR
the big plastic (3 lb.) container of HydroxyCut
one pair of cargo shorts
one package of wife beater t-shirts
one shirt sporting the logo "Slot Machine"

(still going)

a 2lb. circular tube of Red Laces
a 24-eyelet pair of shoelaces
one package of extra large condoms
the "Pauly Shore is Dead" DVD
one frozen package of Blueberry Eggos
lastest issue of "O" magazine (for the wife...is that Oprah on the cover?)

(almost done)

one jar of hamburger pickles
a case of 40W oil for the rig

Wow. That's done. That's express. That's America.

I can love. I'm not difficult

kisses to all

t