Today's entry might sound I'm feeling pissy again, but I'm really not. I'm actually in a pretty good mood. I just feel like sharing some stuff that's been annoying me. Have fun!

An odd thing happened yesterday. While driving around I was near the Burbank Police/Fire Department and I remembered that I needed to get money and that there's an ATM in the lobby that doesn't charge any fees. (As a credit union member, with only two ATM's in the area, I value those few that don't charge me an arm and a leg for my money.) So I parked my car and walked towards the lobby. As I neared the lobby doors a police officer exited a side door and offered to hold it open for me. Since that wasn't the entrance I needed, I declined, but thanked him. He said something, I don't quite remember what, and went on his way. I glanced at the door he had exited from and noticed a sign to the side: RESTRICTED ACCESS ONLY.

Ok. I'm someone he doesn't know, on my way to the lobby. I could have been some head-case loser on my way to bail out my equally loser-ish boyfriend/husband/lover/life partner. I could have been some freaking psycho sociopath, all set to blow up cops, who just knows how to come across like a nice woman. And he offers to let me into a restricted area? What a bright boy!

Speaking of the Burbank Police/Fire Department, I'm not too sure about the building that currently houses the two departments. It's about 1-2 years old and has all these curves and angles that neither have purpose nor are asthetically pleasing. I've also thought that the bronze statue out front is really kinda bizarre. It's of a fireman and policeman, but it starts at about the hips and looks like the poor guys are fused together at the ass. (Star Trek geek alert) It's actually reminds me of a scene from "In Theory", where a crew member is found sunk into the deck, and all you can see of her is from her head to her waist.

I know a lot of money was put into that building, and the surrounding area is pretty, but I wonder how some architects manage to get jobs. This design isn't interesting or forward thinking. It's just stupid.

I don't like driving. If I could avoid it altogether I probably would, but as someone who's always running late (five more minutes of sleep, please!), public transit isn't very practical for me. So I have to drive. In L.A. Oh, what fun.

I shouldn't complain too much about it. I'm really very lucky. On an average it takes me 20 minutes to get from my front door to my cubicle, which is incredible. I don't have to drive the freeways on a daily basis and, though I encounter some busy streets, they're nothing compared to Ventura or Wilshire Boulevards.

However.

Lately I've been coming across a particular kind of driver that bugs the hell out of me. The Creeper. It's always on the same stretch of two lane road, when I'm so close to home I could cry, but these drivers just won't. Get. Moving. I can't pass them, at least not legally, and there are usually cops hidden on side steets, so I don't want to pull some bonehead maneuver. Usually they're the kind of driver who thinks that everyone drives just as slow as they do, so they'll make a right or left-hand turn right in front of you. Hello?! I'm doing about five miles over the speed limit. Do not pull out in front of me, you idiot! And if you do, speed up and get the hell out of my way. That's what I do.

Another friendly word of advice to the Creeper: If I'm behind you with my foot off the gas pedal, coasting at 30 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and I'm still gaining on you, you're going too fucking slow! If you or your car are unable or unwilling to at least go the speed limit, you do not belong on the road. Please give up your driver's license and take public transportation, before someone less reasonable and more prone to violence takes it out on some poor, unsuspecting slob, ok?

Of course, there are other traffic behaviors that frustrate the crap out of me (tailgating, lack of signals, lane meandering), but I think I'll stop for now.

Ah, the movies I'll watch due to my innocent obsessions. Thanks to the hots I now have for Matt Frewer, I have endured two horrible films: National Lampoon's Senior Trip and Lawnmower Man II: Jobe's War. The first was a typically stupid "teen" movie, though Matt did make me laugh a few times (the only thing in the movie that did make me laugh). The second was promising, until after the credits. As soon as the words "Los Angeles: The Future" flashed across the screen, the movie took a nosedive. It crashed and burned about halfway through, but didn't seem to realize that, hanging on for dear life, though nothing could be done to revive it. Bad script, bad dialogue, wildly implausible technology, no logic to the story, non-impressive special effects and a painfully hokey ending.

Now, I can usually slog my way through a movie like that, as long as the actors are good. No such luck. All except maybe two or three of the actors sucked big pointy rocks. The lead actress, Ely Pouget, was acceptable, as was Richard Fancy, who had an all-too-short role (he's one of those character actors that you see everywhere, and who always does a good job). Patrick Bergin was awful. But Matt did his usual excellent, if occasionally over-the-top, performance. And even bald, he's still pretty cute.

I also saw, for the first time, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. A nicely amusing movie, with Matt as fun to watch as ever. I even felt myself choke up when Anty, well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't see it. I give it three stars (out of five).

Tomorrow night Teresa and I are going to make dinner for our parents as part of their anniversary present, but it won't stop there, oh no. I'm going to make some lovely orzo with a terrific tomato/soy yogurt pasta sauce that Mom and Dad love, accompanied by saut�ed onions, mushrooms and garlic. Teresa will work wonders with chicken and garlic, and we'll serve it to them at a candlelit table with us dressed up as waiters. Teresa came up with the waiter shtick, which is really a cute idea.

Now I have to think of what kind of desert to make. Hmmm, a desert that's ok for a diabetic (Dad) to eat, which can also be sampled by a vegan. That's a toughie, but I'll come up with something. I always do. *shameless grin*