My Pick This Week

Every week, I carve out a little time to study college football lines. If you've paid close attention, you might remember that I'm one of several who try to pick one upset each week. When your upset hits, you get the number of points in the spread added to your total, and at the end of the season, you pocket a little extra coffee money and have bragging rights for the year.

Most weeks, I'm checking to see whose quarterbacks are injured, who's coming off a big win or a close, disappointing loss, and who's catching 6 or more points at home. This week, I made my selection on something completely different.

After I dropped off the kids at school this morning, I was just back into the driveway when I realized that we're out of coffee. I pulled back into the street, and drove the mile or so to the CCs on Perkins road. I normally avoid that shop. It's on a narrow lot, and there's a ton of traffic, so it's always a nightmare just getting into and out of their parking lot.

Today was no exception. The car in front of me pulled in and stopped just into the concrete even though there was nothing in front of him. This left me in the middle of a left turn and blocking a whole lane of oncoming traffic. But eventually, I got into the lot.

Instead of fighting for one of the precious few parking spots, I waited in the super-slow drive-thru line. While I waited, a young driver of a U-Haul pulled up beside me, but across the divide, in the Sonic lot. He was going against the flow of traffic, and perhaps this is why he strayed so far over in the lane. He forgot about the roof height, and crunched into the Sonic parking cover with a massive crunch. As he slowly backed out, there was more metal crunching and scraping noise. Finally, the truck separated from the structure, leaving a section of dangling aluminum overhead.

Why does it make me laugh when someone's weekend is ruined?

He sat for a little while. I suppose he was trying to figure out how to dart out of the whole mess with so many onlookers about. But eventually, he pulled to the back of the lot, and I can't deny that the more he sat, the more I enjoyed watching his distraught young face.

Finally, he climbed up from the driver's side of the cab to inspect the damage to his rental truck, and as he turned to step onto the ground, I was able to read his t-shirt. It was yellow with large green print:

I LOVE MY DUCKS.

I'll take USC over Oregon this week.

Lock.