귀중한 전기 낭비

She wouldn't shut up. Not for 10 seconds. It must have been obvious that I wasn't listening but words kept coming out of her mouth hitting me like tiny darts. Please stop.
The three of them were at least half drunk on the way to the wake, all dressed up in their Sunday best. Have a nice time.
I asked the dude what country he was from, he said I should guess. He looked like a guru and I knew it was India. New Deli is called New Deli because the British thought the old Deli was too small and crowded so they added on.
They were a nice enough family returning from Orlando. Always beautiful this time of year [sheesh] the Dad had to sit in front with me. He opened up with some incoherent philosophy. One of us was crazy and it wasn't me.
The Irish have landed. The games take place this weekend at the cultural center. I took 4 to Quincy Market, dropped them at the Purple Shamrock.
Barely able to speak, the next dude wanted to go to a Chinese massage parlor. I drove around Chinatown looking up and down the little streets but I couldn't find anything. I took him back to his hotel and rolled him out.
I waited for these 3 Hindus for like 20 minutes and they finally came out and half way to the station one of them realized she didn't have her passport with her and that's what she uses for I.D. Back we went to retrieve it.
The young couple were from Alberta and thinking about a move to Boston.
The Texan wanted to go to a strip club but he was too low on cash so dropped him at a local bar instead.
The older couple returning from Vegas didn't win any money. She was 'up' one day but gave it all back and then some [Never heard that before]

invariably

Most of my shift felt wicked slow like it was a waist of time going to work but I stayed focused and it ended up being a good night. I got a 20 dollar tip from a nice lady headed back to Ireland where she lives in the countryside there. Took a fare from the mall to an apartment complex in Quincy which may as well be called Little India because there's thousands of Indians there. A lot of drivers don't like them much because they never tip but I like talking to them about India.

At 10:30 I took a nurse out to Metro West Hospital where she would work her second shift of the day. She does that three times a week. I've met many nurses who are always working doubles because they need the money and I guess there's a nursing shortage. Doesn't seem right somehow. Should we be having so many tired, exhausted nurses out there?
I figured that'd be it for the night for me because I got back to town right around 11:30 but I hung out for another hour and made another 30 bucks.
During the earlier slow period I decided to take a bunch of pictures mostly from around the front of the mall and strung them together with some music that doesn't really fit but here goes anyway:

canceled separating

Today I'd like to discuss that shuttle craft devise that they use at bank drive-ups. Those plastic pods that you put your money or your check or your license or whatever and beam it over to a waiting teller. Don't tell me you've never considered the possibility that we ourselves will be traveling in something like that in our lifetime because everyone has had that thought. That'd be so cool. But I don't want to talk about that now.

Zimbabwe used to be called Rhodesia and was a British colony until 1980. There was a little bit of fighting but Britain granted the country independence which makes it and America the only two former British colonies that are completely independent of their former host. I drove a dude to the airport that was from there originally but he lives in Norwood now. I told him I was born in Norwood. Which is true.

Later I happened to be heading to Faulkner Hospital with a package on ice from Harvard Vanguard 'till all of a sudden there arose such a clatter. There was a car fully engulfed in flames. A few cars passed by it but I didn't because it was cooking for real and I could hear pops, like little explosions. Pop pop pop. Others were on the scene first and dialing 9-1-1. I fished out my camera and rolled some video, praying to any being who may be greater than myself, that no one was inside the car. Afterward I called Channel 5 and told them I had some video of a car fire but they said it wasn't news unless there was more to the story than a burning car.

waiting crushing

I should have looked closer at the parking meter, a lousy quarter would have saved me twenty bucks. Most of them stop at 6pm but this freekin' one went to 8pm and sure enough. Bingo. Ticket. I even took a picture of the damn thing. Idiot.

Picked up two ladies at Babies Я Us. I can't believe people are still having babies despite all the noise.

smoke solid

Today there was this really weird family going to the airport for a trip to Vegas. They were big, loud talkers with a lot of phlegm in their heads. Two big goofy athletic boys saying dumb things with their phlegm-ish voices. Dumb parents saying dumb things to each other, and they all live in this big dumb house. Here's hoping they have a great time and win a few rounds of blackjack so they can buy some cough syrup.

Later I took a lady from the Police Station back to the mall where she had been busted for shoplifting earlier in the day. She went on and on about how it was all a misunderstanding. Her story was so polished and perfect that she had me believing her but its the judge tomorrow, not me, that she'll have to persuade.
Then I drove this dude who said he was a food runner and I said what's a food runner. He runs the food out from the kitchen to the tables and he says he really likes the job. He seemed a bit too old and maybe overqualified for such an occupation but if a person likes what he/she is doing for work then that's a home run man. I can relate to that.

After I dropped him at the subway station these 4 southern women crammed into the cab screaming and laughing in wicked heavy southern accents. I think one of them farted.

bag

The hillbilly said she wouldn't mind if I ran inside to pay my cable bill so I did. Another hundred bucks down the drain but its better than staring at the walls. Next, two local runs from the mall and then an airport run. It was 4:30 so I used my cabbie instincts and got there in no time. Its kinda like Spiderman's spidey sense [I have a spider in my shower window named Trevor and when he gets too big and scary I'll move him outside but for now its nice to know he's there keeping watch]

Later I drove a lady home who had apparently gotten a haircut and she wondered if they'd recognize her at home. Her hair didn't look like it'd been cut but who am I to judge.

Then I took Betty down to Seven Eleven and back because she needed her butts. I hadn't seen Betty in quite a while because I'm on the 2nd shift, so she said where have you been? hiding? Yup I've been hiding. I said when are you gonna quit smokin' those things and she said "Don't you start, I only smoke a couple packs a week." Okay Betty, smoke your brains out.
Next on the agenda was a man with a bad knee, took him a few minutes to get in the car. The knee is a very complex little machine. It was raining hard at that time so I pulled into the bus lane under the canopy so he wouldn't get drenched. Unfortunately for him he left his cell phone in the back seat so he had to drag that leg out to the ramp where I was now parked to get his phone back. Almost everyone leaves their cell phone in the cab and we have drawers full of them in the office.
Later, the hillbilly's brother got caught in the rain and called for a ride. Normally he walks the 5 miles home every day.
Grabbed a nice couple off the Logan bus going to the Radisson. They're from Spokane, here for a wedding. "That's in Washington" they said.
"I know where Spokane is lady. I spent a week there one night."

Then Kevin had me driving up and down Peach Street looking for number 39 and I'll be damned if I could find it so in the meantime I grabbed a Shaws supermarket getting my exercise for the day with 5 trips to the house. No sooner had I sat back down when I came to find out that the customer was on Peak Street, not Peach. An honest dispatching mistake.
Lastly, a couple guys from Chicago went to TGI Friday's. I told them the White Sox were winning 1-0 but they were Cub fans and couldn't be less interested.

herbie?

There's a wicked thunderstorm out there. On the drive home the sky was lit up like daylight and then the rain came. My wipers could barely keep up and I felt like I was under water. I like a good storm. God's fireworks. Earlier today I drove a lady that we call Herbie because she lives on Herbert Road, no one knows her real name. She told me she's terrified of thunderstorms because she heard that lightning can strike you while you are in your bed. Yeah, well ya gotta go somehow and that'd be pretty exciting wouldn't it? Herbie doesn't mind the thunder as much as the lightning and she seemed confused when I tried to explain they are the same thing, thunder being the sound from the lightning strike. Poor Herbie is probably laying awake right now waiting for that 50 million volts.

Drove a couple Brits over to F-One Boston. I need to check that place out sometime. Then, I took a lady to the airport who paid by credit card and so I noticed the last name Hyatt, like the hotel. Could she have been the Hyatt version of Paris Hilton?
My next fare was Herbie heading home to Herbert. Then I cruised the mall and found a dude headed up to Squantum and we must have talked about something but I forget now. I went back to the mall and there were 6 Britishers looking for an Indian restaurant because they hadn't had any decent curry since they'd been here so me and Radar took them over to Punjab.
Later I drove an Indian gent to a tattoo parlor in Abington so he could get some ink. Apparently tattoos are taboo back home but his was to be on his upper arm where no one would notice. A permanent souvenir from America I suppose. My last fare tonight was a young girl with a 6 week old little boy in tow. She couldn't have been more than 19, that can't be easy. She seemed fine with it though as if it was perfectly normal and I guess maybe it is.

Well, good night everyone and especially good night Herbie.

dark side?

Tonight I was merging onto I-93 from an on-ramp with the 2 right lanes closed. I had to get over and hope someone would back off and let me in and it was wicked dark, raining a little, traffic going along at 70-75. I saw someone flashing their lights and thought they were letting me in but they were flashing the lights to make sure I didn't merge in and to stay out of their way. I though about chasing them and briefly fantasized about running them off the road.

Why be positive when negative feels so much better [don't comment on that because I don't care]
On a side note: Why is it taking all summer to pave the expressway? Anyone? That's right, because they suck.
And while on the subject of negativity, I think the Manny trade was one of the biggest mistakes the Red Sox have made since trading Ruth and I hope they miss the playoffs. I predict an all Los Angeles World Series with the Dodgers winning in six. In the immortal words of Mo Vaughn, "Stupid Boston fans."
Lets see, what else.

• Of the 19 people in my cab tonight, I hated 17 of them.
• I dislike my bosses profusely.
• The cabs all suck.
• I don't give a damn about any elections.
• Bruce Springsteen sucks.
• Thats about it.

holiday?

My friends, before I take leave of my senses I am taking a vacation from that rolling insane asylum called work. I don't get paid for any time away therefore this is not a vacation in the ordinary sense, but merely a time of relaxation and quiet reflection.
I was able to attend a concert in New York on Tuesday night but that will be the extent of any travels this time around [I'd still like to get away sometime in Autumn for a few days]
And so here I lye awake. Again. In the middle of night mind racing, chasing ideas and getting trapped by those two thieves in the night, worry and regret. The Exorcist is on AMC but I have the sound turned down and only glance occasionally at the screen because that chick is just too scary man and every 12 minutes there's another commercial for penis enlargement.

So, I'll lay here and think about everything and nothing at all and maybe scribble a few ideas or plans to reinvent myself. Later I'll walk around the apartment, look out the window for a while. I might sleep before its light, that'd be wicked outta sight.

Drunks and losers,
Dwarves with limps,
Flos and ho's and one eyed pimps
Down the alleyway they creep.
They're all your friends when you can't sleep.
Come with me and you will see.
A late-night-freak-show-Jubilee!
Kick the Sandman in his sack;
Stay up late - Insomniac!
[theme song from Dave Attell Show]

At the very least I don't have to work for the next 3 days and that's good because like Miller says "the more you drive the less intelligent you are."