I so Wanted to Enjoy Myself

I swear I did. I feel a bit like Debbie Downer and probably complain more then I should given all the wonderful things I have going for me...but everything was conspiring against me last night.

Scott and I went to see Jack Johnson in concert. We had been planning this for months. It's been years since we've gone to a concert and really felt like we were in for a special treat. I promptly left work at 5:00 to pick Scott up from the Clinic and we headed on our way to Blossom Music Center. A drive that usually only takes 35 minutes took 3 1/2 hours! Our car nearly over heated so we had the heat blasting to pull the heat off the engine and when we finally arrived 2 hours after the opening acts started, we were in the last lot of the complex. It took nearly 30 minutes to walk to the gate. We arrived at the gate at 9:00 just as Jack Johnson started to play. After standing in line for bathrooms, food, $10 beers and ATM's (why don't they take debit cards at venues?) I think we managed to watch about 20 minutes of the show. I love Jack Johnson and perhaps my mood was just too foul at this point to think anything was good but it was just a so-so performance. The volume was too low and although I know most of the words I couldn't hear them. The big screen behind him was weak at best and when he spoke he might as well have been signing because again, I couldn't hear "Jack" (excuse the pun). Being that we were parked so far away we left a little early in hope of beating the traffic so we could get home at a decent hour and relieve my parents. On the walk back to the car a flood of cars started leaving honking and yelling at pedestrians to get out of their way. Pedestrians that didn't have anywhere else to walk given the wet grass (oh I didn't mention the rain did I....well it rained). I kept wondering why every one was so angry. They were in their cars. Imagine if they were still walking like us. Aren't Jack Johnson fans supposed to be relaxed, earth and people loving individuals? We might as well have been leaving a NIN or Rage concert (ok I'm sure I'm showing my age with that). 1 1/2 hours later we were finally out of the lot and on the road making decent time when we came to a dead shop on I271. There we are at 1:30 am sitting on the highway in a traffic jam. I'm near tears at this point. 1:30 am! How is there a traffic jam at 1:30 am! ODOT that's how! Repaving 271 for what seems like the umpteen time in the past 3 years. Now I understand and appreciate that they do the bulk of their work at night but did traffic honestly need to come to a dead halt? After watching the kids in the car in front of us play Frisbee with another car and grab what I can only assume was beer from a cooler in the trunk multiple times I was mildly grateful we were only averaging 10 miles an hour.

Finally at 2:00 we got home to relieve my parents. All in all we drove 6 1/2 hours for a 1 1/2 hour concert. Feeling rather guilty for not buying my carbon emissions credit with my tickets. Needless to say I don't see us attending any more concerts together in the near future. Scott, Love ya, but you can go to Radiohead on your own.