I’ve got road rage. Not the kind of rage where you play chicken with a Ford flatbed truck and see who’ll give way on the merge. No, it’s a different kind of road rage.

I was on the way home from work the other day and noticed a group of kids waiting to cross W Street by the park. Well, of course, W is a feeder street onto the freeway from downtown so people are mad fools after 5 on that road.

I stopped to allow the boys to cross. The guy on my right also stopped. One boy was jogging across the street and nearly got hit by the fool who zoomed through the crosswalk at 50 miles an hour.

Did you know Sacramento (County) holds the state record for the most hit-and-runs? Oh yeah, that means Sacramento drivers leave the body on the road and keep going.

In California, Sacramento County ranks first in hit-and-run rates, and fourth in pedestrian fatalities, according to traffic safety statistics.
–The Bee

Aside from being angry, I wondered when the city would consider adding a stoplight at that location. Do we have to scrape body parts off the street before a light is installed?

Okay so Daphne’s Greek Cafe finally opened in Midtown, and as predicted, it HAS added to the mayhem that is the 19th Street Safeway’s parking lot. I also got a coupon flyer in the mail for the new restaurant, but I haven’t used it yet. Anyone venture in? Yesterday we were over at the Silver Horse (who’s actually “The Iron Horse“) Safeway, and the smell of Gyro meat was tinting the air. Yum.

At the same time, Fin’s Market across the street is also open. They were strangely bereft of customers, although it WAS only about 11:30 on a Saturday morning. Perhaps it was too early for fish. Some people eat fish for breakfast, but apparently not too many eat it in Sacramento. (It should be noted that this is number four for Fin’s here in the city region–maybe it’s just not a midtown brunch item, when you can go to the Cornerstone restaurant, a few blocks over.)

Last Friday night the Sacramento Comedy Spot performed Aquarium to a sold out audience. The show went so well, The Sacramento Comedy Spot is bringing back Aquarium tonight, and you should go.

Consider me the town crier shouting, “It’s coming! It’s coming!” Why should I shout in a blog? Because, the show is wonderful. Sacramento’s unique group of improvisers has two goals:

1. Make you laugh, for free.
2. Repeat

So what are you doing tonight? You’re going to laugh for free? Good choice!

My younger sister, newly arrived in Sacramento, wanted to get her car washed. Fortunately for her, she thought, she had stoped at Safeway earlier in the day and a “Free Car Wash” coupon for Harv’s was printed on the back of the receipt.

The coupon, doing what coupons should do, thus encouraged her to check out Harv’s and possibly become a loyal Harv’s customer.

Except not so much.

The coupon says “FREE Car Wash, $9.99 value. May be redeemed for an exterior wash or credited against any carwash package.”

So she pulls up, hands over the coupon and is greeted by a Harv’s employee who frowns at her saying, “We don’t really encourage using the coupon for a free car wash. A bit dumbfounded, my sister manages to stammer out, “uh, what?” The guy then looks in her car and says it’s pretty dirty in there, don’t you need a vacuum. She sticks to her free car wash guns and declines saying she’ll accept the OFFER that HARV’S made to her, thanks.

So when Harv’s says free car wash, apparently they mean, no, we’d rather you still give us money. Don’t misunderstand the “free” part as meaning “given without the need for payment.”

Combine that with Harv’s declining service and the bottom line is: Metroblogging Sacramento writers and family need some recommendations! Scrub Boys, anyone?

Sacramento has a wealth of improv talent that is, unfortunately, unknown. Tomorrow night a group of the best Sacramento improvisers are performing Aquarium, and you should be there. It’s free too. Absolutely, positively, comedy without charge.

I admit, I’m in the show, as is fellow blogger Christiana, but that’s not why you should watch. You should watch because,quite simply, it’s the most fun you’ll have tomorrow night, and it’s right here in Sacramento.

If you’re not familiar with improv, just know this: a group of people will create, on the spot, a series of scenes based on your suggestions. Ofcourse, if you’d rather watch we’re not going to force you to make suggestions. You can participate as much,or as little as you want. We just want you to have a good time. And, you will.

As temperatures soar, swimsuits go on sale, and days stretch longer, it seems a fine time to improve ones diet to take advantage of cooler, lower levels of clothing most appropriate to the balmy Sacramento summer.

Perhaps you need other motivation to hit the produce section? Well, for anyone who attended Michael Moore’s premiere of “Sicko” last night, you may be rightly sure that your medical coverage, if you have it, won’t help you, so best to keep yourself up somehow. Or, for a less scary reason to enjoy fruit and veg, take a stroll down to Chavez Plaza on Wednesdays and enjoy the fresh fare at the Farmers’ Market.

There are several markets around town on various days of the week (see the above link), but for many downtown worker bees, Chavez Plaza’s Wednesday affair is a see-and-be-seen hotbed of networking opportunities as well as a pro-home-town shoppers paradise. Pick up a date and dinner - and looks like a gourmand health nut while doing so.

Last week, I picked up some fantastic cherries from the same grower selling the tomatoes pictured above. I’ll be headed back this afternoon for more.

The market runs from 10am until 2pm - hitting its bustling peak during the lunch rush when fruits, vegetables, fresh cheese, oils, breads, and kettle corn fly off tables into the hands of hungry Sacramentans. There are also several food vendors each week if you want fried rice more than ripe berries. Enjoy!

Last night, Sacramento’s Crest Theater hosted the “premiere” of Michael Moore’s new film Sicko. Moore, famous for going after corporate America, the Bush administration, and America’s relationship with guns and violence, turns his attention toward health care in his latest documentary effort - with mostly winning results.

After an earlier screening in the day for nurses and doctors, and time spent testifying in front of legislative Health Committee hearings, Moore, along with California State Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, held the screening for a mostly legislative crowd: Assemblymembers, Senators, and staffers up the wazoo. Simon’s must have been empty last night.

After a few welcome remarks from State Senator Sheila Kuehl and the Speaker, Moore took to the stage to introduce his film to the supportive applause of the noticeably Democratic audience.
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I couldn’t resist the opportunity to go and check out the Battle of the Bands sponsored by Skip’s Music and 100.5 THE ZONE at the Powerhouse Pub in Folsom…who could ever pass up an opportunity like that? Actually, my friend is friends with some of the guys from Nine Hours North and we went to cheer them on!

The finals pitted Nine Hours North vs. The Generals vs. Round 3 fight….all the bands were good, but I would encourage you to vote for Nine Hours North…they got perfect scores from the judges and put on a really good show!
The winner of the Battle of the Bands will get to play at A DAY IN THE ZONE, the station’s annual summer concert.
Looks like Smashmouth, Mat Kearney, Augustana, and Five for Fighting are on the line-up too!

Want to find out if your favorite (or least favorite) McGeorge students passed the bar? The answer is just one click away on the STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA website. You can search by last name…if their name’s there, they passed. If not, then they’ll be studying again for the next sitting. Sure, it’s a little intrusive, but the info is there, so why not utilize it. So, congratulate the folks who passed, and for the ones who didn’t who you don’t like (I can think of a couple that I know), then schadenfreude.