02 August 2006

Proof I am a total nerd

I was driving through town yesterday and noticed yet another personalized license plate. Now, normally these are not rocket science: it's pretty easy to figure out what they mean (for me anyway). LUV2SKI, for example. Anyway, this one said
PUCKLVR

Puck lover? Okay. So here's what happened in my brain.
Puck lover? Huh, someone really likes A Midsummer Night's Dream.
No, wait. That's probably not what it is...oh, sure, it's from the third season of the Real World. That obnoxious guy Puck. Huh, how obscure, to put that on your license plate.

I would like to tell you it was immediate, but no, it was several blocks, perhaps a mile, before I thought this:

Hm. Or maybe it's about hockey.

Ya think?

Criminy. This s l o w process makes me concerned for several reasons. 1. I am a college instructor. I'm on summer vacation, sure, but still, I can't be taking blocks and blocks to perceive the obvious, and 2. I live in freaking Minnesota. Kids play hockey before they can walk. 3. Not only did it take forever for the obvious to hit me in the ear, but I show my true colors by thinking Shakespeare first and MTV second. And 4. I felt strongly enough about this to blog on it.

Here's my moral: personalized plates are dangerous. You never know when a distractable college English teacher is going to have angst over your "obvious" hobby statement. Just stick with the JYF 884 variety. It's so much easier that way.

And Midsummer Night's Dream and past seasons of Real World deserve more recognition, dammit.

1 comment:

Carla said...

You are not alone in your angst over license plates. When we first moved here, my husband would make lists (while driving) of the stupid things people would choose to advertise about themselves on their vanity plates.

And I thought PUCKLVR was related to our dear Shakespeare as well. So don't feel bad.

Here is my fantasy vanity plate:
VNTY PLTS SCK
I know it is too many letters...but it's a fantasy, so I can use as many letters as I want, right?