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Today we're in Oakland, just across the bay from San Francisco. It's definitely on between the teams. It's everyone's day off and Luda's team avenged themselves by sending Tommy's out on a fake challenge. While Willie barbecues in front of the bus Tommy's team is out lighting up the East Bay with CFL light bulbs. These are light bulbs that burn longer and a lot more efficiently than regular incandescent bulbs. I like how this green stuff is not just good for the environment, it also saves you a lot of money. Once I get off the road and settle down somewhere I am going to use all of this stuff I'm learning to save a lot of cash.
Tommy's team was not very happy about having spent their day off brightening Oakland with the CFL bulbs. Today everyone is back to work and a real challenge has been issued by Daisy Fuentes: Whoever collects the most recycling is the winner. Tommy is determined to take this one all the way, while Luda seems content to hang out and eat what Willie is cooking.
Tommy took his crew to Berkeley. The University has been green for years with cool programs like Re-USE, a campus store where students can donate and pick up all kinds of items to keep them out of landfills. Tommy commandeered a garbage truck and had tons of students bringing out their trash after which he declared himself the King of Trash.
He may be the King of Trash, but back at base camp Luda was the King of Taking it Easy and if I had my choice I know which kingdom I'd prefer to live in.
A drum circle broke out in Sproul Square on campus and drew a huge crowd with Tommy right in the center banging on everything in sight. A campus cop tried to the shut the shindig down so Tommy asked him if he'd recycled that day. That was the end of that situation - the cop let them continue rocking out - for the environment.
Luda finally got out of bed and took his team and 20 kids from a school called Civicorps out to see the Oakland A's play a little baseball. Everyone was at a loss to explain how that was going to help them win the competition but he had a plan.
After the game the green team found out what makes the CiviCorps kids unique. Their school teaches environment and social responsibility. The kids maintain recycling programs in 150 local businesses. As the crowds left the stadium the kids showed Luda and his team all of the recycling treasure available at their fingertips.
I'm not going to tell you who won the competition because I think you should check it out on TV. It turned out very interesting indeed. Enough money was raised between the 2 teams that they were able to rehabilitate the Josie de la Cruise park. AGL artificial grass was installed on the field. When I heard about that stuff I cringed inside. Astro-turf for these hard working kids? AGL grass is not at all like Astro-turf, though. It looks like real grass even close up. It was soft enough that the teams were able to play a great game of football on it without real pain and suffering. But there was plenty of fake pain and injury as Tommy's team bailed on the game and sent in big huge ringers (you have to watch to see who they are), winning in minutes flat.
I am not sure where we are headed next but I hope it's a tropical island for a few days of R & R. There's probably some great green stuff we can do from a beach with froofy umbrella drinks in our hands.
~Roadie T
