Like most good environmentalists, few things get me more riled up while driving than the sight of an enormous Hummer roaring down the blacktop. But today, while driving back to the Olympic Peninsula after spending Yom Kippur in Spokane, I chanced an encounter that was almost beyond absurd.

Somewhere between Cle Ellum and North Bend as I drove through Snoqualmie Pass (rugged territory, I know...especially where the highway goes from two lanes to four; good thing I have an all wheel drive Suby) I approached a bright yellow Hummer.

What struck me first was that this was an old-school Hummer, back from the days when Hummers (or were they called Hum-Vees back then? I'm not sure we ever got that figured out) were still a sight that aroused a response more akin to "what the hell is that thing??" than "[insert numerous expletives, curses and hexes here]" like today.

As I came closer, I saw that the Hummer had a Jesus fish on its rear bumper, and a stenciled window decal of Jesus -just the face with the crown of thorns, not the whole body crucifixion- on the back window. Hm. Not your usual Hummer flair.

With an eyebrow raised, I passed the Hummer in the right lane and was rendered speechless by the phrase I could see in my rearview mirror, repeated twice along the bottom of the windshield: "Team Extreme."

Wow. An old-school, bright yellow Hummer (or is it HumVee?) with Jesus stickers on the back and Team Extreme blazing across the windshield in front. Needless to say there were also rally-car high-beam lights affixed to the top. Anyone who has seen Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle will appreciate the wonderful irony of seeing this phenomenon in real life. I almost feel blessed that I had such a rare opportunity today, were it not for the faint rumble of nausea that accompanied the experience.