On the corner of Mulberry and College a man clenches a Hillary 2008 sign above his head. He stands alone, and I wonder where the guy finds the guts to hit the pavement with his politics in a state that’s a long way from becoming Blue.
I reflect briefly on the last Presidential election, and then, suddenly, without provocation or warning, SLAM! The trusty Subaru lurches forward, and it takes a few moments for me to realize I’ve been rear-ended by a 15,000 pound moving truck.
I obligingly pull my car off the road to a side street, stupefied that I can commute 60 miles a day on the I-25 death highway but be struck here in my own town at 25mph.
A young college-age male steps out of the truck and approaches my window. He’s smoking a cigarette. If he drops the butt on the ground and grinds it into the pavement I vow to throttle him.
Are you all right? He asks.
I think so. What happened?
I looked away for a second, and then – he confesses - you were just, in front of me.
His honesty overwhelms me. He wears a goatee, resembles one of my former students, a pleasant kid that had tickets to the World Series but never attended because the Sox won it in four. There are three others in the truck cab, all saucer-eyed and secretly wondering when I’ll grab my neck and cry whiplash.
Kiwi! I remember in panic. But Kiwi is safe in the back of the wagon, trembling, floppy ears down, wondering if this was somehow all her fault. I pop open the hatch, pet her furry ears, and thank my lucky stars she’s got all her digits.
In just 7 weeks from today, there will be no more gridlock, no fender benders, and hopefully no more accidents, as the Engineer and I take to the Blue highways, in search of the best cholesterol-testing diner food available in America. Yes, you heard it here. The 1-month, 1700-mile Western bicycle extravaganza begins, so stay tuned for details as we geek out on bicycle accessories, calculate the best place to stash the chocolate bars, and drain our savings to fund the cost of dreamy campsites and creepy motels.
3 comments:
WooHoo! Can't wait to start reading about the bike trip!
jima
Have a wonderful and a safe trip. The rear-ended traffic accident story was kind of scary. With the engineer, you must have figured out ways to avoid these kind of surprises by now. Maybe a directional microwave proximity alarm was installed or just a rear mirror on the handle bar?
By the way, I have checked most of the links in your "Sites That Inspire." Very good collection. When you get a chance, maybe you can take a look at www.ted.com. I find it as interesting.
Wuchun! Yes, Casey is in charge of the technical details for the trip and is bound to have some surprises in store. We'll check out that website you mentioned. Can you send us your email? We seem to have misplaced it.
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