2a. there are these things in cars that the government says we’re supposed to use whenever we’re planning to turn. they’re called “turn signals” or “indicators” – some like to call them blinkers because they do that – they blink. and they’re yellow. and when someone is riding a bike on your right, and you’re planning to turn right, which would essentialy cut him/her off or worse, using your turn signal will warn the cyclist to stop and avoid an issue. it will keep your car from getting dented or scratched and will keep a cyclist as able as s/he was before you turned.
did you know that not using a turn signal can get you a ticket? yep. it’s one of those law thingies.

2b. if you are going to cut someone off, either with or without your turn signal, please just do it. if you change your velocity mid cut off, you make it even harder for the person avoiding bodily harm to get out of harm’s way.
start cut off at 30 mph – finish cut off at 30 mph.
but, you’re still a douchebag for doing it.

3. to stay with the whole car thing…
please, please, PLEASE – especially in san francisco – be aware of where you’re putting your car when you parallel park along the street. if you’re at the corner, line up with the edge of the corner/spot so that you maximize the chances of everyone getting a spot. if you park three feet away from the corner, the guy behind you parks four feet away from you and the guy behind him parks four feet away from him, that’s a whole spot. i’m not saying you should make it impossible for someone to get out of his/her parking spot because you only left them two inches, but think about how hard it is to find a spot and how nice it would be if everyone took everyone else into consideration.
but, perhaps that’s an entirely different topic.

and finally,
4. please be aware of the following when writing, anywhere.
they’re = ‘they are’ as in “they’re going to six flags”
there = ‘not here’ as in “the roller coaster is over there”
their* = ‘belongs to someone’ as in “those kids didn’t have a good ride. that’s their puke”
* this is plural! not to be used to refer to a singular person a la facebook’s updates about your friends. if you must refer to a singular person without a gender specification, please use “this/that person” “him/her” “his/hers” etc

And we’ll put it all together: They’re going to have to clean up all of their puke over there.

Immediately I said “Shannonthatwasakitten! *sobbing immediately* We have to turn around and go get it *continued sobbing*”
We drove another mile down the road to get around the median and go back up the other side of the road. I spotted kitty and we pulled over and put the hazards on. I ran across the traffic free road to the median and the sound of the mewing. I said “kitty kitty – i’m coming” and when I reached over the median to get her, she looked up at me, right in my eyes, and put her little paws up to meet my reaching hands.
We were on our way to dinner at Kyle’s and brought her in while we ate homemade pizza and bonded with his parents and she stayed in a clean recycling bin.

The first thought was to give her to Shan’s step mom Kathy for mother’s day but then we fell in love with her and she’s ours. Yay!

1. give out tickets, in my head, to douchebags not doing things according to standard, ticketable, traffic laws.

2. fart – it’s the funnest place to fart – except for maybe around the campfire.

3. sing a song that goes “la la la la”

4. pedal as fast as I can and then laugh or say “yeah!” kinda to myself – working up to shouting it out loud.

5. record outgoing voicemail messages to amuse those who make it to the voicemail box connected to my phone number. there are two different messages…

6. squint, carefully, and tilt my helmeted head down a bit so the visor blocks the sun because I’m not pleased with any of my current sunglasses.

7. change gears – soon, I’ll get to change 27 but for over a month I’ve only really used two – maybe four. (broken right side lever – only three gears in back and I never really use the big chain ring in front)

i’ve been told that i’m no good at killing the minotaur
(or the medusa
or however the myth goes)

but I’m still in the middle of the battle
and the battle is evermore.
or, at least, until I get over the drama of the body…

[insert angels laughing riotously
knowingly
lovingly
dripping their effervescent tears onto my head
to remind me of home
and why I'm here]

[meanwhile, back on the battlefield:]
the mirror is being aimed
the light is reflecting and finding it’s target
the medusa is shattering
the minotaur has a broken leg
at least
maybe even lost an eye
his tail is definitely shorter than it was

i feel overwhelmed by being in a body
overwhelmed by having a heart
overwhelmed by calls to integrity and goodness

they make sure that
every step is weighed
every thought analyzed
every interaction graded
processing is constant
learning is ever-present

silence does not exist here anymore
__________
i’m so tired

“i jus wan take nap rih her”

(quoting my youth
when
lighting a cigarette off of the one i wasn’t even finished smoking
was what i did when drunk at a party)
_________________________________
am i drunk on the heaviness of existence?
am i regretting taking the drink of incarnation?
am i losing my ground-ded-ness?
________________________________________________
“life’s ups and downs are easy when you have a fast car”
is written on a card
magnetized to the fridge
at my borrowed sanctuary
where I go to feel loved and open
and give thanks for the opportunity
to throw my arms wide and let go

yeah, let’s go
let’s use that fast car and go for a drive
blast the tunes
throw open the sunroof
drink wine
hit the beach
relax
RELAX
breathe clean air
run
play
laugh
LAUGH
giggle
play
laugh
run
drive
weee!

{this has been an active process by adrienecrimson – we hope you enjoyed the ride – to some art is about process rather than outcome, hence the first draft quality of this collection of words}