The bird is the word. (Another word? Motherfucker.)

I got flicked off this morning.

Happy Tuesday to me, huh?

In the shadow of the football stadium, there’s a little side road that I sometimes use to do an end-run around Russell street on those days that Russell is looking particularly cloggity. There’s a stadium parking lot to one side and so, half way down the street, there’s a cross walk for fans to use while walking to or from the game.

On game day, I’d imagine there’s constant pedestrian traffic and a driver would have to stop to let the people pass.

However. There is no stop sign. There are also, at 8:20 in the morning, no pedestrians present. Anywhere in view. At all. In the absence of a stop sign and pedestrians the crosswalk goes from being a crosswalk to just lines on the pavement.

The road has two lanes, both going south. This morning, I was following a very slow truck down the little side street. We were in the left lane. I decided 10 just wasn’t my speed, so I got in to the right lane to pass the truck. I slid over and found myself behind a maroon sedan. As we approached the cross walk, the truck slowed down to stop. Why, I don’t know. Maybe he thought he had to. Maybe he was lost and was pulling over to look at a map. The maroon sedan in front of me must have figured there was a stop sign and slammed on its brakes. I had to stop too, coming a little closer to the sedan’s bumper than I would have liked.

And we sat there. I checked (I had time); there were indeed no stop signs. There were no pedestrians. We were just sitting there at a non-stop sign waiting for the imaginary football fans to pass I guess.

So I honked.

And her middle finger shot in the air.

We pulled up next to eachother at the end of the street. Me turning left, she turning right. I looked at her. “Fuck you asshole,” she said. “Not a stop sign,” I mouthed.

And then we both smiled and laughed. Got out of our cars and hugged and had a good chuckle over the whole thing.

No, not really.

She yelled “motherfucker”, flicked me off again and peeled wheels.

Don’t get me wrong, I hate getting honked at. But my brain is wired in such a way that if I get honked at, my first thoughts involve figuring out what I’m doing wrong and not finding the honker and overwhelming them with my middle finger of hate.

It wasn’t a long beep and the Civic’s horn is not what I’d call intimidating. It was, I thought, a “hey, let’s get moving again” beep.

To which, I suppose, the only rationall response is the bird. Motherfucker.

Let’s Get Started

Holy crap.

I think the Baltimore Sun’s website must be glowing white-hot about now from all the updates today. Of course, every news website from around the country is probably like that.

What an election, huh?

I’ve been listening to pundits for the last 18 hours or so offer their views on why, by and large, Republicans in this election were replaced by Democrats. Was it the war? Was it a referendum on Bush? Well, yes. And no.

The simple fact is that we, as Americans, are generally unhappy with the way our country is going – both foreign and domestic. When that unhappiness hits a certain level (as is has) our instinct is to reboot, reload, and retry by going in the opposite direction.

Kind of like George Costanza in that episode of Seinfeld. “If my instincts are always wrong, then doing the opposite… must be right.”

And so, pushed on by our displeasure over the state of the union, we swept the Republicans out and swept the Democrats in.

The Democrats, after about 6 years of one bumble after another have a real opportunity here. They have an opportunity not to get even and stick it to the vile neoCons, but to show themselves as a party of inclusion; a party that works hard for a good idea – no matter that idea’s origin. The Democrats have a real chance to show themselves as a party for all Americans and the rightful owners of the word ‘progressive’.

Of course, I said similar things about Bob Ehrlich back in 2002. And look what he did with his chance.

That’s why I didn’t vote for him again. That’s why, upon reviewing my ballot, I didn’t vote for any Republican. Well, one reason anyway. In the races in which I could vote, I think the Democrats simply put up better candidates. There were a few races where intelligent arguments could be made for both sides, but, in the end, it came down to one question for me – do I want things to keep going the way they have been these past few years.

No. No I do not.

Of the candidates I could vote for, in each case, I felt like the Democrat had a better chance of fostering positive (and, dare I say, progressive) change.

Just don’t tell my Mom, ok?

As a registered Republican coming from a stand-tall-and-proud Republican family, I don’t think my votes would go over too well. And the thing is, I still do have a certain soft spot for the Republican Party that should exist. You know, the one that values small government, personal liberty, self reliance, fiscal conservatism. But, sadly, I don’t think that party exists anymore.

And so, yesterday, I stood at the voting machine, reflecting on what I knew about each candidate and I voted.

Democratic.

For every. Single. One.

You’ve got a chance, Democratic Party. A real chance for positive and inclusive change.

Let’s get started.

While I Have You…

I think my least favorite phrase of the week has been “While I have you on the phone…”

That’s been said to me, like, a hundred times since Monday and each time nothing good has come from it. It’s never, “While I have you one the phone, let me read you some winning lottery numbers.” or “While I have you on the phone let me conference in some interesting and influential historical figures from ages past for you to shoot the breeze with; hang on, what was Lincoln’s extension again?”

Nope, it’s always always always “Let me ask you this trivial and easy-to-answer question; oh, and while I have you on the phone, let me assign you a critical and yet somehow impossible task that needs to be completed just as soon as possible.”

All’s well though, because it’s Friday. More specifically it’s that time on Friday where I start getting antsy and trying to scheme my way out of work early.

Nothing big planned this weekend, although I feel like “housekeeping” should fall in to the mix somewhere. Tonight, Emily, Ben and I are going to try out the new (or maybe just new-to-us) farmer’s market that, based on it’s address, sounds to me like it’s located right next to the city’s trash lot at 28th and Sission. As long as it’s not in the trash lot, we should be ok. Apparently on Fridays they have some sort of Carribean-themed dinner for only $10. Sounds jerk-o-licious to me. It’s BYOB, but seeing as I have my OB that is A-OK.