what was that? is that all there is? who is this? this is it.

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the road

January 12, 2009

 

Maury drinks a 40
Dustin gets a flat
or something like that

It goes a little something like this

Maury works late at the video store on the hill. He enjoys a bottle of malt liquor after work while he waits for the bus back to Lake Forest Park. But the busses weren’t running that night because of the snow and ice. So he called a friend on hill and walked over to crash for the night in a much closer zip code. Along the way Maury finished his Big Bear and tossed it over his shoulder in a high end-over-end arc resembling a well kicked extra point. The shattering of a 40 usually brings some satisfaction and a sense of closure. But this time the bottle came down in the middle of John Street with a dull thud and didn’t even crack because there was so much snow on the ground.

The empty Big Bear sat in the street for 3 more days blending into the snow. When the weather started to warm up, a Metro Bus ran over the bottle.   

Five days go by and the snow melts away…

Dustin works early. He rides his bike to work and when he gets  to “work” he works all day on his bike. Some people call him a bike messenger. Some people call him other things.

Dustin had a lot on his mind that Monday morning including a wicked hangover and he forgot to pump up his tires to their usual 113 psi. The tires on Dustin’s bike were well worn. The average cyclist would say trashed but Dustin knew how to get the most out of his equipment and could push it beyond limits that others would consider reasonable or even rideable.

Dustin got a pick up from a house on Malden, first thing in the morning then stopped at Safeway for a jalapeno cheddar bagel.  Riding down John Street on the way into town the car in front of him was turning right so Dustin went around him on the left and got a little squirrelly near the center line on a big long pile of gravel, sand, shit, crud and broken glass. He pulled around, pulled through and pulled it off. Rolling all the way to Two Union without stopping for any lights green or red or blue and red.  He went up stairs to make the drop and when he came out his front tire was flat.

Walking to a dry spot to get some coffee and fix his flat. Dustin discovered a long sharp little shard of clear glass that made it all the way through his tire and tire liner. He smiled and said,  Mr. Tuffy say hello to Mr. Big Bear.


My drive train feels like an open face egg salad sandwich that your little sister Cheryl dropped in the sand at the beach then looked around to see if anyone noticed.  She picked up both halves and slapped them together and then walked over and handed the sandwich to me. And I took a big bite and chewed on it for 8 hours.  

Some day, Mayor Nickels a real rain will come and wash the sand off the streets Actually we had record rains and flooding and the streets of Seattle are still sandy like that sandwich Cheryl dropped. No need to bring in a high priced consultant, you can give me the money, because I already told you what's up.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one,  cost less to buy
And that has made all the difference

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Kirk R. Dungan said...

In Anchorage after the worst "cold snap" in ten years Kirk looks at the ten day forecast and sees warm wet slop ahead wondering how many malt liquor bottle shards are in his future when some of this ice melts before it refreezes. Thinks. how he'd almost trade places with a buddy in Seattle. Good post.

Posted January 12, 2009 07:54 PM | Reply to this comment

pilder replied to Kirk R. Dungan...

cheers to you Mr. KRD. watch out for all those Big Bears coming out of hibernation a bit prematurely. I've actually never been to AK, never been north of Prince Rupert or Port Hardy...one of these days.

Posted January 12, 2009 09:22 PM | Reply to this comment

69 said...

well said.

Posted January 13, 2009 12:46 AM | Reply to this comment

Kirk R. Dungan replied to pilder...

Well if you go to Alaska I live pretty close to it, you welcome to stay at our place for the Anchorage part of your trip.

Posted January 14, 2009 01:13 AM | Reply to this comment

Hunter said...

Stop a day in Ketchikan. Only 35 miles of pavement (not counting residential or boardwalk streets), but lots o'rain.

Posted January 16, 2009 04:21 PM | Reply to this comment

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