Vernon (REDUX)

4.1.2017 (first posted this week 2007

I was riding my bike home the other night when I came across a couple teenage grrrrls throwing a pair of sneaks with the laces tied together up toward the telephone wire between two poles at an intersection. They had two or three shots at it as I approached, two getting close, but none staying up. I slowed. I said, "you know what that is supposed to mean, don't you?" They said no. They said it's supposed to look cool. I said, circling the intersection, "in some neighborhoods it means that there's a drug dealer nearby. It's a signal for people looking to score dope." They said they didn't know that. They were doing it for fun. I said, "now you know," and turned back toward home.
Mid-turn I noticed a guy on a motocross bike coming my way and I yielded for him. "Thanks," he said. I said, "sure." Then, "hey, you ride this street often?" He said yes, that he lived right up there, and pointed up there. I said, "how do you like the buttwipes that don't stop for the stop signs, you notice this street is pretty bad?" He said hell yes. He doesn't take the signs for granted that anyone will stop at them. I appreciated his attention and figured he's noticed what I noticed: That no one stops for the signs. I said, "good man. Gotta be careful around here." He said he always was. I said cheers and cranked home. The next second I heard a crash - not unlike a guy on a motocross guy wrecking. I looked back and indeed he had gone down. I turned around and rode up to him. A sixty-something black woman crossing the street toward him "Holy shit, dude, you okay?" He said yeah. "What happened," I asked. "I tried to bunny-hop the curb and I ate it. Damn." I asked him if he was really okay as he futzed with the chain on his bike. "Yeah, I am. Thanks for stopping." Then the black lady, who was passing, said, "there will come a time when you find yourself too old to try such things. They don't work out so well."
I stopped my bike and looked her square in the eyes. She stopped, turned toward me, put a fist on her hip and returned the look. I asked her, "what else we gotta stop doing when we get older?" She looked at me for a second, then said, gravely, "Honey, I tell you what all you gotta stop doin', you gonna be VERRRRY sad."

Tonight - Lucky Horseshoe  (new venue - by request - CASH ONLY)
Special performance by Mr. Lucky and the Cocktail Party  (possible small cover charge)



bye-ee!
whrr ... clik!