Max Cranky

The thing about being a cranky old man is you have to be cranky even on days when you don't feel it. If an opportunity presents itself you have to reply. It's part of the package and image and I'm all about the package and image.

Take yesterday. The weather has not been very springy but it's getting there and more people are out and about. I was tooling around (yes, I can do "tool" too) early on a beautiful morning and before I knew it I was heading home all pissed at the world. Ah, people.

It started just a few miles from home. I was tooling along early in the morning and there were few of the dreaded cars and life was good. I approached an intersection and the light was green and just as I was about to enter a slew of the costumed RB's (real bikers) came up on the side street and gave a quick look for traffic (and apparently straight through me) and proceeded through the red light with nary a tap on the brakes. I kept my pace figuring they would brake to let me through but that was just silly. I was no threat and besides it was obvious I was tooling, right of way or not. They had times to beat and paces to keep. Words were exchanged.

Now I'm cranky.

So I head on down town and I'm going though an intersection, again with the green light, when some big ol' tool in a big ol' truck comes racing up the side street, gives a quick look left and proceeds to turn right on red right in front of me, barely slowing down. Words were exchanged.

So now I'm crankier. 

I decided to pull over to see if I could see my reflection in a shop window. Yep, there I was alright.

Now I'm in the middle of Pennsylvania avenue in the bike lane and behind a couple of other folks out for an early morning ride and we come to a stop light and we're queued and some tatootool comes up from behind and edges out to the front of us so he's first in line 'cause he has, you know, tattoo's. Words were exchanged.

I'm pretty cool. I have an iPad and a "lifestyle". I'm starting to think that don't amount to much. What's the point of being all that and more if you don't get a little respect?

The next couple of hours went without incident and I was again enjoying the good life.

On my way home I decided to go to this restaurant in Georgetown U for some light lunch, it has a big buffet and lots of choices and is usually only packed during games and I like it.

Today there were like a busload of people in there and so I joined the queue. Four little old ladies came walking by, muttering something about "ridiculous", and proceeded to the front of the buffet.

No words were exchanged. I'll get cranky with a bunch of costumed tools, a tatootool and even some big ol' tool in a big ol' truck but there are some times when you're simply out crankied.