ride safe, friends!

Saw--or rather heard, and then saw the aftermath--a bicyclist get hit by a minivan this morning while I was waiting for the bus.  The sound of the impact was astonishingly loud.  The cyclist was all twisted and his bike looked like it had been folded in half.  He was able to get up, but was clearly in a lot of pain.   I pulled out my cell phone only to find the battery had died, but other people called for help, so it didn't matter.  I didn't see what led up to the accident, but my guess would be that the minivan slowed to take a right turn, the cyclist drew even with the van as it slowed, and then the van turned and hit him.  No idea who might have been at fault.  At least nobody was yelling, just focusing on helping the cyclist. 

I'm still shaken a bit, from my own accident memories, from the knowledge of the accidents of friends and from worry about everyone who rides a bike in the city.  Mass Ave in Arlington is pretty orderly in the mornings, but it just takes a split second of inattention for the worst to happen.  Be careful, everyone!

An idealized me

I got my Nikki J portrait yesterday--she'd left off my tattoos and was kind enough to add them in after I pointed that out :-)  For those of you who are not belly dancers who live on the internet, Nikki J does cartoony portraiture of dancers, like the people you see at cons and faires, but hers are all done by computer.  *All* the cool kids are getting their portrait done *insert slight eye-rolling here* and I decided to treat myself for my birthday this year.  ( this is what she came up with for me: )

 

Seeking performers for a tribute to the American sideshow and vaudeville

My friend Zehara is putting together a show called The Odditorium, a tribute to the American side show and vaudeville theatre, at the Cambridge Y on March 20, 2009, and is seeking "really odd and wierd acts."  So if you do such an act, and I know some of you do, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with her!