DEATH IN SPRING, part 2

it poured rain from sunny skies yesterday evening, which acceptably better than the clouds that had accompanied the rain throughout the morning. seeing the sun if only to see it set is kinder on the spirit than having to watch the city resumes its regular business of transitioning between just grey and black.

people in the pacific northwest accept the rain until they've been given a glimpse of what's on the other side of the clouds, past which point (located at a vaguely demarcated intersection of sunshine, temperature and calendar date that moves slightly from year to year) the anticipation of summer -- and the fear that we might not have a proper one -- completely overcome our ability to tolerate any more rainy days. or so we insist to each other, but then we're happy to accept the rain so long as the sky we can see behind it isn't cloudy, because we know that it's going to be grey and rainy the next day, and probably for the next week. and if it rains all the way through to the next rainy season we'll just look back on those one or two perfect days with even greater fondness. praise be that beer is a drink for all seasons.

it was nonetheless glorious on saturday. friday was pretty, but despite the sunshine the air stayed cool throughout the day, and it was only a half an hour or so that was comfortable outside without a sweater or a jacket. plus there was the whole ordeal of our estranged brother's funeral. and the bars were crowded because everyone got high on expectation and needed something to help themselves down.

oh, but saturday! the air was brisk in the morning, but by early afternoon the sun had asserted itself and skin was showing. people's faces were slightly pink from the shock of the sun the day before. if the wanton abandon of their celebrations on saturday were any indication, however, those same people hadn't taken any extra precautions to protect themselves on saturday.

unfortunately, the saturday sunshine was more dangerous. in fact, that shit could have killed you. i'm surpirsed we haven't heard about more deaths. i wasn't wearing much sunblock myself, but i was on my bicycle, and so was every portlander who hadn't ridden his since september. anyone who ever rides here, fair-weather or not, knows to avoid the waterfront on a sunny weekend day. saturday seemed to be warning that, on the first sunny weekend day of the season, riders should avoid the streets as well, and had i not had other errands and appointments i would have parked my ride for the evening and stayed on at the lucky labrador beer hall where the darling ladies of lagers and ales (lola) were making whoopee while brewing a kölsch.

it's not just inexperience. cyclists seem to have developed the ability to tolerate a crowded street while almost completely masking their disdain for the torpid and clueless. drivers haven't. when on the first warm, sunny weekend day of spring the streets fill up with bicycles, portland drivers clip by closer and faster to reassert their dominance over the road. a cyclist gets hit, the local news starts running the bikes versus cars stories and everything escalates. it certainly doesn't help that some of the riders who show up to the war at the outset aren't experienced in battle.

but on days like saturday that doesn't really matter. experienced or not, everyone riding on saturday afternoon was so jacked out on vitamin d that we couldn't help smiling like simpletons and craning our necks toward every passing stimulus like excited backyard chickens just released into the yard. nathan?!? whoa, it's nathan! through the intersection on the wrong side of the street against the light? sure! nathan is standing, like, right over there! i'm going to tell him it's sunny.

lucky for me, nathan was sitting at the bye and bye where i expected him when i rolled up at four. i didn't need another distraction until i was safely seated behind an oakshire black ipa. just like those bitched on that show. i'm hoping that everyone else got to the bar safely too. cheers to what should be the prelude to a wonderful summer (but might also possibly be its best). if it does turn out that even brighter days are ahead of us, be safe. make love. bikes versus cars? pfft. one of the many benefits of day drinking is that you can be sloshed in time to still make the bus.