Been pushing really hard lately at the workshop and left tonight after 10. I’m entertaining tomorrow at Specialized’s holiday party. We’ll be doing a cruiser ride with employees and apparently lots of cool kids. I wanted to finish up as many Down Low Glow shipments as I could tonight so I don’t have it hanging over me this weekend.
Anyway I was heading home the usual way towards West Oakland when I saw a nice white blinky in the distance coming towards me. I thought “this must be a self-respecting biker. I wonder if I know them.” Then the bike turned right at an intersection a few hundred yards away. Oh well, guess I won’t get to find out, I thought.
Then I saw the bright blinky again, only a few feet away from me.
“Paul?”
“Robert!”
“I thought I saw the pink glow off in the distance.”
“Cool, it works!”
I met Robert when he was working at Pedal Express, which used to be headquartered right next to Rock The Bike. I hadn’t seen him much since he started Law School last year and we caught up for a couple minutes before saying goodnight.
————-
Civic Center BART. Two teenagers point to my bike when I get off the train. I stop, pretending I don’t notice, and switch on my Hot Pants Pink Down Low Glow (Dual Tube system for maximum street glow.) “Cool, it’s got ground effects too!” Then peeking back from the escalator, I see them ducking down to see me. and the pink glinting off the stainless steel.
Then I realize my ticket doesn’t have enough money so I add 50 cents at the ADD FARE machine. The machine spits back my ticket and a dollar in change!
————-
Text from Mafi: “I just saw you passing by the Elbo Room with the pink glow. Good night Bambino.”