Flashing

There are lots of things that Mr. B and I say that we think are unique to us when in actual fact, there are plenty of others who use the same sayings, or a variation of them. There is one that we use from time to time and I'm really not sure if others use it as well, so I'll just ask.

Have you ever heard the expression, "...half of Canadian Tire on it." Let me use it in context so you get the picture. Let's say you're sitting on your front porch and you see some young man with more money than brains drive by in a tricked out car or truck that clearly has been loaded with way too many after market gadgets and you turn to the person you're with and say, "Did you see that car? It had half of Canadian Tire on it!"

For my international readers, Canadian Tire is a store that sells housewares, hardware, sporting goods, and automotive supplies. Said automotive supplies range from actual useful car parts and consumables to the most outrageous and ridiculous accessories you can find. Also, when you live in the valley it's especially cool to put lots of coloured lights on there too. One would also do most of the work oneself so that it's way over done and/or not done very well.

Now, I'm no mechanic but I was raised by one and I also married one. Even though neither of those men are wrenching full time anymore, I have spent more than my fair share of time in a garage and I can tell you with absolute certainty that installing one of those huge wings (or whatever they call them) on the trunk of your car when you own a front wheel drive Chevy Cavalier is pointless. Seriously. So you see, when we say, "...has half of Canadian Tire on it" we simply mean that the silly thing looks like they did indeed install half of the contents of the store.

Where in the blue hell was I going with this?

Oh! Right. I was driving to work today and I passed a truck that, in my opinion, didn't have half of Canadian Tire on it, it had ALL of Canadian Tire on it. I fumbled for my camera phone but couldn't quite get it fast enough and the shiny, sticker covered abomination was gone. I quickly gazed at the faces of the other drivers around me to see if this gem had sparked a reaction from anyone else as well and I was pleased to see that it was not just me.

Then I started to notice all the other dashboard soloists and people who were just generally happy to be driving to work in the sunshine. It made me all warm and fuzzy. I wasn't really so much happy about my destination but as you know, I do so enjoy driving in the sunshine.

I did not recognize any of the faces that I saw, but I did recognize that they were enjoying the morning or the music or whatever it was making their drive more pleasurable just like I do. I'm pretty sure I know what was making that lady in the Mini Cooper smile... SHE WAS DRIVING A MINI COOPER! I'd be grinning from ear to ear like a crazy person if I had my very own Mini. Then I thought about how some of us feel this kinship with our fellow Earthlings and thought of examples I have seen of this while on wheels.

I love when you see people driving motorcycles pass each other and they make that little out-to-the-side-wave gesture to each other. I also feel somewhat giddy when two tow trucks pass each other on the highway and they flash their little blinkie-twirlies at each other. Maybe I'm strange, but I think it's cool how strangers will acknowledge each other like that based on a common interest or profession.

If I had blinkie-twirlies, I'd flash them at people.