Pet Peeve: Wearing Black on Dark Streets

Haven't done one of these in a while, but you know what bothers me? People who go for a brisk stroll after dinner in the pitch black and decide to wear dark clothing. Say what you want about headlights and attentive driving, but if they are walking next to a heavily wooded area they are simply hard to see. I guess this mainly happens when you've been in a highly lit area [downtown] for a while and then make your way into a residential area -- your eyes haven't had time to adjust to the darkness. There are times when I've been driving and the only reason I knew there was someone on the road ahead of me was because my headlights reflected off of their dog's eyes. This problem is exacerbated by the idiots that walk on the street when there is an available sidewalk or path -- when there is no reason to assume that people would be on the right of way. The worst part is that risk for a automobile-pedestrian collision can be greatly minimized for a few dollars and minimal effort.

A high visibility vest can be had for $15, and makes you visible from a hundred yards away. This gives you potential 360 degree protection and is a small price to pay to prevent being hit by some inattentive driver trying to text, eat, shave, and apply makeup at the same time. Think the vests look too garish? Then maybe reflective arm or leg bands aren't for you either, if you feel high-vis orange or yellow clashing with your pants takes precedence over your safety. I've seen a few people walk with flashlights and while it's a step in the right direction, most of these people wield old dim halogen lights and aim at their feet. Attentive ones will give a few quick swipes towards oncoming cars, and I applaud them for that.

But I think too many dog walkers and late night exercisers have a sense of entitlement on the road and feel that since they can see well enough to walk they should easily be seen by cars. With the recent increase in driver distractions (cellphones, GPS, touchscreens) coupled with the classics of radios, friends or alcohol, I think it's only a matter of time before these people become statistics. Being aware that not everyone around you is aware would be a good thing for some people to realize.

What the heck is a New Age beverage?

Fred Meyer knows. I still don't though.

My First Ballet

In an attempt to culture myself a bit I joined my friends Anne and Hilary to a Pacific Northwest Ballet production of The Sleeping Beauty this past Friday night. There was some sort of deal in which discounted tickets were available to people under the age of 25. Luckily we all fall into this category and at seven thirty-ish we shuffled into our seats near the back of the theater to watch my first ballet.



It was... alright. Movements were crisp, the costumes were wonderful, orchestra perfect, and the lighting effects made the sets shine. However, the dialog was pretty stale -- some would say non-existent. It was certainly an interesting experience, but it got pretty old in the last act when it was the celebration and all that happened were people dancing. That sounds wierd, but in the other acts most of the dancing moved the story along. The last act was just us sitting and watching people come up in pairs (or themselves) and do a little routine. Heck, even the other characters on stage were sitting and watching. The word "showcasing" was dropped, and I would have to agree.

Two other things come to mind about my ballet experience. The first is that I had an incredibly annoying woman sitting behind me who would sing a little bit to the orchestral music, and also say things like this during the routines: "late. late. late. oops. late. she's off with everyone else." My working theory is that she was rejected from this particular production and harbors nothing but ill will towards the performers on stage.

The second thing is that I kneed two little girls in the back of the head. They were both sitting in front of me and due to their size they were propped up on booster cushions. This meant that their heads were positioned above the headrest. The first was actually the left little girl's fault -- she whipped her head back right into my waiting left knee. The second impact came when the right little girl slowly tilted her head back to yawn just as I was adjusting myself in my seat. These two inopportunely timed events resulted in me driving my right kneecap into the back of her head. She immediately snapped forward and put her hand to her head, and then told her mommy. I'm just thankful she didn't cry.

So while I was warned that it might be boring and put me to sleep, the ballet did no such thing. That said, not sure I would go again especially when musicals are a much better option. Dialog and songs, yes please. Though I wouldn't mind seeing The Nutcracker, as it's a holiday classic that has sets produced by Maurice Sendak. One thing for sure: it won't be long before I am once again viewing people in fantastically colorful costumes prance about-- the Emerald City ComiCon is but one month away!