Soon To Come...

I don't have the time or energy to blog about it tonight, but in the very near future, you will be privileged to read:

"Maren and the creepy naked man," a section of the larger tale, "Maren and Holli go hiking."

Be excited.

(but not too excited... there won't be any pictures in this post! haha)

On a separate-but-related note from my previous post, I accidentally got stabbed with rusty wire today. When did I last get a tetanus shot...?

Sometimes, near-death is unavoidable.

So, today I went for a ride on my scoot scoot. I was planning on driving for a while, then watching a softball game and hanging out at a park. When I got on my scooter, I realized that I was low on gas, and would have to fill up soon. I made it to the fields just fine, then decided I didn't want to stay for the game because it wasn't very exciting. I got back on my scooter and decided that I should get gas before I headed home. I'm not super familiar with the neighborhood the game was in, so I drove around for a bit before I found a gas station. I finally found one, filled up, and got back on the road to head home. I wasn't entirely sure where I was, so I made a point of checking out the street signs, and I realized, somewhat nervously, that I was on center street, which is a semi-busy street and is currently hazardous because of crazy construction. I started looking for places to turn around because I really didn't want to be on center street, but found that there were no turn around spots, nor were there any other roads I could pull off on to. I kept going, figuring I'd find a spot eventually. I came to a light where the street was blocked off. The only way I could go was left, which was marked as a detour, which I was really excited because it meant I could get off center street. I turned onto the road designated for the detour and found myself trapped on a one-way only entrance to the freeway. 


Let's just talk about my scoot scoot for a moment. My poor scooter has been through a lot. It's been laid out (by the previous owner), crashed into a tree (by my in-law's family), crashed into a garage (by a family member), and, for lack of a better description, squashed to the point of pieces being broken off (by a friend). Needless to say, it is not exactly in the best condition. It runs, and it does really well most of the time, but sometimes it makes me nervous to think about all of the damage and breakage it's been put through (once again, not by me). Combine that with the fact that the max speed on my scooter is about 55 or 60 mph when you're on a level surface, and you've got a bit of a picture for the fiasco at hand.
  
Back to the freeway. So, I get on the freeway, terrified, and crank back the throttle as far as it will go; I'm going as fast as this thing can possibly go. There are cars everywhere, trying to get home in the latter end of rush hour. The freeway is, as always, under construction, and there are semis driving right next to me. Add extremely high wind (enough to make my scooter wobble and jerk at a normal speed), undefined lanes, debris on the road, and drivers passing me (very closely, I might add) every few seconds, and you've just about got the picture. I clutch the handlebars like they're my only salvation (let's face it, at this point they are), grit my teeth, and scream my way down a 4 or 5 mile stretch of Utah freeway. I came close to getting clipped by about three cars, and a semi came dangerously close to me when he should have been in his own lane, but I finally made it to the first available exit. 


Now, at this point, you're probably thinking, "but I see motorcycles on the freeway all the time; what's the big deal?" You'd be right in asking this. The difference is that the motorcycles that you see on the freeway are AT LEAST 250 ccs, but are usually no smaller than about 400 or 500 ccs, meaning that they are heavier (thus more stable and safe), faster, and bigger (more visible). My scooter is a 150 cc that is extremely light and fairly unnoticeable. While my scooter absolutely rocks city streets, it was never intended for anything bigger than a boulevard. What happened today is the equivalent of riding a child's tricycle on a busy city street. Dangerous, stupid, and nearly impossible to survive. 


Typical freeway bikes:

My scooter:

Can everyone see the difference?

:)

Apparently this is impossible to read. The words say, "Fake is Better--I'm no sweater!" then "savethesheep.com.

Do something

So, I follow the humane society on Facebook, and today they posted a petition to stop gestational crate confinement for pigs. I went to sign the petition, and in the process ended up watching (part) of a horrendous video. I had to stop watching before I even got halfway through because it was so disturbing.

I ate pulled pork for lunch today. I'm so disgusted with myself right now, because I don't know how the pigs that provided the meat were treated. I can't eat any more meat today. I just can't. I feel sick.

If you want to sign the petition (please) or watch the video (I wouldn't advise it), here's the link:
https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=5403

Tres bon

If you haven't already seen The Artist, you should. I saw it last night and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. If you can, see it in theaters (dollar theater, ya know). I know it's out on DVD, or is at least close to being out, but there's something about seeing it with other people that makes it great. :)

Rockin'

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes = everything is way more hardcore than it was before. :)

Pajamas

Welp, I was supposed to be going camping this weekend, but a friend's tragedy has delayed our trip by two weeks. What does this mean? All of my roommates will be gone but me. Helloo solitary confinement.

Little Lion Maren

Today is a brain-melt day. Time for Mumford and Sons and a soft place to plop.

Funny funny, little bunny.

What do you call an alligator who likes wearing vests?

An investigator!!! :) Hahaha.

My friend Trevor told me that.