yep, that's me. after driving through DC to return BC to her school (after a traumatic trip to the ear, nose and throat specialist, who says that if she doesn't lose the tube in her ear by the end of august, he will have to remove it surgically — not a huge deal, but she was really, really pissed after the first surgery…), i had had it. there was traffic out the wazoo, people driving like morons, tourists walking around like it was their first trip to planet earth. and just my luck: Constitution Ave was being shut down for the DC Emancipation Day parade. they hadn't held this parade in 100 years, so go figure that i'd pick the day they decided to do it again after a century to drive into town.

i cruised on down to the south side of town. i opened my windows and my sun roof – it is going to hit 90 degrees today in the swamptown – and then, it happened. i turned on “Blitzkrieg Bop” really, really loud. and there i was: mommy in a volvo, blasting the ramones, scaring the pants off of john and jane doe tourist dressed in their kmart sensibilities. two guys next to me in a pickup looked freaked out when i shrieked, “hey, ho, let's go!” at the top of my lungs. i guess i can't blame them.

there are days when i can scarcely believe i am on the close side of 40.