Glowering-intimidator sighting

I’m on the way home from the so-called elitist country-club after running yesterday morning (Thursday, July 31, 2008); Linda is with me and the new dog.
I did pretty good — not a new personal-record, but faster than last time (Wednesday), and still under 23 minutes.
23 minutes seems to have become the new average. Not too long ago it was 24; and some time ago it was 30.
It’s the old waazoo: as long as I can I’ll keep running. Used to be it was Tuesday and Thursday, and the Y Monday-Wednesday-Friday. I’ve switched to running Monday-Wednesday-Friday, and YMCA Tuesday-Thursday. (Yesterday was running instead because I had a Urology appointment — I’ll hit the YMCA today [Friday, August 1, 2008].)
Boughton Park is about four miles from our house; a jog through Ionia, County-Road 14, State Highway 64, then County-Road 39 and Boughton Road.
State Highway 64 was rebuilt about 35 years ago; total rebuild, regrading, the whole kabosh. It was built to expressway standards: expressway gradients, expressway curvature; good for about 140 mph. If ya dare. Still a two-lane, and there’s side-roads that intersect, and cross-roads.
The head of the Rochester Ducatisti used to wind out his 900SS on it in the early ‘80s.
His name was Peter. One day we were riding bicycle on it and Peter blew by screwed to the wall.
A 900SS at full song (any Ducati, for that matter), has a gorgeous sound. It sounds like a Chevy Small-block wound to the roof. Not a V8 — just a V-Twin — but 90° separation just like a Small-Block.
I used to wind out my Ducati just to hear it; but usually only in first or second gear. It had five speeds — doubt I ever exceeded 100.
So here I am cruising down County Road 39 (west), approaching State Route 64. I turn right onto State Route 64 (north), and a black Toyota Tacoma pickup falls in behind.
Suddenly Mr. Tacoma is right on my tail; glowering angrily.
“Uh-oh.......” I think. I’m only on 64 a short stretch, so usually I only crank up to about 50; but instead I cranked it up to 60.
My short section on 64 is only the stretch between 39 and 14, where I turn left.
“Someone must be pushing us,” Linda says, turning around to look.
Yep; I’ve wicked up my speed so Mr. Tacoma doesn’t attempt to pass where I turn left.
Looks like he won’t, although he’s glowering at me angrily, thumping his steering-wheel, and still right on my bumper.
I’ve flicked on my turn-signal way early before to keep glowering-intimidators from passing where I turn left; but it looks like I can hold off.
At County Road 14, 64 adds a right lane so followers can pass left-turners.
I slow to make the turn, and Mr. Tacoma blasts by on my right, giving me the finger.
Sorry chillen; I couldn’t see if it had a Dubya-sticker, but I did see the faded Confederate flag behind the AK47 on the window gun-rack, and the rear window-decal of Calvin peeing on the Ford-oval.

A “glowering intimidator” is a tailgater, named after Dale Earnhardt, deceased, the so-called “intimidator” of NASCAR fame, who used to tailgate race-leaders and bump them at speed until they let him pass.

“The so-called elitist country-club” is nearby Boughton (“BOW-tin”) Park, where I run and we walk our dog. It was called that long ago by an editor at the Canandaigua Daily-Messenger newspaper, where I once worked, because it will only allow taxpayers of the three towns that own it to use it. We are residents of one of those towns.

“Linda” is my wife of 40+ years.

“The Y” is the Canandaigua YMCA, where I work out in their exercise-gym.

“Ducatisti” are those that own Ducati motorcycles, an equal to Ferrari made in Italy. I had one in the ‘80s; also a 900SS.

The Chevrolet “Small-Block” V8 was introduced at 265 cubic-inches displacement in the 1955 model-year. It continued production for years, first at 283 cubic inches, then 327, then 350. Other displacements were also manufactured. The Chevrolet “Big-Block” V8 was introduced in the 1965 model-year at 396 cubic-inches, and was unrelated to the Small-Block. It was made in various displacements: 402, 427 and 454 cubic inches. It’s still made as a truck-motor, but not installed in cars any more; although you can get it as a crate-motor, for self-installation. Since the Big-Blocks could be so powerful, they were often raced. The Small-Blocks were powerful too, enough to be raced.

“Dubya-sticker” is a Bush-Cheney 2004 bumper-sticker. All insane traffic-moves seem to involve Bush-supporters. They seem to think they have the right.