"Beep Beep Bitch" + Other Terms Of Endearment
Reunited...And It Feels So Good
Yesterday I woke up feeling like an extra from Zombieland, but it quickly snapped out of it and got some pep in my step.
After sending out the daily newsletter, I took a quick nap. A couple of hours later, I woke up to the phone ringing. It was my mechanic with some fantastic news: After four days, my car was finally ready to come home.
I haven’t shared every detail of "Project Lite-Brite" — mostly to avoid boring people, but also out to avoid embarrassing myself too much.
If you’ve never experienced anything like what I call “My Own Private Agoraphobia,” consider yourself lucky. Trust me, it’s neither fun nor pretty. And looking back, kinda dumb and a waste of time and money.
For me, my years-long depression involved letting my driver’s license, car insurance, and car registration lapse. For two years. At least. During that time, my trusty hybrid sat outside, slowly getting dirtier and dirtier.
The good news? The car never got stolen or towed. Someone did try to steal it once, but the battery was dead, so they just left it, making a mess in the process. The bad news? The State of California has zero patience for anyone who lets their registration lapse. They just pile fines on top of fines until you pay. And pay I did…last week.
Fast forward to yesterday. It was the first time in years I had my driver’s license, car insurance, and registration all squared away — and my car was finally running again. Me and my Kia Niro? We’re REUNITED…AND IT FEELS SO GOOD!
Driving again felt incredible. Like riding a bike — I didn’t have any trouble picking up where I left off. I even nailed parallel parking! Despite the drizzly weather, I enjoyed wandering through neighborhoods I hadn’t explored in a long time.
And then I took another nap. Hey, a little wandering can be overwhelming.
After some chores and work, I reconnected with one of my dearest, nearest, and definitely queerest friends by text and phone. We spent a couple of hours catching up and making plans to hang out soon to swap stories and catch up on everything else I have missed the past few years.
One of my favorite things about my "sister from another mister" is his love for silly greetings, salutations, and terms of endearment. Few are politically correct, and at least a few are downright offensive—just the way I sometimes like/love it.
Because honestly, if you can’t throw a few slurs around with the ones you love, I’m not sure I want to be loved. Is that wrong?
Looking forward to seeing more of “Beep Beep Bitch” in the near future. The same goes for my other (female) “sister from another mister” for being an amazing person and the talented artisan behind the “Beep Beep Bitch” pillow. Thank you, boos!
I’m counting my lucky stars for all the wacky, wild, and wonderful people in my irl and online worlds.
Let’s get this day moving…and grooving!
Clint 🌈✌️
SUBSTACK = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
ON THIS DAY = MARCH 12
BIRTHDAYS
1890 = Vaslav Nijinsky = Russian ballet dancer and choreographer 🌈
1915 = Alberto Burri = Italian painter and sculptor
1917 = Leonard Chess = American co-founder of Chess Records
1918 = Elaine de Kooning = American painter and academic
1921 = Gordon MacRae = American actor and singer
1922 = Jack Kerouac = American writer 🌈
1925 = Harry Harrison = American author and illustrator
1928 = Edward Albee = American playwright 🌈
1940 = Al Jarreau = American singer
1946 = Dean Cundey = American cinematographer and director
1946 = Liza Minnelli = American actor, singer and dancer
1948 = James Taylor = American singer-songwriter
1956 = Lesley Manville = English actor
1959 = Luenell = American comedian and actor
1960 = Courtney B. Vance = American actor and painter
1962 = Titus Welliver = American actor
1968 = Aaron Eckhart = American actor and producer
1970 = Dave Eggers = American author and screenwriter
1977 = Patricia Campos Doménech = Spanish coach and pilot 🌈
1979 = Pete Doherty = English songwriter, actor, poet, writer, and artist
1981 = Holly Williams = American singer-songwriter and guitarist
1982 = Samm Levine = American actor and comedian
EVENTS
1912 = The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) are founded.
1913 = The future capital of Australia is officially named Canberra.
1918 = Moscow becomes the capital of Russia again after Saint Petersburg held this status for most of the period since 1713.
1976 = At a campaign stop in Los Angeles, Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter tells an audience that, if elected, he would be willing to issue an executive order banning discrimination against gay people in housing, employment, immigration, and the military.
1989 = Sir Tim Berners-Lee submits his proposal to CERN for an information management system, which subsequently develops into the World Wide Web.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The only people for me are the mad ones: the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who... burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles.”
Jack Kerouac
I am going to be heretical. I have had very little interest in cars (or other machines). They are lesser beings. I do not anthropomorphise them though I admit to speaking harshly to them when they do not work as I desire.
I never wanted to drive a car but my parents told me it would be useful skill. I never enjoyed it but I drove for 60 years in the UK and latterly in Thailand. I stopped driving last year and sold my car. The sense of relief and peace of mind is quite rewarding. Getting Uber-type taxis (Grab and Bolt are the local versions) feels food.
All that said, I can empahise with all that you said and I celebrate your reunion with your car, at last.
Howdy, Clint. Cars... I had no choice but to get a new one at the end of 2024. I decided to stick to my favorite brand which happens to be foreign. Now, I shudder at the thought of prices going up drastically for parts and even service, given the current situation with tariffs being raised on our suppliers.