Slow News - You’re Invited to My Birthday Party Edition Hi Neighbors, Happy May! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

*Take 9, May 3rd 2025 *

Slow News.

Hi Neighbors,

Tomorrow is my birthday. When I was turning eight years old I planned a birthday party with my mom, went to school with my backpack full of invitations, handed them out to the kids in my class, and waited in excited anticipation. I was too cool for an RSVP, I said, “MOM, Nobody wants to RSVP, people will just come.” Crazy thing is, my mom was right (aren’t they always), and nobody showed up except my best friend. Turns out eight year olds don’t put things on their parent’s calendar for them. Turns out I wasn’t too cool for an RSVP; I was heartbroken. My mom took me to the movies with my best friend and I ate enough cake to make my stomach hurt and the year after I did include a note to PLEASE RSVP on my invitations.

Since then, I haven’t been much of a birthday girl. The planning seems like more hassle than it’s worth and asking people to celebrate me makes me uncomfortable in a way that can probably only be explained in therapy. I just want to have a nice day. Eat a nice meal, ride my bike, bake a cake, and spend a little more money on myself than I usually would.

Unfortunately, the world doesn’t revolve around me, and living in a community has taught me that even your birthday isn’t yours alone to enjoy. People need to be given a reason to get together: to hold hands and hug and remember that the world is actually full of joy. People want to show you they care, and sometimes you need to give them a day, a time, and a location to do so.

Which is to say:

You’re Invited!

Night Moves - Birthday Edition

Thursday, May 8th

521 Balboa Street

Meet at 7:15, Roll at 7:30

I’m turning 23, which is nice. It puts me solidly into my 20s in a way that almost makes me feel like a real adult. Jay is turning 51 two days later, which is also nice in that it puts him solidly into adulthood in a way that makes his musings more wise than wishful. One such musing was that it was important to invite people to celebrate us. That we should have a ride that isn’t just a ride, isn’t just another Thursday, but is a reason to get together and have a jolly good time with our friends and neighbors. Life is busy and the world is full of stress, but I’m happy to be another year older. I’m happy to witness Jay turn another year older. Marking the passage of time is painful, and requires reflection that sometimes feels impossible to do given the circumstances of society, but usually ends up being worth it.

I’m so scared to be 8 years old again at my birthday party with a table set for 10 and only have one kid show up that I don’t want to give people the opportunity to celebrate me. But, we are all learning and growing, and this year I’ve decided that even if only one kid shows up, I’ll consider myself lucky. What a gift to share each other’s company on a day that could’ve been just another Tuesday. What a gift to be alive.

Two years ago at the end of May a group of us gathered down at Ocean Beach to celebrate the birthdays of Kat and Hansel. (Why were we all born in May?? Will one of the astrology girls tell me?). If I remember correctly, Hansel was not thrilled to be the center of attention (though we all know they secretly were), felt bad about asking everyone to be there on a foggy day, and had been talked into having a party. What an idiot. If only we had one more birthday party in which we could hear Hansel’s laugh, take 700 selfies, and see their smile light up the entire beach. The world would be a better place. My heart would be a little less broken. Our community would be a little bit stronger. Hansel had a way of making every day feel like a celebration, so you can only imagine the way a day as auspicious as a birthday could feel.

We cannot stop living in light of those we have lost. We cannot stop celebrating. In fact, I think we must celebrate more. Let’s ride our bikes to the top of Twin Peaks on a Thursday with chocolate cake in our baskets and call it a party because we CAN. Let’s get together on Sunday’s and drink tea and call it a soiree because no one is stopping us. Let’s wear our cute outfits and turn up the music and send each other cards and dance in the bike shop and make our mundane lives a little more magical. You deserve it, and the people who love you deserve it too.

So come to our birthday ride, and plan your own birthday party. Let this be your push to get together with your friends in a way that isn’t just sitting on the couch watching TV or running errands. Life is all work and no fun unless you do something about it. Let’s have a party!

And Jay’s only request for this letter about both of our birthdays was that I sign off with the following:

Celebrate. Good times. Come on.

Ayla

P.S. Other things happening this month:

Rotating Mechanic’s Class!

Thursday May 15th at 7:15

As a gift to myself (this is the day before my final Graduate thesis is due) we are phoning it in a bit for this class:

Have you ever looked at our bikes and thought, WOW, I wish my bike was cute like that. Now it can be! Come deck your bike out with all the cuteness your heart could desire. Yassify your bike, if you will. You bring your bike, leave with a bike you don’t even recognize! Sign up here: Beautify your Bike Day!

Day Grooves!

Sunday May 25th

Meet at 11:00, Roll at 11:15

A ride for the girls and the gays. We’ll cruise around the city on a TBD route. Like 10 miles, with lots of breaks, and at least one stop for snacks.

Community Night!

Thursday May 29th

We’ll be keepin’ the doors open till 9:00, turning up the music, and pulling out the LaCroix from the fridge. We’ll have birthday cake in honor of Hansel and play the gayest vinyls we have in the shop.

One more note:

Our dear friend and mechanic Joel is doing a fundraising ride in honor of his late sister. The ride will aid Leukemia and Lymphoma research while Joel sweats his butt off riding 100 miles around Lake Tahoe. Find more information and donate here: Support Joel Here!

Alrighty friends, that’s all I’ve got for you. We’ll see you at our ride and at the shop and in the panhandle and hopefully at the next party you throw!

CELEBRATE. GOOD TIMES. COME ON!!

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Scenic Routes Community Bicycle Center, 521 Balboa Street, San Francisco, United States

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