Helicopters. Sirens. If car alarms are the crickets of the urban world, are these the soothing sounds of the surf, of action on our shores?

I dunno, but I know I heard a whole lot of sirens and helicopter chatter tonight. On the road, there’s cop cars paired off, lights sparkling, as police partners waggle their fingers at some shirtless dude. Helicopters circle like fat electric bumble bees. (Those bees get crazy big down here, by the way.) Cycling siren sounds make it sound like a chase is on somewhere, down the hill, where the skyline is.

This is what I expect with the first nights of nice weather, in any city, though. People, cooped up since Thanksgiving, kick off their shoes and go running through the sprinklers to make it feel like spring. Except, instead of sprinklers, it’s whatever nonsense we run through as we get older.