Trucks Hauling

Any day that the weather would allow we would head up the canyon to go rock climbing and hanging out. Every day we drove up there we would drive passed a sign that said “CAUTION TRUCKS HAULING”. The words were written on the top half of a yellow diamond traffic sign and left the bottom third of the space available for modification to finish the sign and  the thought. If you are a fellow smart-a you may have already finished the sentence. I was compelled to clarify that what trucks were hauling which would require so much caution was 'ASS''. I did it with a black Sharpie marker and tried to make it look like the same font. It was mildly clever and didn't justify a retelling on the weight of that joke alone but wait, there is more. Just a few days after I had improved the sign I was riding up the canyon with my girlfriend's family for a picnic and when we passed the altered sign my girlfriend's  mom gasped and told her husband to stop so that she could look at the sign. She had initially thought that the 'ASS' had been an official part of the sign and was ready to call the powers that be to offer an unsolicited piece of her mind. Upon closer inspection she realized that she was looking at a clever piece of smartassery and then started complaining loudly about what kind of disrespectful and crass individual would do such a thing. I was at once nervous that I would be found out but at the same time I was proud that at least with this lady my joke was getting some recognition. The sign stayed up until  spring and every time I would pass I considered my girlfriend's mom's reaction and it warmed my heart.