Ride in 3/4

I rode directly to Bicycle Space this morning, since I've been overdue for my quick check-up/minor adjustments for the new bike. The store opened at 10, so I "worked from home" this morning between 8:30 and 9:30. This involved the sending of an email.
I left around 9:30 took the "back way" (Pershing and Arlington Boulevard trail) into Rosslyn and then over the Key Bridge. The ride down L is going to be totally different once all of these get installed. Rather than continue on L past 15th, I decided to take the cycle track down to H (Sorry WABA for being a few hours early) and then over H down to 6th. H doesn't have a bike lane (I think G might), but it's pretty bikeable. I was riding outside of rush hour, so it wasn't too chaotic, but I've never found downtown DC to be especially difficult to ride in. If you're ok mixing in with cars, you'll do fine. 
I was pretty much the only one at the shop who didn't work there. They had some sweet Civia bikes on the floor, including a Halsted, which according the picture on their website, I can use to haul pumpkins. To this point, I've been rather ambivalent about jack-o-lanterns, but I suppose if I had the ability to carry a number of pumpkins on the front of my bike, my Halloween could be more festive. And the pies I would make! The one at the store just had a boring UPS box on the front, which I suppose is slightly more in keeping with the setting of downtown DC.
I made my usually awkward small-talk with the manager while I waited for my bike to be looked at. At one point, I suggested that we "borrow" five year-olds from a day care center to use in an alleycat using box bikes. I must have sounded like a sociopath. Oh well. At least I didn't sound Australian.
Awkwardness and repairs over, I took the long uphill slog on Massachusetts to work. I was wearing street clothes, so I took it pretty easy so as not to get any more then dewy. That sounds gross in the retelling. Massachusetts is a motor speedway and I should have biked on the sidewalk, where I saw a girl on her CaBi. She headed up Wisconsin, whereas I kept going down Mass, but she must have also come from Dupont. They really need to install an intermediate station, but there's not real good place for one, in terms of density, at least. Maybe the British embassy could work? I don't know.
It should be a nice ride home.