Ride Home 5/18

I left work at 2 today, which was nice. However, bike commuting at non-rush hour times is always a little weird. Mid afternoon is the time of delivery trucks and tradesmen- plumbers, carpenters, I even saw an air duct repairman- and these vehicles tend to have irregular parking arrangements. Drivers also tend to be a bit more cavalier- there's something about rush hour that causes everyone to be a bit more on their game. So while there tends to be fewer cars on the road, the streetscape is different and frequently less friendly to bicyclists.
I rode home in jeans and that was basically miserable. It's just too humid here. I did enjoy not having to change before leaving, though I'm thinking that the double cuff is an absurd look. I apologize to any fashionistas who were offended.
I love catching green lights. I think it's even more fulfilling on a bicycle than it is when you're driving. You actually have to work for it, but it's way satisfying to make it.
I saw a guy on a CaBi in Rosslyn pulled off to the side of the sidewalk looking intently at his phone. I wonder if he was looking for a station. Maybe I should have stopped- I did participate in that scavenger hunt. He was the only other bicyclist I saw other than the man on the mountain bike I rode behind on the Custis Trail. This man, I think, was going on something of a recreational ride, on account of his not having anything with him. I'm just skeptical of anyone riding a bike without carrying at least a backpack. He had what I call "the stripe of shame" up the back of his shirt. No fenders means that muddy puddle water sprays off the rear wheel and cascades in a striped pattern on the back of the rider. It's so sad. But, I'm a fender fanatic. That's like the Philly Phanatic, but not in any way associated with Major League Baseball and with considerably marginally less green fur.
I stopped for a growler on the way home. DC Brau Pale Ale, which is quite good. As usual, I got the cheese monger level of service, meaning that the tap somehow didn't work and he needed to fill the growler "the traditional way," namely by pouring from a pitcher. Here's a picture of that:

Spy cam. 

There was a lot of foam in the growler and he asked if I wanted to wait while the foam dissipated. What does one do in a Whole Foods while waiting for your beer foam to dissipate? I went with the perambulation, culminating in pricing broccolli ($2.99/lb) and avocados (2/$5. This is highway robbery). By the time I got back to the beer station, the growler was filled and I was allowed to leave.
I've gotten reasonably good at carrying beer in a backpack. Is this a useful skill? I guess it depends on your social set.