Ride Home 7/13

So, it rained and it scared the sheets out of me. Luckily, it was before I left. I didn't have my jacket or hat or any of my other rain-preparedness gear, so I feared that, if left alone against the elements, I wouldn't fair well. Luckily, it stopped well before I left and I was instead treated to dramatically lower temperatures, which themselves proved to be something of a treat. Thanks, completely unreliable weather pattern!
Rain must not only draw out fungi, but also bicyclists. I think I noticed more bike commuters on my ride home today than on most other recent days an for this I am grateful since it will give me something to blog about.
I saw one guy riding up New Mexico (rare) and another on Tunlaw looking to ride up New Mexico. On 37th, I rode behind a girl who diligently put down her right foot at each stop sign, perhaps in a sop to drivers, perhaps because she was part of a very bad bicycle-based step team. At the Key Bridge, I saw a guy on a robin's egg blue Cross Check with a B17 and SKS fenders and blue bar tape. I wanted to ask him what his deal was but realized that this question is a bit unfair, since it draws out no particular answer and seems overly hostile and confrontational. But seriously, what's your deal? Bike looked new. Are you going for a look? Huh? Huh? In front of him was a superbiker, who made his way about the bridge dastardly in the way that superbikers are wont to do. And then there was another guy who had a Topeak trunk bag and a Planet Bike blinky that bounced up and down in a way that did nothing but wildly distract me. I was in  blinky catatony. I rode behind him from Nash, up Key and then halfway down Oak, where I decided to take something of a diversion and go up 18th, which is as hilly as Wilson, but not nearly as trafficked/riddled with pizza delivery drivers. There's 'no right turn 7am- 7pm' on Oak and I don't care to wait, so I think I'll be taking 18th much more regularly. It's a fine street in spite of the climb and in spite of the potholes and in spite of the fact that it slants leftwards for no apparent reason as it approaches Quinn.
From Quinn to Veitch, I don't remember anything particular happening. At one point, I was behind a duo (not dyad and certainly not dryad) of leisure commuters, both of whom rode bolt upright and far too slowly. I skirted about the faster of the duo when a superbiker-type rode past us and I opted to take his wheel, or whatever the cliche bike phrase du jour is. He had a helmet from Specialized with the rainbow colors of the World Champion cascading down the back vents. I cannot say for sure whether he was the world champion, though I have my doubts.
This was very much a ride of me being behind other cyclists.
Thor and I rode up Fairfax together and passed the guy I saw yesterday. No compliments today. Sorry, guy. It was easy going until Quincy where he kept on and I begged off.
Total cluster by my building on account of a stop light outage. I guess when a light is out the best thing to do is to add cones to the roadway and prevent motorists (and bicyclists and pedestrians) from treating and intersection like a four way stop. That or there's some extra money in the cone budget and it's use it or lose it.

Cones

Traffic from Henderson couldn't turn left on George Mason and traffic from George Mason couldn't turn left on Henderson and I could barely cross the street without getting hit by someone trying to do something they've either been forced to do or shouldn't do. I don't think this was a very effective traffic management strategy.