Guest Post: Kate and the Tempting Giant Adirondack Chair

A second guest post! That's fully 2/9 of the readership taking over writing duties! With any luck, I'll be able to start outsourcing all of my posts, at which point the quality of this blog will vastly improve. I had to dislodge the poodle to get this posted, but I think it's totally worth it. The poodle dissents. But she can't read, so I wouldn't really take her word for it. Combatting dog illiteracy will be the target by my next button campaign. See Spot. See Spot read. Read Spot read! A million thanks to Kate.  

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Riding my thousand year old Peugeot "Percival" (Percy the Peugeot; it's cute) to work this morning, I noticed my internal monologue was beginning to sound increasingly like Tales from the Sharrows [Editor's note: I've suggested that Kate address this through counseling/medication], so I'm glad to try out blogging my commute. The steep hill that starts out my two mile commute never gets any easier. Why is that? I always feel stupid huffing and puffing my way up the hill.
There seemed to be more children outside the elementary school today, which made for slightly hazardous riding and a fair few dirty looks from parents concerned about what degree of control I had over my bike (plenty of control). It also meant that there were a lot of doors opening on the side of the road. As a rule, I ride much too close to parked cars - they're a lot less scarier than the moving kind, but it's really only a matter of time until I get doored. I should worry about that.
One of the children going into the school was riding a bike too! But the bike was about twice his size and I think his father was holding on so that he could actually move and not fall down. Still counts, as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure he'll grow into it and it's nice to see an aspiring future cyclist. Lance Armstrong Jr? Or maybe just a future bike commuter like the rest of us.
I decided today that biking flat is even more fun than going downhill. Unfortunately, my commute doesn't afford much opportunities for cycling on roads that are neither uphill nor downhill. Maybe that's why I find it so appealing.
Does anyone know why there is a giant adirondack chair outside the Duke Ellington School for the Arts? Are people ever allowed to sit in it? Could...could I sit in it?
There was a lot of traffic going onto the Key Bridge. I'm not sure if that's because I left later than usual today or if it was just worse today. I love not sitting in traffic, especially when I am biking past traffic and can more readily appreciate that I'm not sitting in it.
I know handkerchiefs are pretty out at this point, socially speaking (they're kind of gross), but I feel like biking causes so much nose running that I could see why one would be useful. Maybe hipsters (notorious as they are for riding bicycles) can bring handkerchiefs back. It's retro? I'm not really a hipster, but maybe there is a hipster out there up to the challenge.
I was forced (again by traffic - man, what was with everyone taking the car today?) to go up onto the sidewalk for a short while. I hate the sidewalks in Georgetown, for the following reasons: (1) my heels get stuck in them (2) they are unpleasant to bike on. (3) That's actually about it. I guess they aren't so bad. They're very quaint looking.
Got a friendly nod from one of the drivers sitting in traffic. That's always nice.
Well, after that I got to work. The swoosh downhill into the warm parking garage is always a pleasant way to end my commute. I guess that's about it.
...bye!