I don't think I saw more than one bicyclist in costume on the rides to and from work. The exception was Mike, a Friday Coffee Club regular, who rode his tandem with a skeleton as stoker. The Rootchopper has a picture. Of late, I've been wearing Halloween themed socks, both on my bike rides and in the office during the day, but on Friday I didn't because I think all of my Halloween socks were dirty from previous excursions. IF ONLY there were some way to have known when Halloween would be this year and take some steps to prepare for it, but nope, much like speed cameras, turn lanes, stop signs, and parking restrictions, it's simply unknowable. I am routinely shocked that more people weren't shocked by the costumed children begging for candy. How did they know they were coming? How??? FUN FACT: based on my confusion, anger, and no effort to try to learn more about any of the underlying issues causing these feelings, on Halloween, I dressed up as a Washington Post Metro columnist.
I rode the Cross Check and the bike has worn for maybe the past month some Continental Four Season tires, tires that I like a lot. But the tires love me not. They love another more. They love sharp objects and I noticed before leaving work that some sharp object found its way through my front tire at some point and the tube stuck forth, visible where it ought not be. This was, for lack of a better word, bad. With the exposed tube, the likelihood of puncture was very much increased. I thought 'huh, the likelihood of a puncture is much increased.' And then I set off on the wonky tire anyway as I had a dentist appointment to make and would not be deterred for some reason. I thought about biking the Metro (I left work before rush hour, so I would've been ok), but instead elected to ride home (past the dentist's office) to swap one bike for another. I made it, though I question whether I should've tried. I suppose I could've taken some steps to try to remediate the problem, but that would've required me to 'do something,' but instead I elected to trust the universe in seeing my through my ride. Thanks, universe.
I stopped at the Exorcist steps (that's right, even with a gashed tire and at the risk of getting stranded, I took a side trip) because the power of Christ compelled me it was Halloween and that's probably the most Halloween-y place in DC. I thought about carrying the bike down the stairs (I used to walk the stairs frequently when I was younger and dumb) but soon dissuaded myself. That didn't take much effort, to be honest.
The next spooky place I went was Washington Circle. Who needs a haunted house when you can scare yourself shitless with a poorly planned bike route?
White House, Pennsylvania, the House side of the Capitol (spooky!), home, swapped bikes, back to the dentist (around 2nd and D), then afterwards to the grocery store via D Street Pennsylvania, 12th and D and I bought candy and beer (treats for all!) and then I rode home.
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