It's a...

First off, let me assure you I do not participate in April Fool's Day foolishness. You can read this post in safety. I can't make that assurance for the rest of the internet, however. Browse at your own risk today.

The Husband and I found out the sex of our little alien. It's a.....
.
.
.
.
.
Boy!

Honestly, I had no preference either way. I just want a healthy, happy child. Everything looked good at the anatomy scan, so that was reassuring. We haven't decided on a name yet, but we probably won't reveal it anyway until after the baby is born.

I am now 21 weeks along and halfway through! Time really is flying. I really need to buckle down and start making lists of things we'll need to do and buy. It's a bit overwhelming. I did find out something interesting: the hubster is very much AGAINST cycling with children in a city. I may have some serious research and convincing to do. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Speaking of bridges (see photo below), we made a trip to visit Bass Pro Shops for camping supplies last weekend. I am determined to do an overnight bike camping trip before the baby is here. The husband has never been camping before, so I'd like for him to come along as well. He seems intrigued by the idea, even though he'll probably drive to the campsite rather than bike. I think a simple overnight trip will be manageable for the both of us.

 See, isn't the outdoors FUN? If you're not falling off a bridge, there's a bear waiting to maul you! This was an actual display at Bass Pro Shops. Way to sell nature, guys. 

Happy Spring! The weather finally seems to be catching up, and I feel comfortable getting back into the groove of bike commuting again. To help keep me on track, I pledged to ride my bike every day for 30 days in the month of April (again). I've done this the last few years. It's a great way to kick off spring riding. Today's ride was glorious. Sunny, clear, and warm(ish).

April is also when I start going to into high gear for Police Unity Tour fundraising. You can check out entries from previous years about my experiences riding with the Police Unity Tour. It's amazing. I encourage you to check out these videos that were filmed during our ride last year to get an idea what it's all about.  This year I won't be physically riding WITH Chapter IV, but I am still a registered rider. I plan on putting the miles in. If the weather is decent, I'll be at Hains Point May 10th, 11th & 12th riding in circles.  You can join me! If the weather is crappy, I'll be on my trainer at home.

I have a fundraising goal of $1750 by the end of this month, and I could really use your help reaching it. For the next few weeks, I'm going to be talking about the National Law Enforcement Memorial (to which the funds raised go towards) and the importance of organizations like the Police Unity Tour.

Most importantly, I want to talk about the law enforcement officers that I personally worked with whose names are now up on the wall at the Memorial.

You can read more about the Memorial here.

The profession of policing has come under fire recently. Confidence in our law enforcement institutions is probably at the lowest its ever been. You might be asking yourself why you should support anything to do with policing. The answer to that is simple; it is more important than ever to support law enforcement officers. There are over 750,000 sworn law enforcement professionals in this country; 750,000 men and women that perform their job duties in a professional, ethical and compassionate manner every single day. As important as it is to identify and correct problem officers and policies in law enforcement, it is just as important to recognize that those problem officers are a very small minority. When we are doing our jobs well, no one notices. And that's how it should be--it means that things are GOOD.  No one calls 911 because they are having a good day. Generally, if the police are involved it means something went terribly wrong. Those 750,000 professionals that do their jobs well need to know that they are valued and that they are needed; they need to hear this from you.

Policing is often a thankless job. Police officers are called upon to do things that most citizens will never even consider. It's not just a cliche that while most folks run FROM danger, police officers run TOWARDS it; and they do it for you.

Do you know what happens after an officer handles a robbery call or an assault call or a child abuse call or any other of the myriad terrible, awful and sometimes traumatic calls that police officers handle?

They take the next call.

Think about it. Think about the most awful, horrible thing that's ever happened to you, or you've been witness to. Think about your reaction. Could you keep going on with your day? Could you handle another incident?

For those of you new to this blog, I am a patrol supervisor (I was a patrol officer for 9 years prior to being promoted). Tonight, three of my officers were assaulted and injured while handling an assignment. Minor injuries, but not insignificant. Do you know what they will be doing tomorrow?

Taking the next call and doing it again. And it's only the beginning of the week.

Being a police officer is not simply a job or a career. It is a Calling. It requires a certain strength of character. It requires a thick skin. It requires empathy, not sympathy. Strength, not brutality. Courage, not ego.

Most of all, it requires your support and your trust. Otherwise, our role is meaningless. Our job is nearly impossible if we do not have the support of the public behind us. Police Officers ARE citizens. We are YOU, and you are US. Those names on that wall? Those are YOUR brothers and sisters too.

I will continue to talk about this in the next few weeks. If you would like to make a donation to the Police Unity Tour, you can do so here. Hopefully I will have a direct link on the sidebar soon. Please be sure to include my name (Kathleen Coffey) as the rider you are supporting.

I'd like to leave you with some statistics that were just released by the FBI: (pardon the all-caps and robotic phrasing. This was a teletype message).

FIFTY-ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN KILLED DUE TO CRIMINAL ACTIONS. 

DURING SAME TIME PERIOD IN 2013, 27 OFFICERS WERE SLAIN. CIRCUMSTANCES

INVOLVING THE 51 OFFICERS SLAIN IN 2014 ARE AS FOLLOWS:  11 WERE ANSWERING

DISTURBANCE CALLS (1 BEING DOMESTIC-RELATED), 9 WERE PERFORMING TRAFFIC

PURSUITS OR STOPS, 9 WERE AMBUSHED, 7 WERE INVESTIGATING SUSPICIOUS PERSONS OR

CIRCUMSTANCES, 4 WERE INVOLVED IN TACTICAL SITUATIONS, 2 WERE PERFORMING

INVESTIGATIVE ACTIVITIES, 2 WERE HANDLING PERSON(S) WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, 2

OFFICERS WERE INVOLVED IN DRUG-RELATED MATTERS, 1 WAS PURSUING ROBBERY

SUSPECT/RESPONDING TO ROBBERY IN PROGRESS, AND 4 OFFICERS WERE ATTEMPTING OTHER

ARRESTS.  SEVENTEEN OF THE 51 VICTIM OFFICERS FELONIOUSLY KILLED WERE EMPLOYED

BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTH, 14 IN THE WEST, 8 IN THE MIDWEST, 8

IN THE NORTHEAST, AND 4 IN THE U.S. TERRITORY OF PUERTO RICO. FORTY-SIX OF THE

51 VICTIM OFFICERS WERE KILLED BY SUBJECTS USING FIREARMS (32 HANDGUNS, 9

RIFLES, 2 SHOTGUNS, AND 3 FIREARM TYPES NOT REPORTED).  FOUR VICTIM OFFICERS

WERE INTENTIONALLY KILLED BY SUBJECTS USING MOTOR VEHICLES AS WEAPONS.  ONE

VICTIM OFFICER WAS KILLED BY SUBJECT USING HIS/HER PERSONAL WEAPONS (HANDS,

FISTS, FEET, ETC.).  TWENTY-NINE VICTIM OFFICERS WERE CONFIRMED TO BE WEARING

BODY ARMOR AT TIME OF INCIDENT, 6 WERE CONFIRMED TO NOT BE WEARING BODY ARMOR,

AND BODY ARMOR USAGE HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED FOR 16 VICTIM OFFICERS.  THERE HAVE

BEEN 48 SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN WHICH THESE 51 VICTIM OFFICERS HAVE BEEN SLAIN. 

ALL 48 INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY ARREST OR EXCEPTIONAL MEANS.

FORTY-ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. DURING SAME

TIME PERIOD IN 2013, 49 OFFICERS WERE ACCIDENTALLY KILLED. CIRCUMSTANCES

INVOLVING THE 41 OFFICERS ACCIDENTALLY KILLED IN 2014 ARE AS FOLLOWS:  26 WERE

INVOLVED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS, 6 WERE INVOLVED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS, 5

WERE FATALLY STRUCK BY VEHICLES, 2 WERE ACCIDENTALLY SHOT, 1 DIED FROM SMOKE

INHALATION, AND 1 OFFICER DROWNED.  EIGHTEEN OF THE 41 VICTIM OFFICERS

ACCIDENTALLY KILLED WERE EMPLOYED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE SOUTH, 12

IN THE WEST, 7 IN THE NORTHEAST, AND 4 IN THE MIDWEST.

#30daysofbiking: The End

I had big plans of heading out for a nice long hilly ride today, but the sky was gloomy and I still wasn't feeling it. I had a tons of things on my to-do list, so I decided to get them out of the way.

As the day wore on, the sun peeked out and it began to get warmer outside. I headed out on Betty and settled on an easy ride downtown.

I stopped along the way to say hello to a friend.





Then rode down my usual route: 15th St cycle track & Penn ave bike lanes.


Obligatory White House photo:




Rolling down Penn Ave.





















I rode to the Capitol and then back home. Since it was such a nice evening outside, I convinced The Boy to come back out with me. We rose down to the Hirschhorn and watched a bit of Song 1.










Blurry phone pics :-)

Unfortunately neither of us checked The Boy's tire pressure before we left (he hasn't ridden in awhile) and he was running nearly on empty. We ended up walking most of the way back. But it was a nice night anyway.

And so ends 30 Days of Biking. I really enjoyed this year's challenge. Unlike previous years, I did not count any work-related riding in my totals. So keep in mind that I've also been riding a bicycle at work as well.

This past month has taken me to many different places in DC, such as Nationals Park, the White House, the Capitol, all sorts of Memorials, Hains Point & Friday Coffee Club. It also took me out to Mt. Vernon and down the C&O towpath. Some rides were better than others, some were longer than others. Still, every day I got back in the saddle.

I hope you enjoyed 30 Days of Biking as much as I did.

Now you can look forward to me prattling on about the Unity Tour (in 10 days!!). Thanks to all of you, I've reached my fundraising goal (the widget on the side hadn't been updated with my offline donations yet), so now I just need to focus on getting ready for the ride itself. Stay tuned!

Miles: 14.3

April Miles: 267
Flat tires: 1
Hills cursed: all of them

#30daysofbiking: Day 26

I'm feeling a bit on the tired side today, plus I was saddled with things to do after work, so this was just a short ride. A shame, since it is a perfect night for a night-ride. But I need my beauty rest if I want to get up in time for Friday Coffee Club.

Just three laps around the block with Kermit.

In other news, did you know you can still send telegrams? The Boy should be grateful I didn't opt for the singing variety. Then again, his birthday is only a few days away...





Miles: 2.7
Rats spotted: 3

#30daysofbiking: Day 25

Only 5 days left. Yikes, time is flying by.

Today's ride was an easy spin around Hains Point a few times. I took some notes Sharrows style so I could actually remember what I saw.

Scooter on Cycle Track, Fellow Cyclist Sympathy:

As per usual, I took the 15th St cycle track southbound. It was surprisingly empty of people. I must have missed the morning rush. It was, however, full of debris (thank you leaf & grass blowers) and potholes (DDOT-can I just report all of the cycle track as one giant pothole for potholeapalooza?). Uneventful though. That is until I got to the stretch between L & K St. Then I saw a jackass fellow citizen riding on a MOTOR scooter IN the cycle track. He even had the nerve to tell me to get out of the way (I was riding in the middle-ish due to aforementioned potholes). Are you kidding me? As I pulled up to the stop light at K, I encountered another lady cyclist who was shaking her head at the scooterist (that's a word), and we both grumped and griped about it until the light changed green, which was approximately 3 seconds later.

Hains Point Tour Buses:

The rest of my trip down to Hains Point was fairly quiet, probably due to my mad tourist-dodging skillz. Oh, I was held up for a bit when Secret Service stopped traffic due to a dignitary motorcade, but it was only for 5 minutes. No big deal.

As I rode around (and around and around) Hains Point, I couldn't help but notice there were far more buses than I've usually noticed. I don't know if it was because I was slightly later or if it was just coincidence, but it seemed packed with buses. School buses & charter buses. There weren't very many riders (or runners). Most of the time, I don't mind them. The drivers are usually patient and don't try stupid things. But this time, I got buzzed twice which was not pleasant. One was 25 feet from a stop sign! The driver actually tried to pass me (on one lane), then realized there was oncoming traffic so he tried to squeeze me into the curb. Why was he so eager to pass me? To get to the stop sign first, I suppose. How moronic. Anyway I showed him my "bird"; twice, even. By "bird", I meant the photo of the heron that I posted from my canal ride last week. Herons are neat birds. What did you think I meant?

It was sort of my "fault" I suppose because I gave him the room to do it. I should have just taken the entire lane and forced him to stay behind me for the entire 10 seconds until the stop sign. Silly me for thinking he had common sense. Anyway I saw a news crew out there, and I later saw an ABC7 tweet about a supposed "crackdown" on cyclist scofflaws there due to an increase in cyclist collisions (one of which apparently occurred that morning). I did not witness any such "crackdown" but then again, I find the easiest way to avoid getting tickets for running stop signs is to stop for them, especially in sight of any law enforcement folks. Odd how that works. Anyway I noticed that the other cyclists out there with me were also obeying the signs, and I'm not sure if that was due to the alleged "crackdown" or common sense. This had one memorable exception when a "roadie" attempted a most spectacular boneheaded move. A bus was slowly approaching the stop sign and he was behind the bus. The lane had narrowed down to one lane (and the bus took up 99% of it). Instead of simply waiting the 5 seconds for the bus to stop and then proceed, the roadie attempted to SQUEEZE by on the RIGHT, and when that became apparent it wouldn't work, he then very narrowly squeezed by on the left. Stupid, stupid, stupid. There was no way that driver could have seen him, since he was plainly in the blind spots. God help him had the bus decided to turn right. All for what? A few more seconds? I was literally holding my breath when I saw him pull that stunt. Please be careful & patient out there. It's really not worth it.

Anyway, that was it for scofflaw behavior. Everyone else got along just fine. I did see one unfortunate gal that clearly had not performed the "see thru" test on her bike shorts. Ladies & gents, check your shorts in the daylight! Unless you like that sort of thing. The dude drafting behind her sure did, I bet.

Other good news is that my back did not bother me at all. Maybe I've finally found the magical height for seat/stem.

Ducks:
Oh, and some ducks tried to bite my toes off.

They just walked right up to me.



Flooded sidewalk:

The river had gotten a little high after the other day's rain. Maybe that's why they felt so bold.




Sobbing Girl at 15th & E:

As I headed north on the cycle track to go back home, I noticed a female cyclist near the White House gate at 15th & E. The reason she caught my eye is because of her yellow reflective vest & panniered (also a word) bicycle. She gave the appearance of a knowledgeable & experienced cyclist. As I got closer and stopped at the red light, I could hear that she was extremely upset & basically sobbing. She looked physically okay and was talking animatedly with a secret service officer at the gatehouse. I have no idea what it was about but I did hear the phrase "almost hit"*. I figured one of two things probably happened (and this is pure conjecture)...

1. She got yelled at for being where she wasn't supposed to be. It's happened to all of us and it can be upsetting if you didn't mean any harm and were ignorant of the rules.

2. More likely, she ignored the signal light and was "almost hit" by a vehicle exiting/entering the gate and got upset when she was probably barked at for not obeying the signal. I see tons of tourists & non-tourists do this all the time. Many folks don't realize that it IS a working gate and traffic goes in & out and they just blithely stand/walk in front of it.

Either way, I felt bad for her because it is never fun being clearly upset in public and I hope she had a better day and is okay.

And that was my bike adventure for day 25. At least as far as my notes go. Anything that may have happened otherwise, I probably forgot.

*I will save my rant post about "almosts" another day. Nutshell version: if it "almost" happened, it didn't happen.

Miles: 24.2 (damn. I should have made it an even 25 miles for day 25)
Toes missing from duck maiming: none, thank goodness
Pollen, cut grass & bugs inhaled: all of them.

#30daysofbiking: Day 24

Another short ride to the store. I had planned a 40 mile hill ride...but I just wasn't feeling it today. Instead I rode to the store and bought toothpaste.

Tomorrow will be a better ride. I promise.

Mikes: .60

#30daysofbiking: Day 23

Another cold, miserable, wet day. It felt almost like winter again when I stepped outside. I was not happy. I went back inside and took a nap.

I needed to do my weekly grocery shopping so I figured I might as well ride my bike even though the store is just next door; I could use the bike to haul the groceries instead of carrying them. So I did.

Miles: .75
Chicken breasts purchased: 4
Impulse buy: Snickers

#30daysofbiking: Day 20, 21 & 22

Sorry for the delay, it's been a busy week here.

Day 20 of 30 days of biking included Friday Coffee Club. I got up early and headed out. I rode Kermit the Hulk because I also wanted to get a few laps around Hains Point afterward.

I had a slight mechanical issue when my chain jumped off the cogs while I was crossing an intersection. I'm not sure what caused it because I wasn't shifting at the time. All I know is that suddenly I couldn't turn the cranks. I turned Kermit over to get a better look, and discovered that my chain had gotten caught between the front derailleur & the chainring. It had actually doubled up and that's why the cranks couldn't budge an inch. The chain was jammed pretty tight. After about 5 minutes, I finally figured out how to get the chain unjammed and was on my way again (with chain grease covered hands-I really need to bring a rag with me).

I was already running late, so when I got to the coffee shop everybody was just starting to head out. Oops! I said hello & bye and finished my coffee.

Then I rode to Hains Point and rode around in circles until my GPS said I had hit 20 miles (I already had ridden 5 to get there). I like Hains Point, but I do get bored with riding around it after awhile. There weren't very many people there, but those who were also riding around complimented Kermit as they went by.

My back was really bothering me and no amount of seat height adjustment was helping. I figured the stem would have to be raised a tad too. I made a note to stop by the shop soon because I don't know how to do that.

Shadow on Hains Point




Sitting along the riverside at Hains Point.




I stopped at the Juice Joint and had a wrap and carrot & spinach juice. Then went home.

Miles: 24.66
Bike grime consumed with the wrap: ugh
Protesters observed along the way: 5


Day 21 was much more mundane. I rode Kermit down to BicycleSPACE to drop him off to get everything straightened out with my chain issue & also to get the stem raised a bit. I also picked up a few essentials (bike degreaser, lube, honey stinger waffles & BikeSnobNYC's new book). Bike shop impulse buys can be dangerous. I almost walked out with a Brompton.

I used Capital Bikeshare to get back home. I'm really glad that DC has that system.

Miles: 6
Honey stinger waffles eaten: 1
Number of times I attempted the "Barnes Dance" at Chinatown: 0 (I don't understand it and just walked around the perimeter of the intersection like a doofus)


Day 22 is very much like yesterday, except I did it in the cold & pouring rain. I wore my Showers Pass rain gear & managed to stay perfectly dry from my neck down. Unfortunately I had nothing for my head and I soon got tired of the rain dripping into my face.

This was starting to seem like an attractive option: (source unknown)




I took Capitol Bikeshare downtown to the bike shop (Sunday churchers + Caps fans = traffic chaos) and retrieved Kermit. I managed to leave the shop without any impulse purchases but I knew I was forgetting something. Of course I didn't remember what it was until I got back home (a coffee cup holder for the work bike).

Miles: 6
Amount of rain in my helmet: 2 inches

#30daysofbiking: Day 19

After an evening of chore failure, I gave up. I was going to do a nice 30 minute ride around the neighborhood, but I was running out of time trying to get other stuff done.

Instead, I texted The Boy (who was working) to find out where he was and offered to meet up with him.

I set out on Kermit since I wanted to make sure all was well after his bath yesterday. I am getting much more comfortable & confident with riding on him now. I still think the stem needs to be raised just a tad; I adjusted the saddle height while I was on my canal ride and I thought I finally had it perfected, but riding it tonight still felt like it was just a bit too low. I will play with it more when I go for my ride at Hains Point tomorrow.

The Boy was only a few blocks away, which made for a very short ride. Still, I said hello & gave him a kiss (you can stop rolling your eyes now) and went back home.

Tomorrow is Friday Coffee Club, and even though I will be very sleepy, I still want to make it. Then it will be straight to Hains Point for a 20 mile ride.

Miles: 1.6 miles
Making The Boy's Partner Uncomfortable: Priceless

#30daysofbiking: Day 18

Another quick post-work ride. The weather was pretty gloomy this morning so I opted to stay in bed instead. It was still chilly & rainy when I got home, so I just rode the work-horse around the block. Lame, I know. But it still counts.

Instead, I decided to make this a bike maintenance night instead. Kermit desperately needed all the gunk from yesterday's ride cleaned off, and the Work-Horse really needed a drivetrain cleaning.

I live in an apartment, so washing a bike can be a little tricky.

Into the bathtub you go...



I used the shower head attachment to rinse off the dust & dirt, and then just wiped the frame down with a rag. That got about 90% of the grime off (and into my tub. Ugh. Now I have to clean that too).

Then I put Kermit up on the bike stand and worked on the drivetrain a bit more thoroughly. I degreased & scrubbed the cassette & chain, let it dry and lubed the chain. All done!

Kermit went from this:





To this:




(soon he'll have his own parking spot on the wall)

Then it was the Work- Horse's turn. I didn't worry about scrubbing the frame or anything because I can hose it down at work (it does need it though). I focused on the drivetrain which was getting quite grimy. Wasn't too bad though because it cleaned up fairly quickly.

Then I topped off the tires of both bikes with air and voila. Clean(ish) bikes. I really should do this more regularly.


For the record, I used White Lightning Easy Clean spray degreaser(no idea where I picked it up); which uses some sort of voodoo to melt off grime instantly. It's soooo easy that it must use some sort of terrible environment-destroying chemical compound. Normally I use a diluted form of a degreaser like Simple Green with my chain cleaning tool, but I was out of that. The White Lightning worked perfectly...but I can see it getting expensive because I went through an entire can with just two bikes. Then I use Triflow to lube the chain.

Miles: .5
Movie watched while cleaning bikes: Flash Gordon
What does Flash Gordon do now? Professional hostage extractor. Seriously.

#30DaysofBiking: Day 17

I had an extra day off today thanks to Emancipation Day, I decided I wanted to get some miles in on Kermit the Hulk. I made a goal to ride 60 miles on the C&O Canal Towpath. My plan was to ride 30 miles out and 30 miles back (including the Rock Creek Trail).

It was a perfect day for it. Not too hot, humid or windy. The pollen was a little out of control, but that couldn't be avoided. I packed my new Po Campo bag with various forms of bike nutrition & wallet and off I went.


I sported my pink cycling cap for Cycling Cap Tuesday.




Fletcher's Cove. Sometime this year I'm going to rent a canoe or kayak.




They have pretty blue cruisers for rent.




The dusty towpath.




Great Falls. I've never actually been here before. It was awe-inspiring.



This bird tried to eat my face off.



Great Falls Tavern (with canal boat in the lock)




An operational lock (being operated).




The canal boat being guided out of the lock (notice the NPS guy keeping the boat off the wall).









I really wanted to see inside the boat.




Front view of Kermit (with Po Campo bag on handlebars)




Side view





This guy was checking out the canal too.




Then he flew away.




But not too far.




Lockhouse 22! This is on my to-do list too. It's restored to the 1830's era, which means no running water or electricity. The Boy is not enthused about staying here.




I wish the windows weren't shuttered so I could peek inside.




The rear of lockhouse 22. Fire pit & table.



The geese hissed at me when I went by. Quit taking up the whole path!




Lockhouse 10 :-)








The ride was perfect with one exception. I was heading back on the towpath, when 2 little yappy dogs darted out from the side of the towpath and ran straight at me. I had to emergency brake and almost crashed. Luckily I had the presence of mind to unclip and I ended up just fish tailing a bit. Still, it was really scary. Sure enough, I looked back and a guy was about 30 feet away. I yelled at him "are those your dogs", and all he answered was "yeah" and kept on walking. Not "sorry", not "my bad" not any sort of acknowledgement that his irresponsible behavior just nearly injured me and his dogs. That is poor pet ownership.

I dislike unleashed dogs on multi-use paths. Not only is it illegal, but it's unsafe-to other people and the dogs. But 90% of dog owners actually train their dogs to behave on a MUP and it's rarely a problem. They keep them CLOSE and they make them sit or stay when a runner or cyclist goes by. They don't let them wander all nilly willy all over the place with no supervision. The other 10% of dog owners need to be neutered themselves because they don't know how to train their dogs or can't be bothered. Those people need leashes.

Dogs are dogs and are going to do what dogs do: chase after things. It's up to the owners to deter that and keep their dogs safe. It is your job to supervise your pet. If a cyclist or your dog gets hurt in a collision, it is YOUR FAULT, not the dog's or the other person's. And I'm gonna be real-if it's a choice between me taking the brunt of the damage or your dog, it's gonna be your dog that loses. And that's too bad because that dog needs a better owner.

The rest of the trip home was pretty uneventful and I made it back to DC just as it got dark (I was afraid of getting stuck on the towpath after dark since I had a late start).

When I got home, I noticed Kermit desperately needed a bath (and so did I).


Dirty bike!




I was covered in pollen, dust & dead bugs. Yuck! Still, it was worth it.

Miles: 62
Dead bugs consumed: thousands
Turtles spotted: 1
Turtles that came home with me: 0

#30DaysofBiking: Day 16

Today's adventure involved biking to Nationals Stadium for a little baseball action. I had originally planned on just buying a game day grandstand ticket ($5), but when I mentioned on Twitter that I was going, a very kind follower mentioned that she had an extra ticket for a suite that I was welcome to use. Awesome.

I rode to Nats Park and had no issues with finding my way thanks to the ample & clear signage. The only snag I hit was on the Penn Ave bike lanes because they were blocked off in front of Freedom Plaza because of Emancipation Day activities. A quick detour around and all was good.

I pulled up to the Bike Valet and was relieved to see it wasn't quite full yet (but almost!). I was worried because I was a bit late and the outside racks were packed. But there was still a few spots open. I love the Bike Valet. So easy & convenient.

I picked up my ticket and found my way to the suite. WOW. You folks can keep your grandstand seats. I'm sticking with the fancy seats where I don't have to mingle with the common rabble. I had my own bathroom, refrigerator, television, microwave and cozy couches. Plus beer, soft drinks & hot dogs. I am a spoiled girl.

I'm really proud of myself because I managed to stick around for the whole game (I noticed a good 1/3 of the fans heading for the exits around the 7th inning. Traffic must be awful).

The Nats won, and I had a great time getting to know a fellow #BikeDC girl (and her coworkers).


Riding up to the Stadium:






Fancy seats:




Inside the suite:






It's not really baseball unless you have a hotdog:





If you squint, you can see the Presidents racing around.



On the way back I stopped at the Hirschhorn to see Song 1. Again. While I was there, I saw this blurry horse & carriage go by.




Overall, a perfect Spring evening.


Miles: 12
Hotdogs consumed: 1
Number of times I almost got taken out by a foul ball: 1

#30DaysofBiking: Day 14 & 15

I was so tired after work on Saturday that I couldn't muster the energy for a blog post about my ride. I got off work a little early, and had planned on riding to the Titanic Memorial to catch the last bit of the 100 year commemoration ceremony. Instead, I got a phone call from a friend with a minor emergency and ended up riding to see him instead. It turned out to be nothing, and I was in the Columbia Heights area so I stopped to check out a few places I haven't been to in awhile. (Wonderland Ballroom & Meridian Pint)

I didn't miss much.

Miles: 3

Yesterday was the Charity Bike Wash. I rode Betty out to the shop and got ready for 4 hours of filthy bike washing. It was a success. Folks started rolling in around 12:30 and we had a steady stream of bikes all the way to the end. We didn't even get a break. But it was a lot of fun, and we raised over $200 for the Unity Tour so that's awesome. That's about 20 bikes that we scrubbed. Next time, I will get more volunteers and bring along some music. Thank you to everyone that stopped by, and a big thank you to The Daily Rider for hosting us, and Finish Line for donating all of our bike scrubbing needs.

Our first customer:





Yikes.






Mir, hard at work.





Here I am (the back of me, anyway) working on a Raleigh. I have no idea why I have so many rags in my pockets.







People lining up:



(photos stolen from various sources)


Afterwards, we treated ourselves to a celebratory dinner at the Queen Vic, which is just down the street.

I found this:



And loved it. And drank a few more :-)

Then it was time to turn towards home.

Miles: 6ish. My iPhone died on the way home, so I'm not sure...
Yorkshire puddings consumed: 1
Number of times I had to shower to get all the bike grime off: 2