Sweating in Style

Oh my gosh what a Saturday. It was the day before Halloween, and the day that all the people who party and have to work on Monday celebrate Halloween. But it was also the day of the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Keep Fear Alive, the day of my last soccer game of the season, and the day of the infamous Florida/Georgia football game, for which the largest outdoor cocktail party is held in Jacksonville every year. I was determined not to miss a moment of any of these historic events so I jam packed my day full of plans, something I typically avoid doing. I knew that the metro would be abysmal, driving would be even worse, and I obviously live too far to walk. So I opted for my trusty old bicycle.

Josh and I left home a little before 9am to ride to our game at 16th and P Streets. It was cold and the air was hard to breathe, especially for his asthmatic lungs. But oh how I love city biking early on a Saturday morning when I feel comfortable (and not terrified) of biking on main roads like Wisconsin and Connecticut Ave. So bike on the road we did, I ahead of my wheezing boyfriend. We got to our game and Josh got to admire my perseverance at braving part of that ride on so many mornings in rush hour. We won 2-0 off goals scored by Ingrid and I and it was the perfect way to end the season.

After the game, Betsy Shaw met Ingrid and I at the field and we all got on our bikes and rode through herds of people down to 7th and Constitution where we locked our bikes at the sculpture garden and continued onto the Mall. The rally was great! It really was pretty sane and I'd like to think it pumped people up to vote and to work together to get some shit done. If nothing else, it was fun and highly entertaining, and the signs were well worth the trip. My mom's read "Drink Wine, Not Tea".

Despite my plan to not miss a moment of the one historic event of the day, I had lots to do so I left around 2:15. Navigating the mall by bike was quite a challenge so by the time I got to Georgetown, I was wiped out and didn't want to go on. I had no choice so I chugged along, slowly, thinking about the logistics of my costume and enjoying the nearly isolated trail. I don't know if D.C. residents were all at the rally or making last minute adjustments to their costumes but they sure weren't on the Capital Crescent Trail, which is rare for a sunny Saturday afternoon. Maybe everyone is just afraid of the cold, in which case, I'll be taking lots of advantage of that empty trail this winter! After stopping to pee, take advil, drink water, and lie on the concrete and wish I could teleport myself onto my warm cozy couch, I finally got to Bethesda. I stopped at a costume store for fabric and puffy paint and waited in a line that was waaay too long. I finally got home around 4, showered, ate, and spent the next few hours making my costume with Ingrid, drinking beer, and yelling at the TV. Josh and I discovered during these few hours that the TV in our room is a few seconds ahead of the TV in our living room, though we're not sure why. Ingrid and I were decorating in my room and turned the TV down enough so that Josh couldn't hear what was going on. Every time there was an exciting play, though, I'd forget our situation and cheer or curse, spoiling Josh's excitement as he sat wondering what was about to unfold on the living room TV. I found this situation quite amusing but watched the final few plays by Josh's side so that I wouldn't spoil the ending. And we must be good luck when we're together because the tables turned and we won on a field goal in overtime.

We went immediately out and had a kind of messy halloween night that involved too little clothing, too much time in transit, and too many alcoholic beverages. But our costumes were a success and I took at least a few pictures of the fun.