On whales and bike rides, in which I use the phrase "Mount Pleasant" too much

Today was yet another adventure in which I realize how small DC really is.

After work, I decided to meander through Chinatown to try and find a good coffee shop in which to sit and read.  Turns out there is no passive meandering to be had in this part of town during rush hour, so I got stressed and left.  Since I was heading to a Moby Dick book club (yes, I am a nerd and I associate with nerds and I am terribly proud of this fact) in Mount Pleasant, I decided to venture up there early and head to Dos Gringos.  As it turns out, Mount Pleasant is not a million miles away.  It's just always felt  that way because I usually take the route down Porter Street, which is a looonnnnggggg hill to climb back up. 

Instead, I took the 15th Street cycle lane all the way up past U Street.  There were several things in the bike lane, including a Metro Access van.  Note to self: When they say Meridian Hill, they're not fucking kidding.  It is a doozy of a short climb, and I haven't done it in about a year.  I shifted down to first gear, and that helped tremendously. Also, the bike lane makes no sense there.  Right at the park, it ends, then starts up again after the intersection in the middle of the street.  This confused me to the point where I had to stop when I had the green, look around, and say out loud, "I'm confused".

Somehow I wound up heading the wrong way down 16th Street, which is a very VERY busy road, fraught with weird intersections and lots of S buses headed towards Silver Spring.  Turned around, found Mount Pleasant Street, found Dos Gringos, settled in for a latte and a sandwich, and read through several chapters of Moby Dick.  The mark of a successful bike ride.  

Side note: When did Mount Pleasant turn into hipsterville?  I have nothing against hipsters.  I rather like them, and, though I think the term is too broadly used, one could argue that I have several friends that fall into this category.  They just all seem to congregate in the same places and it confuses me. 

On the way back, I was once again astonished at how close Mount Pleasant and Adams Morgan are and, consequently, how easy it was to figure out my route home.  Why did I think Mount Pleasant existed in a bubble?  Seriously.  I've lived in the District for 6 years minus one summer, I've been biking in it for 5, and I'm still relatively clueless as to how to get from Point A to Point B.  Apparently not everyone is born with a built-in sense of geography.

This blog is really getting too bike-heavy.  I need to cook something one of these days.  Biking is just less of a commitment.  My apologies to all none of my loyal cooking post readers out there.