I’m on the hook for doing some smokey ribs for the neighbor’s party tonight, so I slipped out for a quick loop on the bike before I fire up the BBQ.  The Green River Trail is compromised on the west by the levee repair, and the Interurban is cluttered with people and strollers because it’s Kent Conucopia Days.  Go home, people, you are in my way!

I’ll try to get to bed at a decent hour tonight, and maybe head up to Sunrise on Mt. Rainier for a little solo torture.  I’m still fighting a bit of upper respiratory congestion… nothing too malevolent, but I must hack and spit every 50 yards or so, an activity much better performed in solitude.

John Kerry could occasionally be seen riding around on his Serrotta. We didn’t end up with a road-cyclist in the White House, mostly because everyone would fall asleep every time he spoke.

So this sort-of-run of candidates that can ride on two wheels stands at a hot streak of 2. I can’t visualize Gore on a bike (the only exercise I ever saw him get was that tonsil-hockey thing with Tipper at the convention). Bill used to jog from McDonald’s to McDonald’s, checking out the soccer moms and charming them out of french fries. I don’t recall any other Presidents or candidates that rode.

The Dem’s candidate for POTUS was seen cycling with his family. He’s already got my vote, but I was heartened to read that he taking a little R & R with the family by riding bikes. Then I saw the picture:

Mr. Obama, if you’d like to come out to one of my Newcomer’s rides, I can help you with that chin-strap. That helmet won’t do you any good if it falls off your noggin’.

Just sayin’.