May Day

May 1 was the kickoff of Cascade Bicycle Club’s “Bike to Work” event, a month-long effort to commute at least eight times.  I haven’t done this in about five years, so it was good time to revisit it, even though I haven’t quite figured out the Seattle portion of my trek. The ride in was fabulous and I was looking forward to the same going home. Unfortunately, having rarely frequented downtown prior to my new job, I was unaware of the May Day protests scheduled for today.

Escape from Seattle: May Day edition

When I left, crowds were peacefully marching through the streets I’d normally bike through on the way to the I-90 trail. Traffic was gridlocked. The drunken bumblebee route above represents my riding up sidewalks, walking between buses blocking intersections, and cutting through parking lots in my attempt to get to the I-90 trail. What would normally take me about 20 minutes was closer to an hour in the most vigorous, least enjoyable workout I’ve had this year.

Next May 1, I’m telecommuting.

Octopi Seattle (okay, it’s really a squid.)