I had a dentist appointment yesterday, and some time ago I foolishly chose a dental clinic far out in east county. The ride out there is on bus line 20, and reminded me why I avoid that bus line, even though it is the line that runs closest to my house and does go downtown. It is filled with an unpleasant company.

Yesterday, besides the regular load of unfortunates from Gresham -- a trio of neck-tattooed gangsterz, an assortment of circus-freak obese schoolchildren, assorted children hauling babies -- there one maniac laughing like a child molester. He was laughing at nobody or nothing that I could see, just cackling away madly like a prisoner locked in a hole. When I stood to exit the bus, I saw he was merrily possessed of a toothless mouth and a gummy smile that glistened as he laughed.

It's hardly fair to those folk that I should judge them. So be it. They can take solace in the fact that my observations may not be reliable. The other day I decided to explore the bike path that runs alongside Interstate 205. It was a good idea -- alongside the path is plenty of soft grass. I worry that on our usual cycling route Boris the dog (aka Boris the Dog-Faced Boy) is running for too long on unforgiving asphalt and concrete; I don't want to injure his joints while exercising him. So now we know of an auto-free path where he can bound along as a dog in the field, tongue and ears lolling in the wind.

On the bus home we passed west over I-205 and I glanced back at the entrance to the bike path. A half-block away was a house with either a realtor's or rental agency sign out front. Propped against the house was a large piece of plywood. Spray-painted on the plywood was "Danger Keep Out! Meth Lab!"

Now I won't feel tempted to enter the meth house. And Boris is safely harnessed to the bicycle, which is good. And how close were we to chemical contamination? He can't read at all, and I didn't notice that sign at all when we rode past that house the other day.