I spent a lovely Thanksgiving relaxing, first at home, and then with friends down in the Treme. It was a crisp day, but the sun was shining, making my bike ride on the Surly quite perfect. The streets were incredibly quiet today; I guess by the time I got myself on the road it was already dinnertime for everybody else. A year ago I hadn’t met a single one of the folks I broke bread with tonight. And looking at that room, full of incredibly smart, clever, and attractive folks who know how to cook and know how to dance, I felt really, really thankful. It’s good to have a gang, and the gang was (almost) all there tonight. I rode home, again on empty streets, and thought about how much can change in a year, grateful that this year, it was all for the better. I stopped on my ride home to take a picture of this white wicker couch on Baronne near Terpsichore. I see this white wicker couch with cardboard seats every time I ride up this street, and that’s often. Sometimes it’s moved closer to the corner, other times further down the block. I’ve never seen anyone sitting in it, but I know some people must. I hope they had a good Thanksgiving, and I hope they get some good weather for sitting out here this weekend. I got back on my bike, pedaled the rest of the way home, thankful for so, so many things, including that smooth asphalt on Louisiana. I am lucky, and I am grateful.