I had one of those days where I woke up a little grumpy and it just got worse as lots of little irritations and annoyances added up. The only answer was, of course, a long bike ride in the sun under a frighteningly blue sky. I zeroed out my inbox (nothing prettier than an empty inbox!) and hopped on the Surly for a ride. I headed straight towater, first Bayou St. John and then through City Park to Lake Pontchartrain to look at birds and sailboats. Lots of folks were out, especially in the park. I detoured to check out the new dog run–“City Bark“–but didn’t stay long. There was something creepy about hanging around the dog park without a dog, like I must have been up to no good. After zipping around UNO‘s campus I headed back on St. Bernard Avenue through the 7th Ward. I snapped this picture while waiting at the light at Broad Street. This place looks like it used to be a corner store, but it is now being remodeled. Part of its facade has fallen away revealing what it used to used to be–a drugstore. I don’t think I realized how much facade was just facade until I moved here and started seeing stuff from my bike. I’m increasingly noticing that a lot of rebuilding and reconstruction just slaps itself over the old like a new coat of paint. But here in New Orleans, where everything’s always in some stage of falling apart, there’s no good way to just cover over things. The past is always poking itself through. I ended my ride at B.’s place for dinner and then a slow ride around town. A couple weeks ago she didn’t know how to ride a bike. Tonight she rode down to the Quarter and back, in the street, with traffic! Another cyclist is unleashed upon our roads, people. Look alive.