I needed a day of rest today, so today consisted of lazy bike rides solely for transportation. I headed down tot he coffee shop to finish up some grading and then back Uptown to do some reading. I got back on Rhoda to head over to N.’s for pizza and The Game. It was a cool night and lots of folks were out on their porches, talking to each other, talking on their phones, or just chilling. I passed by the newly-named and forever-under-construction Wisner Park at Annunciation and Upperline, and kids were playing basketball under the lights. I mean, we’re talking a Pleasantville sort of night, with the thick smell and decay of New Orleans. I snapped this photo of a porch all set up for a long summer of porch-sitting with those sweet yellow rockers. Riding around on a night like this makes me think of all those nights I’ve already spent sitting on porches and stoops and balconys doing pretty much nothing with good friends. Nights like this I look forward to the next ones and miss those old nights. (Yes, S., I’m looking at you.) But a girl can’t get carried away with the romance of a summer night. Two cars ran through their stop signs on my short ride tonight, and both times I was glad I was looking alive. Ride defensively out there, people!