I’ve been a little down lately, I’m not going to lie. Too many endings all at once have me in a little bit of a spin, so I figured the best thing to do today is what I usually do, because usually, I feel pretty good. I woke up after a full 8 hours of sleep, read a bit of a book I need to review, wrote 300 words (gotta ease back into summer productivity), and then it was time for a bicycle ride without a particular destination. I headed down to the Bywater for lunch, where I had a lovely conversation with a local silver artist as we waited for our sandwiches. We had never met, but we quickly agreed that teachers are undervalued and we should all just get with the program and recognize that we live with other people, and we are all going to need each other’s help at some point, so let’s just help each other. I finished my meal and got back on the bike to check out the river. I climbed the levee at Deslonde Street and snapped this picture of the high waters swallowing the trees, the huge ship sitting in the river (the river!), the city in the distance. I sat in the sun and watched ships go by until I got a message from S. reporting that the summer malaise had already set in. Yep, I thought, and suggested we meet up for a ride and some frozen treats, which we did before heading to the coffee shop to do some work. I sat outside while S. got us iced teas, and then I noticed a woman with a flat tire. I had my tools with me (I still remember the lesson I learned last week!), so I offered to fix it while she told us about her time in Colombia and we told her about college. I rode back Uptown and ran into several other folks I know, because New Orleans is a small town–J. riding her bike (“we’ve seen each other more this past week than in the four years you’ve been here!”), A. lending me her regalia, N. talking about the river, N. and her dog going to the dogpark, and that one guy who is so nice, and always seems to have a puppy with him. I got home, took a shower, made some dinner, and settled in for a little professional basketball–it’s the playoffs, you know. What a perfect, much-needed, utterly refreshing day.