Today’s bike ride took me down the hill to meet L. for breakfast in Fells Point and then some reading at the coffee shoppe. 10am is apparently very early for Baltimore City, because I just zoomed straight down the hill, passing just a couple of cars and a few people, but mostly I felt like the only person in town, and the street were mine. It was awesome. Afterward, I pedaled over to the Westside and past the busy crowds pouring out of Mariner Arena where the circus is in town~not my favorite event at all. I dodged pink-jacketed girls and sticky boys before taking a right on Lexington to the Maryland Women’s Heritage Center for my scheduled tour–nothing like a little civic history on a lazy Saturday afternoon. The Center is small right now, but the plans are big. There was a mix up, so the tour was self-guided. Folks lined up to read about Great Women of Maryland Science and Space and Education and Health Care, but I have to admit that I wasn’t much in the mood for individual success stories. There’s only so much recuperative history this cat can take, and secretly I want museums to raise questions rather than tell me these individual stories, though I know how important those are too. I left early, promising myselfto return, and got myself a front row seat for the roller ballet. Best laid plans indeed, but since all I really want to do is ride my bike around, I’d say it’s a win.
Month: March 2012
Billie Holiday Memorial at Pennsylvania & W. Lafayette
The weather report said it might rain, and a glance at the sky assured me that it would, so of course I put on a skirt and a light jacket and headed out for a long bike ride to campus–oh, the curse of aspirational dressing! I was cold all day. Regardless, it just felt good to be on my bike after three days off due to what I’ve decided was a pollen-induced multi-day headache. I zoomed down the hill and then took my right through Bolton Hill and Marble Hill over toward Upton. Continue reading
Protest Signs and Protesters at Baltimore’s Trayvon Martin Justice Rally at Pratt & Light
It was time to get back in the work saddle today, so I woke up early, did some reading, research, and writing, and then spent the afternoon on grading and class prep, most of which I did down in Fells Point after a blustery bike ride down the hill. I hate riding in the wind, even more than in rain. Those 25 MPH gusts feel downright scary when they poof you into traffic! But I wasn’t going to drive downtown, and I wanted to be there for Baltimore’s march against racism and for justice for Trayvon Martin, so I threw my hoodie in my bag for later (not because I am Trayvon Martin–my race privilege ensures I won’t be–but because I respect the rhetorical approach), and rode squint-eyed against the wind over to Patterson Park and then back down to Fells Point. Continue reading
Fluid Movement Parade at Howard & Lexington
Today was the last day of my spring break, and oh, it was a delightful one. I hardly did a lick of work, except insofar as visits to museums sort of count as “research.” I got in a visit with my sister, lunch with friends, eyefuls of flowery trees, a whole bunch of visits to museums and historic sites, and even more bike rides. Today featured a long morning in bed, a little reading, coffee with a friend, and then a bike ride over to Howard and Lexington for Fluid Movement‘s Howard & Lex, the perfect end to a positively lovely vacation. Continue reading
Flower Detritus at Guilford & McAlister
As I’m sure you know, we’ve all been having a heat wave of science fiction proportions. Yesterday in Baltimore it was EIGHTY FIVE DEGREES. That’s summertime weather, and we’re just on March’s downhill. I loved having that weather for my week off. I got in some wonderful bike rides, and Thursday’s trip to DC was a feast with all those cherry blossoms and 15 miles of strolling through neighborhoods, monuments, and museums (a perfect situation for a tiny clown bike, I must say). This morning, though, started with a thunderstorm and rained off and on all day long, giving it the feel of spring instead of summer. Continue reading
Boarded-Up Buildings at Gay & High
Another spring break day meant another day of riding my bike around town, and oh, but it feels good to pedal around aimlessly! I rode down to the bike shoppe to take the clown bike out for another spin and then headed down to Fells Point for some frozen yogurt and a think. I mean, I don’t need another bicycle, not at all, and for that price I could get a real bike. Continue reading
Peale Museum Building at Holliday & Lexington
I have been in NYC for the past few days visiting my sister, so I haven’t been riding my bicycle. I have, however, been thinking about what it might be like to fold up a bicycle and take it with me on my next trip…but anyway. I am back home in Baltimore and on spring break, so when the rain stopped early this morning, I knew I’d get a decent ride in today. After doing some reading and extraordinarily minor gardening, I spent some time giving the bike a quick clean, degreasing, and re-lubing for springtime before taking the newly stealth and quiet ride out into the sunshine. Continue reading
Flowering Tree at S. Ellwood & Hudson
I woke up early this morning with an overwhelming desire to play hooky, and I grumped around for awhile until giving in to the senioritis. After a trip to school for some lazy research and a faculty meeting it was time to get on my bike and out in this 80 degree blue sky day–oh, it was perfect out there. Continue reading
Looking West Down North Avenue From Guilford
Oh, it feels like springtime! I put on a dress and a sweater, some short white socks, and my bike shoes and headed out to the coffee shop, flying down the hill. I peeked down at my bare legs and clips going round and round, and I saw my near future. Oh, sunshine and warmth, I’m so looking forward to our time together. Continue reading
Baltimore Irish Northern Aid Society at Charles & Franklin
Today’s ride took me down the hill to meet friends for lunch and then a walk over to Charles Avenue for the St. Patrick’s Day parade (and no, I don’ t know why it was today). This is my third parade in Baltimore, and S. reminded me not to go in to compare this parade to New Orleans parades–they’re totally different things–and to see what fun I might get out of this one. I heeded this most excellent advice and leaned back on my heels for 90 minutes of Ancient Orders of the Hibernians, Irish dance teams, beauty queens, and bagpipers. Continue reading