Today’s ride took me down the hill, around the Inner Harbor, and up into Federal Hill to  my favorite overdeveloped mini mall, McHenry Row, for a massage, because I am a decadent little thing. I thought today would be the obligatory “it’s fall, look at the colors!” post, but it’s still in the 80s here, warm and muggy, so instead of looking at leaves I thought about how the air felt warm and heavy around me as I flew down the hill, taking extra special care not to put on the brakes–it’s like flying; nobody told me about the downhills when they were complaining about the uphills. I zipped down and around the Inner Harbor on the Jones Falls trail, using my outside voice to remind the pedestrians that bicyclists like me are also using the bike/ped path. It’s kind of amazing how good it feels to be on the bike after a couple days off of it, an easy balance and fresh legs spinning away, la dee da, what a lovely life I’m leading, pedal, pedal pedal. I took the long way home, stopping at Williams and Clement to snap a picture of a tree growing out of the top of a brick building that’s maybe a church. These are the bits that remind me of New Orleans, and I felt a little homesick, so when I got home i checked the Mardi Gras calendar for 2013 and started shopping for tickets. I hope I can bring Brompty.