School’s almost out for the rest of the month, and as swamped as I am with grading and prepping my January class, I can peek moments of a real break. It’s pretty exciting.

Thursday found me spending my morning at the computer before hopping on the bike to head out to mail some holiday packages. I expected a long wait in a crowded Hampden post office, but get this–there was nobody there. No line. I just walked right up to the window and was out in minutes. It was as if the rest of Baltimore’s USPS patrons had just been raptured, along with some basic shipping supplies; they didn’t have priority mail envelopes, but I just bought envelopes and went with ground shipping. These are the thrilling details I know you’re here for.

It was barely a mile and a half ride, but I was sweating all over when I got there. The temp was in the 60s and climbing, but I’d dressed as if it were December. Bad move. So, I wadded up my jacket, shoved it in my bike bag and rode the mile up to the urgent care center at the Rotunda to see if I could get a COVID test. Now, that place was packed, and when I heard there were 16 people ahead of me and I was looking at a wait of approximately six hours, I left. It was much more likely I was going to get COVID in that cramped waiting room than that I have COVID. I can’t believe how hard it still is to get a test.

I had a quick lunch and then decided to ride over to Druid Hill Park and stretch my legs in the balmy sunshine. Oh, it felt so good to climb up that hill and do a turn around the reservoir. I was really in the mood to just do circles and circles without worrying about cars, but alas, the reservoir path remains under construction. I snapped this picture at the fence on the western edge of the park. We are so, so far from being able to just mindlessly circle around.

So headed back the other way, said my hellos to the many people out enjoying the weather. I rode up past Safety City, down by Pool #2, and then past the baseball field and zipped down that circle that puts you out by the pool. The remodel looks amazing, and I hope it’s going to be finished in time for what I hope will be a somewhat normal Summer 2022.

I headed out of the park and over to Johns Hopkins before heading up toward Sherwood Gardens. I wanted to see if crocuses are coming out–do they know what’s happening out here? I rode up St. Paul, over, up, around, up, around, and down again, all the streets I used to run on that I can’t run on right now because my sprained ankle is still a literal pain. The streets are still there, and they’ll be there when I am ready to run again. On this day, the joy was to be on my bike. Lucky, lucky me.

And then it was time to head home, my body letting me know it was time to water it after all this pedaling. I rode down the alleyway, into my basement, and then settled in with a book. I see you, vacation–I’ll just be over here practicing until it’s time for us to get together.