Friday’s ride took me an easy couple miles up the hill and over to Hampden for my monthly book club discussion and snackfest, this time hosted by S. ans A., who dressed in colonial garb in keeping with the historical novel’s time period and theme. I felt underdressed in my uniform of skirt and tank top, and overtired from a really long week at work, but once I got on my bike and headed out, I caught my third of fourth wind of the day. I rode my usual Hampden route, stopped for a bottle of wine, and then rode with some traffic on 41st before locking up to a bus stop sign on a residential streets. This sign was affixed there too, reminding riders not to sit down in a residential neighborhood, because that’s private property. I wonder how many Hampden neighborhood petitions, phone trees, transit meetings and emails had to be exchanged for this sign to be put up there, and I wonder how many daily huffs-n-puffs still happen when people sit down somewhere other than the one bench to wait the legendary wait times that are part of most bus systems. Or maybe nobody around here takes the bus, and it’s not “a problem” yet. Private property, public needs~seems to me that’s the real problem. And then I went inside, ate, talked, laughed, and drank, and then I rode home. Fall weather’s barely teasing, and I was a sweaty mess after just 20 minutes out there. Soon, soon, but for now it’s still hot as blazes.
Today I rode down to the Marigny for breakfast with a friend, with the plan to get some writing done over coffee afterward. My good buddy S. called from Mississippi with bad news–she’d been in a car accident (don’t worry–everybody’s ok, including the dog)–and that put a crimp in my plan. 
I spent a lovely Sunday afternoon taking it easy and taking care of things around the house. My car is still living with J., so I took Jack to the grocery store, one pannier for perishables, the other for dry goods. There is a distinct pleasure in the task ride, especially on a lazy task day like today. 
I took Jack out for a ride this afternoon, and it felt so, so good. It was either a little bit cooler or I’ve acclimated, and that made biking around town much more pleasant. I planned to ride down to the Marigny hoping to find the 
I’ve been taking some time off the bike to give my poor knees a rest, so today’s ride just took me to the hair salon and back. On my return, I stopped to snap this photo of the Bike Route sign on Coliseum and Antonine. 
Tonight I went to my first Critical Mass. I was strangely nervous, I think because I still feel so new to riding and I almost always ride alone. But I had a beer to steel my nerves and then met up with the crowd at Jackson Square. 
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 