Monday was unseasonably warm, but I had to spend most of it inside offices and classrooms. And then I didn’t, so I rushed home, changed into short pants, a tank top, and a sweatshirt, and hopped on the bike down the hill to enjoy the waning moments of light on a premature spring day. (Something’s not right here, but I will let the climate bloggers worry about that.) What did I see? I saw a burning red disk of a sun sinking into the western skyline, kids in short sleeves throwing balls around an alleyway, a just-dead squirrel I had to go around, folks waiting too long at bus stops, three buses in a row going the other way, and cars. So many cars pulling out of parking lots and turning corners and waiting in lines to get on the JFX. They were all trying to get out while I was trying to get in, but even if that hadn’t been the case I could have zipped ahed of them at all the lights. Total gridlock downtown and it wasn’t even 5 o’clock yet! There has to be another way. I did my turn at the gym and the grocery and headed back up the hill and to Hampden where folks are in their cars again, touring 34th Street’s holiday lights. Me, I will take the bike every time, especially in such nutty weather.
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Cage Over the Pedestrian Bridge to Westport Over 295 on Maisel & Annapolis
Today’s ride took me down the hill and around the harbor and up again to Federal Hill, with a final left to Locust Point for a much-needed haircut and an afternoon of grading/watching football. I meant to go straight home afterward, but then I just kept riding west back through Federal Hill and over to M&T Stadium to watch the hordes of Ravens fans walk to their cars. Continue reading
Blue Tarp on the Fence at the Grand Prix Route at South & Pratt
Today’s ride took me on the silent streets of downtown Baltimore, emptied because everyone’s avoiding downtown, or because nobody can get east of Light, but for whatever reason, perfect for this bicyclist. I wanted to grab a quick view of the cars racing in the streets, but alas, this blue tarp meant no peeksies for me. The bike/ped path was closed off to all but ticket holders, few and far between, this mid-morning anyway. The whole thing is a boondoggle, and thank goodness it’s almost over. We need our streets, sidewalks, and bike paths back from this particular tourist parasite. I pedaled back toward Harbor East, did a quick spin through the gym, and then back up the hill on still-empty streets, the one nice side effect of the Grand Prix on this side of the racetrack.
Cobblestones on the Harbor East Roundabout at President & Aliceanna
Today’s ride was a quick on, just down to Harbor East for a quick trip to the gym and then back home to meet S. for an evening out. I snapped this picture of the cobblestones on the roundabout at the end of PresidentStreet because every time I ride down here I get frustrated by this part. Cobblestones? Really? I’ve complained before and I’ll complain again~cobblestones are the worst. I have big tires on my touring bike, but still this surface unsteadies and shakes me around, and I hate it, so much so that I will get off my nike and walk around this to avoid that ride. I guess it’s there to look “authentic” or something, but it was clearly chosen by folks who never move across surface streets any way other than some SUV or something. I can’t believe I have fashioned a life for myself where I can get this worked up about road surfacing, but there you go. Death to cobblestones! Next time: Why I hate tthe new roundabouts on Guilford, despite their traffic-calming effects.
ABF U-Pack Moving Pods at St. Paul & Chase
Summer school started today, so no time for a longer bike ride in the slightly cooler day, but I did take the Surly down the hill for drinks and dip with friends in Mt. Vernon, a ppace I would never go by car. As I was unlocking my bike I noticed three of those moving pods and a U-Haul truck~it’s that time of year again, but this year I am not one of those poor souls packing up and trying to figure out the best way to get things you feel like just burning from one end of the country to the other, and where to park whatever moving vessel happens to win out. Nope, this summer I’m staying put, just riding my bike up and down the hill, just like I like it. Godspeed to the rest of you!
Looking Up the Railroad Tracks on Bush, Just After Severn
Today’s ride took me over to campus for the program’s end-of-the-year picnic, this time with dogs. I took my regular route down the hill, but I decided to stay on Dolphin, just to see where it would take me. The city isn’t in the kind of grid I’m used to, so I’m not always sure which streets are running which directions, but I had a hunch that if I stayed where I was, I might end up on Harlem Ave., which seemed increasingly likely as I crossed Eutaw and Druid Hill and Pennsylvania. Continue reading
Abandoned Fleece Scarf at 27th & St. Paul
Ok, something’s really wrong here. It’s February 1, and I went out in a flimsy dress and a light sweater and was plenty warm. I had a good day of self-care, car-care, and lounging before it was time to take the bike to the coffee shoppe to get back to work. I wrote some words, read some stuff for class, and organized students into small groups, not of their choosing, and then it was time to get back on the bike and head back up the hill to home. Continue reading
View of the Jones Falls Expressway From Druid Hill Park
Today was one of those rare empty days where I didn’t have a thing to do and nothing planned, so of course I couldn’t figure out what to do with myself. I stayed in bed reading with cats for as long as I could, but then I was restless. It’s cold and windy, so a bike ride didn’t exactly sound appealing. What’s a girl to do? Oh, I know–layer up and go for a bike ride! I wasn’t in the mood to think very hard, so I headed west to Druid Hill Park to do a few laps. Continue reading
Patched Asphalt on Baronne & Josephine
I saw lots of things on my sixteen miles of riding about town today, but the most beautiful thing by far was the new patch job on Baronne right before Jackson. It might not look like much in this picture, but that black square? That’s just the edge of a patch that stretches from the curb to about a foot from the center line. And there’s another on the other side. For as long as I can remember, those two holes have been mounded over with loose gravel, an absolute nightmare for a cyclist. I’ve been slowing down and waiting for my turn to ride the center lane at least three times a week for over a year, at least. I won’t have to do that anymore–I can just pedal up the road, right over this smooth patch, until it cracks or starts falling in on itself at the edges, but let’s not borrow trouble. When you ride a bike you end up developing quite a relationship with road surfaces, and I always enjoy seeing mine get that added jolt from surprises like this one.
Chicken Mart Sign at Simon Bolivar & Jackson
My twin sister E. left today after a lovely week-long visit. I loved having her here, and I loved showing her around. Only your twin sister will humor you and let you drive her on all your bike routes to talk asphalt and bike infrastructure, and humor me she did. She doesn’t ride bikes, so I took this opportunity to drop the Surly at the bike shoppe for some free routine maintenance (another reason to buy your bike from an independent shop) while we used my car to tour New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 