Today’s ride took me down the McKeldin Square to drop off a staple gun to the folks at the media table at Occupy Baltimore before a couple of hours waving signs on the corner with B. and B. The square was fairly empty this afternoon, which surprised me, given the sunshine and Saturday-ness of it all, but maybe folks were still out on the walking tour of Inner Harbor bad guys. Continue reading
Don’t Forget Your FLASHLIGHTS! at the Hippodrome at Eutaw & Fayette
I’m a joiner, so when I started planning to move to Baltimore way back in February, I signed up for all kinds of things. And they keep coming up, like tonight, when, after the longest and busiest day in recent memory, I had to inhale a sandwich, hop on the bike, and pedal as hard as I could to be on time for tonight’s usher assignment at the Hippodrome: South Pacific! I picked up my nametag, clipped on my bowtie, and headed to the big usher meeting, where I was subtly reminded to tuck my shirt in–it’s part of the uniform. Continue reading
Military Ships Docked Across From Fort McHenry
Oh, it was a beautiful day–warm enough for a tank top and skirt, not a single cloud in the sky, blue everywhere. I worked from home for too long, but it was finally time to take the bike out for a ride. I headed down to the library to return one video and pick up another (yay socialism!) and then just pedaled along until I found myself headed to Fort McHenry. Why not cram in a little history while I’m at it, right? Continue reading
Occupy Baltimore’s Agenda at McKeldin Square in the Inner Harbor
I had one of those incredibly busy days where I’m just paying attention to people and things for 12 hours straight. I drove home with the kind of eyes that make me think one should not be allowed to drive under these conditions, but I made it, climbed the stairs, inhaled the rest of that pumpkin cake V. gave me, and it was time to get on my bike and head down to the Inner Harbor to drop off some copies of things for the legal team. Continue reading
Rally At the Baltimore City Detention Center on Eager Street to Protest Proposed New Youth Prison
So I’m bounding down the stairs to grab my bike and head over to Fells Point to meet V. for a writing session when I step off the last step and my ankle turns, leaving me crumpled in a pile on the floor. My first thought was that my older brother would love this, and my second thought was damn, I need to ride my bike, and there’s a march and rally later today, so a sprained ankle simply will not do. Continue reading
Occupy Baltimore Planning Meeting in Charles Village
I had a silly long day at work–that’s a lot of teaching on a Monday, and a lot of talking and meeting and drafting and just general having of a job. I left late, drove my car home, and got right on my bike to meet up with V. for dinner and conversation. It was delicious in every way, but then it was time to ride the bike back up the hill for a second night of meetings for the upcoming Occupy Baltimore event. The crowd was big, and some were a little unruly, as crowds often are, especially when stuff feels important. I was positively in awe with the facilitators–their patience exceeded mine by far. The process is fluid, and I have lots of thoughts about it and about this “occupy” movement, but it’s late, I have been sitting here for a very long time, and as you can see by this picture, I’m not wearing socks, and it is cold, but I just want to say that tomorrow at 5:00pm, starting at the Baltimore City Detention Center at 401 Eager Street, there’s a march organized by 30 organizations to protest the building and expansion of a youth jail in Baltimore. And I know that we don’t want that in this city, and folks have been working against it for a long time. That’s something I most certainly can get behind. See you tomorrow!
Foreclosed House at Kenmore & W. Lake
Today’s ride took me to Hampden for a late brunch, and then I followed the signs to Roland Park, because there’s nothing I like to do more than follow signs until the signs give out. Roland Park doesn’t look like the other parts of Baltimore I travel through regularly. I mean, this is where that 1% lives, for real. Continue reading
John W. Brown Liberty Ship at Fells Point
I spent this chilly Saturday at home and reading my book, which is so, so good, and intense. It makes me angry that I was never taught about Jim Crow in a real way, and Isabel Wilkerson is teaching it in such a real way. This book should be required reading, by everybody. But anyway. It was finally time to peel myself out of bed and get on the bike, so I headed down to the museum to check out some Maryland-specific Jim Crow history–this here kid knows how to spend a Saturday! Continue reading
Repairing a Water Main at Centre & Cathedral
I spent the morning reading and writing and finishing this and that before I had to head to the mechanic’s to pick up my *gasp* car with its new windshield and scrubbed headlights; the State of Maryland has some stringent standards before they let you drive a car on their roads. Another hour and a half waiting at the MVA and I can officially drive here! But oh my goodness, I don’t want to. I headed straight home to get the bike to run some errands. Seriously, why drive for errands when you can ride a bike, especially when The Earth finally turned the lights on? Continue reading
The Other Side of the Gym
I had to get to the office early today and stay late for a meeting, so I won’t get a chance to ride my bicycle today. I did, however, have time to hit the student gym where the only open cardio machine was the stationary recumbent bicycle. I haven’t been on one of those things since a shoulder injury and surgery left me with no other option–and thank goodness the option was there–but I went ahead and hopped aboard to see what it’s like. I mean, am I going to be sitting on that thing all through the winter season? God, I hope not. So boring. I like riding a bicycle because I like seeing what’s going on outside, the people, the neighborhoods, the streets, whatever (though I did get a chance to memorize all the teams in the America East conference, since their banners were the only things in my line of sight). It was also so much easier to just pedal in place–no cars or wind or weird folds in the asphalt or acorn shells trying to toss my wheel to the side–and that’s just not my speed. I like thinking about riding a bicycle when I’m riding my bicycle. Spin, spin, spin, la dee dah, and I was done, happy to have been moving, but a little scared about this thing You People call “winter.” I will have to find a way to bike and walk in wintery weather, because my soul cannot be forced to die on the recumbent bicycle.
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 