Thursday’s ride was a short one, just down the hill to the Mariner Center for UMBC’s undergraduate graduation ceremony. I know a lot of folks who find these ceremonies long and boring after awhile, and though I need to learn to smuggle in water and extra snacks under my gown, I still love a good graduation–pomp, circumstance, costumes, floppy hats, shiny faces, extended and even more extended families, reminders that The Children Are Our Future, and then, of course, the endless list of names. For individual graduates, though, it’s always the very first time, and I still get excited to celebrate, especially for the students I’ve had in classes or as advisees. Continue reading
UMBC
Run-Down Mansion at Frederick & Millington in West Baltimore
It’s March 1 and spring is in the air, so when I saw those Friday meetings on my work calendar, it just made sense to take the bike instead of driving. It has been awhile since I rode to campus, but I just followed my bike’s memory and away we went, down the hill, a right turn up the hill, and over into West Baltimore. The neighborhoods change so fast over here. Bolton Hill is so fancy pants, but crossing into Marble Hill blight comes quick. Continue reading
Billie Holiday Memorial at Pennsylvania & W. Lafayette
The weather report said it might rain, and a glance at the sky assured me that it would, so of course I put on a skirt and a light jacket and headed out for a long bike ride to campus–oh, the curse of aspirational dressing! I was cold all day. Regardless, it just felt good to be on my bike after three days off due to what I’ve decided was a pollen-induced multi-day headache. I zoomed down the hill and then took my right through Bolton Hill and Marble Hill over toward Upton. Continue reading
Scaffolding on a Row House at Fremont & Lanvale
It was sunny and clear out when I woke up this morning, but S. called me up after she left my apartment to warn me that it was cold and windy and not to be fooled by the lighting. You see, I have a tendency to dress aspirationally, for the weather I want rather than the weather I have, and that gets me into trouble sometimes. Continue reading
Looking Up the Hill at Mt. Olivet Cemetery at Frederick & Parksley
Today’s ride took me over to campus to fetch my car after its exciting weekend parked in a lot. The day was ridiculously sunny and the sky a wild blue and I was feeling like quite the lucky duck, with my free afternoon (meetings cancelled!) and my sweet ride. I took a slightly different route since I didn’t have to hurry and rode down Maryland, past the library, and took a right on Saratoga. Continue reading
Matthew 27:28;35 at Gilmor & Saratoga
Oh, Baltimore, thank you for the balmy Tuesday in late January! I had already been despairing that I might be freezing from now until May, but today’s sunshine and 50+ degrees was a welcome respite. I layered up, just in case, and took the bike down the hill and west toward UMBC. Continue reading
Christmas Lights on a Row House on Hollins & Pulaski
It was cold out and I’ve got a little cold, but sometimes you just need to ride your bike, so I decided to put on my fancy wool top (thanks, Pops!), tights, long sleeved socks, and some gloves (thanks, S.!) and pedaled over to campus. The sun was out and I traced my regular route, thinking about my first visit to Baltimore. Continue reading
Cyclists Learning About Banks at the Wells Fargo at St. Paul & Fayette
Today’s ride took me up to campus in the afternoon for another faculty senate meeting, and I could feel the difference regular riding is making in my stamina, and it is really exciting. I’m not scared by hills anymore, even that one that gets you up to Haverhill Road. The ride makes sense in its chunks–down the hill to Mt. Vernon and up through Bolton Hill, Lafayette through West Baltimore, South on Monroe–serious traffic today–Frederick and up the hill to Caton Avenue, Caton and Wilkens, and then finally the weird cul-de-sacs of Arbutus–et voila! I only took one wrong turn and knocked 3 minutes off my time, but what really surprised me was that I wasn’t exhausted when I got to campus, and that felt amazing. 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.
Burned Out House on Georgetown Road & St. Marks
I had one morning meeting up on campus and nothing else on my schedule, so I figured it was high time I take the bike on the commute. I left myself two hours to go the ten miles, fully expecting to get lost/get a flat/get so tired I’d have to walk. Well, I did get lost, but I’ve been memorizing streets on my drive over the past couple weeks for just this event, so I knew Saratoga crossed Monroe, and once I was on Monroe I could follow the same route I take in the car. Voila! Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 