Welcome to the Live Feed Inside My Head
Recently I’ve been biking by the beach early in the morning.
While I bike, I stop to write down all the wonders that are my thoughts and I observe the people around me. The combination of these two activities has been such a resource for me, especially during a time when most of my day is spent hauled up in my home talking to Lego people.
So I decided to share some of those thoughts. Buckle up, this is going to be ordinary.
Wednesday, April 29
There’s the blonde woman who runs every day. Neither of us acknowledge each other. She runs in shorts and a crop top. She has a perfect tan, killer body, and some mornings she’s running and pushing her toddler in a stroller. I’m not sure why I think she might be Russian.
There’s the older lady who wears a frilly dress and cute hat. She once asked, “Isn’t that something?” while we were admiring the sunrise.
Then there’s the older woman who sits on a bench and meditates with her palms resting on her knees. I think her eyes are closed. She wears glasses. I would love to take a picture of her but I’m not sure if that crosses the line. If I could guarantee her eyes were closed I would just snap.
I just walked past a corner in my house that’s full of boxes. In my head, I had returned them. In reality I printed labels, stuck them on the boxes, and told myself the corner of my house was the UPS store.
Sunday, May 04
The fuckin pigeons! They don’t get out of my way until the wheel of my bike nudges their feathery behinds. I feel like the homeless lady in central park from Home Alone.
I thought George Castanza got to the bottom of pigeons knowing their place with human traffic. Apparently, he did not.
Tuesday, May 05
Today I saw the older lady with the cute hat talking to the Russian sled runner. I almost stopped from the excitement of seeing these two women, who I’ve been observing, interacting. But I didn’t.
I’m in the mood of a fresh tuna salad.
I just ate 3 bowls of leftover pasta.
Friday, May 08
My right elbow is tingling. Is this the end for me?
If I continue to massage it, will the tingling go away?
If I stop baking them, what will I do with my time?
My friend just called me a nerd because I hung up on her to scrapbook.
I’m at the pier now, there’s a man standing here smiling and watching me take pictures. Is he expecting a conversation? Is he expecting directions on how to take good pictures?
I’m doing neither of those things.
I just baked again.
Wednesday, May 13
I just drove past a sign that read,
“Bicycles permitted on the beach path 9am to 5pm ONLY.”
I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that sign.
The older lady with the cute hat just stopped me,
“They made a new rule about bike riders. You can’t be here before 9am.”
I hate her stupid hat.
Today I feel like giving up.
I told Ezzy my right elbow is tingling and feels weird. He has no response.
The massaging hasn’t helped either.
Thursday, May 14
There are police officers everywhere blocking the bike path to the pier.
He’s telling me the elderly people complained about the “bikers whizzing by.”
I’m sure there’s another way to ease the all this worry about the”whizzing” without closing the bike path until 9 a.m.
I feel like my last freedom was just taken away from me.
It’s 3:30 p.m.
It’s 3:32 p.m. Still too early to be drunk?
Friday, May 15
I’m taking action today. I’m writing a letter to express my frustration with this new restriction. I will fight for my freedom!
Dear Mayor of Bal Harbor
I have been bike riding every morning for the last couple of months. I get up early to be on the path by 6:15 am so I can get in some time to myself, so I can exercise and take advantage of this beautiful city.
This past Thursday I was told I can no longer bike on the bike path before 9 am or after 5 pm. The bike path is open between 9 am and 5 pm.
The hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. I am feeding my children breakfast, signing them into their zoom classes, playing with them, preparing dinner, reading with them, feeding them lunch, playing outside, feeding them, coloring with them, feeding them and taking care of them. I can’t bike between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
We are over 2 months into lockdown. Schools are closed, camps are canceled, parks are closed, pools are closed, beaches are closed and now the bike path is only available for me to use when I am home because of all the other consequences of lockdown and isolation.
The morning bike rides are my lifeline. I am sure they are for many people choosing to start their day off with a bike ride and fresh air.
I am reaching out to explain how disappointed I am about this restriction and hoping it can be reversed.
Sincerely,
A mother who is passionate about mental wellbeing during quarantine.
Sunday, May 17
My letter was received and the response was kind but this new restriction isn’t changing any time soon.
How many letters about freedom to bike is considered too many?
Tomorrow is May 18, the day we start to re-open and go back to normal.
My question is, how do we learn to live with Corona when 2 months ago it was the very thing that locked us all away?
designsbychana.com 
Ugh, I didn’t know that about the bike hours. That sucks.
I liked these little snippets. Traveler’s notebook (biker’s notebook?) in digital form. 💗
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Yes! You get it and thank you for reading
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