things i think about while powerwashing 112

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I don't have much to write about, so I'm going to write about one of the worst decisions I've made recently — paying $10 to bike up 103 blocks. In the snow.

My goal? To bring some groceries for my uncle and aunt who were going to meet me around 97th and then go hang out with them afterwards. And since I have a whole hour, maybe I can just bike up!

As I walked up to the Citibike rack, I already felt my hands getting cold. The sting of the cold area was already on my cheeks and I suddenly had a thought — maybe .. this isn't a good idea? I could see the snow falling. But I was determined — I wanted to bike. It had been a while!

I strapped in the plastic bag of salty fried dumplings and sesame balls into the front cart of the electric Citibike, undocked my trusty steed, and set off towards city hall. I turned right, then right again, then found myself at the start of my foolish and stupid journey.

The first time I wanted to give up was when I realized I hadn't seen the numbered streets yet.

The snowflakes bounced off my glove-less hands as the wind cut across my knuckles. God dammit, I thought. This is so dumb. I saw DoorDash bikers look at me in confusion, and people with real bikes look even more dumbfounded. As I started hitting the numbered streets I felt a little better about my progress, but had another crisis of faith around 34th.

I decided to check back in around 60th.

I reached 60th. I still wanted to quit.

I also had a strange moment of anxiety — I had never been this far up the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway. I saw the West Side Highway rise up and felt very small in that one moment. But I was already 2/3rds of the way through — might as well finish it out.

When I finally reached 97th, I got a little pissed when I realized I had to go up to 101st in order to reach the tunnel required to get back. This portion of the West Side Highway was pretty rife with construction and detours — with one requiring me to bike through a little bit of uncleared slush. Didn't appreciate that!

And so there my journey ended at the 95th street Citibike rack, where I docked my steadfast companion for the last eight miles and as soon as the lock clicked, I got a notification on my phone notifiying me of the end of my ride.

Wow, I though. That is the worst $10 I have spent in New York.

museum of the week

The museum of the week is one that I have been thinking of going to for a while — the International Center of Photography! They had a few exhibits but my favorite one was a more historical one looking at photos of labor throughout the years.

I have always been a fan of black and white photography (and especially film), and I think the way people used to take pictures really lends itself more to the medium. In this day and age where the vibe of the photo seems to be more popular on social media, I really enjoyed the intense focus on the particular subject of the photo showcased by the exhibit. Every photo had a face, a human figure, someone to center the photo around.

But even the landscape ones were visually striking. Take this one of a strike circling in the street outside a meatpacker plant. The pure visual of a group of people walking in a circle next to what looks like an ordinary street is so engaging and intriguing.

Even more striking is this photo of sanitation workers assembling for solidarity, all with the sign "I AM A MAN."

Man, I guess they just don't take photos the same these days?

Highly recommend checking this museum out — watch out for when their community days are because admissions on those days is FREE!

anonymous subscriber news

I am sorry everyone! The link from last week was broken — here is a working one ... again. To answer your question: down jacket and layers! Also I think Minnesota has tunnels you can walk in (depending on your area!).

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• anonymous subscriber is going to minnesota for a work trip, how do I not freeze ????

animal of the week

Well I didn't get any photos of animals this week but esteemed subscriber Ellie Wang got some snow in her area a few weeks ago! Let us all appreciate her little cute snowman.

Send me your animal photos at ryan@torrtle.co!