It was a perfectly beautiful day in New Orleans–slightly cool, slightly breezy, clear as a bell. I hopped on the Surly, clipped in, and zipped up to work. Man, there is just nothing like riding that bike, skirt flying in the breeze. It reminds me, every time, just how perfect the bicycle is. I mean, it’s such a simple machine. I just move my legs up and down in a circle, and I’m really speeding. I feel it especially when passing pedestrians–man, they’re moving slowly. Every once in a great while I’ll walk (like if I have a flat…), and I’m reminded that what I see every day is what I see on a bike; walking gives whole different views. Slowing down means seeing things very, very differently. But I want to be on my bike, so that’s where I was this afternoon when out running those annoying errands of daily life. I stopped at the corner of Louisiana and St. Charles to take a picture of this giant crane reaching in to the sky. I couldn’t even get the whole thing in frame. They are breaking ground on a bank branch here. I assumed the proposed bank was a remnant of pre-Katrina life since the “Future Home of ____” sign had been up since I moved here over two years ago. But no, the bank is coming. I thought to stop and snap a picture when I remembered waking up to the gentle crash-pings coming from this machine this morning. I don’t even like all that close to the site, but that’s one loud earth-moving machine. Some folks like the looks of construction under way, especially in places like this one, but they don’t usually have to hear it, too. I’ll be listening to the slow and steady clank for weeks, I suppose. Best train my attention elsewhere. Hope I can do it on my bike.