I spent my day writing and reading and watching Shoah, which is the most intense piece of art I have ever seen. That’s all I’m going to say here, except that I can’t believe I’ve never seen it, and I think it should be required viewing, period. I had plans to go to the baseball game tonight, so regardless of the mood I was in, it was time to get on the bike and head over to R.’s for a carpool to Zephyrs stadium. Continue reading
bikes
Poker Night in Mid-City
I spent my morning at home finishing one book and starting another, and then I got to ride my bike over to C.’s house–she just got a bicycle and wanted a little practice with a fellow bicyclist, and I was more than happy to oblige. We rode Uptown for ice cream–a terrific sacrifice on my part–and then back to her place. Then I pedaled slowly around town running errands before meeting up with R. for gelato. My life is so hard. I did some grading and some thinking and some cooking and then it was time to take the bike out to Mid-City for poker at A. and G.’s. Good lord, I love a nighttime bike ride, and Orleans Avenue, you do treat me right. I snapped this picture of my quickly diminishing stack of chips and the thankfully almost-empty bottle of grape wine with citrus spirits. I lost, but it was a most lovely evening, and Orleans awaits. Night riding in the summertime, lucky me.
Shopping For Bikes at Plan B at Decatur & Marigny
Today’s bike ride took me down to the Marigny to meet S. for coffee and some work and a slow page-turning trip through the Gambit’s 12,000th restaurant guide. As I made my way through cold drink #2 and the last 20 pages of a section of the never-ending book, V. walked in to grab a cup of coffee before opening up Plan B, our community-run bike shop. Continue reading
Open Car Window in Central City
I was a little anxious about riding my bike this afternoon after yesterday’s literal run-in with that car, but what else can you do but get back on the bike? After a morning spent watching a movie and taking a nap, I aired up my tires and headed uptown to J.’s for a long afternoon brunch with a whole passel of friends and acquaintances. Continue reading
Bicyclists Riding Over the Broad Street Overpass at I10
I’m not good at riding a bike with other people. I am bad at setting a pace and I’m bad at following a pace, so group rides aren’t my favorite. Also, for me, time on the bike is time to myself to just silently look around and think about stuff or think about nothing, so it took a little something to get me out of bed this morning and onto the bike to meet several hundred other people on bikes for the third annual Bicycle Second Line. Continue reading
Invisible Cyclist at St. Charles & Jefferson
It was already dark when my night school class ended, so I strapped on my safety triangle, turned on my flashing front light, and donned my helmet before pushing off toward home. I was stopped at the light at Jefferson when a cyclist breezed by–no lights, no reflectors, no nothing. I think what cyclists don’t get is that at night, without lights and reflectors, we are invisible. Seriously–absolutely invisible. That’s scary for drivers, and more importantly, for us, because we’re going to lose this battle. A car pulled up next to me at that light, and the driver told me that he could see me clearly with my little slow moving vehicle sign, and that’s good to know. I never see me from the vantage point of a driver coming up from behind, and maybe that’s why so many cyclists don’t bother with any kind of night riding gear–because we don’t imagine that we aren’t being seen. After all, we can see you, so why can’t you see us? Well, they can’t see us. Clip a light on the back somewhere, please.
Flat Tire at Broadway & Willow
I got up early this morning and zipped to school for a final exam. It was warm and breezy, but four hours later when I dragged myself out of Gibson Hall it was downright chilly. I walked my bike over to the cafeteria while complaining on the phone to my old friend S., who has listened to 12 years of complaintapillerring from me. After some work at the office I got back on the bike and headed to Mid-City followed by a stop in the Treme. Thump thump thump. Yeah, that’s my rim back there I feel as I galumph over these potholes. I had a flat and–don’t tell my father–I wasn’t carrying a spare tube, or lever, or a patch kit, or a pump. Fortunately J. had my car and kindly fetched me and my bike and I did my errands by car. Weird. I can’t seem to find my flat tools; I think it’s just that kind of day and that kind of riding. I’ll patch her up tomorrow.
Parked Cars on a Lawn on S. Lopez Near Esplanade
I got to get up at 6:30 this morning and ride my bike to work–yes, all of this is happening on a Saturday–to give a final exam. We all sat there dutifully, them scribbling along, me looking busy, for four hours. Sigh. I was tired, but the day was lovely, so I rode over to Mid-City to see R.’s new apartment and then just pedaled around until I found D. on a porch. It’s Jazz Fest time, so everybody is on the porch and watching the crowds roll by. I snapped this picture from a most beautiful porch while D. and M. moved cars around like Tetris pieces. Yeah, I’m glad I took my bike, as were those folks walking the wrong way down Esplanade who could ask me, because I wasn’t locked up in a car, “Where is Jazz Fest?” A couple beers and several conversations later and I was pedaling along empty streets on my way home, smooth and mindless circles. I picked up Bicycling Magazine from home and grabbed a salad on the corner. Colin McEnroe writes, “Look what I’ve accomplished, and I have 14 whole gears I haven’t even touched yet.” Oh my, exactly.
Open Mic at the Gold Mine Saloon at Dauphine & St. Peter
Oh, that was a long time away from my bicycle! I spend every single day on that thing, and then I had to spend an entire week away–I didn’t properly prepare for that, not at all. I got on my bike this morning and just went ahead and pedaled myself back to myself. The rides from here to there today were just exactly what I needed. Using the bike to move through space, that’s what I do now, and it was good to come home. Continue reading
Blue Sky & Snow in McCall, Idaho
If you met me today, you might think I have always been into bikes, but the truth is, I’ve only been riding regularly for a few years. I can’t really remember what I did before I wanted to ride a bike around everyday, but I vaguely remember that I spent a lot of it smoking. In other words, I have come to ride a bike in New Orleans, where it is flat, flat, flat. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 