festivals

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Clouds Over Lake Pontchartrain

We’ve had nothing but blue skies for what seems like weeks, so today’s spluttering rain and clouds were a bit of a rude awakening. I guess at some point we will have days that feel like they belong at the end of October. I hopped on the Surly with hopes for good weather luck and headed down to the Treme for the second half of the football game. Nothing good on this given Sunday, so I hoped the ride afterward would be better. It was. Continue reading →

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Halloween Decorations at State Street & St. Charles

Some day soon I will not be able to start a post talking about how perfect the weather is, but today? Today, the weather was perfect. I headed out in the morning for an appointment and then rode up to campus for lunch with a student and an afternoon of grading and reading and grading some more. The day ended with wine and cheese and L.’s paper and a good discussion. Such a nice day. I pedaled home in the dark along St. Charles and the wind had an extra chill. I stopped to take a picture of this house at State Street. These people are very, very excited about Halloween. Continue reading →

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Beer On Tap Festival at City Park

I got up early this morning and biked over to the Regional Planning Commission’s offices over in Lakeview for bike safety class. I then got to spend the day with other regular bicyclists talking about how to teach other people to ride their bikes safely in traffic (hint: ride with traffic, not against it). I left the workshop wanting to practice my rather dismal bike handling skills so I can confidently execute my avoidance techniques. The bike nerd alert sounding loudly, I practiced taking the lane over to the lake and then along the Wisner bike path back to City Park to meet M. and friends for New Orleans On Tap, a beer festival to benefit the Louisiana SPCA. Continue reading →

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Lutherans Taking a Right at Decatur and Canal

I had a truly lovely day riding my bicycle around town. It’s funny–just a few days riding other places and I feel like I’m tracing New Orleans all over again. The weather was perfect for a ride too–surprisingly mild (i.e. heat index under 100 degrees) and slightly breezy. I rode around, running errands and and going to Jazzercise class. No, really. Jazzercise. Anyway. I zipped happily down to the Treme tonight, listening to a catchy song with a terrible message (or not–depends if I’m feeling generous). Out of town a few days, and nobody told me the Lutherans were back! Continue reading →

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A Line of Bikes at the Bicycle Second Line in Audubon Park

I got up before 7:00 this morning, on a Saturday. This is not something I consider appropriate for a woman of my habits, but today was the big day: the bike rodeo for kids, followed by the bicycle second line in support of the Metro Bicycle Coalition. Continue reading →

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Ship Passing Under the Crescent City Connection

I woke up to a spectacular rainstorm this morning. I moved my car just in time (sort of) and lay about in my apartment listening to the drops pelting my tin roof. It was all very nice and such, but it rained all day yesterday, too, and I needed it slow up so I could ride my bike. I mean, two days without riding in a whole week? I get too itchy too fast for that sort of thing. And New Orleans weather changed it up just in time, as it sometimes does. I hopped on the Surly and headed downtown to the bike shoppe to drop her off for a check up and rode off on a cute little Schwinn rental to check out the scene by the river. Continue reading →

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Beignets at the Hotel Monteleone for the ACLA Conference

I’m not much of a morning person. It isn’t so much that I don’t enjoy the morning–in fact, I’m quite chipper and talkative. But I don’t like rushing. So when I discovered that my panel for the American Comparative Literature Association met at 8 in the morning at the Hotel Monteleone, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, I was not a happy camper. Continue reading →

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Broken Toilet at 6th and Lasalle

Ok, so I probably should have staying in tonight, but I am constitutionally unable to sit on my couch and stare at the TV. I used to be able to do that just fine, but no more; I blame bikes and New Orleans weather. So I took the speedy new bike–currently know around the house as “Maxx EFX”–down to Zeitgeist for a screening of the great movie Salt of This Sea as part of the Patois Film Festival. Continue reading →

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Greyhound Bus Station at Loyola and Pontchartrain Expressway

I was pretty tired from yesterday’s bike ride, but after taking Rhoda up to campus for some work this morning, I got excited to get back on the new bike for another zippy ride, this time downtown to meet D. to head over to Warren Easton High School for opening night of the Patois Film Fest and the documentary film Freedom Riders. I thought I was racing D. on my bike, her in her Mini Cooper, but she informed me that I was the only one racing–not the first time I’ve heard that one. Continue reading →

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610 Stompers at Saints 12th Man Fan Appreciation Party at Harrah’s

Oh, it was a beautiful day today. By force of habit I grabbed a jacket before heading out to work, but I didn’t need it. In fact, by the time I finished a busy day of teaching, meeting with students, and making copies, I was riding home in just a tank top, the sun heating up my back. Oh, man. I love that feeling. Continue reading →