I had a long day at work today–teaching, meeting with students, grading, writing schoolmarm-y emails and glowing recommendation letters–and by the time it was over I was ready to just get home and put the heating pad on my neck. But first, PARADE! Continue reading
parades
(Seemingly) Drunk King Arthur at 6th & St. Charles
*REVISED*
I woke up early this morning and remembered that there were more parades. More parades! If you can’t tell, I love this time of year. I made myself sit down and do some work before it was parading time, so I walked over to the coffee shop, graded some papers, and bounced up and down in my seat until it was time to head home, grab the bike, and get to C. and P.’s for the first parade of the day–Krewe of Carrollton. Continue reading
Krewe of Pontchartrain Riders at 6th & St. Charles
Oh, my legs are heavy today! Two days of long rides and a sunburn (antibiotics+sun=no good) have left me exhausted, but that certainly doesn’t mean I’m going to miss a daytime parade on the first weekend of Mardi Gras. Please. I considered walking, but a bike is faster, so I put the bike in a low gear and headed over to find C. and P.’s corner where I always know I’ll find healthy bead competition. Continue reading
St. Mary’s Academy Maryites Marching Band at 6th & St. Charles
I woke up this morning with parading on my mind. Which meant I couldn’t really concentrate on anything, so after trying and failing to get some work done, I took the bike out to work out some nervous pre-Mardi Gras jitters. The sun was shining bright, the skies were clear, and I was flying through neighborhoods, feeling incredibly happy. Continue reading
Parade at Magazine & Nashville
I felt inexplicably exhausted after teaching today, so my ride today was nothing but the commute. After a long afternoon working in the office, I put my heavy legs on the bike and headed to the grocery store for a couple things. As I came up on Magazine from Nashville, I saw a parade coming down the street. A parade! Oh, that’s right–it’s Mardi Gras! Continue reading
Dr. King Charter School Marching Band on N. Villere & St. Anthony
It was a positively beautiful Saturday in New Orleans and I spent much of it on my bicycle, riding around–surprise, surprise. I headed to campus to get a little work done in my office, and as I was leaving to enjoy the ride, I discovered a flat tire. When will I learn to carry an extra tube? The puncture was incredibly small, and I couldn’t find it, and the sinks in the public restroom didn’t have stoppers, which meant I was doomed to lose my dignity and stick my hands and the tube in the toilet. Sigh. Continue reading
Red VW in the Oktoberfest Parade on Bourbon Street
I watched the Saints game while doing a little revising at home, and when we won, I decided to hop on the bike and head out to see how folks were celebrating. I passed a bunch of Saints-clad bicyclists going the other way–why anybody drives to the game, especially in weather like this, I just don’t understand. Anyway, I think I might have been the only sober person in a many block radius, so I got off my bike and headed to Bourbon Street to get up close and personal with some drunks. Continue reading
Grabbing for Beads at the NFL Kickoff Parade at Poydras & Tchoupitoulas
What a weird day! I rode my bike to campus for a little of this and a little of that and lunch with a friend. By the time we were done eating, the sky had opened up and was dumping 2.5 inches of rain on Uptown. It was crazy! I hitched a ride back to school and waited it out before fetching my bike and heading downtown. I don’t know if you heard, but there was a football game tonight. I was going to avoid the pregame parade, still haunted by the visceral memory of the outrageous crowds at the last Saints parade, but come on, it’s a parade! Can’t miss a parade. Continue reading
Flotilla Emergency Protest at Conti and N. Peters
The sun was out and I had the day off and my old friend S. was in town for a visit and I’ve got extra bikes–perfection. I took the Surly and he took the Specialized, and we headed out on a tour of my favorite asphalt in New Orleans: Simon Bolivar, the new and improved Loyola, Canal, Chartres, those three blocks of Magazine by the WWII museum, and Constance. We do have some good streets in town–you just have to ride around until you find them (or check out the fantastic work by NOLACycle–thanks for the maps!). On our way we made some stops, the first for the Flotilla Emergency Protest in support of Palestine. Continue reading
Miniature Ponies, a Pig, and Two Bunnies in the Chris Owens Easter Parade
It’s Easter Sunday in New Orleans, so you know what that means–parades! I was positively exhausted today, in that way that burning the candle at all ends tends to leave a girl. But once I was out of bed, I put on a pretty dress and some make up and hopped on the Surly to meet friends for yet another celebration in the French Quarter. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 