I spent my early afternoon like everyone else in New Orleans–watching the Saints lose a heartbreaker to the Ravens. I spent the game half watching/half planning Baby’s First Solo Camping Trip. This little trip is going to need a camp stove, so after the game I hopped on the Surly and headed over to the sporting goods store to do some shopping. Continue reading
personal
A Fork in the Road at Baronne & MLK
A couple weeks ago my chirping chain finally impelled me to go pick up some new chain lube. I headed to the bike shoppe on Frenchman and walked into a crowd of those bike shop guys–the ones who drink cheap beer, ride expensive bikes, and would totally be friends with Kevin Bacon if this were Quicksilver. Somebody in here was about to sell me some seriously high class chain lube, and I was in the mood to be sold. Continue reading
Small Group Work at Tulane On the Last Day of Classes
Ok, I kind of can’t believe it, but apparently it is already the last day of classes for the fall semester. How did it go by so quickly? I put on most of what I have in my closet (I am seriously terrible at dressing for cold weather), hopped on the bike, and thought about what to say to the students, pedaling up St. Charles for the zillionth time, a ride where I do much of my class planning. I love the last day of class almost as much as the first day. Continue reading
A Satsuma On a Tree at East Drive & Patton
After yesterday’s 80 degree day, the weather positively turned this morning. Big clouds, thunder, rain, and a good 25 degree drop. It’s a good thing I’ll ride in anything, because my car is in the shop and I have places to be. I did the usual rides–down Prytania for a doctor’s appointment, up St. Charles to the office, but by the time my day was over, I was itching for something else. I rode through the park in daylight to see what the fountains look like not all lit up. The path was surprisingly empty, so I just pedaled against the wind until I hit the zoo, where I did a loop to see if maybe I could see some zoo animal heads poking over the fences. Continue reading
Festive Hat at Opening Day at the Fairgrounds
It’s Thanksgiving and I woke up thankful for many things. I am thankful for my sister, who googleyvideochatted with me first thing on this holiday morning and let me show her my cats, for whom I am also eternally thankful. I am thankful for another 80 degree day with plenty of sunshine but just enough clouds to keep me cool for a bike ride. I am thankful that a few years ago I figured out that it’s going to take about 20 minutes to get there–I can either sit in a car, frustrated at all the other cars, or I can get on a bicycle and flyyyyy through the air via my own little legs pedaling in rhythm (I’ve decided to go with the latter). Continue reading
Commuting Down St. Charles
I’ve been out of town for a few days for a conference, catching up with old friends and new, which means I haven’t been riding my bike. In fact, I was off my bike for four whole days. Four whole days. I can’t remember the last time I went that long without pedaling. I was looking forward to getting home and taking a nice long ride, but the airplane gave me some kind of sick, the kind that makes you feel out of balance and nauseated and weak. Sadly, that’s not the kind of sick I feel like riding through. Today’s ride, then, was confined to the commute, but even that was a relief. My cadence feels like coming home, so I let myself spin along, concentrating on the rhythm, happy to be back in New Orleans.
Clear Instructions on a Conference Table at Tulane
Some days you just ride your bike to work, teach all day, really hard stuff, hear really hard stories, and try to balance all the feelings that come out on a day like this one. And then you bike across campus to a faculty seminar and stare at the cup in front of you, wishing teaching days like this one came with better instructions, like this tea bag. “Pull tag to release string.” Thank you for just telling me how to do it. These no-answer days are rough. And that’s when you’re grateful that you get to ride your bike home as hard as you can listening to this song and that, because they have beats that feel how it feels when you’re angry and frustrated that things don’t really seem to change all that much. Pedal, pedal, pedal, thank you, bicycle, for being at the beginning and end of every day.
Sore Legs Pedaling Down St. Charles
And then sometimes your body is just tired, and your legs feel sore from joint to joint, and you pedal home slowly, looking forward to taking a load off.
Pink House at Eleanor & St. Charles
I woke up early this morning and got right to work before heading up to campus on my bike. Pedal, pedal, pedal–it was good to get the kinks of yesterday’s long ride out of the legs. I had such a long day, but it was one of those long days that just feels worth it. It had a little bit of everything: challenging classrooms, a hint of completion, genuine intellectual stimulation, and a really good salad. Continue reading
Flowering Tree Near Newcomb Hall at Tulane
It was yet another beautiful early fall day in New Orleans. I hopped on the bike to head to school early, and the air was just a teensy bit cool–perfect. I taught and taught and lunched and taught and by the end of the day I had a really impressive headache lodged behind my left eye. Ugh. I did not feel like doing anything but lying around in the dark, but I got on my bike and headed down to the gym. Then I discovered I’d left work I needed at the office. Sigh. Monday on Wednesday. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 