Today’s ride started off under a clear blue sky with a bright sun–no more frozen precipitation for us, thank you very much. I headed over to C. and P.’s house for a baby shower–congrats, C. and R.!–and then rode down to meet up with a rally some folks organized to stand in solidarity with the people of Egypt. I spotted a crowd on Poydras and headed over with my bicycle to join them. Continue reading
politics
New Orleans Congress of Day Laborers and Allies at the City Council Meeting
Yep, it’s still cold, but I remembered my ear warmer thing-y as I headed out for a day of errand-running and meetings. I locked up my bicycle outside City Hall for the 3pm meeting that promised a vote on an ordinance to limit the size of Orleans Parish Prison. Right now New Orleans incarcerates more people than anywhere else in the state of Louisiana. Louisiana incarcerates more people than any other state in the US. And the United States incarcerates more people than anywhere else in the entire world. In other words, there are more people under the control of the carceral state here in New Orleans than anywhere else in the world. Continue reading
John A. Shaw Elementary School at Music & Law
It has been a long week, so when I was finished with work early, I took the late afternoon to ride my bike around in what continues to be absolutely ridiculously nice weather. I hadn’t ridden the new bike lane on St. Roch Avenue, so I headed there to check out our new bicycle facilities.
I spend very little time in that neighborhood, so I just rode around, checking things out. I turned on Music Street and noticed this school, seemingly abandoned, gutted by fire. I circled around it, waving to the guy standing on the corner, smelling the barbecue wafting on the air, thinking about how this is a neighborhood, but this abandoned school is rotting up the place instead of being alive with kids and playground equipment (there is some–not in usable shape by any means). Continue reading
Speaking Out for Education at First Grace United Methodist Church
Today I got to ride my bike in a skirt and a tank top. Thank you, New Orleans, for giving me another day of summer, in November. I pedaled down to the Bywater to meet J. for a meeting to talk about planning a bigger meeting. And then I headed over to Canal and Jeff Davis to First Grace United Methodist Church, for a the event Post-Katrina Education in New Orleans: A Human Rights Violation. There’s a lot of talk about how education in New Orleans has improved since the takeover of schools by the state and their decentralization through charter schools. There has surely been improvement for some kids, but the picture is just more complicated than that. Continue reading
Audience at the NOLA Book Fair Opening Event at Sound Cafe
Well, the weather has actually turned this time. It is downright cold all of a sudden. I had to wear leggings and a sweater today! Outrageous. As someone who is riding her bike, this means it’s time to get myself some layers–it only takes a few blocks of pedaling before it’s time to take off the sweater. Ugh. Am I the only one who wishes it could be hot and humid all the time? Anyway, I was still looking forward to a ride down the the Marigny for the opening night event of the New Orleans Book Fair. Continue reading
Official Ballot at Austerlitz Street Baptist Church
Hey, hey, it’s election day! My electronical universe was full of people telling me they voted, telling me to remember to vote, telling me that voting is irrational, or pointless, or that it’s all just part of a pageant that makes it seem like we live in a democracy when actually the system is hopelessly broken. Here’s the thing. I believe in democracy. I believe ours is corrupted in lots of ways, for sure. That’s why I’m one civically engaged mofo. Voting is not the beginning and end of democratic ideals or community-building, or figuring out how to live together with people who aren’t like us. That’s a project. This is just voting. Continue reading
Crowds at the Take Back the Night Rally at Loyola
Another work day, another morning ride to campus. And it’s the end of October, so of course I arrived three miles later in my tank top and light skirt, drenched in sweat. Fall in New Orleans… I taught a ridiculous number of classes today, so by the end of it all I was happily relieved and decided to work it out with a couple of laps around the park. The lake was positively alive with bird activity–this time, ducks. I think. Why are there all these teenage ducks in the park right now? Aren’t ducklings born in spring? R.? Do you know? I watched them snack and squawk for awhile and then headed to Loyola’s campus to meet up with folks gathered for this year’s Take Back the Night march and rally. Continue reading
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
Murphy Oil Refinery in Chalmette on E. St. Bernard Hwy
I know I’m a broken record, but I just love riding my bike. I love it. There is nothing like the steady rhythm, rolling along outside, today under this brilliant blue sky, temps in the 70s. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found the bike. Enough gushing. I didn’t ride anywhere yesterday–I took the day off of everything, went to bed early, and woke up after nine full hours of sleep. I felt like a different person, but the same person insofar as I really felt like taking a bike ride. Continue reading
Our Recovery in Progress Sign at Evans Playground at LaSalle and Valmont
It’s the first day of school–one of my very favorite days of the year. I got up early, polished my apple, and hopped on the Surly to meet this season’s new recruits. Three classes and a burrito later and I was back on the bike heading downtown for a stop at the gym, which today was just an excuse to lounge in the steam room. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 