It is springtime in New Orleans again. Every time I think it’s time to swap out summer clothes for winter, we get another temperate day like today, perfect for a bike ride with no destination. I hopped on the Surly and headed downtown, only to run into a holiday parade. A parade! I love a parade. This was a short one, but it featured stilt walkers, the McDonough 35 band, dancers, and, of course, Santa Claus. Continue reading
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
Abandoned Public Housing at Mazant & Law
I was feeling a little out of sorts today, which is almost always a sign that it’s time to take a bike ride, so that’s what I did with my late afternoon, and yep, that’s exactly what I needed. The bike ride never fails to either get me out of my head or let me settle into it, depending on what I need. I first rode over to the JJPL offices to drop off a check to W. in exchange for his presentation to my students about gender, youth, and prisons in New Orleans. After chatting a bit, I zipped downtown to the St. Claude bike lane where I could pedal in rhythm (except for all those trucks parked in the bike lane–sigh). I took a left and tooled around the upper ninth, stopping at Mazant and Florida to snap a picture of this public housing, abandoned, like much of this neighborhood, covered in graffiti, behind barbed wire fencing. 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
Lighted Fountain at Audubon Park
We’ve got some wild weather in New Orleans right now, so I put on a tank top and tossed a rain jacket and a wool sweater in my panniers and headed to work. It was windy, that kind of wind that buffets you around as you maintain an unusually firm grasp on the handlebars. I pedaled as fast as I could, dancing to a song, working up a hot sweat when only a few days ago I declared a welcome to winter. Oh well. Continue reading
Cars Gathering for the Lady BuckJumpers Second Line at Fourth & LaSalle
I finally emerged from my grading retreat and got on the bike this afternoon to head downtown for a quick trip to the gym with J.–our last together as she moves onward and upward to NYC. I took my regular route up Louisiana to LaSalle/Simon Bolivar. That smooth asphalt and those wide, empty lanes through a friendly neighborhood make it my route of choice. Oh, but it’s Sunday, and that means it’s second line time. Continue reading
Justin Bond & Nath-Ann Carrera at the Allways Lounge
Alright, alright, fine. It’s not summer anymore–all of the sudden New Orleans is back in the deep freeze. After a long morning waiting for the rain to stop, I left the house on the Surly to head down to the Treme to help J. pack for her move to NYC–a bittersweet task indeed. I was dressed all wrong. I mean, mesh tights let the air in, the thin layering t-shirt is alright, but only if you layer, and the rain jacket is good if it’s raining, but not so much when it’s going to drop below 45 degrees when it’s time to ride home. Biggest lesson learned, though? Wear gloves. 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
Great (or Grey) Heron at Lake Pontchartrain
I finally felt better today, which meant it was time for a bike ride. New Orleans is treating us to 80 degree weather in late November, so lucky me hopped on the Surly and headed to the lake. After getting stuck in a series of cul-de-sacs over near Lakeshore–that’s what happens when they close my route for levee construction–I finally made it to Lake Pontchartrain, where I sat, listened to the wind, ate a banana, and felt thankful for my health and a most perfect afternoon. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 