I spent the day working from home and didn’t feel much like going anywhere, but by 5:00, I was feeling jumpy and decided to just get on the bike a ride to the grocery store. Once I was on the bike and pedaling, what usually happens happened, and I ended up taking a longer ride around town. I take the same main routes all the time, so today I decided to head out on my route to Bayou St. John but to just keep going instead of taking that right. Pedal, pedal, pedal, and I was at the end point of a different route–guess there’s more than one way to get there. 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
Pumps at Orpheum Avenue & Hammond Highway
I woke up early to see if I was feeling any better, and I was, which meant a long bike ride was in order. As I lay there wondering when I’d take it, R. called to see if I might want to ride my bike to brunch this morning. Perfect plan! I hopped on my bike and headed out into perfect early autumn weather; feeling more and more human by the pedal. After a positively lovely breakfast, R. and I parted ways, and I meant to go do some work. But then I was riding again, and I just didn’t want to stop. Continue reading
Parking Lot at Loyola & Perdido
Yep, still sick, but today my throat hurt more and I was coughing up grosser stuff and my body was less fatigued, so thankfully I think this means I’m on the mend. (Colds like this remind me how glad I am I quit smoking four years ago–this would go on for the next six weeks if I was still puffing away.) I worked from home and got some rest, but did head out on the bike this evening to meet T., a loyal reader of the blog, visiting from San Francisco. Continue reading
Perfect Weather Uptown
I got on my bike to head out for an appointment this morning and faced the same perfect conditions we’ve had all week: sunny skies, temps still in the 70s, that perfect light. Oh, it is perfect weather for bike riding. But as I pedaled I realized that it’s true: I have a cold. Nothing serious, but that kind of cold where the back of your throat feels gummy and your ears are itching and your head is heavy and you are just plain tired. Nope, no long ride in this perfect weather for me–I rode home, made a few detours for errands, and then stayed in to rest. Because I checked the weather report–nothing but suns for the next ten days. I need my energy, because I’m going to need to ride that weather, like I wanted to today. Get out there, people. This won’t last.
Upward Bound Tulane University Sign at Broadway & Plum
My Wednesdays are crazy busy and this one had a couple of bumps that made it particularly long, so by the time I stumbled out of the office at 6:30 I wasn’t exactly looking forward to getting on the bike. But then I felt the air–cool–and clipped in and was off, tonight to Bayou St. John for dinner with T., T., and N. I stopped quickly, though, to take a picture of this sign at Broadway and Plum. I mean, the thing is seriously proud of itself. Continue reading
Blue Sky and Shrine at First & Dryades
It was an absolutely perfect day to ride a bicycle in New Orleans. The cold front they’d been promising all weekend blew through last night, leaving us with crispy autumn air and shiny blue skies. I headed to campus on my bike in the morning–and it was actually kind of chilly! A few quick blocks and the chill was gone, though; in spite of what many folks said to me today, it isn’t quite fall. After work I pedaled through Central City on my way to the post office, only to find that it closes at 4:30, so my 4:40 arrival sent me down Dryades to the main branch at Loyola and Girod. Continue reading
Satellite Dishes and Overgrowth at Piety and Chartres
I didn’t ride my bike yesterday. I didn’t do much, actually, other than walk to the grocery store for cat food, sour cream, and lettuce and then watch TV. It was the perfect lazy reset kind of day. I got up this morning and did some reading and writing and looking at work I didn’t want to look at and figuring out what to do about it. After the game I took my frustrations out on my bicycle, pedaling as fast as I could to K.’s house for a meeting. That meeting had its own frustrations, so I headed down to the Bywater afterward to meet R. at W.’s house. Continue reading
Blue Sky and Clouds Over Majestic Mortuary at O.C. Haley & St. Andrew
I checked the weather before I left the house for a quick ride downtown, and it looked like some clouds, slight chance of rain, so no worries, right? I headed out to meet a sky that was half dark clouds and half that perfect blue. I stopped to take this photo when I turned onto O.C. Haley at St. Andrew. Yeah, rain was following me. It caught up with me at City Hall, where I stopped to do a little early voting (Saturday, people–get to the polls!). I went in under these same half-and-half skies but came out to torrents of rain. We needed it. I pedaled on under the spits that follow a storm, stopping at the gym and then heading to the Treme for a night an evening with friends. I rode back Uptown in cool(ish), humid air. Delightful.
Moon Over the I10 From the Jeff Davis Overpass
See that glowing dot in the background there? Yeah, that’s the moon. I first saw it as I picked up the Jeff Davis bike path at Washington as I rode to Mid-City for a meeting. I pedaled faster, in time to the music, thinking the view would be pretty good from the top of the highest hill I’ve found in NOLA–the I10 overpass. I actually lost the moon when I got up there. I looked behind me–no dice. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 