I only had energy for commuting today, so my bike ride just took me up to work and back, workaday pedaling, just trying to get there and back. As I rode up to my house I noticed this new addition of gravel to the front of the place, in that netherworld between street and sidewalk. Not to get too deep or anything, but whoa, that’s a seriously liminal space. Continue reading
Blue Sky and Clouds Over Dauphine & Piety
I had a juice date with S. down in the Bywater this morning, so that meant I got to hop on the bike early. I don’t usually see downtown at that time of day, and I swear the light is different. I had trouble deciding on a route. I wanted the speed of St. Charles without the rocky riding I expected on Camp Street in the CBD–they’ve been resurfacing it for repaving–but I decided to risk it, and took Prytania down to Camp. Guess what? Continue reading
Cool Breeze Uptown on St. Charles Ave.
Sometimes I work a really, really long day, like non-stop-for-fourteen-hours long day, and the last thing I want to do is think about what I’m seeing riding my bike around today. I just want to be home watching the Saints with a beer and leftovers. But then I get on my bike and get in a rhythm and the streets are dark and empty and the air is actually cool. And then I’m glad I’m not at home on the couch, happy to be alone on my bike for 20 minutes so the long day can just drift away. Yeah, that’s what I saw riding my bike around today.
Train Crossing the Huey P. Long Bridge
I had a thoroughly delightful Sunday, grading papers, reading, looking through job ads, working on my professional website, and when I finished up my work, I was most definitely in the mood for a long bicycle ride. I made a few tiny adjustments to my brakes and headed out to the levee, wanting to just pedal without monitoring the conditions of the pavement. The sun was just starting to go down, the weather was noticeably cooler than it has been, and I just let my legs get into that spinning rhythm with a song on repeat. Continue reading
Trees on Zachary Taylor Near Pan-American Stadium in City Park
Today didn’t go as planned, and it took me a lot longer to get out on my bicycle for a ride than I’d wanted, but that’s how things go sometimes. I put on my new prescription sunglasses–I can already see why they designed those wrap-around shades–and headed out to see the lake. I headed out Jeff Davis on my way to City Park and picked up the Bike Route signs at Bayou St. John. There are a lot of new bike/walk paths in New Orleans, but I am terrible with maps, and as soon as it’s folded up, I’ve forgotten everything anyway. Continue reading
Storage Center at Howard & Baronne
I feel like it should be fall. It’s mid-September, my courses have been meeting long enough to have their own personalities, and the drugstore is full of Halloween candy. It should be cooling off. But on days like today I am reminded that it’s still hot and humid and sticky. And between you and me, I’m ready for a break from that, just for a minute. After a ride to the office and a stop at home for lunch, I pedaled down to the Quarter to meet S. for popsicles. Continue reading
Serious Warning on a House at Willow & Gen Taylor
I woke up early and worked all day long, putting on a show for classroom after classroom. After lunch was when I really started to plan my afterschool. Buzzing in the background of the rest of the day was, “bike, gym, steam room, bike, leftover chili, T-flippin’-V.” And when the day was done, well, that’s what I did. I rode down Willow to avoid traffic and stopped to take a picture of this house on Willow and Gen. Taylor with a stern warning out front: “IF YOU GO IN AND I SEE YOU I WILL KILL.” Continue reading
Pumpkin Display at the Whole Foods on Magazine & Arabella
Yesterday was a rough one and I found myself completely wrung out today. I worked from home, grading papers, working on an article, doing laundry, reading for pleasure. I didn’t think I’d get out on the bike at all, but after finishing up all my tasks for the day, I thought I’d reward myself with a short ride to get some frozen yogurt. As always, the second I pushed off on the Surly I was glad to be pedaling. Continue reading
Zion Travelers Second Baptist Church at Laurel & Peniston
I woke up early this morning, an hour earlier still than up “early,” in fact. My cats were engaged in a face off with the neighborhood dogs through my windowed door, and Sully, my talkative cat, came to tell me all about it. We then engaged in our easy morning routines–Little, my quiet cat, rubbing her face against my pillow, Sully pacing until there’s food in the bowl, Little making biscuits while I read, Sully laying out on her side with her head in some crazy contortion, looking more peaceful than I can ever imagine feeling. La dee dah, they followed me around as I brushed my teeth, ate breakfast (Sully has to sniff everything), and stared at me as I wheeled the bike out (to dog territory) and headed to work. Continue reading
Cyclist Using the St. Claude Bike Lane at St. Claude and Press
The weather report promised a 100+ degree heat index, so I was a little anxious when heading downtown for a quick Saturday afternoon bike ride, but oh, the difference some clouds make! I headed down to the St. Claude bike lane to take some pictures for D., who will be talking about our fancy bike lane at a conference this weekend. Dodging Ole Miss fans wasn’t easy, but I made it to St. Claude and Press and set myself up to snap some photos. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 