Ok, the weather is just ridiculous in New Orleans right now. I got up early, read for a bit, and then took the bike out for a ride. After a couple hours of grading at the coffee shoppe I pedaled out with no destination. I headed toward the Lower 9th but was thwarted by the bridge up at the Industrial Canal. Wait, wait, wait, and then wait a little bit more, and then I was zipping around, trying to trace as many newly-paved roads as possible. Continue reading
Twilight at Easton Park at St. Peter & N. Lopez
Today’s ride took me up to campus for class, which was awesome, because the writer of the book we’re reading came and answered all our questions. How great is that? After getting some work done in the office and stopping at home to rest and read another book, I got back on the bike and headed down to Bayou St. John for the first meeting of volunteers for this April’s Patois Human Rights Film Festival. Continue reading
Azaleas in Front of Gibson Hall at Tulane
I had one of those incredibly long days at work, 9-9, but I had a couple hours between daytime and nighttime events and spent one of them doing laps around Audubon Park. Pedal, pedal, pedal, it was just what I needed. I rolled back in to campus and stopped to take a picture of the azaleas spread out across the main entrance. That’s some wild color out there, my friends. It’s all over the city. This place is beautiful right now. When I finally headed home it was too dark to see the color, but every once in awhile, a little jasmine.
Super Sunday Crowds at Washington & Freret
It’s the first day of spring today, and it is also the closest Sunday to St. Joseph’s Day, which means in New Orleans that today is Super Sunday. This is the day that most of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes from all over the city come together to parade through Central City and then gather in the park, displaying their suits and rehydrating after marching in the heat wearing up to 150 pounds on their backs. After getting a little of this and a little of that done, I hopped on the bike and headed out to meet S. for an afternoon with the rest of the city to loiter, linger, and look. Continue reading
The Moon Over Downtown New Orleans From the Jeff Davis Overpass
See that glowing orb in the upper left of this picture, above the building and across from the crane? No, not the glowing rod that is the Falstaff apartments but the circle. Yeah, that’s the moon. It was very big and very bright tonight. I watched it rise from the horizon above the rooftops Uptown. I rode my bike and stopped at the highest point in New Orleans (to me): the Jeff Davis pedestrian overpass, passing over I10 to snap this photo and stare at the giant moon (and I was not the only one doing that tonight). Continue reading
Graffiti at Washington & Gayoso
I wasn’t planning on going out tonight, but when M. asked if anyone was watching basketball games outside with beer, I jumped on board (and partly so I could go ride my bike in this beautiful spring weather). I took the Surly and headed over to the bar in Bayou St. John, and the pedaling felt so easy and smooth, just like I like it. Continue reading
Tulane VS Southern in the Women’s NIT at Fogelman Arena
Today’s bike ride was a short one, but it took me somewhere good: up to campus to see the Tulane women’s basketball team take on Southern in the first game of the NIT. I love watching sports, and college basketball tourney time is one of my favorites (in spite of my qualms about college sports, but that’s for another time). And for six bucks I could get a little taste of some live basketball action–big win! I snapped this picture halfway through the second half, when Tulane was up by 30. Yeah, it wasn’t even close, and I’m sure that had something to do with all the knee braces on those Lady Jags. Oh, and perhaps the smothering defense of the Green Wave. Something else entirely was happening in the case of the bands, however. If I’d been playing in the Tulane band, I’d have been peeing in my pants. After the game I rode home, made a quick stop at N.’s for a nightcap of basketball, and was grateful for the cool nights of spring. Here’s hoping there are many more.
Empty Stage at Southern Repertory Theater at Canal Place
I have a long history of insomnia, which means I’m quite adept at dealing with it, but that doesn’t mean after a few days of it I’m not tired. So yeah, today I was tired. My commute to campus felt twice as long and my legs were heavy and slow. The students were game, though, so classes went well as they picked up my slack. After writing this rec letter and reviewing that honor’s thesis, I was finally ready to bike home and take a quick nap before getting back on my bike and heading down to the theater for Intríngulis at Southern Rep where I would bartend for my ticket. Continue reading
Blighted Building at Bernadotte & Baudin
I spent the day working from home on the endless revisions of this endless article, and after a lovely chat with the lovely R. who stopped by to recount yesterday’s victorious master’s thesis defense–yay!–it was time to take the bike out. I headed toward the lake ISO pelicans on this perfectly sunny spring day. I needlessly worry sometimes that that 20 mile loop will ever get old, so today I took a left after I rolled off the Jeff Davis overpass and rode around Mid-City for a bit, figuring I’d end up at the lake at some point. Continue reading
White Herons Building Nests in Audubon Park
As I was riding my bike up to campus today for the first day back from spring break, I kept thinking about the gazillion people who don’t commute by bike. You are really missing out, people. It feels so good to get some energy out and pedal to work first thing in the morning. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 