Bayou St. John

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Hellenic Dancers at Wisner & Robert E. Lee

Another day feeling out of sorts, another day riding the bike to try to reset. I headed out in the heat of the day toward Mid-City to check out Greek Fest on the Bayou–Opa! It is really, really hot out there, so I was a soggy mess by the time I made it through City Park and up the Wisner bike path to Robert E. Lee. I paid my five bucks, filled out my raffle ticket, and wandered in. Continue reading →

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Bicyclists Riding Over the Broad Street Overpass at I10

I’m not good at riding a bike with other people. I am bad at setting a pace and I’m bad at following a pace, so group rides aren’t my favorite. Also, for me, time on the bike is time to myself to just silently look around and think about stuff or think about nothing, so it took a little something to get me out of bed this morning and onto the bike to meet several hundred other people on bikes for the third annual Bicycle Second Line. Continue reading →

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Blue Sky, Clouds, and Power Lines at N. Peters & Bienville

I spent my morning finishing up my book and dismantling furniture for my upcoming move before heading out on the bike for various and sundry social activities in Mid-City. I stopped for a burrito and an afternoon sangria with myself–a favorite Saturday afternoon activity of mine. Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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Row of Blighted Houses at Caton & St. Bernard Avenue

I tried to sit in my office and do work today, I swear. I wrote about three sentences, met with a student, wrote a recommendation letter, and had lunch with R. and chocolate with R. But then I gave in to my senioritis and the 80 degree weather and took the bike out for a ride. It was seriously windy and I couldn’t seem to find a tailwind, so my ride was a heavy pedal in low gear all afternoon. I wasn’t in any kind of hurry, so that worked for me–hill training! Continue reading →

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Clouds Over Lake Pontchartrain

It was warm and lovely out when I left my place early to head to the Bywater for brunch with students. Someone else was paying, so I got myself some praline bacon with the rest of my meal, drank too much coffee, and put extra butter on my biscuit. On my way out I ran in to S. and R. coming in, so I stayed for another round of water and caught up on the rest of their parade night before heading over to Bayou St. John to catch up with D., M., R., and N.–thanks, terrible cell phone service, for keeping us apart last night! Continue reading →

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A Building Reflecting Off the Bayou at Wisner & Harrison

I am just plain exhausted this weekend. I don’t know what it is–maybe five years of looking for a stable job teaching what I love to teach and now that I got one I’m allowing myself to feel how tiring it all is. Or maybe I just need to go to bed earlier. It was hard to peel myself off the couch, but after not riding yesterday, I knew I’d feel better if I just got on the bike. I was right. Continue reading →

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Lighted Tunnel From the City Park Train at Celebration in the Oaks

I woke up at a reasonable hour this morning, tied up this loose end and that loose end while doing laundry, and by 3pm had put the Fall 2010 semester to bed for good. You know what that means? Time to go for a bike ride. I took the Surly out and headed to Lake Pontchartrain via Bayou St. John and City Park. It felt so, so good to ride with nowhere to be at any particular time. Continue reading →