cars

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Parked Suburban at 26th & St. Paul

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I didn’t have time for a bike ride today, but I did have time for a short walk around the neighborhood, and what did I see? A giant suburban parked in front of a curb cut, over a crosswalk. Riding a bike regularly and also driving and being a pedestrian means I have a sense of sharing roads and sidewalks. This isn’t how we do it. Sigh. Anyway, I miss my bike and won’t get to ride tomorrow either, but that’s because I will be flying to New Orleans. Oh my, but I can’t wait to ride around that city again! See you there!

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Open Car Window in Central City

I was a little anxious about riding my bike this afternoon after yesterday’s literal run-in with that car, but what else can you do but get back on the bike? After a morning spent watching a movie and taking a nap, I aired up my tires and headed uptown to J.’s for a long afternoon brunch with a whole passel of friends and acquaintances. Continue reading →

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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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Flat Tire at Broadway & Willow

I got up early this morning and zipped to school for a final exam. It was warm and breezy, but four hours later when I dragged myself out of Gibson Hall it was downright chilly. I walked my bike over to the cafeteria while complaining on the phone to my old friend S., who has listened to 12 years of complaintapillerring from me. After some work at the office I got back on the bike and headed to Mid-City followed by a stop in the Treme. Thump thump thump. Yeah, that’s my rim back there I feel as I galumph over these potholes. I had a flat and–don’t tell my father–I wasn’t carrying a spare tube, or lever, or a patch kit, or a pump. Fortunately J. had my car and kindly fetched me and my bike and I did my errands by car. Weird. I can’t seem to find my flat tools; I think it’s just that kind of day and that kind of riding. I’ll patch her up tomorrow.

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Parked Cars on a Lawn on S. Lopez Near Esplanade

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I got to get up at 6:30 this morning and ride my bike to work–yes, all of this is happening on a Saturday–to give a final exam. We all sat there dutifully, them scribbling along, me looking busy, for four hours. Sigh. I was tired, but the day was lovely, so I rode over to Mid-City to see R.’s new apartment and then just pedaled around until I found D. on a porch. It’s Jazz Fest time, so everybody is on the porch and watching the crowds roll by. I snapped this picture from a most beautiful porch while D. and M. moved cars around like Tetris pieces. Yeah, I’m glad I took my bike, as were those folks walking the wrong way down Esplanade who could ask me, because I wasn’t locked up in a car, “Where is Jazz Fest?” A couple beers and several conversations later and I was pedaling along empty streets on my way home, smooth and mindless circles. I picked up Bicycling Magazine from home and grabbed a salad on the corner. Colin McEnroe writes, “Look what I’ve accomplished, and I have 14 whole gears I haven’t even touched yet.” Oh my, exactly.

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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 →

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Graffiti at Magazine and Josephine

I had the day off but lots of work to do, so I packed my computer and the first batch of papers to grade for the semester, and rode over to a coffee shop to meet with a smarty pants graduate student. She’s writing a master’s thesis about baseball, gender, race, and U.S. nationalism. It’s good. Anyway, after writing a few things on behalf of one thing or another, I biked back home down Freret, as per usual, but this time to grab my car to pick up J. for lunch and a ride home to the Treme. Continue reading →

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Luckmore Finance at Baronne and Girod

Luckmore Finance at Baronne and GirodI rode my bike down to the Treme tonight for some TV with friends and then a stop at S.’s to meet her delightful friend T., in town for one night only. As I crossed Canal from University Place, I had a first-time experience as a biker in New Orleans. A car was turning right on to Burgundy and stopped short right in front of me. I had to pedal back hard (damn pedal breaks!) and then I just sat there, waiting for the car to move. It didn’t. Continue reading →

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Decaying Car at S. Liberty and Valmont

Broken Down CarIt was a lovely, crisp day in New Orleans today–blue sky, sunny, slight breeze.  I decided to take Freret home from work, but was stymied by a rare event: a bicycle traffic jam.  There were enough bikes on Freret slowing my easy traffic that I went ahead and took South Liberty.  It felt good to be on a different street, sailing along, noticing new houses and new stray cats and new downed trees.  Continue reading →

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Mardi Gras/Saints Minivan on St. Charles

Crazy Car on St. CharlesIt was a beautiful day in New Orleans today, and I rode home from work with Bruce Springsteen’s Tenth Avenue Freeze Out in my ears and the air whizzing around me. These are the kinds of rides that make me thrilled to be alive, and to get to ride a bike. Continue reading →