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
New Orleans
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
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
Blue Skies Over the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at Magazine & Josephine
Another parade? Are you serious? I am done with parades for now. I’m in the place of intense relief that carnival is over and things are getting back to normal–I’m doing my dishes, cooking actual meals, folding laundry, and answering emails. I had way too much to do today to go out for yet another parade. Continue reading
Birds in a Tree at Lake Pontchartrain
Five years ago I quit smoking. The first three months were terrible–lots of crying and worrying that I’d be logged on to my support site for the rest of my life and feeling like I’d accomplished some amazing feat by managing to wait 40 minutes for an oil change–how do nonsmokers wait? That seems like a zillion years ago. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 