I know I’m a broken record, but I just love riding my bike. I love it. There is nothing like the steady rhythm, rolling along outside, today under this brilliant blue sky, temps in the 70s. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found the bike. Enough gushing. I didn’t ride anywhere yesterday–I took the day off of everything, went to bed early, and woke up after nine full hours of sleep. I felt like a different person, but the same person insofar as I really felt like taking a bike ride. Continue reading
Treme
Parking Lot at Loyola & Perdido
Yep, still sick, but today my throat hurt more and I was coughing up grosser stuff and my body was less fatigued, so thankfully I think this means I’m on the mend. (Colds like this remind me how glad I am I quit smoking four years ago–this would go on for the next six weeks if I was still puffing away.) I worked from home and got some rest, but did head out on the bike this evening to meet T., a loyal reader of the blog, visiting from San Francisco. Continue reading
“Confederate Domination” Plaque on a Lamp Post at N. Rampart and Bienville
Today was a good day full of productivity and pep talks and copy machines. After a long day in the new office–it’s beautiful–I headed down to the Quarter for a quick burrito before riding to Mid-City for a bicycle meeting. It felt good to get to pedal some distance today. Man, I really missed my bicycle. I was stopped on the neutral ground waiting for a green light to cross N. Rampart on Bienville when I noticed the plaque on the lamp post. Now, I’ve ridden up and down this street a gazillion times, but lamp posts aren’t necessarily something I’m going to stop and notice. I need the light, not the post. I popped the Surly up on the curb to get a closer look. Continue reading
Lutherans Taking a Right at Decatur and Canal
I had a truly lovely day riding my bicycle around town. It’s funny–just a few days riding other places and I feel like I’m tracing New Orleans all over again. The weather was perfect for a ride too–surprisingly mild (i.e. heat index under 100 degrees) and slightly breezy. I rode around, running errands and and going to Jazzercise class. No, really. Jazzercise. Anyway. I zipped happily down to the Treme tonight, listening to a catchy song with a terrible message (or not–depends if I’m feeling generous). Out of town a few days, and nobody told me the Lutherans were back! Continue reading
Trash Cans and a Chair on St. Claude Between Governor Nicholls and Barracks
It rained all day long again–the outer bands of Alex, I’m told. I moved my car to higher ground (just six feet one way or the other makes a difference on my street) and stayed inside, writing and reading and listening to weather. I finally had to leave the house for a meeting with a student, so I put on the bike shoes and pedaled, figuring moving faster would mean less sogginess in my umbrella-less future. Continue reading
Pink Skies Over Constance and Valence Streets
As I was cycling Uptown in my black dress under the beating sun, struggling a little to breathe in the heat and humidity, I wondered if every blog for the next six months will start with a remark about the weather. Maybe, maybe not, but today it was hot in a whole new way. It was that choking heat, the kind that makes you slow way down, reminds you why everything’s a little slower in the South. Continue reading
Streetlight on St. Claude Between Barracks and Gov. Nicholls
It’s termite season in New Orleans. Sigh. This town has more “seasons” than you can imagine, especially for a place where it’s pretty much just a variation on hot and humid all year round. We’ve got the good seasons: king cake, crawfish, creole tomato. And there are the bad ones: stinging caterpillar (!), termite, and, unfortunately, hurricane. Continue reading
Sunset Over Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on N. Rampart
I spent the day in my neighborhood doing some writing and thinking about after I finished my writing and could get on my bike. My legs were so tired after the weekend that I was a little nervous the ride today would be work instead of play, but I was lucky and found the pedals spinning just fine as I headed Uptown to the office. Continue reading
Bike Parking at the Tour de Lis
I got up early this morning to bike over to City Park for the Tour de Lis. I was a bit sluggish after a lot of riding over the past few days, I’ll admit. My legs are t-i-r-e-d. But it was good to see lots of other folks with fresh-looking legs up early for some loops around the park to raise money for Lance Armstrong’s foundation. The bike parking was tremendous, as you can see in this photo. I also enjoyed the 9:00am chicken pasta washed down with a cold beer. Continue reading
Waiting Out a Rainstorm on Royal and Governor Nicholls
It was another stormy day in New Orleans, but I really, really, really needed to ride my bike. That meant breaking one of my unofficial biking rules that I learned from my dad: never start a ride in the rain. No such choice today, so I put on my quick-dry skirt and raincoat, tied a plastic bag on the fancy leather saddle, rolled up my waterproof pannier (thank you, Ortlieb!,) and headed down to the Quarter to meet S. for dinner before joining other friends for Treme in the Treme. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 