Uptown

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Cement Truck and Workers at Camp and Louisiana

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: commuting by bike means you get to ride your bike every single day, no matter what. I had a lot of stuff to do today, but I got there on my bike, which meant 12 or so miles of spinning along in the sunshine. I started with a ride over to Mid-City to help R. move into her new place (congrats!) followed by a ride to campus to meet with a student and finish up prep for summer school, which starts in two weeks. After a quick stop at the grocery I headed home. My head was busy busy, so on that last couple of miles I tried to get out of my head and really look. There was that all-white house that’s so white it almost glows, a plot of wildflowers (though I guess they’ve been domesticated if they’re living in a yard), a clump of bright orange gerber daisies, that boat (do you think it ever sees water?), and then, as I crossed Delachaise on Camp, this cement truck and a whole bunch of workers making the rust-colored cement smooth as ice in that massive driveway. Why is a cement truck unloading cement that’s spread like frosting so satisfying? This morning when I rolled out they were lacing the ground with steel, and by the time I had dropped my groceries and met with my writing group the place was all done and a little boy was hanging out and getting the skinny from the workers on the big project. I guess I’m not the only one who wants to watch.

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Multi-Use Path at Audubon Park

Today was another long, 14 hour Monday, so my only ride was my commute to campus for three classes and the last meeting of my wonderful faculty seminar–I will miss my colleagues there, for sure. I will also miss my super-smart seminar students, so today’s last class meeting was bittersweet. I have had great students at Tulane–curious, smart, creative–just a pleasure to learn with, for sure. After that last class I needed to work out the feelings of saying goodbye to the majors (I’m moving on to a new job in Baltimore at the end of the summer), so I headed to Audubon Park for a few spins before my research seminar. Continue reading →

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A Frog in an Uptown Yard

It was blustery today–New Orleans hill training–so I spent my commute playing with gears and working to stay upright. In commuting news, that abandoned vehicle is still there with its warning sticker, and I wouldn’t be surprised to pass it for many weeks. That deep pothole on the downtown side of St. Charles right before Napoleon is just getting deeper. Continue reading →

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Warehouse Door at Laurel & Bordeaux

I spent another hermit-like day inside, watching baseball, reading the Times book review, and fantasizing about my reading lists. I didn’t feel motivated to do anything at all, but I did happily pry myself off my couch to head Uptown for L.‘s birthday party at the cigar bar. Continue reading →

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Mary Gray and a Giant Powerpoint Presentation at Tulane

Today’s ride was nothing but the commute, and the workday was long. I taught three classes with a short lunch break, which I used to eat both potato soup and mashed potatoes in the Faculty Dining Club. After my seminar I headed to dinner with some professors, a student, and tonight’s guest speaker. Continue reading →

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Hornets vs Grizzlies From Section 318

I am feeling so much better. Today I actually felt like myself again–the self I like hanging out with. I happily got on my bike and headed up to campus to meet with students and do a little grading. After a quick stop at home and an early dinner with R. I headed down to New Orleans Arena for the Hornets game, locking up to a kick-ass rack right by the doors. Continue reading →

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Early Cat’s Claw Blooms On a Shed on Saratoga & Foucher

I am still not feeling well. I’m so, so bad at being sick–I tend to just pretend I’m fine and go about my business and hope the cold or the flu or the whatever just disappears. The first time I dislocated my shoulder I remember pleading with my hosts to just take me home so I could ice it–I don’t want to be any trouble! But I’m just going to admit it. It might be allergies, it might be a cold, it might be some other throat thing, but whatever it is, I’m tired and worn out. Continue reading →

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Azaleas in Front of Gibson Hall at Tulane

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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.

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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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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 →