weather

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Blue Sky and Clouds Over Dauphine & Piety

I had a juice date with S. down in the Bywater this morning, so that meant I got to hop on the bike early. I don’t usually see downtown at that time of day, and I swear the light is different. I had trouble deciding on a route. I wanted the speed of St. Charles without the rocky riding I expected on Camp Street in the CBD–they’ve been resurfacing it for repaving–but I decided to risk it, and took Prytania down to Camp. Guess what? Continue reading →

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Storage Center at Howard & Baronne

I feel like it should be fall. It’s mid-September, my courses have been meeting long enough to have their own personalities, and the drugstore is full of Halloween candy. It should be cooling off. But on days like today I am reminded that it’s still hot and humid and sticky. And between you and me, I’m ready for a break from that, just for a minute. After a ride to the office and a stop at home for lunch, I pedaled down to the Quarter to meet S. for popsicles. Continue reading →

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Abandoned U-Haul on Willow and Gen. Taylor

Oh, I had such a busy day today. I was up early, rode the bike to campus, and then just taught, four classes, no time to much other than what I was there to do. How rare is that? Anyway, I was ready to just be home when my last class was out at 5:15, but I had to ride my bike to get there. I wasn’t looking forward to the short 2.5 mile ride, so I decided to change it up by getting off St. Charles and taking Willow downtown instead. Continue reading →

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Empty Lot at Magazine and Andrew Higgins

It was a beautifully sunny day in New Orleans, which meant it was hot, hot, hot, and I was almost instantly drenched in my own glisten after about a block. Yep, some good old fashioned summer bicycling! After an appointment and lunch and then another appointment I headed downtown to the gym, partly for the weights and partly for the air conditioning and cold showers. Continue reading →

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Construction at Monroe and Earhart

I had the afternoon free after meeting my writing goals in the morning, so–surprise, surprise–I took the bike out for a ride. After bzzzzzzzing for Spain with N., I rode over to the Mississippi River levee patch and zipped quickly along with a strong tailwind. Oh, it was so beautiful out there today and the river was running high and the sun was warm and I had nowhere to be. Yeah, it was that sort of day. Continue reading →

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Lemann Pool at Lafitte and Prieur

Oh, I had a most lovely Sunday! I spent the morning finishing a book and then working on my own. Then I lathered on the sunscreen and headed out on the Surly, to the library for a replacement read, then to A.’s yard sale for a blueberry delivery. I rode to Mid-City for lunch and some iced tea and, frankly, some air conditioning. See how long it took for me to remark on the fact that it is incredibly, outrageously, downright filthy hot around here right now? Continue reading →

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Peregrine Falcon Kite With Realistic Wing Flapping Motion at the Fly

It was another hot and humid day in New Orleans, the sun was shining, and S. was still in town, so after riding our bikes to campus for class, we headed over to N.’s for po-boys at Domilise’s and a bike ride to the zoo. Well, Domilise’s was closed unexpectedly, and the zoo’s closed on Mondays, so we grabbed sandwiches at a terrible restaurant and decided to ride over to the levee to look at the Mississippi River. I could look at that river forever. Continue reading →

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Oak Tree and Gray Sky Over Tulane

All that humidity? Yeah, it was a long preamble to today’s downpours. It was sunny and thick when I left for work this morning, but by the time class had let out the streets were ponding with water and I was wishing I’d gotten those fenders on the Surly yesterday. Always tomorrow with the damn fenders! Anyway, I poured the rain out of my helmet and headed to the library to pick up a book I’ve been anxiously awaiting via that magic bit of socialism known as Interlibrary Loan. Continue reading →

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Humidity. So. Much. Humidity.

I am still acclimating. It is really getting hot out there, but more than that, it’s the humidity. The air is so thick. It is so heavy. I swear, it’s like swimming out there. I was running a little bit late on my way to work this morning so I had to pedal hard. Before I even made it a few blocks I was dripping with sweat. Just dripping. I swear, if you’re wearing cotton, wear a size smaller because it gets wet and just hangs. Continue reading →

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Fenced-Off Parking Lot at the New Orleans Mission

It was another hot and muggy early summer day in New Orleans, so I was a bit of a mess by the time I got to campus for class this morning. I dropped off some paperwork with an administrator who told me she wants to ride her bike, but she just can’t stand feeling like, you know–(insert gesture at me)–that. Fair enough, fair enough. But I actually love that warm-all-over feeling you get after a brisk short ride in our thick, sweaty air. Fortunately, I am able to ride, and she doesn’t have to. Continue reading →