Great Weather , Great Ride.

Spent last Sat and Sun in the Quarter, it's amazing the sights you see, the sounds you hear and the odors you smell. Did 35 miles Sat and 30 Sunday. Preparing for the Tour De Lis on May the 8th, it's a charity tour to raise money for cancer research. Since Marie and I are both Cancer survivors, I try to support cancer research and the pink stuff for the ladies. I usually take West Napoleon to Metairie Road to Canal St to the Quarter, not many miles , I make my miles on the way home, traveling along the Lake, to Kenner or from the Quarter to Audubon Park the River to Williams then home. I was amazed on Royal St three red suit clad gentlemen were
trying their best to do wop, they were ok but I wouldn't look for them on American Idol. They had their official panhandlers bucket out for all that tourist money. I haven't seen one of those 3 gallon buckets half full yet. All the nuts that color themselves silver and gold were out standing still , mime rejects. The weather was great , the sights phenomenal, and the high was perfect. I stopped and sat on the River bank a while an just watched the people go by, naturally I had to concoct a life story for each one, it's my job. When one of the twelve versions of Little Wing (Hendrix) is playing on my MP3 the world is nothing but insight, it's all thought , I'm overtaken by the music, my senses reach out and touch every thing around me, I become where I am, I'm not in the Quarter I am the Quarter. That's how I felt when I was 16 years old down here I wasn't here I was . Saw some kink of stuffed bird hawking drinks and playing the scrub board. Got me excited almost made me want to drink (not). I'm always interested in tattoos, don't have one, never will, I wonder what motivates someone to put on a permanent mark, I change too much for that, anyway this lady had 2 on her back, I couldn't figure out what they were until I got home and blew up the pics, looks like 2 angel wings, is it dichotomy or irony, not sure. Took a self portrait on the Washington Artillery Memorial , a kid on roller blades ask me if he could take my pic with my camera for me, I looked all over my jersey and couldn't find a name tag that said stupid, so I declined, he was on roller blades. If you've ever wondered what happened to Rin Tin Tin he's selling dogie treats on Royal Street. Hemingway would have cursed him. I wanted to throw in some pictures of the River nice and brown before the oil disaster ruins it. and the final photo is the blimp attacking the St Louis Cathedral, those anti Catholics don't know when to stop. No actually it a blimp over the Jazz Fest a few blocks away.
I usually ride around the Jazz Fest and listen to a little music but this year my Kevlar vest was in the dry cleaner. And who wants to hear Pearl Jam anyway. It's not like , Hendrix, or Joplin, or
the Animals , or Country Joe and the Fish are playing. Little Wing has words, it's a beautiful song, there are 147 versions on I tunes,. all different . Stevie Ray Vaughn has the Best instrumental version and Jenn Adams has the best vocal version, there's even a oriental version.
I doubt that Hendrix knew what a masterpiece he left behind. Imagine if you can your only 3 inches tall and your sitting in a lawn chair on my head while I'm riding , that's what it feels like to me, I'm a traveler on myself. it's a high worth reaching for . I didn't get to ride much this weekend but I'll have fresh legs for the Tour De Lis. I'll ride Mon , Tues, wed and Thur nights,
take off Fri and ride out to the race Saturday morning and count the ride home in my distance, its only about 8 miles to the house. . .I'll have my camera and report the excitement.
If your interested in donating http://www.tourdelis.com/
I close with Summertime by Billy Stewart. .
and now I sign off listeniing to Crystal Ships by the Doors.
later
gary
ps. click on the pics and they enlarge nicely.

Sunday April 17

Did 35 miles today, nnothing eventfull, no pictures, great weather, great ride, no wierdness.

Saturday

Did 40 miles today, went to the French Quarter, not much going on, quiet, played some blues on the MP3 player, Took Tchapatoulas to Audubon, a lot smoother than magazine, cars go a lot faster though, got to the Park and lots of people were out enjoying the nice weather, took a break at the park then got on the Levee to head back, at the parish line I ran into Joe B, old friend, then Vlad rides up , riding friend , he and I start riding northward and were crossed by George my MS Tour buddy, then in Harahan we pass up the Old Spanish man that beats me in the tour every year. It was quite a social ride, great weather, just don't get tired when it's beautiful like today.. Took a picture of a cardboard sign on a light post, it said DNA testing $199.00 . I can't figure who would take a DNA test from an advertisement on a cardboard sign and why, is it for paternity, relationship, legality, prove innocence, species, or just to have it if you need it. I don't understand but there are a lot of thing I don't understand , like where in the world is Truman Gandy.

later

French Quarter festival. 10

!st day of the French Quarter Fest. . Rode to the Quarter, it was still early , the streets were still open, They were setting up the stages on Royal and Burbon. The crowds were light, the fat lady that plays the calliope on the River boat was waking up half the city. I bet Tenessee Williams wanted to kick her ass dailey. I stopped on the River and had my nutrigrain bar and some gatorade. Stayed a few mnutes and watched the people go by, I could do that all day.
It's a cross between Walmart and Golden Corral, Women with the ugliest legs on the planet have tatoos on them to draw attention to them. Wear long pants. Everyone had a cup in thier hand either coffee or a mixed drink. Some of the street musicians were set up .. Thier cute but some are good others are lousy. I think when I retire I'll take my guitar, sit on the corner of Royal and St Ann and every once and a while I'll strum a few cords and see how much money I collect in the hat. Not much happening at the Festival this early so I rode city park , crossed the Wisner Bridge of death and made it to the Lakefront, Most of it is torn up for levee construction from there I followed the lake to Lafienere Park and finished my 40 miles. That night 7 people were shot on Royal and Canal. In true gary fashion the next morning I loaded up my gatorade,
nutrigrain bars, 8 gigs of music and headed back, this time the streets were packed. Burbon and Royal were closed off, I stopped on Canal and Royal and leaned on a lamp Post a while to wait for the next gun fight so I could get some action photos. Nothing happened though. Caught a shot of the Luckdog man almost getting plastered by a streetcar, and a closeup of a buggy horse sleeping on the job, I think they fired him. Jackson Square was shoulder to shoulder, I stood in the street and heard all the music, and talked to the mules, they weren't happy. the fools that paint themselves silver and stand on a milk crate beggin for money were all out, what talent.
Went to the River ,deputy dawg wouldn't let me walk my bike in , wanted me to leave it on the rack outside, yea right ,thats gonna happen. I listened to a little music there a while , got bored and headed down magazine to Audubon Park. There was a crowd there as well. Not sure why but they were there. Checked out the sights then hit the River to Williams blvd, the Rivers still high, they may have to open the Spillway again. Took to the neighborhoods to get home, smelling bar b que, Pot Roast, Crawfish, they was cooking all kinds of stuff, I just smelled , rode my bike and traveled on. Did 35 miles today. building up for the Tour De Lis, next month.
Its a fundraiser for Cancer research, Something I know a lot about. Weather was great,
people were great, no shooting today, the mules were talkative. Drunken middle aged women who can't dance were dancing in the street, uncle drunk and aunt fatty were everywhere.
Young black boys tap dancing with bottle caps stuck in their tennis shoes were making a fortune from tourist who actually think thats whats New Orleans is famous for cause they saw it in a Steve McQueen Movie. I love the quarter, worked there as a teenager adult, but what its really about is not what its about, ask Hemmingway.

click on the pic to enlarge.

Crescent City Classic 2010

Great Classic this year, Stacy and I finished right behind the Kenyans, the ones from Luling. Cloudy, perfect temperatures, over 30,000 people I counted, I wore my best plaid shorts ,

a European Cycling cap, and my MS Bike Tour T-shirt, no cigarettes anymore. We started 10 minutes and 15 seconds behind the start of the race or it took us that long to get to the starting line. A sea of questionably intelligent people flowed down Decatur Street toward Canal st.

We passed hundreds and hundreds passed us, but down the road we caught them all.

The usual gangs were there, the Tuxedo Boys, The Chain Gang, The make believe Marines,

The Tri Colored Wig Nuts, hundreds in Saints uniforms, and don't forget those young studs without their shirts hoping next year they have chest hair. Three were two runners wearing those feet covers like your barefooted , they were limping and whining at the end of the race..

Back to Stacy and I, we kicked ass, didn't slow down , no whining , fought our way through the road blockers, and beat last years time by 8 minutes. Since we came in early there were bananas left over, soft drinks, chips, and shirts in our size, the Top Cats were getting ready to play just as we arrived at the finish line. The crowd in the Park was tremendous, very exciting

place to be. The distance (6.2 miles or 10kilometers,) does not include the 3 miles to Marconi and

City Park Ave to meet Marie for our ride. Those poor unfortunate people who parked on the Marconi neutral ground all got parking tickets, you'd think that for one day for one event they have mercy, but when it comes to money there is no mercy only money. I gained a new respect for women, there were girls with blisters on their heels that made me want to call 911 , scabs hanging off, bleeding, raw meat showing, ugh !. What makes a fat ass 60 year old man sit in a lawn chair on the side walk, drinking a Michelob, smoking a cigar , banging a tambourine and encouraging you to keep pushing. Why Why Why,,,,,,,, Don't forget the nut in the park that tells all 30,000 runners exactly how far the finish line is away, individually he tell you this like he' your life coach. I don't know if I'll do too many more , I saw so many fat asses that I think walking give you a fat ass. I did a little running toward the finish line for old times sake,

nobody cheered though , I guess they never heard of me or maybe they did and didn't recognize me with a cap on. Stacy and I discussed my favorite subject "me". It was interesting.

Well it's back to bike riding, May 8 th is the Tour De Lis, in City Park, it's a circle ride as much as you want . I may ride there,then ride it,then ride home. It was a great day, enjoyed the time with my daughter, we had a good time, while waiting for Marie a car stopped and opened the door to pick up some walkers, I grabbed a door motioned like I was going to get in the car and called to Stacy "hey lets go with these people", they thought it was funny. Marie picked us up just as the rain started to sprinkle down. Came home and hit the Ben and Jerry's, what a treat.

Next year we'll knock off another 8 minutes and maybe beat some Ethiopians from Weggaman.

Later. Click on the pictures to enlarge.