You have to have them sometimes.  They shake you out of the daze of your daily grind.  Even changing at what part in your morning process of getting ready for the day you decide to brush your teeth helps.  Recently I made some larger daily changes, revolving around my work schedule, that completely adjusted my outlook on life.  Going in at regular-person time instead of so early.  Actually taking my 1-hour lunch break away from my desk.  Truly huge difference.

Other days, the changes are sporadic and fairly small.  I ride the streetcar every morning of the work-week.  Yesterday, something was going on with the lines (never did hear what it was) so I rode to work on the shuttle bus that was handling the streetcar routes.  This very same thing happened LAST Friday too (never did hear about that one either), which was my first shuttle bus experience, and just that weird little change to my morning routine made my whole day pleasant and interesting.  It’s not that anything else quite new happened, the rest of the day, but it just felt more dynamic somehow.

I was really grateful for the very kind woman that morning who was standing at St. Charles at our intersection there, as the shuttle bus pulled up behind me.  Across the street from her, facing the line itself, I had my back to it and would never have noticed.  As it was, I was beginning to feel rather suspicious that I couldn’t even see a streetcar wayyyy up making its way toward me.  When the bus pulled up, she hollered to me and I hopped on with her.  I probably would have been standing there forever, otherwise.

It was nice to have some AC that morning (and yesterday morning too).

The bus scene.  The blurryish person there is the wonderful gal that
alerted me to the sneaky presence of our alternate transportation.

Disembarking at Poydras, per usual, I realized that the bus had brought me to my destination a little quicker than usual.  Inspired by the change in my commute, I took a different and longer route to work which brought me by Le Pavillon, the architecture of which I always enjoy seeing.

 

And then, in my morning amblings, I wandered by the coffee shop right around the corner from my office, which I had wandered past before but had never entered.

 

I love coffee shops (STARBUCKS DOES NOT COUNT NOR WILL IT EVER), but rarely hook myself up.  I spontaneously hopped in for some Friday breakfast goodies.  There was one other couple in there at that time of morning, and they kept giving me funny looks.  I think I had this kind of peaceful glee on my face at the sheer pleasantness of my morning.  That, and I kept taking photos of things.

Best tables ever!

Then the work day began, whilst I merrily relished my iced chai and croissant.

Why yes, yes that is indeed Dave McKean art from Mirrormask on my desktop.

Now, beyond that, the rest of the day really wasn’t all that new or unusual.  But it FELT new and unusual, or maybe just exciting because my energy and alertness toward my own life was all amped up.  So I was all inspired and decided to happy-dance through the rest of the day, noticing things and documenting stuff I wander by all the time, things that I either had not had the time to, or the energy.

Like the clock shop on Gravier St.  I love this particular block of Gravier, it’s so…Victoriany.  I didn’t get a street shot that day because the crowds were too dense, but I caught the clock shop display.

I flew the coop at lunch and walked over to Place St. Charles, where I usually while away my hour eating and reading and staring out at the view from the building’s 2nd floor balcony outside the food court.  Love it up there.  It certainly beats Lafayette Square, the first place I went after I decided to start leaving the office at lunchtime.  The Square, a beautiful spot and excellent during the spring concerts on Wednesdays, is not conducive to a comfortable and peaceful lunch experience.  The benches are rounded to keep folks from sleeping on them.  I spent that particular hour balanced precariously on a curved bench, my foodstuffs threatening to slide off at any hint of a breeze, inhaling the glorious gaseous perfume of the landscapers’ lawnmowers, all while being snowed upon by creepy white fluffy caterpillars from the trees above.

Um.  No.  Place St. Charles 2nd Floor Foodcourt Balcony Forever!

Club sammich from Steve’s.  Good stuff.

Staring out over St. Charles

The rest of the day was pretty standard, but productive and excellent.   Energy up, eyes wide open.  Aware and joyous.  Recharged.

And to think, it all started with a random bus ride.