Nitty-Gritty

The GNO is a prosaic name for a glorious thing--the bridge that spans the Mississippi River and offers commuters a beautiful view of the New Orleans skyline silhouetted against the setting sun. I get to cross the Greater New Orleans Bridge three times a week on my way home from class, and no matter what I'm feeling before I hit that bridge, it all evaporates as I come over the rise and see my city. As lovely as this view is, however, my favorite parts are hidden in the streets and neighborhoods within that larger picture. Some days, I can't wait to get off that bridge and back on the streets. Some days, I wish I could stay on the bridge.

The streets are full of life, as well as the myriad of quirks and frustrations that make up daily life in any city. The nitty-gritty, if you will. New Orleans seems to have more than its fair share of this nitty-gritty. Sometimes these quirks are endearing, but sometimes they just piss me off. Take this weekend, for instance. My roommate A and I were trying to install a new showerhead, and we quickly discovered that our new, fancy, eco-friendly showerhead did not fit our old, crappy, sub-standard shower pipe. Not only does the old pipe not fit the new head, it apparently doesn't fit any plumbing converters, adapters, bushings, etc. etc. found in the city of New Orleans. To deepen the mystery, no one that we consulted with had heard of a pipe that didn't fit any other plumbing parts. You know the answer we got? "Well, that's New Orleans for you." Ha. Ha. The quirks are cute and charming until you've got one in your shower.

Sometimes you're on the bridge enjoying the view, and sometimes you're standing in the tub cursing your too-small pipe and resisting the urge to throw the roll of useless Teflon tape at your roommate's face. And somewhere between or within the lofty heights and the nitty-gritty, there's life.