Check with New Wheel

On 1 June I wrote that I went to public bikes and found they didn't have the right part for me. I got into a conversation with a random lady about my bike. My friend had suggested I check with new wheel.

I returned to the office and later I went to the bank and then to coffee.  I got into a conversation with my friend via text. Unfortunately, I didn't know she was having a hard time getting to the Exploratorium to see her sisters. It was a loud experience for her and the trains were very slow. She was a mess when she was going home.

It was around then that headed from work to a new wheel. I took Valencia mission and Victoria to Cortland. The staff was really helpful. One of the other guys – older – helped as the shop was closing. I went to cross the street to the bar and spent the rest of my cash and made conversation. I had my bike equipment with me.

Later I went across the street and got a few other things. Then I rode to Valencia and saw critical mass on the way to the apartment. The guys waved at me.  My friend was OK but as I helped her it was apparent that she was very tired. I did what I could do to help. She wanted me to help wind the house down.

Later we discussed her day and her hard time at the Exploratorium. She told me about the noisily late trains. I made her some wine and dinner. She didn't make it. She was so tired she went to bed. I ate beans and squash in coconut milk that night before I went to sleep too.

In the morning of the day that I wrote this – June 31 – we were up at six for tea.  We went to the train station after quiet time had ended. The roommate helped us out. We headed to the train station at 10:45, walked to Van Ness Avenue and caught the 1145 train. I had gotten us coffee. However, we ran it down to the wire on the boarding and our appointment was an issue.

Later I dropped my coffee into the seat on the train and I felt miserable. I had to sort my feelings out on my own.  By the time we arrived in Redwood City I was feeling better and the mess was "clean" as long as I didn't look at it.

It was hard at Palo Alto when I had to say I needed no help from people. My friend thought help was always nice. However, I noted that it wouldn’t be a problem after that point because we'd be able to create solutions.

We crossed to the subway with another family and went to Blue Bottle with a quick stop at Walgreens. I found us a table. My friend was snotty when I told her I could get our table on my own. When she returned I had cleared my table and I was wondering why she acted that way. I discovered at that point that she had gotten three drinks because her sister was with us.

I left them at the table to get some air out on the sidewalk. I was alone at the ice cream shop. When I got back the sister said she would meet us at their aunt's.

We rode our bikes to the house and the ride was way better than when we had previously gone. Once we got there I placed the bike out back and my friend was inside with her sisters and niblings.  When we had settled in the meal was ready so we sat down to eat. There was a bit of a catching up to do because one of the sister’s hadn't seen me in a while and the aunt hadn't seen me in a month. I had a beer.

When we were done eating we discussed our lives while my friend started quiet time in the guestroom.  We hung out in the living room then. The aunt was selling her book to the ladies - one of which had fallen asleep on the couch. The kids clearly didn't know what they had gotten into.

I have returned to the guestroom oh to lie on the bed but it was clear to both of us that it wasn't possible to stay much longer. I got my stuff together.  A short while later I had the bikes packed and the ladies said they would go. We said bye at the door and road to Menlo station. The ride was sublime.

Some couple talked to us at the station. The boarding – that we had prepared – was hard. We had a beer and I sat in the bike car for a little bit. It was quieter. I made a random guy. At Millbrae getting off was easier but I still had to unload twice because of the equipment.  On BART the ride was easy. My friend stood next to the door for the last two stations. The escalators were hard but the ride was easy.

At the apartment I had trouble initially but later it was easier. I made a noisy mess while Charlie went to the store. After that we wound the house down and ate more of the green beans, squash and coconut. I went to thieves to write in my notebook.

This is an occasional series chronicling my life. This Notebook Analysis series is meant to be contemporaneous piece developed as an agglomeration of my notebook pages. In each of these posts I used my notes to develop my recent thoughts.