Thursday, October 31, 2024

Halloween, first rain, and Canada's nervous

 It's Halloween. We had a good rain last night, and Ken came by and I got my check, but he didn't come by until something like midnight (he did at least call and say he'd be late) so I got my pay check. 

Canada's nervous because there's already an article (paywalled) in the Globe & Mail about how Diaper Don, if he wins, is going to get water, which we're short of somehow, from Canada. I'm pretty sure it will be "get" in the same sense that a mugger holding a gun to your head "gets" your wallet. 

This is something I see coming and have for a while. A MAGA regime will want to annex both Canada and Mexico to make a MAGA continent, with the brown people in it becoming a slave caste or simply, as in the first time around, either worked to death or gassed immediately if they're not able to work. 

I packed the few things that had to go out (fortunately kinda pricey so today's numbers are decent) and took off for downtown at 3. I was wearing black sweatpants, my bright yellow Amazon cheapo bike riding jacket, and my orange hi-vis hat that has reflective stripes on it. It's a ball cap type hat. As I passed by some condos, a guy called out, "TRUMP!" except he kind of caught himself so it was more like "TRUMp!" I guess he saw the hat out of the corner of his eye then realized it's orange not red. 

But it got stranger. I got to the post office and was locking the bike and was putting the hat in one of the panniers and a distinguished older Black man in a suit, so possibly a lawyer or even judge from the courthouse up the street walked by and gave me a look like, "Really?". 

I dunno, are the Trumpanzees wearing orange high-vis to show solidarity after Donnie's garbage truck stunt? I think I'm going to stick to my yellow hat for a while. 

I deposited my pay check at the bank, then got wings and fizzy water at Whole Foods, then walked up to the hardware store where I found a thicker piece of brass stock than I'd bought at Sheldon's Hobbies so I got it. Then I got some bags and little bottles at TAP Plastics. If I sell off my concert flutes, I want to include a bit of the pad conditioning fluid with each one. 

Then I went to the bike shop to order a new "fabric floor" or whatever it's called, for my bike trailer. I'd noticed yesterday that part of it had split, I thought. I showed Ken last night, and it's actually been cut like someone took a knife and intentionally cut it. It's not impossible it could have been accidentally cut somehow but I can't imagine how. But the thing's pretty worn anyway. 

But here it gets stranger. The lady helping me at the bike shop found the thing, about $65, and then looked up my name in the records and somehow I had money in my account - about $65. They're carrying the records over from when they were La Dolce Velo which I've been going to for years so while I have no idea why I have a credit of about $65, I can't rule it out. So the thing will be essentially free and I'll have it in about a week and a half, The tape I've used to "repair" the cut will hold out that long. 

Then we talked about Bromptons, and I said I'm set on getting an A-line, but she's ga-ga over the G-line. The difference is an A-line is about $1200 out the door and a G-line is probably getting close to 3 grand. I told her about the Mobic folding bike I have now, and she even looked it up to see if there's a trade-in value for it. Yet another reason to get it roadworthy and put that new seat on, as I'm sure to get more in trade-in than I could on Craig's List. 

I like the "purity" of the A-line, it folds smaller, it's just got 3 speeds (I ride my 7-speed in one of the speeds 99% of the time) and just being smaller, with 16" wheels as opposed to 20" wheels, it would be my go-to if I have to resort to renting an office in this one building I know of and needing a folding, stealthy bike that can be hidden in a bag as many Brompton owners in London do to take their beloved bikes into the office. 

But, I concluded with her, I should really get the Mobic roadworthy and take it around on trips I'd take a folding bike on, like going up to San Francisco and riding around etc. (I do have dreams of taking the train and bike up there, busking and staying in a hotel overnight preferably one of those that are inexpensive but have high parking fees which of course I'd not pay, then busking some more the next day then heading for home.) 

I walked over to the used book store and found a couple of books to buy, and talked with the owner a bit. That guy is really tuned in. The trick-or-treaters were out in force on The Alameda, trick-or-treating in stores and there was candy galore everywhere, at the bank and everywhere else I went. 

I rode over to Whole Foods again for some serious shopping, then to the Amazon place for those free bubble mailers, then rode on home. 



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