i woke up today testing some movies on a loaner machine for client B. i then headed out, first to the fidelity office in kendall square to ask about some money market account, next to the garment district to look for some patches, then finally to the library. there was a slight misting when i left the house but soon subsided.
i wrote client B an e-mail before heading out again, first to make a delivery at the cafe, then out to arlington heights to get my front tire replaced at greater boston motorsports. 
i had an hour to kill before they were finished so i decided to take a leisurely stroll through the neighborhood. it was pretty hilly and i found myself panting and working up a sweat. the local weather was a farcry from the disaster zones further out in the western and northern suburbs. temperature was in the 40's but it felt warmer. everything was drying up and occasionally some blue skies would even poke through the grey clouds. it didn't take long for me to get lost and i spent the rest of the time trying to get back onto the main road, even asking a crossing guard at one point. i walked far enough that i got right next to the hilltop reservoir before finally getting my bearing. i came out at some spice store, did some browsing, before returning to the repair shop. $70 for the tire, $40 for the labor. the repair guy warned me about the new tire, said for the first 100 miles i shouldn't push it, give the tire enough time to break in. returning home on mass ave, i noticed the tire felt like they didn't have any treads.
back at home, i went to the dollar store to get some household supplies (kleenex, dish washing detergent) before punching out a few fixes for client B and uploading the latest version. i then spent the rest of the day playing bioshock.
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finally finished my week supply of spaghetti sauce and pasta for dinner. watched the celtics beat the bobcats, now the record is 22-2. when my roommate came back home, he found the birthday present i'd left him, a slipcase for the state quarters he's been collecting. he's got 8 more left before he has a complete set.
speaking of which, i think my parents have heard enough of me complaining about my roommate to finally find him a new place to stay at the end of january. my aunt happens to be leaving for her annual chinese new year vacation to taiwan, and she's willing to sublet her apartment room during the 2 months that she'll be gone. my roommate will end up paying her rent, but it's much cheaper than living at my place. the advantages are the apartment is practically next to his workplace (3 minute walk versus 30 minute walk now), and when and if his wife arrives, the room is a lot more spacious than the tiny room he occupies now. we'll even throw in a used bicycle so he still ride to market basket every weekend to get his groceries. the only disadvantage is there's no washing machine (he'll have to learn to love the laundromats) and he won't have me as a cultural resource and resident tour guide. i was angry at first when my mother told me the news, mad that she didn't consult with me before deciding to do this. as much as i hate my roommate, i also find him really interesting. but the more i think about it, the more i see it as a win-win situation. the hard part is breaking the news to him, i don't want to hurt his feelings, but i think i'm probably projecting my own sentimentality into the situation. i don't think he'll care, the positives outweigh the negatives. bottom line is i'll be back to single living come the final week of january.