old state house:

giant golden teapot:

2012 super wheels showdown:

i've been to the super wheels showdown event once before, 2 years ago, by complete accident when i took pau on a bicycle tour of boston. i remember we were pressed for time so we didn't stay too long. since then, i've been meaning to come back and get a better look at this free annual event down at boston city hall.

i know nothing about cars, so i'm not even going to pretend by ogling the engines and feigning comprehension. i do however know what looks cool, and there were definitely some cool antique cars.

these vehicles are highly prized possessions of their owners; you can tell because they next to their cars, keeping a watchful eye on spectators, making sure nobody touches the car (leaving greasy fingerprints) or god-forbid accidentally scratch the paint work with an errant zipper or jean rivet. as much as i enjoyed seeing these cars, what i didn't like was the feeling of being constantly watched.

these are hardcore antique car owners, because it's difficult to keep cars like these in good shape here in new england, with our variable weather and road salt. but i'm pretty sure these cars don't just sit outside and get exposed to the elements. come winter, they're carefully put away in storage.

i ended up taking a lot of photos of the front grill of these cars because they look just like faces.

haymarket:

a pound of korean long green hot peppers ($1), 3 boxes of blueberries ($2), a pound of ginger ($1), 3 bunches of scallions ($1), 2 bunches of cilantro ($1). there was also a vendor who was selling quince (3 for $1); they're only good for making jams because they're too tart to be eaten raw.

on my way back from boston:

the leaves are changing colors! i don't know what trees these are but they turn yellow. i have seen some sugar maples with colors, but the wind has stripped off most of their leaves so there aren't any good examples around here. i also haven't seen any red maples but to see those i have to go into a forest with a lake, and chances are they've already shed their leaves.

neighborhood scenes:

i went to an open house on my street (46 no.3). i'd seen a first floor unit in that building but hadn't seen one on the second floor. it pretty much has the same square footage as my place (790 square feet versus my 778 square feet) but selling for far more: $385k. i'm struck by the seller's audacity because that condo is definitely not worth that amount. although advertised as a 2 bedroom, one of the bedrooms is so small the current owner couldn't even fit a small (twin) bed but instead used it as a nursery (a crib does fit). the other bedroom is just big enough to fit a queen sized bed but that pretty much uses up most of the space. on top of that there's a monthly condo fee of $169. i think that entire building is cursed. i believe all 6 units are owner occupied, but almost every other year at least one of the units is up for sale, which goes to show how much people like paying to live there. i think it's going to stay on the market all throughout autumn and the seller will have to pull it eventually once winter comes around, try to get rid of the place again come spring, or reduce the price to $300k or less. owners who advertise around this time of the year are usually desperate to sell.

did my next door neighbor andrew move out? because i saw a young woman moving into his place this afternoon. i was busy helping drew unfasten a stubborn u-lock so i didn't get a chance to greet my new neighbor. drew left for the museum of fine arts while i went to belmont.

the weather today was warm (70's), downright summery, with no threat of rain. however, in the late afternoon, the sky suddenly darken, and there was a brief period of showers. my parents didn't get back home until almost 6:00, having taken bin bin's parents to the airport.

dinner:

it'd already stopped raining when i made my way back to cambridge. i was so confident that it wouldn't rain today that i left my motorcycle uncovered. i went out and dried the bike with a towel before covering it up, in anticipation of the additional rain we'll be receiving tomorrow afternoon.