i called my insurance company first thing in the morning, said i wanted to open an injury claim on my motorcycle accident because blue cross decided they weren't responsible for my medical expenses (health insurance like that, who needs health insurance). my adjustor was really nice though, said all i had to do was send him a copy of the bill, and he'd write me a check for the amount. and there i was thinking i was probably screwed because i waited 6 months after the accident to file a claim, but i'm probably still screwed next year when my insurance rate goes up. i'll be happy if it's less than double what i pay now. since i was on the subject of the motorcycle, i called up the repair shop to schedule a time for me next week to bring the bike into the store so they could replace the front tire which is starting to lose its treads. i just hope there isn't a major snowstorm from now until then.

i went over to my parents' place in the afternoon, my mother needed help uploading some egyptian photos to an online print shop, and i could score another free dinner out of it. today was the coldest day of the season and i ended up wearing dishwashing gloves inside of my leather riding gloves for insulation (they actually worked pretty well, although a bit unconventional). nobody was home by the time i got to belmont, just hailey who kept jumping on me until i let her out into the backyard. client B finally got in touch with me with a few more bug fixes, afterwards i may finally be done with that project. that will be a great day.

when my parents finally came home (they went to the burlington market basket, better selection), they brought back 3 lbs. worth of lobsters. it's been a while since i've had lobsters. i'm not a big fan but i do like the novelty of it. i've always thought eating crustaceans is like eating a big bug. i personally enjoy looking at a live lobster more than eating a dead one. they look alien, with their claws and spikes and exoskeletons and antennae. these were some very fresh lobsters: normally i can detect even just a trace of that distinctive seafood smell, but these lobsters were odorless, which i take to be a good sign.

lobster cooking is also controversial. what other animal is cooked like that, thrown live into a pot of boiling water? i suggested maybe we can freeze them for a few minutes but my father had already thrown the pair into the pot. poor lobsters! at least they will be immortalized through photography. my family eats lobsters not with a reduced butter sauce but rather a vinegar plus sliced ginger sauce that i think is even tastier.

by the time i returned to cambridge, the temperature had dropped to 17°F with a wind chill index of -7°F. my parents offered me a ride home but i refused, saying i needed to use the bike and that temperatures would be in the 60's by midweek. instead of the dishwashing gloves i put on a pair of surgical gloves beneath my riding gloves. although they were better than just the riding gloves alone, they didn't provide much insulation and my hands started to hurt a minute into the ride. my head also felt like it'd explode and i could swear my eyeballs were starting to freeze solid. a constant plume of condensing breath escaped from my mouth as if i was a human train. i kept wetting my lips because i didn't want them to freeze up. when i finally got back, i let out a torrent of swear words as i fumbled with the key, trying to get inside the house.