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since it was too much of a hassle to uncover my motorcycle, i decided it'd be the perfect day to do some bicycling instead. i was going to market basket anyway, too far to casually walk (about a mile away) but the perfect distance for a leisurely bike ride. i started pedaling, and saw another bicyclist coming up behind me. i gave him a smile. i turned around and seconds later he sped right by me without warning, and nearly ran me off into a parked car. i saw a few other bicyclists and greeted them all with smiles; everyone of them ignored me. bicycling is very different from motorcycling i came to quickly realize. on a motorcycle, we usually greet one another as we pass each other on the road. apparently there's no such civility amongst bicyclists. maybe because bicycles are so common, it'd like greeting everyone i met on the sidewalk just because we all happened to be walking. but i taken aback by the unfriendliness amongst bicyclists, it made me yearn to be back on the motorcycle so i could cruise right by them and have them eat my dust.

aside from the inhospitality, i really liked my maiden bicycle ride. it made me feel like i was getting away with something for free, this completely free mode of transportation. no registration, no taxes, no gasoline. not sure if i'd want to take the bicycle into boston on a regular basis. for one thing, you really have to earn your distance on a bicycle. by that i mean things like hills that normally a car and even a motorcycle wouldn't notice, on a bicycle you can really feel those, even on the smallest of hills.

i locked the bicycle to a metal fence in front of the supermarket. i just had a flimsy combination lock, not the best security, but i'd only be gone for a few minutes and there were a lot of police and construction crew nearby so i figured i was safe. coming back out, i had a moment of panic when i couldn't see my bicycle. but as i got closer, it was right where i left it. i never get this way with the motorcycle because the logistics of stealing a motorcycle is much more complicated than stealing a bicycle. first you have to defeat the standard steering wheel lock, then you have to somehow hot wire the motorcycle. and even if you manage to do that, you're required by law to ride with a motorcycle helmet otherwise it's an easy catch for a cop. of course a thief could just pick up a motorcycle and put it in a truck, but motorcycles are heavy (you'd need two bodybuilders who can each left several hundred pounds each) and with the steering wheel locked you can't push it around either.

i actually felt a little tired once i got home, even though i'd only been riding a mile at the slowest possible speed. feeling tired is a good thing though, because it meant i fulfilled my exercise quota for the day, however measly.

earlier i rode to the community garden to water my plants. it's mostly ceremonial at this point, and i haven't seen another soul in the garden in my few recent visits. i actually managed to harvest more than usual, a bag of basil (for making pesto), some scallions, some mint, and some flat parsley. i even found a perfectly-side red tomato waiting for me on the vine. i ate some more raspberries before i left.

with my fridge stocked with groceries (actually just a few items), i went ahead and made some caprese paninis for dinner. i grounded by own pesto with my small food processor; it's not very good because the bits of basil and garlic and olive oil all ended up stuck to the wall of the processor, so instead of a paste i had more of a finely chopped up topping. the recipe didn't have any meat ingredients (tomato, capers, mozzarella cheese) but i added a few ham slices to make it more palatable for my omnivorous diet. i ate while watching the series premiere of flashfoward followed by fringe. i'd seen a 15 minute online preview of flashfoward so i was already hooked going into the show. it's probably one of best new shows this season, as well as the much anticipated V reboot (also on ABC).