i peeled off the cover on the motorcycle and went out for a ride today. the last time was more than a week ago. the weather finally cooperated with temperature in the low 60's and a clear blue sky. since i'm still missing the left side view mirror, i couldn't (safely) travel very far. i just made a trip to the somerville home depot. originally i was going to bicycle there, but figured i'd save myself some time taking the motorcycle instead. i've only been riding a handful of times this season so i was still a little bit shaky. the missing mirror also created a large blind spot which further added to my disorientation. it was warm enough that i could travel in just a t-shirt. i left my bag at home so instead brought back my purchase strapped to the back of the bike with bungie cords.

i got a pair of latex coated gardening gloves. i somehow managed to get a poison ivy rash on my palms last week. not sure how it could've happened (poison ivy isn't even out yet), but i suspect it had something to do with my last community garden visit, where i did some tilling and weeded by hand.

another thing i bought was a tube of silicone bathroom caulk. for whatever reason, the caulking i do in the bathroom around the perimeter of the tub always gets mildewy in 4-6 months. i've been using acrylic latex caulk, but i wanted to try something different this time. what i didn't realize is silicone is harder to apply, that it can only be removed with acetone, and has an ammonia smell before curing. i'll do some more online research to figure out the best way to apply silicone caulk (or to maybe just return it and get the usual acrylic latex, even though in 4-6 months i'll have to redo it).

i was relieved to be back at home without incident. for my next adventure, i loaded up the back of my bicycle with a 25 lbs. bag of manure that i had in my backyard. with my bike wobbling from side to side, i slowly made my way down to the community garden a few blocks away. wearing my newly purchased gloves, i weeded my plot then tilled the manure into the soil. my little piece of garden space always seems so large at the start of spring, but will start to shrink once summer rolls along.

i soaked in the bath for an hour in the early evening. i had a craving for wings so i called up wing works in davis square for a 10-piece gourmet flavored (garlic & parmesan cheese, $8.55) pick-up order.

i bicycled down to pick up my order. i was surprised to find an asian man behind the counter. i think they bought out the original owners. that's why the guy on the phone didn't understand when i asked for the "gourmet" flavor (that's what they used to call it back when i was in college). i was afraid the recipe would change under this new management, so i was relieved when i finally made it back home and saw the wings were still the same.

i finally finished the entire season 4 of the wire. having not seen season 5 yet (the last remaining season), i'd say season 4 is the best. tracking the lives of middle school kids living through the drug culture, there was more food for thought versus the other seasons. one of things i like about the wire is its unpredictability. for the most part, the story avoids cliches. the problems it addresses are so complex, they'd be impossible to do in the traditional hour-long format crime drama. i'm going to take a little breather before starting on season 5 because i know once i start watching, i won't be able to stop.