[trader joe's] good earth sweet & spicy herbal tea is only like the best tea in the world and i'll be drinking it throughout the cold days of autumn and winter thank you very much. i can't believe it has no sugars even though it tastes sweet (must be the rooibos). and there's no caffeine either, which means i can drink as much as i like without becoming a jittery insomniac.

i went to market basket to get some groceries (ricotta, spinach, bacon, english muffins). i took my motorcycle plus with my saddlebags. the problem with that setup is there's no place to lock the helmet (i just left it on the backrest), and the saddlebags themselves are only draped onto the backseat and not actually attached to anything. still, i was only in the supermarket briefly, so my things didn't get stolen. after that i went to trader joe's to pick up a few things (tea, rice crackers, biryani) before stopping by the cafe. i gave my mother season 4 of the wire. she gave me some tea eggs and a mantou bun for dinner.

without a roommate for a few days, there are a few projects i'd like to get started: strip and paint the bathroom door; make some taiwanese pao cai; and try some fan-made beef jerky. the door is the only thing i can't do while i have a roommate. i'm trying to decide whether i should work on it indoors (in the kitchen), or outside. i don't mind the smell, i just don't want the mess to drip on the floor if i work on it inside.

it began raining in the early evening. not to worry, i'd already covered my bike in anticipation of the storm. i fell asleep on the couch and woke around 8:00 with a headache (probably didn't drink enough fluids during the day).