i think i'd go crazy if i had to bike commute into boston everyday for work. in the mornings the single bike lane is clogged with commuting cyclists and not everyone is going the same speed. some people are just out to pass you, even though you see them again at the next set of lights. other people are riding so slow you have to pass them, and then they see you at the next set of lights. fast or slow it doesn't make a difference, the only things to watch out for is not get doored, beware of cars making right turns, and avoid the potholes. some people would argue it still beats riding the crowded T, where with all the fare hikes you're looking to spend nearly $3 for the privilege of getting stuck on the subway.
i got there early, around 9:45am, but they saw me right away. my nurse was sarah, my doctor lynn baden. the dermatologist said it was nothing to worry about, that i could either take it off or leave it. i decided to remove it. 
i also asked her about the small bump on my right forehead, she said it was probably a subcutaneous cyst, and not to worry about it either. so to get rid of the wart, they gave me a shot to numb the area. at first it was a tiny painful prick but then it felt like burning for a few seconds, followed by nothing. doctor baden shaved off the growth and put it in a jar to get biopsied, just in case. she then applied some kind of clear coating over the wound to stop the bleeding, and then left, while the nurse put a bandaid on my temple. sarah also gave me some round bandaids and petroleum jelly to put on my wound. the whole procedure took just a few minutes, and i was already out of the building before my 10am appointment even officially started.
next i went to haymarket. it was early enough that a few of the vendors were still setting up their tents and putting out their vegetables and fruits. is it just me or does it feel like the produce selection is less this year? where's all the strange fruits and vegetables i used to see? or maybe i'm just jaded. maybe moving the vendors out in the open facing the streets took away some of the magic that was haymarket, back when it was a crowded tunnel of people and vendors squeezed together in the shade. my haul: 8 navel oranges ($2), 2 bags of black plums ($4), 2 fyffes pineapples ($3), 8 white peaches ($2), sleeve of garlic ($1), dollar worth of ginger, and a box of mangoes (9 fruits, $5).
i left haymarket by 10:45am. i decided to return to cambridge via the charles river bike path then across the mass ave bridge. it'd also give me a chance to check out the waterlilies i saw the last time i was there. there were flowers this time around, white ones floating in the canals. i didn't realize it at the time, but wild waterlilies only open their flowers in the mornings, which would explain why i don't ever remember seeing them flower here before. the reason why there are water lilies is because they're a native species, but i think somebody should secretly throw some lotus seeds in the canal as well, because i think they're a lot prettier than water lilies. for one thing, lotus leaves are perfectly round, unlike waterlilies which are pac-man shaped. lotus flowers are also pink (though native lotuses have white flowers) and rise out of the water on stalks, compared to waterlily flowers that just float on the water.
instead of going home, i decided to go to the cafe first. instead of going my usual route, i went straight down mass ave, taking a detour at harvard square. i got to the cafe by 11:30am. i left a short time later after dropping off my haymarket haul.
i reheated a brick of lasagna for lunch. the midday news broadcast was already over, but i have it set on record via youtube tv, so i was able to bring it up and watch it while i ate. i mostly wanted to see the weather, nobody really knows what's up this weekend, a mixture of sun and rain.
i called fawcett energy to inquire about heating oil delivery during the summer. back during the winter, it was $3.199/gallon. now it was $3.149/gallon, but $3.049/gallon if you pay within 10 days of delivery. it sounded like we were saving 15¢ per gallon, but actually during the winter we were paying $3.099/gallon because we also got the 10¢ discount, so we're only just saving 5¢ a gallon. i already made the order which should come monday or tuesday, but i'm thinking i should call around and ask a few more companies. oil price has gone up over the past few months, but i think we can do better in terms of savings.
sometime during the afternoon i went to the somerville avenue rite aid to pick up some almonds on sale. there were doing some minor renovation inside the store (like the entire back shelves behind the cash registers were empty) and there was a large "welcome to walgreens" banner up on the wall. i was a little confused, so i asked the cashier, "is this a rite aid or a walgreens?" he told me it was still rite aid, but july 12th is when they make the change. after that, i can't think of any rite aid pharmacy in the area. 
it kind of doesn't matter because they both sell the same things, but rite aid was my jam. i also hope nobody lost jobs, and they're able to keep the same staff.
i watched the women's world cup match between the US and france. naturally i was rooting for france, but by the time i turned to the game, the US was already up 1-0. the final score was 2-1, at least the french managed to score a goal on team USA and wasn't shut out. the US faces england next, i will of course be rooting for england. #worldcupsowhite
the other thing that was happening today was watching to see if today's solar production would break any new records. already by the morning i could see we were slightly off-peak. a 50kWh+ day was all but assured, but it wouldn't break the single day record. by day's end the final production was 51.59kWh, the 9th 50kWh+ day this month. we're just 6kWh shy of breaking june 2018's record, and less than 40kWh shy of breaking may 2018's record as well. i believe we'll be able to do both.
i had another brick of lasagna around 9pm (wasn't very hungry because i finished a whole soft pretzel while watching the world cup). annie had texted me earlier, said she was going to come home late because she was going to the cambridge dance party happening in central square. she finally came around close to 10:30pm. washed her face, plucked some cherries, took out her homemade ice cream, and retreated to her bedroom.