here's the math: i can either take a 1-hour long bicycle ride (part of which goes through the rough and tumble everett-chelsea industrial park) to revere beach (and then an 1-hour ride back), take only the subway (allowing the undeserving MBTA to profit off of me), or a combination of both, where i ride into the city then catch the blue line train. the combo route would allow me to do some haymarket shopping on my way back.

i didn't have to leave early, so i decided to have lunch first before going, even though there'll be food trucks there and i might end up eating there as well. i didn't have too much, just a greek yogurt (lack of food imagination), before leaving by 12:30pm. i made sure to apply some sunblock before i left.

i arrived at the aquarium T stop by 1pm, locked my bike outside, then went underground into the station. it didn't take very long to arrive at the revere beach T station, just 15 minutes. the last time i came to the sand sculpting festival was 2017, with GC and li. i'm not sure why i didn't come last year, i think i simply forgot it was happening, as i didn't have anything going on that particular weekend.

it was a nice summer day, sunny and hot but dry. i walked down the length of the beach, photographing the sand sculptures and also the choices of food trucks. i then walked back, looking for more photo opps. i ended up getting a small serving of gryo and beef from the chicken & rice truck ($9). i ate in the shade while watching a crowd of people gathering around a street performer juggling knives and torches. in total i spent about an hour at revere beach before finally taking the blue line back to boston.

i arrived back at the aquarium T stop by 2:45pm. my bike was just where i left it. i slow pedalled across a short length of quincy market to get to haymarket on the other side. my haymarket haul: 2-1/2 lbs. of lychees ($5), 5 dragon fruits ($5), 2 santa claus melons ($3), 2-1/2 lbs. of cherry ($4), 5 black plums ($1), bag of red plums ($2), 3 blood oranges ($1).

i stopped at my house briefly to drop off my camera bag and pick up some zucchinis before arriving at the cafe by 4pm. my godmother was there, knitting with my mother. i need to be more careful because often times fruits and vegetables get damaged during transport (bring towels to pad the bottom of the wire baskets). a few dragon fruits and one of the santa claus melon were bruised. my father sliced them up to be served immediately. about the size of a football, we've never had santa claus melons before (piel del sapo), these were insanely sweet. i also tried the lychees, these weren't as good as last time (a different vendor), and seems to be a mix of tiny seed lychees with big seed lychees. after engorging myself with fruit, i returned to my place by 4:45pm.

after drinking some cold water, i took a hot shower. later i went to the nearby liquor store to get some hard cider.

i had another italian sub for dinner. there's enough deli meats to make one more sandwich. i'll probably use it up on sunday morning for breakfast before i leave for the puerto rican parade in boston.

annie didn't get back home until 9:30pm. when i asked, she said she went to go hang out with some MIT friends, as this was her last weekend before her mother arrives. i've been trying to figure out her schedule for the next few weeks. 8/5 she has her GRE, 8/7 her astrophysics presentation. at the very least she'll be here for a week, so i'm going to try and get her to pay me a week's rent in advance. i asked where she was taking her mother during that first week of august, she said probably her mother will have to fend for herself as she'll be too busy preparing for her test and presentation.

later in the evening she asked if she could try one of my seltzers. i told her i could do one better, and let her try a bottle of woodchuck hard cider. i was afraid she wouldn't like it (she doesn't like anything sweet), but she said it was really good.