i noticed on my run today that the stand of london plane trees lining memorial drive have all started to lose their bark. so much so at first i thought they were vandalized. but i remember the two plane trees on my parents' street have also been shedding their bark recently. why is that? apparently this is natural plane tree behavior, as the bark can't keep up with the natural growth of the tree. maybe all the recent rain we've gotten have made these trees especially lush this season, causing them to exfoliate in bulk. i read elsewhere that this happens most often during hot summers.
coming back, i caught sight of the silk tree on the corner of avon-shephard. i took some photos and grabbed a fragrant flower off the sidewalk to smell. i also passed by marathon sports. i've been inside a long time ago, back in high school when i went there to buy some track shoes. it's been over 30 years since i last visited. my mother wants me to check out the store, because apparently they sell hoka shoes, and she wanted me to check if they had any in her size. i was all sweaty from my run and wasn't in any presentable shape to go shopping, so i'll do it some other time.
i stopped by the community garden. since it's supposed to rain later today, i didn't bother watering, just came to check on my plot. i got an e-mail from the garden committee asking me to remove my milkweed plants because they're invasive. i came by today to cut them down, which seemed awfully wasteful, these were my best batch yet. later i asked bruce if he wanted any (for his annual monarch butterfly raising) but he said no, so i ended up throwing them away. i also harvested a tomato from the garden and received some mosquito bites on my bare legs.
coming back, a neighbor had tossed out an ikea råskog utility cart. just so happens i've always wanted on in green. this one was black, but i couldn't pass up on free, so i wheeled the cart back to the house. it was a little dirty, but i cleaned it up with some 409 spray. it will replace the little end table that i have next to my sofa chair - a table that was also a curbside find. unlike that end table, this utility cart has 3 shelves of storage, which will help me declutter my living room. the cart my end up being a little bit big, and i may end up buying the råshult, a smaller version of this utility cart.
even though the tooth wasn't hurting anymore for the most part, i called BOFS again. this time i got through to an actual receptionist. she put me on hold for a few minutes before reconnecting me again. i told her i needed a consultation for an implant. she asked if i'd been there before, i said yes, i gave her my info, and she had all my data from 2015. i also told her i had a referral, which further greased the wheels. she said she had appointments for next monday and tuesday. i decided on tuesday 10am, but after thinking about it a bit, opted for a monday 8am appointment. i asked if there was any cost to the consultation, she said no, the insurance would pay for that. finally i wanted to know if i should get the tooth pulled first before visiting. she said no, that they'd be able to pull it for me, save me a trip. so now i basically have to survive this weekend, which won't be a problem. the tooth doesn't hurt for the most part, but every once in a while i still feel the faint echos of a toothache. whatever the case, the tooth will be pulled by next week (which will stopping the pain), as i embark on a new route of financial hurting as i pay to get a new implant.
i took a shower, then i rode the bike down to the cafe to help out my parents around busy lunch time. my sister wouldn't be there, so it'd be peaceful at least. my parents were making vegetable buns. it didn't seem like it'd be busy at first, but then it got busy in a hurry. my parents would've been swapped if i hadn't been there to help out. around 1:30pm my 2nd aunt showed up unexpectedly as well, said she came to help out. though her heart was in the right place, by the time she came to the cafe, it wasn't busy anymore. with my 2nd aunt there, my services were no longer needed (plus it wasn't busy), so i returned home (i wasn't even supposed to work today).
i went out to star market around 4pm to get some cherries on sale ($1.99/lbs); i still have a lot of fruits at home (mandarin oranges, grapes, nectarines), but i can't resist the call of cheap cherries, especially the ones from the supermarket, which are higher quality than the ones i buy from haymarket and chinatown.
lauryn came back home today at 5:20pm. i wasn't surprised, because it was due to rain heavily around 6pm, so i had a feeling she'd be home early. she didn't make dinner though, and that was also something i kind of expected, because earlier she actually came to the cafe for lunch with some coworkers. she didn't see me but i saw her. and i knew if she had a big lunch, she'd have a small dinner (if any dinner).
i finished watching shadow of a doubt (1943), an alfred hitchcock film that he said was his favorite. it took me a few days but i finally did it. i thought it was okay, but the pacing and story felt clunky when compared to a modern movie. i'd only recommend it to see an example of his earlier work.
the rain started on cue at 6pm, but it wasn't as bad as i'd thought, and it went by very quickly, just a quick flash and it was basically over. i was lounging on the couch around 8pm when i noticed the light through the venetian blinds had an unnatural pink color. i looked outside and saw a girl taking a photo of the sky. i grabbed my phone and went out to do the same. that's when i bumped into my japanese neighbor - whom i've seen a million times but never been introduced - who knew my name and introduced herself as kyoko. i was taking a photo of the sunset clouds, and she asked me if i was photographing the rainbow. she pointed behind me and i when i turned, i saw the largest rainbow i'd ever seen, splashing across the eastern sky. we both walked down to the star market parking lot for a better look. neighbors were coming out of their homes to admire the rainbow. i called my mother to tell her to go outside and see the rainbow. i texted my roommate (she didn't answer). it wasn't just one rainbow, but a double rainbow. it stayed in the sky for 5-7 minutes before fading out of view. to the west, the setting sun was creating some brilliant colors in the clouds. it was pretty magical, the rain had stopped, and the temperature was even cooler now.
my mother packed me some rice with leftover tofu & chinese celery stirfry my 2nd aunt had made as well as a bit of leftover braised beef. i microwaved everything and ate dinner while watching the world cup match between argentina and south africa. south africa had a 2-0 lead, but argentina tied the game with just 15 minutes left in the game. neither team were very happy with the result: south africa let a golden opportunity slip by, and with a draw, both teams are at the mercy of sweden-italy match.