we hardly had any customers today until almost 1pm, then it was a steady stream. once again a lot of bentos, with the most popular today being minced pork. beef noodle soup was also popular, as well as the dumplings. as always, bubble tea is always a favorite.
i made a new batch of tea eggs today, simmering them for 2 hours to maximize the flavor. i also grounded some new tea egg spices, i'll need to restock a few spices. i'm not sure if the spices need to be grounded, or can they simply be crushed, because grinding creates a lot of dust, which creates a bit of a mess in the brine. nobody drinks the brine so it's not really an issue, but if we were to create a spice packet for soup, i wouldn't grind them spices, and may just leave them as whole pieces.
my mother grilled some tofu and left them for me to eat. however it got busy, and by the time i got to the tofu, they were already cold. i didn't mind, i ate them stinkless tofu style with some taiwanese paocai and a dab of hunan hot sauce on each tofu.
my sister's godmother showed me at the cafe. apparently my sister is home, and scheming to buy a new dog, and asked her godmother to go dog shopping with her. i was incensed, as any dog purchasing decision has to be made by the family as a whole, because i 100% guarantee that i will end up having to take care of the dog at some point. i told my mother i would poison the dog if my sister brought it to belmont to pee on the lawn which i've been meticulously grooming for years.
i left the cafe early today, around 3:30pm. i went home to work on the bicycle.
i installed the front tire with the triple-patched old tube. it was a pain to install, and when i tried to pump it with air, it wouldn't inflate, meaning either the patches failed, or the tube sprung a new leak. i struggled again to remove the tire and throw out the old tube. i then switched to the rear tire. that one was slightly easier to install, new tube with new tire. i put the wheel back on the frame and pumped the tire to 80 psi which held. success! i then went back to the front tire, this time with a new tube as well. maybe because i've worked on it so many times already, but this time the install was easier. i held my breath as i installed the wheel onto the frame and pumped up the tire. it held as well, 80 psi.
the bike as-is is rideable, but i need to do a few additional fixes. i need to install a brand new rear brake cable (missing), and probably replace the front brake cable while i'm at it. it needs a bit more cleaning, polishing off the grease and mildew buildup. the caliper brakes are also very rusty, need some oiling to lubricate them. seems like the more i fix, the more things i find that need fixing. i already spent $50 on new tires and tubes, i don't plan on spending anymore for this old rusty bike. in hindsight, i sort of regret taking on this project, as the bike itself is not in the best shape with so much rusting. i could always salvage the tubes/tires for future projects, and the bike is so junky, i wouldn't need to worry about anyone stealing it.
my new amazon-brand duvet cover arrived today. they had a spa blue colored one that i really liked ($30) but had been out of stock for a while. but when the white colored version went on sale for $19, i ended up getting that one, as my down comforter currently doesn't have a duvet (see: dryer pen mishap). i put it on and it looks okay. it has a white-on-white striped pattern which is nice, understated but elegant, though a little basic. if the blue version ever becomes available and goes on sale, i might get that one as well.
alex sent me a photo of the flipper package i sent him. he'd been checking its status ever since i shipped it off, while i've basically forgot about it after he paid me via paypal. it actually arrived pretty fast, in just 9 days (actually earlier than that, mailman failed to deliver it the previous day because he wasn't home). i was expecting 10-14 days.
i slept between 7-8pm. when i woke up i heated up two leftover meat buns for dinner in the microwave.