On the road again...

Chris got up at 8 to play with the voices. So I got up too, and read in the courtyard. Around 9 some boys came out to play. One little boy has a very loud voice and kept yelling to the other boys to play with him. I so wanted to tell him that it was Saturday morning and that people were sleeping and he should be quiet. I have had to close my window in the past to shut out his voice (at least I think it was him). But I did not think I could say all that diplomatically. So I just went back inside.
I put the rest of my fabric in the washer. I fixed breakfast and ate it in front of the computer. I also ate the beans that didn't sprout. Tasted ok. I got an e-mail from Helen that she wanted to go bike riding at 1, so I agreed to meet her at the bike rental place. I dried my fabrics for 30 minutes, and laid them on the bed, damp. I packed a water bottle and tire pump. Couldnt think of what else I needed, so I pumped up a tire, and wheeled my bike into the elevator and rode down to the riverside. I continued on to the bike rental place, stopping once to drink water. I was a little out of breath when I arrived. But it was my lucky day. She said she hadn't ridden in a while and was out of shape. She rented a bike and we rode west. I realized then that I should have brought sunglasses. After a while we stopped at a bench to drink more water, and we got into a conversation. I told her there were 4 capabilities I couldn't imagine my life without: the ability to read, to sew, to do math, and to read music/play an instrument. We talked so long that she wanted to go to lunch next. So we rode back, and she turned in her bike. We wheeled my bike up to the main street and found a restaurant with an outside table so I could watch my bike. She ordered and sat with me. The proprietor brought out the food and we ate and chatted. Then a lady stopped to talk to her. This lady had helped Helen in the subway months ago and they still recognized each other. So the three of us chatted there, and then moved next door to the coffee shop for tea. It was after 5 when Helen said she wanted to attend a party that started at 4. So she and I left for the subway, and Cindy (not her real name, but I can't write her name in English letters) went to catch up with a friend. I stopped along the way to buy some cherry tomatoes from a little stand. Helen helped me wheel my bike into the subway. I hugged her goodbye, and then used the elevator to get out to the other side - a very convenient way to cross the street. I stopped at the south post visitor center to use the restroom and then rode home. When I got to our apt, Chris helped me get the bike inside, and he put it out on the porch for me. He and Michele ate supper and I had the remaining veggie popsicles. Then I fired up the iron and the TV and pressed all the fabric I had washed this morning. I finished just in time to write this post and go to bed.