Discover Week
I should have ridden my bike yesterday, but didn't because of the issues with my big toe. I didn't even leave work until 4:45 yesterday afternoon, because Noah asked about what all my Birth Week plans are and I spent several minutes running him through the schedule. I then caught a Rapid Ride D bus to the heart of downtown; checked Target for the mouthwash they mystifyingly don't carry anymore; then caught a #49 up to Broadway and Pine, where I got off and walked over to Pike to get the mouthwash there.
Shobhit texted me at, like, 5:35 to ask where I was. I deviate from my regular routine by five minutes and he has to text me. Anyway I had to walk the last seven blocks home.
Oh! I suppose I should mention this: Shobhit got me the AirPods I Instagram post: Omg I love that this paid off for you hahahaha
Well, my shamelessness technically did pay off, yes -- but, in kind of an indirect way: Sherri, told Shobhit over Easter that he should buy them for me, plainly because she had seen my previous post. And at first he launched into this monologue about how he disagreed because I don't give him enough attention already and I would just ignore him even more at home with these Air Pods. We talked about that on the way home from Olympia in the car and I was like, "I don't hang out at home with my headphones in and you know it. Why would I with these?" And then all of a sudden he was like, "I can get them for you." And so he did!
I didn't necessarily think that posting a link to my Amazon Wish List with this as the only item on it would actually pan out, but I figured, it's a possibility, right? And what if more than one person bought it for me? No harm in having a spare pair! I honestly had more of an expectation that no one would buy them, and that would have been fine too. I just haven't had the budget of my own for the expense, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try this very specific form of shamelessness. I get the feeling Shobhit felt much more inclined to buy them since he has doubled his income by getting that second job.
The ease of connection and use was kind of astonishing -- where we're at with technology, it will probably never stop amazing me. Because I'm old! I'm about to turn 43!
Anyway, my iPhone's Bluetooth connection detected the AirPods immediately, and even identified them as "Matthew's AirPods" without my even having to do any kind of installation. I didn't tell it to do that! That part's kind of creepy, to be honest. Anyway, I tested them and they were great; I had Shobhit use them for a minute so he could see they're just like any other headphones -- he kept thinking they were noise-cancelling, and they are not.
And, as I texted him this morning, they are a dream. I did ride my bike today, and for once I had no risk of getting headphone cords caught by my knee or the handlebars and yanking them out of my ears. Also, I've gone to the bathroom with them in -- I never touch them, which makes that easy. Now I can listen to podcasts on the toilet at work!
Are you dying to know how my toe is? It's clearly not healed completely, and my foot still feels way better without my shoe on. But unlike Monday, I am not in constant pain -- and it's way better even than Tuesday, but maybe roughly the same as it was yesterday. Hopefully it recovers completely sooner than later.
So now I can tell you about having just had lunch with Karen, down at the Six-Seven Restaurant at the Edgewater Hotel. Her house, which she and Dave had left for a hotel during the refinishing of their floors, got robbed a week ago yesterday -- all of her jewelry, all their silver flatware, and a bunch of handbags. Many things they had for 25 years and which had been wedding gifts. That was kind of a bummer, which she started off telling me about by saying, "We've had an . . . exciting? week."
As always anymore, we split the gyro sandwich -- which, while not nearly as delicious as the truffle macaroni and cheese, it's far cheaper than that was (like half the price), and is still delicious. I suppose it's just as well they finally took the macaroni off their specials menu; now we're saving money!
Speaking of which, as could be expected, we talked a lot about my plans for this year's Birth Week, starting tomorrow. This week's Birth Week costs, including all ticketing and all meals expected, is budgeted at somewhere around $700 -- probably by far the most expensive Birth Week I have ever done. I had been thinking next year I would make the theme trains and railroads, but if I want to stick with the plan of visiting Australia in February/March, I should probably stick to a theme next year that will be more in line with last year's, which had been botanical gardens -- as in, cheap to free.
And, I had been considering something as simple as "picnics." And then, when I was writing captions for the San Juan Island day trip photos from last weekend, I recalled the Discover Pass Shobhit bought for only 15 minutes or so parked at Lime Kiln Point State Park -- and I thought: why don't I make next year's theme "Discover Pass"? On the state parks website they sell day passes for $11.50 or annual passes for $35 (plus a $5 processing fee) -- which I'd save money by buying even for one week! I might as well get it at the start of the year next year, just so I have it handy at all times. It would have been handy on San Juan Island last weekend! And, I can still do picnics -- just at a bunch of state parks, preferably ones I have never been to, of which there appears to be a lot!
Parks are way easier for Karen, a wheelchair user, than boats (this year's theme), so we got to looking up the most accessible parks. We found two quite quickly with paved hiking trails that she could easily take. I'm excited by this idea! Next year's money-saving theme, already chosen, right at the start of this year's Birth Week. Works for me!
Anyway I rode by bike back and I need to get back to work now.
[posted 1:19 pm]