An Evening with Claudia and Dylan
I had a very nice time last night, although it took some real physical exertion to get there. I rode my bike 5.4 miles there and then, later, 5.4 miles back; that makes 10.8 miles total bike riding yesterday. Which would not necessarily normally be that big a deal, except if you do click that link, it also notes elevation gains and losses along the way, in the sidebar on the left: from a peak of 394 ft, the elevation goes down to 52 ft—and then back up to what looks like, maybe, around 375 ft? That would be 323 ft elevation gain in the last half of the ride there. Riding north of the U District an into Ravenna on 12th Avenue, that last stretch looks easier than it is, because it's not super steep, but it goes on a long way. It's very tiring.
It was a similar deal coming back, simply because the lowest elevation, at the bridge across the canal, is right about in the middle of the route. And the hills coming back up on the way back are not as long but they are way steeper; I can usually get up them without dismounting my bike but yesterday's rides took more out of me so I had to get up and walk a couple blocks up hills two times on the way back.
Anyway. I baked five Field Roast mini veggie corn dogs and put them into a container and spritzed ketchup on them; that was my dinner. Then on my way up 15th Avenue along the first leg of my route on Capitol Hill, I stopped briefly at Caffe Ladro where I managed to get them to make me a Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte. I then poured that into the thermos I had brought, into which I had already put two shots of vodka and a shot of Bailey's Irish Cream. It made for a very tasty hot boozy drink to nurse while hanging out with Claudia and Dylan in their backyard.
Dylan was still working in the basement when I arrived, I think at around 5:20; I had managed to get out of the condo very soon after I finished working at 4:30. Apparently Dylan sells ad space on the Washington State Ferries, a somewhat interesting indirect connection with Laney's daughter Jessica, who just recently got hired on with them as an employee on the ferries themselves, after having been on a long waiting list.
They have Adirondack chairs in their backyard, and the two of them sat next to each other probably 15 feet away from me, across their backyard. A bit off to the side but otherwise between us was their very cool fire pit, which I immediately complimented; it's spherical in shape, black metal with a cool design on it, and has a curving lid that makes it look sort of like Pac-Man. Claudia was proud of it as what she seems to think is the only "good" birthday present she's ever managed to get Dylan. (He scoffed at that idea, that she never otherwise gives him good presents, when I mentioned it to him.)
I really wish I could have gone earlier, or stayed later, of it hadn't gotten dark as early as it did, or maybe I could have come by on a weekend day—it's just that Claudia was unavailable this past weekend. I had a really nice time; we talked a fair amount about work but honestly not nearly to the degree Tracy and I had at Volunteer Park on Friday. But then, I have known Claudia far longer and we more easily can find other things to talk about, whereas Tracy is much newer and so most of the common ground she and I have, so far at least, is work related.
In fact, as soon as I started moving to head home, that was suddenly when Claudia asked if I had any TV recommendations. I should have known I literally had notes on this in my Gmail drafts and could have accessed them on my phone right there, but I wound up texting her much better recommendations from that later after I got home, than the ones I was able to think of off the top of my head. Based on what she still has not yet seen, I think the rotoscope animation series Undone on Prime Video is her best bet right now. I can't recommend that series enough, and the more I think about it the more I think I'd enjoy watching it again. Even though I never re-watch TV series, there's just too much to watch already.
She got very concerned about my riding at night without a back light, and so she loaned me one to pin onto my shoulder bag that hangs mostly behind me as I ride. I honestly think I would have been fine without it (I did used to have both a light and a reflector for the back, under my seat, but they were stolen over time), but it made her feel better. And admittedly, it absolutely did make me far easier to see from the back and therefore safer. I already had a front light mounted on my helmet, and even though I commonly leave my helmet with my bike when I lock it up, that one has yet to be stolen. Maybe it's too securely stuck onto the helmet.
So anyway, I'm guessing it was around 7:00 when I finally headed out, and it took me around 40 minutes to get back, largely because of the two times I had to get off my bike and walk it up hills. I then spent a little time exchanging texts with Claudia over Facebook Messenger (interesting I can still contact her that way, as her Facebook account has now been deactivated so long, she told me last night, she can't even remember what her password used to be). After that, I listened to some music for a while, but otherwise was getting ready for bed before long.
Shobhit had a late shift at Total Wine & More and did not get off work until 10:00 last night, so I was just falling asleep by the time he got home.
[posted 12:29 pm]