— पांच हजार तीन सौ नब्बे-एक —
I've just got flatness all over the place lately.
When I was on my bike riding home from work Monday, I was heaving my pedaling up the hill on Pine Street when a guy cycled past me to the left, and hollered over to me, "Your back tire is flat!"
It wasn't, really. Not quite, anyway. It did need to be pumped up, and I had my shoulder bag which also contained a very thick library book I'm reading strapped to the bike rack just over it, which further weighed it down. I made it home, pumped it up, it seemed to be fine.
Yesterday morning, it was still fine. The
back tire was, anyway. I got on my bike to ride it out of our parking garage, and found the front tire to be flat.
I pumped
that up. Knowing I was soon going to need to replace the front tube regardless, I pumped it up anyway, thinking maybe it was a slow leak I could take advantage of long enough to ride to work. I really should have just left it there and pivoted to the bus then, but I was running a little late and riding my bike was the only way I'd get to work within a desired time frame. Not that truly anyone gives a shit what time I arrive at work.
The front tire kept its pump for about three quarters of the ride. I could feel it deflating, but still barely managed to ride it to the garage at my office building.
I pumped it up again before heading home after work yesterday, hoping it would stay pumped up long enough for me to ride to 20/20 Cycle on 20th & Union to get the tube replaced, maybe stop just once along the way to pump it again. No such luck: this time, the tire was flat again within a block. I had no choice, really, but to walk the bike home.
Okay, I could have taken the bus and put the bike on the rack in front of the bus. This would have been easier to do had I taken that tack to begin with, going straight to the bus stop on Queen Anne Avenue. Instead, I was now well on my way down Elliott, and had no desire to backtrack.
A new dea: Velo Bike Shop, which was actually the company at which Shobhit bought me this bike for my birthday in 2008 when they were located on 11th & Pine on Capitol Hill, moved to a new location
ten years ago, downtown on 6th and Blanchard—actually closer to me on my way home now. So, I decided I would walk there, and see if by some miracle they were not backed up and could quickly fix my flat.
I reached the store, and they were closed. Hours were shortened; they closed yesterday at 3:00! Big, handwritten signs were posted to the windows reading STORE CLOSING.
Although I had long since stopped being a regular customer with them—they moved away from Capitol Hill and that left 20/20 Cycle far more convenient to me—this is rather a bummer. I guess they have business in Seattle since 1968!
Their website now has this message:
Velo Bike Shop is going to be closing. We Have served the Seattle area for the last 55 years and helped thousands of people with their bicycles. We encourage you to stop by within the next week or two in order to say goodbye! - We are no longer offering service.
Strangely, I can find no coverage elsewhere online at all, giving any particular reason for them closing. Their Instagram account hasn't been updated since last December, their Twitter account not since 2019. Their website offers no further insight than the above paragraph.
In any event, this left me no choice but to just walk the bike all the rest of the way home. I clearly was going to have no time whatsoever to get the tire fixed anywhere before the movie I planned to see at the Egyptian at 5:30. I have plans tonight and tomorrow too, leaving Friday the soonest I can take it in, when they will probably be busier. What a pain in the ass.
It irritated me that I was walking home, had my book with me, but was not reading it. I went ahead and pulled that out and still read several pages as I rested the book atop the handlebars while I pushed the bike walking alongside it. This was a slightly precarious scenario but I managed it. This book is overdue and I am only barely approaching halfway through it, and I cannot renew it due to there being other holds on it. I suppose the silver lining is that without biking to work and back the rest of the week, I'll have that time to spend reading.
— पांच हजार तीन सौ नब्बे-एक —
— पांच हजार तीन सौ नब्बे-एक —
So anyway, I got the bike home, went to the condo long enough to pee and to feed the cats, and then I took myself to see
Polite Society at the Egyptian Theater, thankfully a six-block walk away. I was glad to have at least been able to get the bike home first, rather than walking it home from downtown
after a movie.
The movie is corny as shit, but also fun. Solid B from me.
The more memorable aspect of the experience was being the only patron in the theater for this 5:30 screening on a Tuesday. I've experienced this a few times at AMC Theaters, but it's a little more expected at more obscure screening times at multiplexes. It leaves me a little more concerned for the health of the far more independent SIFF Cinema theaters still operating, however. There were
four employees in there when I arrived: two at ticket counters, leaving me confused at first as to which one I should even buy my ticket from; one for scanning tickets (and I didn't even bother having the cashier print my ticket so I just walked in); and one at the concession stand, where I bought nothing. I have one stamp left on my six-punch popcorn punch card that comes with membership renewal, but even if I used it, it wouldn't have given SIFF any more money.
Were any of those four people volunteers, I wonder? If not, then they were paying four people to be there during a two-hour block in which they made all of $9. From me.
All of this isn't even to mention
the expected massive disruption to SIFF Cinema at the Uptown—the only multiplex (three screens) SIFF operates—when a new Light Rail station is constructed right there for the
Ballard Link Extension (construction between 2023 and 2037-39).
I can find no information online whatosever about SIFF having any budget worries. Presumably they still make most of their money from membership fees, donations and the annual film festival? I have no idea. I can tell you, though, that it was fun being the only person watching a movie at the Egyptian. I don't think I ever experienced that at that particular theater before. It didn't make me laugh any less than I would have otherwise; I can have a great time in public by myself without being selfconscious about it.
After the movie I walked home, and Shobhit was out working the public at Volunteer Park. When he returned in the middle of my writing the review, he'd gotten another six donations. He's really hustling with that work these days. I have no idea at what point he'll be able to relax in any way about it. The filing deadline this month? The primary election in August? I mean, if he makes it past all that, things will only ramp up from there.
Before I started the review I made macaroni and cheese for dinner, to which I added sauteed broccoli (finely chopped so I could stomach it), bell pepper, mushroom, and veggie sausage. I'd have loved to add fresh tomato, but we were fresh out. I did add extra cheese. I found it to be delicious.
After I finished my review we watched this week's episode of
Ted Lasso which was quite good. I was very much on Keeley's side regarding not being shamed into apologizing for recording a sex video, even if it got hacked and released to the public. "I don't regret making that video," she says, which appears to result in a breakup with her current (and very rich) girlfriend. Good for you, Keeley! It's quite refreshing, actually, to see that kind of point of view represented onscreen. I found a couple online recap articles that are surprisingly critical of this episode overall, and they make fair points I suppose. But whatever, I liked it.
— पांच हजार तीन सौ नब्बे-एक —
[posted 12:32 pm]
