Last week was pretty relaxed, no late nights at the office or out with the gals. Somehow I managed to get sick, which I guess is better now than a busy time. On Thursday, I dipped out of work at 4 to rest up and get better. It was so interesting seeing my neighborhood during the day! There was a store on my street that I had no idea even existed (the store front is covered when they are closed). I couldn’t believe all the people out and about. All I had on the mind was getting home but I stopped at the store for some vitamin C by way of juice and fruit with hopes of exotic healing powers (I insist a mangosteen once saved me from the flu). I watched a movie about Dungeons and Dragons and went to bed super duper early.
Luckily I have a sweet stash of Target cough drops and Dayquil so I was back in the Buro on Friday. My desk neighbor Antje recommended I check out this store KaDeWe for fruit. I was starting to feel yucky after work but I made a quick stop. They had a fruit counter with things I have never even seen before! And also the fruit I found in Valencia but didn't get because it was moldy. The fruit counter was similar to a deli where there was a man working there to get your items and answer questions. That might be my dream job. There was a line at the time so I figured I’d circle back around for my haul. As I was exploring the rest of the giant department store, my Dayquil started to wear off. I needed to get home before I turned into a pumpkin so I didn’t even get the fruit.
Saturday, I wanted to check out a Kreuzberg Farmer’s Market that I had read about. I was still feeling terrible but I took some ‘quil and went out. Unfortunately, the market was basically three stands with celery roots and leeks.
Next on the agenda, buy a bike! I had researched a store in Friedrichshain that had a lot of good reviews and I took the long way to enjoy the day. Along the way, I encountered a number of bike stores, some with used and some with new bikes. I didn’t want to spend a lot because I’ll only have this bike for a few months so I was leaning towards used.
When I finally got to the bike store they sure had lots of bikes but they were also pretty haggard. People have recommended that I go to the flea market at Mauer Park for a bike but POS bikes were exactly what I wanted to avoid. I don’t know how to tell if one is a lemon and how to fix it if it is. I tried out a couple options and they all seemed a little defunct. This scared me so I went back to the closest new bike store and picked one up off the lot. This is also why when I drove, it was a Honda. I would rather not have to worry about something going wrong then have the stress of a break-down.
Here she is! What a beaut. It’s a single speeder with a hand brake for the front wheel and pedal backwards for the back. It came with a bell and I had the basket installed. I rode her home and it was glorious. The ride was so smooth! My last bike was a foldy so I could carry it up four flights of stairs and sometimes when I would ride it would fold up on me. My bike before that, the Eurotour, was a certified piece of garbage. It was removed from the street for a poorly labeled Obama motorcade so it never got a chance to break down on me. The other bikers were much scarier than the cars, weaving around me and each other. I’m sure I will get used to it and with my trusty lime-green helmet I’m safer than most.
Today was one of the few Sundays where some stores were open. I wanted to ride my bike back to KaDeWe but I could barely move. I only have one dose of the quil left and I might need it for work tomorrow. I just had a gallon of soup and hopefully I’ll be better in the morgen!
No comments:
Post a Comment