Before I went on the long trip I haven't finished telling you about, I received all the new wheels for my cart. A few hours later one of the old rear wheels irretrievably broke. I'd hoped, of course, to make the trip on the old wheels, but no, I changed them all that day instead.
During the trip, they were all on their best behaviour, but once I got back, they became concerned that I was used to trouble with my wheels, and here they were not giving me what I was used to. So the right rear wheel started acting up in a very familiar, but temporarily manageable, way. A few days later, the right front wheel discovered that it could make contact with the cart's basket, and that when it did so, it could only turn backward, as when pulling the cart, and not forward, as when pushing the cart.
So I stopped hiking as much as usual, spending more and more time in the particular place on campus to which I go on rainy days. One of this place's drawbacks is that it has no place to sit comfortable for someone of my height. On the other hand, it has a bench, outside the sheltered area where I spend most of my time, that's pretty comfortable to lie on, and however rainy most days recently have been, there's usually been a sunny spell in the afternoon.
On the Fourth of July, which was a Saturday, I got a big box of cream cookies as usual, but also had occasion to go to QFC, and got some day-old doughnuts. Therefore, when I lay on that bench in the afternoon, I hadn't opened the cookies yet.
Well, when I got up, they'd been opened, by a human hand but not in my way, and seven or eight cookies taken. What's more, both my water bottles had been drunk from. Now, I'd drunk some from one myself, but not both. So "out of an abundance of caution", as most inconveniences are explained these days, I discarded both bottles.
The only place around here that sells the bottles I prefer (20 oz Gatorade) individually is the Chevron station at Roosevelt and 45th. So this thief was clearly sent to get me up off my behind to check Ravenna, Cowen and Christie Parks and University Playground. Which I did the next day.
Momentous news, dear Diary. See, I found no changes, but that's now four days ago. So by now the water fountains in lower Ravenna Park and University Playground could have been turned back on. By now the restrooms at Cowen Park and University Playground could have been opened. (The new lights I mentioned at Cowen Park's restrooms have now been lit a long time. The one in the women's room has burned out; that in the men's is sadly dimmed.)
By now Christie Park could have opened to the public. For that matter, by now thieves could have finished disabling the water fountain on 15th Ave.
And that's all leaving aside Cowen Park's water fountain, which I forgot to check yet again. The possibilities are endless!
I can't keep you going indefinitely just because hope springs eternal, dear Diary. But keep that in mind. Sure, peak park season is well under way without the changes it's supposed to bring, but there's always next year. Or next decade.
On the way between Ravenna and Cowen Parks the sidewalk of 62nd St offered me many chances to change my cart-pushing ways, but I heeded none of them. Finally, fed up with the continued recalcitrance of the right front wheel, I was so mad I actually bought into the nonsensical idea that if I put all the cart's weight onto it, it would start turning again. Oops. It did respond dramatically, but by breaking the cart's front axle.
So no, dear Diary, I can't keep you going all the way until a vaccine returns us, or specifically Seattle's parks, to something like normal. I'll try to finish what needs finishing, but I'm now pretty sure you won't ever contain a cheerful "All Clear!" Sorry, dear Diary.
No comments:
Post a Comment