My day felt like an epic battle for some schmuck schlepping in the city. I got to read the whole paper in the morning and have a pleasant breakfast on the boss's dime, looking after one table of easy-going paizones in the midst of it and taking my clean-up leisurely, when some lady from NASA calls and says, "We got these rocket scientists in town, and they were gonna break up for dinner, but now they all wanna come to your place." So I get to be the epicenter of this whole drama of 'Are they coming, aren't they coming, did they put down a deposit, do we need a valet, can anyone wait on them, do we have people in the kitchen, where can we get some fish?'

So to spare you the details, the rest of my day was dealing with this mess while half a dozen parties two months out decided they must book today and eight or ten people needed overnight lodging. I was an hour past my shift just tying up loose ends and helping out while the next shift prepared for triple the business we were expecting, and I realize I must surmount The Hill on my bicycle to get a transit card before I can cross town, where I'll have to bike over to the library before 8pm to get my CSA veggies. So I get up the main slope with really minimal effort, just watching my breathing, and head in the general direction of the commercial strip beyond all the hilltop mansions. Of course, for the first time, I take a wrong turn among the loops and switchbacks around The Hill and end up halfway out of town. Thank Avalokiteshvara for Google Maps Mobile.

I cut back, found the grocery store and got my pass, along with a sandwich and juice drink to tide me over. The way to the train was downhill and I crossed town, shelving Sandform's lame objections to Unitarianism to listen to some tunes along the way. I biked from the Rapid station home and took a mandatory chill break, finding that the building's laundry facilities were back online and getting a couple loads rolling before I set out for the CSA/library DVDs run, which I usually leave for the last minute so that it's quite an intense cycle itself, but it pays off that way. I got to the Fresh Stop at the library about ten minutes to close with rainclouds looming, and they were eager to offload what they had left. I got a fine haul of DVDs from the library and the ride back was a bit soggy but really a trip. I met my roommate at the door and talked her ear off once we got upstairs, in the midst of which she offered her services should I wish to provide instructions on prepping something to bring to a cookout tomorrow.

In short, I had a day of fine striving which delivered dividends for my coworkers, my friends, and my flatmate (who seems to think I'm teaching her to cook), and was in the course of it fairly enjoyable to me.