Dear diary 080913, in the hoodie

Early ride to the farmers' market @ Grand Army Plaza, and what I noticed right away was how many bikes were there, and how the bikes were chained to poles and everything skinny for a block or two leading up to the market. More and more folks on bikes, and no racks at the market. There used to be barrier racks that folks chained to, but these have largely been deployed to the edge of the market by the traffic circle - the death zone behind the north line of vendors and trucks - and no one locks up there. Yo yo, CB6, a little help, please?

And, yeah, I wore a helmet today. First time since last winter. I put it on when I realized I'd be riding directly through the same route that distant acquaintance JM rode through earlier this week when he was struck by a schoolbus and killed. (Daily News, Rolling Resistance, On Your Turf, Streetsblog, and The Brooklyn Paper.) I saw DK maybe Tuesday this week for lunch, before this happened, and he gave me an update on JM - then two days later DK sent me the news that JM'd been killed.

After lots of chores around the house and particularly in the cellar - it's nearly wine season, and hopefully much more about that soon - I pushed out sorely needed updates to Lori's Hard Working Movies site, and tinkered with a new blog for her. Then out to prowl Atlantic and 5th Ave's.

At the Brooklyn Heights bike shop I finally indulged an obsession that's been brewing for the last six months and bought a set of Crankbrothers 50/50 platform pedals. Woof! Woof! There is not a single justification in the world for me owning these pedals. Pure lust. Sad. But I couldn't be happier. Picked up some grease at Leopoldi's. I'm assuming there's a 15 mm wrench down in the basement, somewhere.

Between the bike shop and Leopoldi's I ducked into the Metaphor Contemporary Art gallery on Atlantic. I just love this place. I don't think they've ever raised a show I didn't enjoy the heck out of. The current show is Social Studies, Charles Yuen & Yunmee Kyong. If you're anywhere nearby, do yourself a favor and stop in.

Oh, what else. Green Flash le Freak @ Beer Table. Yow. Then bussed to the pizza and pasta specials and the ceci and onion and arugula at Amorina, with the Sicilia russo in proper quantity. We walked the few miles home so as not to simply burst.

And that, more or less, is all. Good night, and God bless, and don't worry your pretty little head over what the Bush Doctrine might mean.