i've been getting automated semi-daily reminders from the community garden committee that this weekend is the last weekend to put your garden to sleep for the winter. i've already cleared out my plot a few weeks ago, but went back this one last time to do some late autumn planting. i had an envelop stuffed with chinese chive seeds, a sandwich bag filled with milkweed seeds, and a plastic container with 5 garlic cloves i broke up into individual bulbs. i'm not even sure if any of them will germinate in the harsh environment of my community garden plot but worth a shot. the garlics aren't anything special, just the ones i got from haymarket yesterday. i wanted to grow some spicy korean red garlics, but i waited too long and the one online supplier was all sold out by early autumn. if i can harvest a few servings of garlic scapes i will take that as a victory.

with my sister helping out at the cafe and with my parents in new york city again, i was entrusted with dogsitting duty this sunday. i took the motorcycle, partly because i was too tired to ride the bicycle again (after all that riding yesterday), but also i wanted to clean the motorcycle in anticipation of the extended winter storage once we get our first big snowstorm. after i let hailey out into the backyard, i went out front with a cup of hot water and a soft cloth and wiped down the bike. i'm at a point where i don't even like to see water spots on it. a neighbor walking his dog came by and commented on the motorcycle, said how much he and his son admired it. i personally don't think the bike is all that great, but i admit it's still eye catching, with all that shiny chrome.

with the new england patriots resting this weekend after having played on thanksgiving thursday, there wasn't a game to watch this sunday. i still tuned in to the green bay packers-atlanta hawks game though, with atlanta being one of last team with an 8-2 record and could potentially tie for first place in the NFL with the new york jets and the patriots. i was naturally rooting against atlanta. it looked like a win for the packers but the hawks came back to win in the final minute.

i finally found my mother's old sewing machine, a brother VX710. i couldn't find a manufacture date stamped on the machine, nor any information online, but i remember my mother had this machine from the 80's (it's aggressively named model number suggests cold war influence). it's about the same weight as the singer promise machine. it's a pretty basic model, no fancy stitching, just straight and zigzag, and another dial to set the length. the machine is missing the presser foot but i think it's an easy thing to replace. also missing is the needle but i'd imagine that to be fairly standard part that i can find in any crafts store. the plastic extension table was loose and i couldn't attach it back to the machine. the only interesting thing it had that i didn't see in the other models is a telescoping post for the spool. the VX710 was made in taiwan (compared to the white machine which was made in the USA (1972) and the singer promise from china (2010)).

when my sister came home she made some spaghetti for dinner. after i finished eating i returned to cambridge. down the street from my parents' place, a neighbor had already strung up pale yellow christmas lights all over their house and bushes. other that that, i only saw maybe 1 or 2 more houses with holiday lights. seems like an off year for christmas displays. maybe people are waiting until december.

i finished the evening watching the second-to-last episode of the walking dead. it's a compelling show, but now one i'd want to revisit. this show about a zombie apocalypse has a visceral quality that turns my stomach. entertaining, but now a show i'd want to watch repeatedly.