i was surprised this morning to see snow in the weather forecast for tomorrow. a few days ago it seemed like a non-event, but now this storm might dump 3-6" of wet snow in boston. it didn't seem to make much sense, since the temperature today was in the upper 50's, but here in new england you sort of get used to unexpected weather.

my immediate thoughts were to the supermarket, to pick up a few things before the snow arrived (since i wouldn't be able to easily travel by bike afterwards). but when i spoke to my mother, she said they were heading down to market basket after work, and i could get a ride with them. so i decided to wait.

that was before i received an e-mail from REI letting my know that my items were ready for pickup at their boston store. i had exactly an hour before my parents' arrival, which was enough time for me to race down to fenway and back on bike. with snow coming, this might be the last time i can ride into boston for the coming days.

so i rode into boston, which took about 25 minutes. i brought my bungie netting, which i used to tie the box to the rear rack. it then took another 25 minutes to get back to cambridge. i immediately called my mother to let her know i was back home. i then took the bike helmet out of the box and tried it on. it felt a little small! but bern helmets seem to only come in two sizes: S/M and L/XL. i decided to try the helmet again later, as my heart was still beating fast from racing back home. i also tried out the new bike lock, the abus ugrip 585 chain (75cm). i really like that it's easy to lock, and then takes a key to open. it has a self-rated security level of 5 out of 15. i intend to use it with my fuji bike, on the rare occasion when i park it outside or elsewhere.

market basket wasn't as crazy as you'd expect, given that it was the day before a snowstorm. but maybe later when folks start getting out from work, this place will get mobbed. my parents showed up with bags of drink cans to be deposited. after we finished shopping, we stopped by the cafe to unload the supplies, before heading to belmont.

i tried the bern brentwood helmet again. it was a snug fit, and even tighter on my father's head. it fit my mother perfectly though, which was a surprise, because i always assumed she had a bigger head. i told her she could keep it but she didn't want it. the more i tried the helmet though, the looser it felt. i think i will keep it after all.

my father and i tried to fix the broken electric kettle. it heats fine, but won't automatically shut off once the water is boiling. the problem is pretty simple, the thermal cutoff fuse needs to be replaced. however, we can't seem to find it, and as i've already ordered a new electric kettle, it's not worth it trying to fix it. maybe i'll try taking the old kettle apart once the new one arrives. it maybe also be a problem with the bimetallic thermostat disc, and that whole assembly can be purchased online for a few bucks (from china).

i got a ride back to my place after dinner, as my father was going to visit my grand uncle afterwards. we made plans for me to come by the cafe tomorrow morning to shovel the snow. as it will be too treacherous for biking, i will have to walk it, a 25 minute trek (1.2 miles), maybe longer in the snow. it might make for some good photo ops.