Hi Gram,
I had a great time visiting friends in Decatur and the Atlanta area. I got to town Thursday night and settled into my hotel, where I caught up on some phone calls and computer work and got to bed early. I brought my bike with me on my road trip, but I just threw it in the back of the car at the last minute. I realized that wasn’t going to work, though. I would be getting it in and out of the car every time I wanted to ride it, then re-attaching the front wheel and lining it up so the brake didn’t rub. The bike is heavy and awkward, and there are some days I know my limitations would prevent me from physically moving it in and out of the car. I had thought about buying a bike rack in the past, but the racks I was looking at were $800-900 new.

Friday morning, I decided to look on FB Marketplace to see if anyone was selling a used rack. I found a guy that had one that would suit my needs and arranged to meet him after breakfast. He suggested that we meet in the parking lot of the local police station, a suggestion that I found very smart on his part. After handing him some cash and sending him on his way, I spent the next 30-45 minutes dialing in all the adjustments so it would fit my bike. The officers pulling in and out of the parking lot gave me some odd looks, but I succeeded without anybody bothering me.

Excited to have my bike on a rack and out of the car, I headed to the movie theater to see the new Guardians of the Galaxy movie. When I was younger, I would miss seeing movies in the theater because I couldn’t find anyone to go with me. For years now, though, I’ve enjoyed just going to the theater and getting lost in the story as the screen fills most of my vision and the sound wraps around me. The added bonus of going alone is that I have nobody to bother with my shifting in the seat, trying to find the elusive pain-free position. There are some movies that can be watched at home, but I like watching superhero stories on the big screen.

After the movie, I headed over to see Monica. My heart sang as we hugged and said our hellos, happy to see one another. She suggested dinner at The Po’Boy Shop & Basement Bar, and it did not disappoint!

We each got one of their signature sandwiches, chose the small, and it was still more food than either of us could eat! After dinner, we headed back to her place to go for a bike ride, but unfortunately mother nature had other plans for us and started dropping some rain. Wanting to stay dry, we delayed the ride and had a nice evening chatting while her dogs piled on her lap and kept her warm.

Saturday, I got up and found some breakfast before meeting up with my friend Zakia for the day and we had one of the most rich, memorable days in recent memory. After meeting at her house, we walked into town along Ponce De Leon Ave, a street lined with interesting houses, vibrant flowers, and well-manicured lawns to arrive at the Decatur Arts Festival. Laughter wound through the conversation for the next few hours as we each shared our amateur critiques of the paintings and sculptures in each booth, heard descriptive tales from the artists, and discussed what kinds of artwork we liked and why. She pointed out some of her favorite restaurants, explained some of the history of the landmarks and wove in her own history in the area. After wandering away from the art displays and through a book store, we came across the city square, where there was more art and displays set up. We heard about the robotics club at the local high school and even got to play an oversized version of a game that I’ve played since childhood. When I settle down somewhere again, I plan to build a similar oversized creation!

In need of a break after all of this walking and art (or at least that was my excuse), we stopped for a treat at Jeni’s Spendid Ice Creams, a local favorite. The line was out the door and wrapped down the sidewalk for a bit, but moved quickly. The dessert was well worth the wait, flavors exploding from the perfect texture and consistency. I don’t know about you, but I can’t keep ice cream at home. I start to dig in when it’s still frozen and a little hard. As I decide to have “just one more spoonful” it starts to melt and soften, making each bite better than the last. As the taste experience deepens, I enjoy it more and more until I’m staring at the empty carton, the ice cream replaced with regret. In any case, that’s why I don’t keep ice cream at home. The ice cream at Jeni’s started at that near-perfect consistency and was a realistic portion size rather than the quart or half-gallon that haunts me from my freezer.

Once we finished our treats, we wandered on so Zakia could show me more curiosities in the area. We explored the library for a little while, which had a “May the Fourth” Star Wars display, stopped into a hipster grocery/cafe, heard about the houses that have giant Halloween or Christmas displays, and learned about the local flora and fauna all while discussing our goals, dreams, plans, and wishes while we wove our way back to her house.

Once there, we loaded up into her car for a tour of the farther reaches of Decatur and into Atlanta. As she drove, my wonderful friend and tour guide pointed out so many wonderful things like museums, the Ponce Market, a symphony center, a building with Moroccan architecture, some parks, shopping districts, and so many other wonderful sights of which I unfortunately didn’t write down or remember the names. We finished the day with dinner back in Decatur at Mediterranean Grill, where I of course ate too much of their delicious food. Full and happy, with lots of newly formed memories, I headed back to the hotel to rest up for another day.