Speaking of the bridge, it is bikes and pedestrians only and the view of the river and sunset in the evening is enchanting. I stopped briefly to take a picture of the American River below. Isn't that cool? You would never guess that I am in the middle of a large metropolitan area, just minutes from my house.
I started paying Steve Rodriguez, the handyman via Chase's quick pay feature which allows a customer to send a payment via email - kind of like Paypal. Anyways, because the amount was large, it sent up red flags in Chase's Money Movement Dept. I got a call from Chase asking me to verify some personal info. Well, for some reason, their computer wouldn't take my atm pin so the service representative first asked me if I knew a banker at Chase? What, are you kidding? I avoid going into banks as much as possible. My transactions take place strictly with the atm. The woman insisted that I go into the branch and solve the issue there.
Okay fine. Might as well take care of a few other things as well as long as I am going to be out and about. The weather was hot but that was just too bad. I downed a few large glasses of water and hopped on my bike for the 5 minute ride to the Chase bank on Gold River Express and Sunrise Blvd. I really don't like that branch because the only way to get to it is through a parking lot. Yep, another car-centric strip mall with no bike racks of course. I parked my bike next to the Zinfandel Grille and headed over to the bank.
One thing good about going inside was the temperature was about 30 degrees cooler than outside. Oooh, yea. I plunked my sweaty self down in the waiting area and started looking aimlessly around while I waited. A teenage girl and her younger brother were sitting off to my left. The girl had ear buds on and was texting furiously as her brother watched. Her fingers moved so quickly, I thought they were going to dance right off the phone.
After a short wait, a service representative came over. "Can I help you?" "I sure hope so", I answered. After a lengthy phone call with the bowel movement, oops I meant money movement department, the problem was solved, at least until the next time the flags go up.
After huffing up Bridge Street, I made it to the library. By the time I arrived, I was a sweaty mess. The drinking fountain just inside the entrance was cold and refreshing, though. I gulped down vast quantities of water.
Last stop was Dollar Tree on Madison and Hazel. I happen to like this one because their shelves are almost always full. I locked my bike and went in. Some kids were running around the store. I guess it was better than running outside in 96 degree heat. I found everything I wanted and then some. As I meandered back to the front holding my green basket, I heard a woman call to one of the kids running around in a thickly accented stern voice. "No Alberto. You deednt leesten to me and now you gonna pay." I looked up and saw a fat Hispanic woman holding an equally fat boy by the shirt. The boy had a terrified look on his face even though he could have been 10 or 11. With a fat, pudgy hand, the woman smacked the boy on the butt. Ouch, that must have hurt because the boy screamed in pain. With the boy crying and sobbing, the fat woman dragged him to the front of the store. "Nos vamos afuera. Vamonos Alberto..."
I exited the store with a large bottle of purple Gatorade G2 in hand ready to inhale before the harrowing journey down Hazel. Who cares if it wasn't cold. I certainly wasn't complaining. After downing the sports drink, I unlocked my bike and got ready to hop on. "Excuse me, Mister." I whirled around to see a young boy walking up to me. "Do you know where a bike shop is?" The father was right behind him. "Oh, the only one I know is Bob's Cycles." I answered. The father smiled and said, "You were the only one with a bike." Yes, the only one foolish enough to ride around in this heat.
My little good deed for the day done, it was time to head down the road from hell. This is the same street where a pebble bounced up and cracked the windshield of our Toyota Corolla only days after we bought it. Yes, the city is in the process of widening the road through its powers of eminent domain but that wasn't going to help me now. I coasted as slowly and carefully as I could, watching for ditches on the right and speeding cars and trucks only inches away on my left. Last time I checked, the bridge widening project was almost complete and that was going to be my reward.
Finally I got home and splashed gallons of cold water on my face. Journey complete.
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