We were out of a few things and the big rain hadn’t arrived yet, so I decided to head to the store for a quick trip. I also hoped to take a scenic route home to check out the widened bike path on N. Willamette Blvd.
But in leaving so early in the day, I was risking the sudden onset of urgently needing a bathroom. This is always a risk when one lives with both Crohn’s and IBS. Now that I am semi-retired, I have the luxury of not having to leave the house very early in the morning, so I can take care of myself at home without stress.
But if I wanted to beat the rain, I had to leave early.
En route, I saw the recently repaired Free Cupboard had been restocked, and was glad to see that the Little Free Library side had some fresh books on the shelf.
There are maybe hundreds of Little Free Libraries all over Portland now, and dozens of Free Fridges and Free Cupboards too. I love the neighborliness these things represent and encourage. If we had the space in front of our house we’d install a Little Free Library, but there are at least two within a block of us so it’s not an urgent need.
Heading on towards the store, I passed by Woodlawn Park, and hoped that eventually the City would replace the sign that had been deliberately destroyed by BLM rioters in 2021. When they staged protests in the park back then, some of the protestors would set things on fire or smash them with sledgehammers, a multidirectional statement against the state, white supremacy and the police department. If they wanted to effect change, there were better ways to do it, and they did not get much love from residents who live near the park.
Then, it happened. My body gave off telltale signals, and I needed a bathroom. Very soon.
I turned onto Rosa Parks Blvd and looked up and down cross streets until I found a Porta-Potty. In NE Portland, someone is always building or repairing a home, and there’s sure to be a Blue Room out front if the required work is extensive.
Thankfully, this one wasn’t padlocked for the weekend, as some are.
While some folks may not want to think about it, this sort of thing is a regular fact of life for me, and nothing to feel squidgy or ashamed of. We all have to go sometime.
Without time or a reasonable pole to lock up to, I have to lean my bike against the Porta-Potty and hold the door slightly ajar so I can grab my bike if someone tries to take off with it. It has only happened to me once in my entire life, but one incidence is enough around which to create a policy.
I rode past beautiful scenes that reminded me why I love living here, including the end of the blooming season at Peninsula Park, dogs running across the grass with their tongues hanging out while their humans made small-talk, and a gentle breeze that nudged a few leaves off their branches and helped them float gently to the damp ground.
The air began to change, and I could feel the moisture in the air grow. The rain would come soon.
In order to fulfill the beverage requirement of the challenge, I helped myself to some coffee from the coffee counter inside the store, enjoying a small cup while I shopped and saving the rest in my thermos for the ride home.
After I made my purchases, I unlocked my bike, put on my rain jacket and rode home, deciding to take a more direct route and save N. Willamette for another day.
Thankfully, there were no more urgencies of any sort on my ride, and when I got home the rain had yet to show up.
From the inside of our entryway, it was lovely to hang up my bike and watch the yard for a few minutes while I sipped some more coffee from the thermos. And when I turned around, there was a sweet kitty to welcome me home.
Hope your rides this week are truly enjoyable.
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