Just a typical Monday

Monday morning, no alarm set, wake up late, it's still August, although almost over. It's the easy month for us in the lab: boss in and out, didn't even see him at all last week. Get up to make coffee only to realize I have no milk in the fridge. Shit! Put on some pants, out to the store, ahh, it's beautiful out! Finally, the mugginess of the day before gone, bright sunshine, cool breeze. As I sip my coffee I contemplate riding to work. Still really sore from the nasty 16 mile run the day before, but it's so nice outside! My internal argument ends with me hopping on my bike around 10:30. Oh, so lazy! Not even 10 blocks later, I get a flat. My already tired and sore legs can barely get my bike up the 5th Ave. hill now, with the back tire almost completely flat. On to the nearest bikeshop.

This shop is near school and I go there a lot. I am one of those bikers who just owns the bike, but has no desire to know more about the machine. I don't own tools, I don't own a pump, I wouldn't even know how to start taking a wheel off. When I had to lift my bike seat, I went over to Daniel's apartment; he has tools. It's a little embarrassing but honestly, it's not something I am super interested in and I enjoy the riding and am more than happy to pay someone else to fix it. And they should be more than happy that idiots like exist: I keep them in business! Not this guy. He's clearly European, kind of grumpy looking, too bad he's so cute! He's asking me all these questions: how much air do I put in my tires, what kind of gauge do I use, what's up with my pedals. I tell him I don't have a gauge, I just use the free air outside of bikeshops, blah blah blah. He looks at me with this "What the fuck" expression, making me feel really stupid. Just last week, I had this conversation with Daniel. The American mentality is usually that if you're paying for a service, you are the boss, the person getting payed is usually happy to help because he wants to sell you something. And I like that. If I am going to pay $16 to get a tire tube changed, please don't act like you want me to be able to do this myself.

By the time I get to lab, it's 11:30. An hour and a half later I am sipping a lunch margarita at the Mexican restaurant on the corner. By 1:30, I am drunk. Ah, I love August!

And then, already in a sufficiently good mood, I see the email. The first, I hope of many more, interview invitation!!!! To Einstein!!! Up in the Bronx. Pretty good med school. And it's only the end of August! I am actually still not finished with all my applications. And I have an interview in 3 weeks!! Oh my god! I spend the rest of the day in a haze. A pink haze. So excited. Didn't finish my experiments till 9, but it was ok. Riding home through the park was beautiful, worth the flat tire and the cocky biker fixer guy. I was so pumped I couldn't even sleep. Just a typical Monday in New York City.