June 2, 2021

I needed to renew my license so I biked to an insurance agency over on Academy that does walk-in appointments to renew yr MPI license

(that's Manitoba Public Insurance for my non-Manitobans)

I wish I could say that I did this in a timely manner but actually

my license lapsed and I didn't go in to renew
because the idea of going somewhere and taking off my mask in a business
considering how Manitoba has handled this crisis

(which hasn't been great, for my non-Manitobans)

freaked me out

and since I can order in
and I don't need to drive

I avoided it

until it was required of me like it was today.

So I rode my bike a bunch
there and back
and then
there and back again

since I had to go there twice

because of course MPI's website had to go down as I was there
which meant they couldn't print my temporary ID

(why does this always happen with time-sensitive stuff?)

so they sent me home and called me when the printer was working again.

Bike 1, 2, 3, and then 4.

But as I biked back and forth, and back and forth
I realized

this might be the most time I've spent
on my bike
going somewhere
altering my plans

talking to people face-to-face

in close to a year.

And as I cruised up and down Wolseley
which was 99% cyclists and runners
and families out for walks

on my way
to and from and to and from
doing something that would make me
a permanent member of this community

it made me realize
how much I've missed my neighbourhood

and how excited I am to be a permanent part of it.

(Also, we're buying a house hooray!)