Off to the outdoor mall.
I got a call from the store where I had ordered my new keyboard, the one that was unavailable in this third world country. Today is the day that it arrived.
I had ordered it from the USA and they only tacked on a few hundred for importing it. The guy called me last night and said he had it, so I ran there in the morning first thing. Nothing was open yet in the gallery (that is one word for a mall) but getting here early is still worth it because it gets quite crowded later in the day and it doesn't matter what day we are talking about. So I went to Micky D's and got a breakfast sandwich and a coffee.
Parking was not a problem
But I can't leave it there, so I walked it back to the counter in the way back area where one they take your order. Then I find a seat at the back where I can keep an eye on my wheel while I pay. Then I can make my order.
I walked up to the ever changing television screens that they use as menus and saw the beans on the screen which reinforced my urge for coffee. While the timed commercial video was playing, the lady asked me what I wanted. I described the egg McMuffin that I wanted since there was no menu to look at yet. She came back with a description of the sandwich they do have which comes close to what I am looking for. I ordered and saw all the menus return to the screen as I turned away with my receipt.
I eat and McDonalds maybe once a year if that. I don't think the food is that good for you. But it is close to where I am going and gives me a place to sit and wait...
I got my food and...
Parking is still not a problem, neither is theft which would have been a problem if I had left a bike out front while eating. You might think, and you would be correct, that I am highlighting the benefits of this particular form of transportation. If it were not so difficult to learn to ride one, then everyone would have one. Then I would be the victim of rules that would arise if everyone were parking their wheels in stores and restaurants everywhere! Luckily, that is not the case and I am allowed to bring it inside any and all stores I go to.
Another reason I wanted to be early was so that I could get out of the downtown area before all the craziness of the city arrived with the crowds and parking hassles. For now though, I just need the place to open. I finished my non-egg-McMuffin and head toward the front of the store to sit and finish my coffee. I can see Galeria Jardin from where I am seated and nothing is open yet. And I start my post on my phone.
When I saw things were opening up, I went and got inside as the lock turned in the door. The lady was nice enough to let me park and put my coffee on the counter. Alejandro was not there yet. He is the one who ordered my keyboard sixty days ago. When he did arrive, he was stalling for some reason (as I was jonesing to get the heck out of 'microcentro' and back home before the rush) and when I pushed him on it, he said that the keyboard was in the warehouse, which is located in the same mall of computer stores, and the other employee who tends that store is not in yet.
While we wait, have a look out the door. Galeria Jardin is the name of the place and that is because there is a garden in the middle of the enclosed but open-air mall. You can see all the plants just outside the door.
While I waited, I asked about a specific tablet that I was researching, the Galaxy Tab S6, which is only one of three that allows deletion of the Android system and its replacement with Lineage-OS. That is for another project I had on my list. He did had that Tablet so I also bought that. Both fit easily in my backpack and I was on my way before 11:00am.
This has been a glimmer of the day in the life of someone who drives a freedom vehicle, my S22 self-balancing electric unicycle. It is a bit out of the ordinary for a EUC dedicated blog, but there is more to these things than just off-roading, jump's and going down stairs. They are also useful for getting around town fast even when all traffic is at a standstill. I am also pretty sure that this store will be joining the @hivepago group of businesses that accept Hive and crypto as payment for services. See the other stores that have joined this initiative, at spendcrypto.dblog.org - thanks to @engrave for allowing Hive posts to be gathered automatically onto a free website.