Sabbatical Day 26: Bar and Planning

Working backward, last night ended early at the apartment. I had taken two trains to get back from the Lower East Side or East Village. I walked a long tunnel between the F and 1 train line. It just went on and on. I, having had a few drinks, thought at the time that the subway systems work better when you are a bit tipsy.

Please note, only about one of twenty people on the subway are not wearing masks, and when it is not busy, everyone keeps following social distancing.

I walked from the bar Death and Company in a quiet street. It was about five blocks, and I was retracing my steps to get there. This time I picked the closest entrance to the F train. It was a cool, dry evening (after all the rain), and the mostly young but not wealthy folks were out having pizza or other foods.

Death and Company is a dark bar that makes and is famous for inventing cocktails. I have given their book, about an inch thick with plenty of color pictures, for Christmas presents. I asked the bartender to make me something, and he produced a rootbeer float-like bourbon drink after a few questions. I watched him make it, and it has many layers and steps!

Note: All my drinks were not on the menu–I have read about them in their book. I suggest when you visit that you sit at the bar and discuss with the bartender a drink. Don’t order from the menu. In my case, the bartender was a young man who had been working for Death and Company for ten years and for six months in NYC (he NYC born and was happy to be back). He could make anything so I got the more exotic drinks.

I asked him what to eat, “definitely the fried chicken,” was his answer. It came on metal skewers steaming hot. It was just a little spiced, and there was a dipping sauce to have more sweetness and heat. Wonderful.

I was seated first as I was first in line. I had a seat at the bar on a stool. An Indian couple was sitting next to me, and I had to get all my bags and hat moved to my hooks under the bar to make room for them. I sat on my coat. They were on a date and ignored me.

A bit later, a German named Christof sat next to me, and we chatted over drinks. He was new to the USA and had come in as part of the German government presence in the USA (the only way for a German to get in, he said). He flew in just a day or so again, dropped off his luggage, and popped on a train to NYC.

We talked about his new life in Washington DC, he is from Berlin, and how I think he will love the important but tiny city. I gave him a few suggestions. He comes from a capital city and is excited to live in the USA capital.

Like me, he had read about Death and Company and had to stop by. He loved his drink. I was on my second now–a smoky and exotic cocktail that tasted at first like wall cleaner, but soon I could taste the smoke and coffee. The drink made me think of the 1920s and the smoke and coffee in a bar like this. Sam Spade in a glass?

I left the bar after two heavy cocktails feeling quite happy and still able to find my way back. Christof was ordering food as I went, and I gave him my blog site (here: alohawild.me).

Going further back on Wednesday, I was too early somehow for Death and Company and waited for 45 minutes. The gal in charge of the seating came out, and we chatted while she cleaned up the area and got ready for the evening. A loud group of medical interns showed up, stepped in front of me. The hostess made a point of seating me before the crowd.

I managed before this the trains and walking to get there. I left Susie a bit early, 4ish, to manage the trip and be just a bit early (my plan worked too well). On the way there, I used different trains, B, as I was still unsure of the process and the transfer tunnel being sober at the time.

At the hospital earlier that day, Susie had a good day and dressed in the clean clothing I brought her. I did laundry again Wednesday morning. She had two long appointments with PT and OT, and they were pleased with the changes and now pressing to improve. Susie needs to lift her feet higher. The journalling is also ongoing, and she is getting homework too.

I am going to bring some clean clothes again (Thursday) and her Bob Dylan t-shirt. I also chatted with the OT folks, and I will bring some of Susie’s pads and so on. We use these at home, and it is time to get more like home. 5Nov2021 is not that far away! I started to look at air flights back to Oregon!

I started tired for the day, and it was hard going all day. I nodded off a few times when things were quiet in Susie’s room. Being so tired, I almost gave up going to Death and Company but decided I needed to break up the day with something different.

Thanks again for reading.