Author: alohawild

This is the last week of my 25th Year At Nike Sabbatical. It certainly has been a chance to learn what it means to give up control. Yet, here I am in New York City in a studio apartment drinking instant coffee from a Moulon Rouge cup, hoping that I can go home soon. Indeed, nothing I could have imagined.

Working backward for today’s story, I reached the apartment about 11PM last night and just went to bed. Not a complex process in a studio apartment is a day bed. I had traveled back with Kat part of the way on the subway on the Q train. We then walked over to Columbus Circle. I said goodbye to Kat (she lives a few minutes away in Hell’s Kitchen) and took the 1 train back to the Upper West Side where I reside, accidentally, in the apartment on loan from the United Methodist Women.

The 1 train included people in slightly crumpled costumes. One undead chef with “Hell’s Kitchen” while slightly crumpled was still impressive. It looked like a fun night for everyone. Most people had masks on and tried to be careful of the virus even in a busy train.

Before this, we had traveled to the Upper Eastside to meet Tasha and Jason for a game of Concordia. We played for a few hours, and I could see my lead being lost as Tasha and Jason exploded their scores with building trading posts at the very end of the game. Jason had the wine card, and he took the game with it. And, Tasha knocked me out of second place with the farm card. So my chance for Roman conquest failed, again. Next time!

Notice the number of blue houses (trading posts) from Tasha!

We ordered out Indian food. It was a great night.

Before this, Kat and I met at Columbus Circle in the afternoon. We then walked to the 57th Street Station to find the Q train. The smell of smoke, actual smoke, and the firemen on the other platform was a hint that something was wrong on this Halloween travel. An announcement explained that Q trains were no longer running to this platform. We then caught the R. We popped over to 59th street and found the 6 train there.

Aside: Kat had brought some amazing cupcakes with little bats on them. They just crushed a bit in the travels. Our joke was it was not a fire but a cupcake incident that caused the Q train issues.

The platform for 6 is somehow deeper than the other trains! We found this subterranean platform after Kat spotted a tiny sign pointing us to walk up the platform that led to more stairs leading down. The impossibly deep 6 train was there and an express to where we needed to be. Off we went.

We reached the Upper West Side and then walked four huge avenue blocks. Kat explained to me that avenue blocks are huge while street blocks are short in this area. Although my feet were calling out to me at this point, “Uber!”, I ignored them.

We did walk by the station we usually use, which is only two long blocks away from Jason and Tasha’s place.

Before meeting Kat–still going backward, I was helping out at Mount Sinai West. Susie’s nurse was too busy to help (Sunday is a bit stressful for the nurses as they are short-staffed). So a nursing aide and I walked Susie down the hallway. I explained to the aide how Susie needs to walk more straight and inside her walker; Susie is really tired of being told what to do and can growl at her husband (she is friendly to everyone else), and we all got down the long hallway safe. I got Susie in the wheelchair and brought her back 2/3 of the way. Susie decided to walk the rest of the way. So I followed the aide with the wheelchair as she helped Susie.

Cora, one of the PT people, stopped Susie and pointed out her feet were not in her walker. Susie had the weekend off, but Cora was on duty and provided some reinforcement for Susie. I tried not to smirk.

The other staff was laughing as I followed the five-month pregnant aide with the wheelchair. They suggested that it was time and the aide said she had four more months. It was fun to see the Sunday staff joking.

Before this, I ran out to the CVS and got Depends and pads that we use at home for incontinence. The hospital does not use these products, but they work for us better than their supplies.

I also picked up some yellow nail polish which I will use when we hear, likely Tuesday, that we can go home. The color yellow is the color of victory for bicycle racing and also the color in the USA for a homecoming: Tie a yellow ribbon ’round the Ol’ Oak tree. So we will go with yellow!

Just before this, I slipped out for lunch. Susie had a peanut and jelly sandwich, and we had a friendly call with her Mom, sister Barb, and niece Emma. Over at the closeby Paris Baggette place for soup and a chicken salad sandwich. I brought Susie back a dessert that was covered in powdered sugar and cocoa powder. The mess was spectacular and the dessert thus less enjoyed than I had hoped. Oops!

While buying lunch, I asked for napkins, and they told me to get them over with all the other supplies. There were none. A gal tried to find some, and then the gal disappeared into the basement. Next, the gal then came back with a stack of napkins to load the dispenser. I thanked the staff for the napkins. Then I pointed out that the spring-loaded push device needs to be behind the napkins, not in front. The gal smiling and slightly embarrassed, removed all the napkins and loaded them again. Finally, I got three napkins. Everywhere is understaffed, and any break seems to introduce chaos.

Returning now to the morning, Susie was still resting in bed when I got there, I found the last of our supplies for pads and a Halloween shirt (I packed it not believing that we would need it, but thought it might have some use), and the aide and nurse got Susie cleaned up and dressed.

I started late and stayed that way through the morning. I managed to write the blog and get going after sleeping to 7:45ish without only a few interruptions. The window is always open, and the city’s sound, which changes around 7ish, wakes me.

The 1 train was packed and I had to call out, “Move to the center,” a few times. Halloween costumes were everywhere.

Again, I hope you enjoy this blog.

 

The day started with me sleeping almost to 8ish. This is an improvement as I am now getting more sleep and not collapsing in the daybed at the end of each day here in NYC. I have the window open, so I can hear the chimes and all the city noise. At night, I like to listen to the sounds of a city I visit. It is strange how loud NYC is in the Upper West Side near 104 by Amsterdam.

I was a bit lazy and did not do anything but get dressed and head out. Banana for breakfast with instant Maxwell House is my new start every morning. I before was having more of an eastern-styled breakfast with olives and sausage and bread with hummus. Now, I just want a few simple items.

I was at Mount Sinia West right on time (10ish) after riding a half-empty but busy 1 train. It is Saturday, and it has been cold and rainy. Not as many people are headed for NYC in the morning. Susie has a rest day; no therapy today. She is still in bed and trying to find something to watch.

The stroke was about three weeks ago. This is our third Saturday at Mount Sinai West.

It is 30Oct2021, and the main items on the cable supplied are home shopping opportunities and dismemberment. Every possible horror and Halloween movie, cartoon, or episode with a horror or Halloween theme is now playing on cable. Susie was not amused.

I put the Vampire movie with all the young sexy folks falling in love as I remember liking the film and the first book in the series (I also remember never reading any more after the second book–terrible). Susie was Ok with that.

I stopped by the Greek Kitchen and tried a new item on the menu, little beef patties. While excellent, the lamb is better. I had a light dinner the night before and just a banana for breakfast, and thus this called for a nice plate at Greek Kitchen. I am spoiled by their quality and interesting time of sitting on 10th and 58th and watching NYC folks go by. I will miss Greek Kitchen when I am home (which, with luck, should be Friday).

Susie had lunch and then napped for a bit–it was her day off. So I headed out at 3ish to meet with Kat. We meet in the Roosevelt Garden in front of the hospital; it is all that is left of the original name of the hospital, Roosevelt.

We headed to Columbus Circle, and I discussed with Kat, and we changed our direction to downtown. We also discussed movie options. Ghost Busters is back in theaters for Halloween and playing in Times Square. Kat has not seen it (but had to model the Stay Puff monster in one of her animation classes).

So we pop down to Houston Street Station on the 1 Train and find the crowds. Folks are just getting started on Halloween Eve. There are folks dressed in costumes or fine clothing with a hint of darkness for more formal events.

A few blocks, and we find a shop that has seen better days, Chess Forum. The paint is peeling, there is moss on the sign, the wood here and there turning to dry rot, but the store is packed. All the tables outside are engaged in chess. The narrow, dusty, and almost Harry Potter-like shop is stuffed full of people, and there are more chess tables in the back with more games in play. Chess sets are everywhere for sale, and some are old.

I look around a few times. I ask if they have a Soviet set for sale. “Only the single color version,” says the guy at the desk with a knowing look. I decline to see it. He approves of my choice. We look at a few books. He picks out his fav beginner book after I tell him I am not rated. I buy it as I always try to buy something in a gaming store (support your local store!). It is translated from Russian, My System: 21st Century Edition. And the first chess book in a long time in larger print! Perfect!

Kat and I circle on our navigation, so easy to do with iPhones, but finally, reach The Uncommon a few blocks from Chess Forum. It is busy and confusing at first. The Uncommon is a place to rent a table and play games, they have a huge collection that you just take, play, and put back.

I ask about getting a reserved table and then purchase a nice table for two for three hours ($10 each). Kat is surprised that we bought space, but I have been to many gaming places before. They also climb up, get on top of a bench, and balance and tease out of their stacks of games the Istanbul board game for me. It is an old well-played box under five other boxes.

Kat orders some food. I set up and teach her Istanbul. This game is more experience than a teach. So I play it with her and get most of the rules right. We fixed one mistake, and play continues. Kat watches as I make very efficient moves and learns how to play. I won by a significant margin. She was ready for the next game. She won by one gem (I was so close).

In Istanbul, the board game, you have resources to collect and then use them to get gems by buying them, exchanging for them, or increasing your capabilities and earning a gem (up to three). Six gems ends the game with a win (five for more than two players). Your moves are constrained by a unique process that is too hard to describe in writing but easy to lean on the board. Thus, you are simulating running around the markets in Istanbul, collecting resources, trading, buying, and investing. It is a race. It is a fav for me as it plays fast once you get it down, and everything you do is essential. In most games, you are only a move or two away from winning when someone else pulls that last gem.

We played two games, and Kat got a taco. We then thanked our hosts. It was a nice place but a bit packed for a pandemic (vax status must be proved to be inside). While I taught Kay Istanbul and played two games, and Kat ate a taco, another group was still trying to learn Fall of Rome, Pandemic. This suggests that maybe that version of the Pandemic series is not needed in my collection.

We need more fuel. We headed back to the direction we came and found a pizza joint and just ordered pizza. The pizza place had Amstel Light Beer, so I had one of those (I only see this on the East Coast as on the West I would just have a lighter local craft beer). My first ever NYC pizza was perfect with the famous gooey cheese and meat and veggies. Even with the earlier taco, Kat and I downed all but two pieces.

A heater caused the red coloring.

And then we got lost. We had spent a bit more time than we should have enjoying NYC pizza and needed to quickly find and travel the 1, 2, or 3 train back to Times Square. We could not find the Uptown entrance for the trains! We must have walked by the subway entrance without seeing it. Kat called an Uber, and then in the car, we ordered tickets, only $13 for two, and still had to jump out and hoof-it to the AMC. The pre-Halloween parties (and traffic) had descended on NYC. Folks were either in tight formalish wear or costume or both.

We managed to make the movie, after a seemly endless number of escalators. We enjoyed the film, and there were a lot of laughs, even for such an old and often inappropriate movie.

I headed back, limping from one blister, and Kat joined me for a one-stop ride to get closer to the Kat Lair on the 1 train. I got off at 104th a few stops later and was home about 11ish.

Again, I hope you enjoy the stories. We had a very fun day doing many things.

I managed to almost oversleep for the first time in NYC. I managed to wake and roll over and sleep most of the night. As usual, I open the window so I can hear the clock chimes starting at 8.

I had laundry to do for Susie and had to write the blog. This takes the morning. I was not out the door until about 10ish and heard the chimes three times.

I decided to stop by the local McDonald’s to see how that works out in NYC during a pandemic. It was chaotic and slow. Online orders were coming in, and drivers picking up those orders. Others were ordering and waiting. As usual, I went over to the touch screens and ordered my fav of Egg Mcmuffin with an extra hash brown and small coffee with cream. Somehow I ordered three, I discovered later (explaining the higher price for breakfast).

I waited 15 minutes, I think, for the fast food, and one man was irate that his order never appeared. The manager, who easily switched from Spanish to English and back, waved his hand to calm the man and got him his breakfast. The disappointed guy cursed out the place and talked on Facetime with someone explaining why he was late.

My order was reached, and I had to remind them to give me my coffee. The staff looked demoralized, and the manager was holding all together with his energy. My heart went out to them. They were also beginning the switch to lunch, so it was true chaos as I turned to eat.

I ate in McDonald’s, but they did not check my vax status (there is a sign requiring it). I also had to clean up the counter a bit. Nevertheless, I still tried to relax, and others sat in the same area. I gave away one of my spare hash browns, and it was well-received.

I thought the food was good and not too salty as I find it locally in Oregon. I finished a hash brown, half my coffee, and cleaned up. One hash brown did not find a home.

It is a cold, partially cloudy, windy October day. I had to hold on to my hat a few times.

I took the 1 train and walked the three blocks to Mount Sinai West. The staff at security welcomed me, and we went through the same ritual. I got a sticker saying that my vax status was checked and my temperature was suitable for entrance. Security then scans my passport and makes a sticker with my name and what floor I can visit. My vax status is proved by a sticker over the void on unprinted stickers.

Next, I take the elevator to the 3rd floor and sign in at the nurse’s station; they all welcome me for entrance to 3G as I have been coming for weeks now. I then wave and say good morning to the nurses and staff.

Susie was in her bed and unhappy. A new test requires an IV. On the fourth try, her nurse got it. Once that was over, I learned Susie was having a CT (cat) scan. Her heart continues to race, and her white count is still increasing and is abnormally high. So the doc wants to check for a cause with a CT scan (with contrast).

Mount Sinai took two days last time to find a slot for a CT scan, so I am trying to wait and not worry.

Susie was dressed, but they put a gown back on her for the CT. She kept her pants and shoes. PT showed, and Susie was off for exercises and evaluation. We are approaching the next decision day (Tuesday) that decides if we are headed home on 5Nov2021.

To that end, I have started on my plan to “Escape From New York.” I have picked flights and will ship some luggage out ahead of time. Then, we will fly First Class on a late flight non-stop to PDX. This will get us access to the First Class Lounge to wait and help if things go sideways (like a canceled flight). I speculate on all of this, but I will have only a few days to settle the details once a go for “Escape From New York” process starts.

Susie was done for the day, and the CT scan will happen when there is an opening. Susie and I both nodded off while waiting.

I headed back to the apartment at 3ish as there was little more to do, and Susie was likely to take a nap. I stopped by the local market to get a few supplies.

I made French Toast for dinner. I had to use the pans and the stove. I would make hash go with it, but the apartment supplied can opener broke on the first use. I will acquire a better one tomorrow. I have no new laundry to do; Susie had a better day, so I should have time in the morning to get a real whisk and a functional can opener to donate to the apartment. The stove and pans are good.

I am resting a bit today. I finished one of the magician history books I bought here today. After that, I have moved to a Doctor Who novel as a cookie-for-the-brain reading. Mariah and Kat purchased it for me as something to do during the extended stay.

Internet at the apartment is kaput. So instead, I am using my iPhone 5G hotspot to access the Internet and write this blog. I am surprised by the limited free access in NYC. Makes me miss rainy Portland sometimes.

I hope you like the story so far. I am hoping to finish it on Saturday with us home and an epilogue. But, we will see. So far, the whole thing has been an exercise in letting go of control.

The day starts with some broken sleep at about 7:15ish, reading emails and news. I then throw on some clothes and head down to do laundry as Susie has some items she needs to be washed.

I also write the previous day’s blog. I always open the window and hear the church strike at 9AM.

That takes the whole morning, and I am headed out from the apartment about 10ish to get to the hospital via the one train. Again, the apartment’s internet is now dead. I am using a hot-spot via my phone, 5G, to do my writing and surfing.

At the hospital, the process is familiar, and the staff asks me about Susie and our stay. Not many people do a daily visit for a month.

When I get to the room, Susie is still in bed and not dressed. She is having therapy in the afternoons. I think they finally figured out that Susie is not a morning person.

Lunch appears, and it is a Thanksgiving feast of turkey breast, mash potatoes, and stuffing. Susie is delighted.

I brought Susie a coaster from Death and Company.

I head out to have lunch at the baguette place and have chicken soup (excellent) and a croissant which was glazed with sugar (yuk!).

Susie is still hours away from her first appointment, so I get tickets to the Museum of Modern Art and do a long walk despite the pain of one blister. I wanted to see this part of NYC, and so I walked.

I found a few icons, including the CBS TV theater.

I also found this Harry Potter-like location in NYC.

There was a group of chefs giving away carrot cake samples. I got Susie a piece and carried it to MoMA and back.

I was disappointed by MoMA as they had closed part of the 5th floor to make changes, including some of the best of their collection. I could only see a bit of Stary Stary Night from a doorway. The proctor borrowed my camera and took pics for me of the wonderful stuff I could not see. I was disappointed and sad that MoMA had locked away some of its best and iconic art the day I came to see it.

The closest I got was my phone taking a pic.

I went down and buried my sadness in yet-another-carrot-cake in the cafe and decided I was still a bit unhappy and posted a sad text on Facebook (mostly for the museum to see). It was still a nice visit, and I had only a few hours anyway.

I walked back and took the subway back to Columbus Circle. Again, I found a close link after I walked to the museum. But I wanted to walk a bit.

I returned to Susie, and she was partially dressed. I had more laundry to do.

I stayed with Susie for the afternoon and early evening. At one point, she did not call the nurse and got up and started walking from the bathroom to the sink and then sat herself down in a chair. I stepped in to walk next to her so I could help if she needed help. As usual, she was not inside her walker, and I nagged her about that (just like the PT folks), but she did fine. I think she is tired of all of this. Which is a good sign.

At 7ish, I said good night to Susie and headed to Hell’s Kitchen (extremely gentrified) for dinner with Kat. We split the check at a hole-in-the-wall Thai and noodle place just a short distance from the Kat Lair. The food was good, and my pad-Thai had many shrimps.

I also, and not a good Magician thing, did the same trick again. I had Kat remember all the words (prompting her) so that she did the illusion while I did the card movements. I have to admit I got lucky, and everything went off with Kat doing most of the work. It is a nice illusion that I picked up in NYC.

After that, slightly limping from my blisters, I rode the 1 train back to the apartment. I tried to fix the Internet here, a lost cause, and then slept the night through and woke up a bit late at 7:45.

 

 

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.