Author: alohawild

I was up around 7ish and not so tired. I made breakfast and took my meds, and then shaved with a new razer that worked with bleeding. I took some more clothing for Susie that was requested. I arrived a few minutes early at Mount Sinai West.

I followed the process and soon was with Susie. She then was moved to a new room, 10G 56B, with a window. The view is of a building being reconstructed. I suggested that Susie’s Occupational Therapy was brink laying in the construction to a few nurses. They smiled. Later one of the same nurses asked me if she should check their work next door. I agreed that the bricklaying needs a quick check.

Susie went off to PT for a while. I headed out to see some more of NYC.

Susie and her nurse Gerry are in the new room 56B.

I decided to take the 1 train to the end. I like riding public transit and thought riding it to the finish would be nice. But, I saw the train was near the World Trade Center, so I got out early. Then, I walked into the garden that is now the 9/11 site. It nearly had me crying–it is a physically sad place.

I finally have seen it all finished. The Freedom Tower is a wonder. I decided not to visit the tower or the museum as I would usually do that with Susie. Another time.

Amazing look!

The sad garden.

I did not know anyone that died that day, but friends of mine knew some of the people in the Boston plane. It almost hurt to stand there and look at the repaired buildings and new garden. I saw the crushed sculpture that used to sit between the towers on a walkway. Still painful for me to be there. I left quickly.

I then walked for hours and hours to Battery Park and the end of the 1 train. It is a walk along the river, and you can see the Statue of Liberty as you walk.

I also stopped by the tiny Skyscraper Museum and saw the models and pictures of all the monumental buildings in the world. It is a nice little stop.

That is an NYC residential building in Billionaire Row behind me. It exists and is huge tall–I have seen it. I cannot imagine living near the top and watching my coffee sway in the cup on a windy morning day!

I was tired when I finally walked to the start (or end) of the 1 train. I road it back. Back to Mount Sinai West. Susie was headed out for more treatment. I rested in the chair; my back hurt. Finally, some water and all the pain ended, and thus discovering I was dehydrated! I will remember that next time. I had skipped lunch as my breakfast was too big (too many nice things from Zabar’s).

Susie finished dinner, and I headed out. It was chicken, again, and Susie liked it.

I met Kat just outside the Kat Lair and headed to Vahalla. A bar with bar food that has a Viking theme. It was a tap house with some food. We ordered sliders, beef for me, and chicken breasts for Kat. I ordered a beer that was supposed to be Unicorn Blood Red Ale. I would suggest that it was produced in a different way by a Unicorn. I would not order it again! But the sliders and fries were good. Unfortunately, they do not have coffee.

Kat and I decided on an early night, and I took the 1 train back.

I hope you enjoy following along.

Sleep was hard to get last night. I started earlier after a rough night, around 7:30, but had planned a 6ish start. I was just too tired to do that. Not extra rest; I have laundry to do. I also wrote yesterday’s story this morning.

I threw on some clothes, made instant coffee, and then, at 8ish, went down to do laundry. I ran two machines and quickly finished the work of new clean clothing. I will need to do some bedding and towels soon, but I did not have any bleach for the whites. So that will wait.

I have a laundry card now. The machine that provides the cards says to put a $10 to buy a $5 valued card (thus buying the physical card for $5), but that did not work. The vending machine showed a message about the wrong type of bill. So instead, I put a $5 and got the card for free with $5 on it. I added some more money and then used my own card today. Another little victory.

I dressed in newly cleaned clothing and headed out.

I had no bagels that were not rock hard, so I stopped by the local market, being nearly an hour later, for a banana (50 cents). I ate that quickly by the trash can and then on to the 1 train.

I reached the hospital and followed the usual rituals to get access. When I reached Susie’s room, 10G Room 50A, she was off working out in the gym. I waited, and Susie appeared soon. I delivered her clean pants and PJ bottoms. I am to bring some t-shirts and other items on Thursday.

Susie is tired today (I am tired too). I waited for her lunch to be delivered; I cut her peanut butter and jelly sandwich into quarters for her. That is her fav way to eat a sandwich. I then kissed her goodbye for the day. I have chores today, and I, too, am tired.

Lunch today is at the Greek Kitchen. I am starved and order moussaka as I want to try their version. It was just OK. I have not found moussaka that wows me. The search will have to continue!

Next, I find a UPS store and pay $3.08 to use their desktop to print the tickets I have for the Phantom of the Opera on Friday. I am taking Kat to the show. But, the tickets are print-at-home. I asked customer service to change this, and they said it was not possible (!?). Thusly, I went to the UPS store, paid for access to their machine, and printed the tickets on their printer. It was an eye-rolling moment.

Back to 1 train uptown, I stopped at 79th station and went shopping at Zabar’s for dinner and other supplies. I picked out German bratwurst and stuffed peppers as microwave meals. They had some fine bread and cheeses (some deeply discounted). More plain-styled olives. Butter if I want to cook eggs. And all packed into another Zabar’s bag, which I carried back to the 1 train and walked home. I have two now,

By the way, a guy needed two quarters to get a ticket for the train at 79th station, and I had them as the change from the banana (see above). So I gave them to him telling him, they must be his. Not sure if it was Karma or just chance, but I hope for Karma.

After putting away my purchases, I contacted one of my medical folks. I will not be able to enjoy the scheduled test as I will still be in NYC next week. They rescheduled me for December, but I am on the waiting list after my return planned for after Nov. 5 (Guy Fawkes Day). My bleeding has stopped again, and I have been feeling a bit stronger these last few days. A solution needs to be found, but I can manage.

I then felt the lack of sleep and the miles of walking over the last few days, fell asleep reading. I woke about 5ish and then walked the 1/2 mile to the RiteAid and picked up some new scripts, some more tape for my blisters, and new razors while disposable is not as stupidly cheap as the ones I have been using. I also got some bleach for the whites I will likely wash soon.

I made dinner of bratwursts and cabbage from Zabar’s in the microwave. I cut a nice piece of cheese to go with it and made Russian-style tea to go with it (drinking around the tea leaves).

It was delicious.

I then made a few calls and watched the video on doing the magic trick I picked up yesterday from Tannen’s. I did not know it was based on an older scheme I remember in a book on my shelf back in Oregon. It was fun to learn the requirements and history, and I will likely practice it while here in NYC. It is a wallet trick meaning you can out in a wallet and use it ad hoc.

I read a bit, almost falling asleep again, and then decided I better write this before it gets any later and more challenging to stay awake.

I will try to do more cleaning in the morning. I am tired, so I think sleep will finally come tonight. I hope you have enjoyed the story.

Working backward this time, it is Wednesday morning, and I am writing Tuesday’s story.

I finally slept. The apartment went up to 80F+ last night, so I put on the AC device and got it back to 70Fs. That is with the window open all night. I am still having time change issues as it still seems very early when I get up at 7ish and not very late at midnight.

I attended, as an observer, having resigned my membership in the Methodist Church when the anti-gay and racist traditional plan was passed at the General Conference, my Oregon church’s Charge Conference. I was 15 minutes late as dinner, and the subway trains ran slower than planned.

For those who do not speak Methodist, there is a meeting once a year where the local church has a meeting that is run by the Conference (the main church), and reports are reviewed, and once a year, votes are taken. The pastor’s pay is approved. The committee is filled (or not), and other admin items are covered.

This year my church was exposed to the deadly future evaluation process usually used to shut down a church. The report was not ready for the Charge Conference, no surprise, as the Conference seems suddenly backing away from the rather loud voice of my church and a lack of transparency. There were two questions on process and transparency (one from me) that were dismissed. Also, the Conference delegate running the meeting said that he needed to sanitize the report from some personal information. I bet.

It was a perfunctory meeting. I can’t vote as I am an observer.

Before this, I road all the 1 train back after having a nice, slightly expensive, dinner with Kat at the Blue restaurant near the Kat Lair. Kat had her first mussels and clams and scallops. It was fun; we just had starters for dinner.

Before popping down 9th, I stayed with Susie as she ate her dinner. She had three workouts today, and we learned that the program would like to keep her for three weeks. Meaning, I am not leaving NYC until November! That was a shocker.

I did card tricks with her for about an hour to practice with the new deck.

I road the B train to Columbus Circle from 33rd street in Midtown. I was on a search for the oldest magic shop in NYC, Tannen’s. It took me an hour to find it. It is across from the Empire State Building and a few blocks from the Chrysler Building. I thus circled the Empire State Building, it is enormous, trying to find the store.

It is not a storefront but on the 6th floor at the back behind a glass door in the 45 building across from the place to go to the observation deck on the Empire State Building. All the navigation apps just had me circling it as it was in the air from where I was standing! I was the only person not staring at the massive building.

The store was once room, painted in black, and just one room. A shabby elephant puppet and an old bathtub are the decore. Lee, the proprietor, was behind a counter with a pad to do card work on, and he helped me find a few books and a few perfectly ordinary card decks. One I gave to Kat at dinner.

I then chatted again with Lee, and he then showed me a simple trick that he then sold me; I will be practicing tonight for that one. I also learned that the bathtub came from Houdini’s house in New York.

The magic shop is for professionals, and I recognized some of the small tables and other items. Most of the things are kept in small cabinets with long and narrow drawers. The glass case had many stage magic items. Tempting, but I stick to card tricks and simple mentalism tricks.

There is also an original Carter the Great poster on the wall. Carter was the first modern magician and is the model for what most of us think of as a stage magician. I also saw various Houdini handcuffs in a frame on the wall.

I had lunch after finding the shop at Etc. This is a crazy place where all the food is to-go. The hot food is buffet styled (just say No to a buffet in a pandemic). I got an Italian-styled sandwich that I ate as I only had a bagel for breakfast.

I stumbled into The Complete Strategist gaming store when walking the wrong way. Surprised I went in. I looked for items I couldn’t get somewhere else, but they had primarily new stock. I managed to resist any purchases. The books from the Tannen’s were already heavy enough.

To get to Midtown, I took a complex set of transfers and got off at the wrong station at one point. So I got to listen to a guy playing the Sax as I sat waiting for the next train. He was sitting below an Alice tile shadow picture. It was fun to find one’s way in NYC.

Starting from the beginning of Tuesday, I managed to get to the hospital on time after starting a bit late at 8ish. The usual process of breakfast bagel, clean up, dress, 1 train, and all that.

Susie was walking and going to the gym dressed in street clothes right that morning. So that is when I headed out for the search for the magic store.

I hope you liked the story for today.

I still found sleep challenging to find, but once I did, it was hard to stop. I was up about 8ish, made did the dishes, cleaned up, had some breakfast, and then headed out.

The 1 train on a Monday was different, louder but everyone wearing masks, and few couples talking close. The trains were full-ish but not overcrowded.

It is cold today, a sunny East Coast October day. I had on my sweater.

I got Susie a donut at Dunkin Donuts. There was a line, and they are understaffed still. Everyone was a bit more intense as it was a workday.

The line to get into the hospital was long, but I knew the process and even directed people here and there. I am slowly becoming a volunteer at Mount Sinai West!

I reached her room and found Susie up, already had breakfast, and her first session done. She enjoyed the donut I brought her. My plans for the day were to travel by subway to mid-town and visit the central NYC Public Library.

Susie had more intensive action around noon. When those started, I headed out as I were in the room alone. I kissed Susie goodbye as I was not sure I would make it back to the hospital that day with all the travel.

Back to Columbus Circle Station. I found the correct B train, with some confusion, as the signs in the subways have a lot of words on them, but it is hard to harvest helpful information from the words. Nevertheless, I managed to reach Bryant Park without incident.

The park is full of chairs and people eating their lunch on a workday Monday. I nearly tripped on an uneven paver but recovered my footing. I almost rolled my ankle. This is not the trip to break one’s ankle on!

I stopped exploring and went to the closest place for lunch, Bryant Park Grill, and sat outside. This is more biz and upscale lunch. And here, the suits had socks that match their ties and adorable gals in designer outfits. I ordered a beer and ignored them, ignoring me, clearly a tourist.

The Bryant Park Hotel looks like it is ready for being the evil building in the next Ghost Busters. You can also see the Chrysler building from the park.

They had confit duck legs on greens. I have always wanted to try those. Thusly, I had an expensive lunch (the beer was $9). After that, I am sticking to water. The salad and the duck were perfect, all fall flavors.

I then walked all the way around the library to the front. The lions greeted me, and I took the required pics.

I walked into the library and got directions to the Guttenburg Bible. I took the elevator up to the third floor and discovered the book was a facsimile. I then went to the 3rd-floor reading room as I was early. I walked into the near-silent rooms and sat down, and got out my laptop. Most folks seated were using a laptop or iPhone.

I decided to write a bit more of my story on Howard, my hero in my ScfFi-horror stores in the library. I just wanted to say I did some of the work in the NYC Public Library. I also found a book in Greek and English on Aristophanes fragments. So I did a little bit of learning on the ancient comic writer. Only a few plays survive, and I learned more about one of the lost plays and how it got him sued by the rulers of Athens. Back then, laughing at politicians was risky business.

After enjoying the room, I could move to NYC just for the library; I went exploring. I found a few more stacks on American History but decided to get early access to the Treasures of NYCPL as I had a ticket with a time an hour in the future. No problem.

There was a real Guttenburg, the original hand-copied Declaration of Independence in the author’s hand with corrections, the stuffed animals from Winnie the Pooh (yes, the real Pooh), Dicken’s book he read from (with hand notes and corrections) when performing, his desk, and Malcolm X’s briefcase. There were lots of other things too. The original voting count sheet from the passing of the 13th Amendment (banning slavery) had a more emotional reaction for me.

I wondered through this treasury of books and items for an hour. Virginia Wolf’s cane, Mozart’s handwritten music, and Jack London’s flag. My legs, feet, back told me that it was time to head back.

After a bit of searching, I found the subway access after leaving the library. I was surprised as the station should be on the other side. Instead, I saw that this was the tunnel to connect F to the other lines. It is a strange long black line on my map on my phone. It was a long walk underground to the actual station.

I returned via the B train to Columbus Circle, but I left the station on the other side (sigh). I decided on a coffee from the local truck, and then a gal asked me to buy her a cheeseburger, so for about ten bucks, she got one and kept the change after I gave a buck tip in the tip jar to make the proprietor happy. I had not been asked to buy someone a burger before, so I just agreed–it seemed OK to me. The coffee helped.

I reached Susie at 4ish, and she was still sitting in a chair. No lazing in bed in this ward!

She was happy to see me but sorry that she did not see the real Pooh and other items on display in the library.

I stayed through her dinner and left at 7ish. I walked over to Hell’s Kitchen and met Kat for dinner at Der Krung. Slightly swanky Thai place two doors from the Kat Lair. The food was excellent. Mine was a birdnest of rice noodles with a nice stir fry placed inside. Kat ordered the “mild” yellow curry and was at the limit of spiciness for Kat. She ate the rice, most of it, to keep the spice down. I tasted it, and it was lovely and hot.

Kat helped me find Columbus Circle, and then I headed home.

I was tired and so decided to write this and do the dishes this Tuesday morning.

I hope you are enjoying the read!

I slept into just before 8ish and started the sunny but cold day with some fruit and instant coffee. I also wrote the blog for Saturday this morning. I was finally headed out just before ten. I stopped by Dunken Donuts. The line was wrapped in the store, and the wait was twenty minutes as their staff is too small, like everywhere, so we had to wait. The Internet orders were pouring in for breakfast sandwiches and coffee. We who came to the store had to wait. I loaded the Dunkin Donut app on my iPhone while waiting and almost ordered while in line, but I thought that was too rude and waited instead.

Next, I was off to the 1 train in the subway and then a short walk to Mount Sinai West. The security folks recognized me now, even with the mask, and they asked about Susie and how long I would be in the area. Again, an accidental resident.

Susie was not in her room as she was in PT. So I got a chair from Anne Oakley, the nurse for the area, and waited. Finally, Susie was walking with a walker down the hallway. I presented her with the donut holes (I decided on those as they are easier to eat).

I stayed through Susie’s lunch and sent the clam chowder back; it could have a fish base, as it could make Susie ill. I also removed the onions and tomatoes from her roast beef sandwich. She ate it open face anyway.

We used Facetime to chat with Barb, Susie’s sister, and Susie’s mom. Susie had more PT at 2, so I skedaddled. I had to find a prescription at a RiteAid off of Columbia, and I wanted to stop by Zabar’s for lunch and get something for dinner. I also checked out the library (closed for Covid). I meant to find the central library (nope)–I will get the address and try again on Monday.

While I was acquiring a bagel, I was reminded that our church group was meeting on Zoom. I managed to connect with them while eating lunch on a table off of 79th and Amsterdam. They were happy to hear that things were going better and that Susie was improving.

I then walked to the subway and popped up two stops to find the RiteAid. Finally, I picked up my script and carried all my supplies and stuff uphill. Somehow I managed to walk up the hill twice. After that, I was tired and unpacked and read a bit.

I managed to get started again, make dinner, and watch an old Doctor Who on HBO MAX online. I learned how to make the oven work and got a bagel toasted in the oven.

Called some folks to chat and watched the Sunset towards New Jersey. You can hear the chimes with the window open a bit.

I think I can stop there. Thanks for reading.