O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I have Thanksgiving plans. After playing phone tag with Emily for over a week we finally connected; I’m making my annual pilgrimage to Massachusetts for the holiday. I missed last year so this is extra special. I was worried about fare for the bus but even at this late date it was affordable. I guess people are still not traveling as much for the holiday due to COVID-19. I had to work through anxiety getting the ticket, first thing is that Bolt Bus is temporarily not running. I always use them. I ended up on Megabus. Then I clicked on the wrong return date. As I went to confirm the sale, I complained that it didn’t show the details before you hit “confirm.” That’s just wrong, it should say, “Here is what you bought and how much it costs, confirm?” I was talking to Emily the whole time and didn’t melt down. This is the kind of thing that triggers my anxiety. Illness and death I can handle. Don’t try to understand my triggers, just accept them. I felt my gut tightening as I wrote that. It’s still not relaxed. I’m not going to take the time to meditate. Let’s see if writing does the trick.
This is not just my first Thanksgiving trip since COVID-19 it’s the first annual emotional battery charging tradition. The anchors of my emotional well-being are the Pesach Seder, Falcon Ridge, NERFA, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Caroling with Terre Roche and friends. This might be inaccurate there is also going to Met games and the Sunset Singing Circle. I did both of those. Neither of those are one-time events so they are different.
I leave for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. I will get a COVID-19 test on Monday just to be sure I don’t endanger anyone. COVID-19 tests are quick, easy (they no longer insert the swap so deep it feels like it’s hitting your brain), and free. I pass free testing sites all the time. It doesn’t even require a special trip. I count this with low hanging fruit. Do all the easy things to keep safe. I have a friend that won’t wear surgical or KN95 masks, only cloth. He should know better; cloths help but less than half as much as high quality masks. On the other hand, he wouldn’t visit friends like I’m going to do because it involves eating and so taking off his mask. We balance risks. COVID-19 prevention is a lot like dieting. We need to use the regimen than we can stick with. If you are vaccinated and routinely wear masks of any kind I won’t criticize. Hectoring people is counter-productive.
Last night I went to the Knick game. Once again, I left too late do what I planned, getting off the train at Columbus circle and walking the rest of the way. I did leave early enough that I got to explore the new Moynihan Train Station. They converted the old Farley Post Office. While much better than current Penn Station it pales beside Grand Central Terminal and Old Penn Station.
I figured I’d eat at the food court. I figured wrong. The food court isn’t open yet and the closed most of the restaurants in Penn Station. The sign said the food court opens in Fall 2021. I will not get mad. I just reminded myself that everyone gets the COVID-19 pass. My dinner was a hot sausage from a cart in front of Madison Square Garden. I generally get the hot sausage not a hot dog because I can’t get that anywhere else. When I got home, I had peanut butter.
I entered MSG from the southwest entrance, I hadn’t done that before, and ended up in the wrong section. It looked different and I didn’t see Alan, so I started suspecting something was wrong. Then I looked at my phone and saw that Alan texted me that I wasn’t in my seat. I’m an idiot. As for the Knicks, they were the Knicks, they lost to Orlando a terrible team. The Knicks started off 5-1, since then they have gone 3-6. This is how I evaluated the team before the season. They did not improve themselves from last season. They should be starting the second team which is better than the first.
Today’s adventure is escorting my friends home from cataract surgery. I was there for the first eye last week. If I have time, I’m going to stop at Trader Joe’s on the way home; near one. Tonight, I’m watching Barnaby Bright do a zoom concert. My life is not back to normal but it’s getting there.
Wise Madness 