Month: April 2019

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personal

All the places I’ll never see

Decrepit old man

The Gymgirl kept doing things for me all week for my birthday, including buying me a Red Velvet cupcake.

She also pulled a bunch of my friends from the gym together for a surprise dinner for me last week but I had a stomach bug so I couldn’t really eat anything, which is a shame because it was at my favourite local joint of Cuban-Chinese food.

They came back to my pad to play some games but I had to call it an early night because I started getting feverish. It was a rough two days – we were supposed to go to see the Gymgirl’s family the next day but I was so sick that I couldn’t make it.

Her: Call me if you need anything!
Me: …

The next day, she came in to check in on me.

The Gymgirl: (upbeat) You look much better. (pause) Hey, are you ok?
Me: Sorry. (distracted) I’m better. I’m just thinking of Alison. She felt rotten for years. I just think about how much she suffered and endured…
Her: I’m sorry Logan.
Me: No – I’m sorry I’m such a downer all the time.
Her: You’re not. (later) At least you’re not projectile vomiting.
Me: Yes, there is that.

Eventually, I felt good enough to get out of bed and we had a nice day together and watched a few travel programs.

I like to look at all the places that I’ll never see in real life.

Her: Why don’t you actually go?
Me: (shrugging) I’ve lost that drive. Plus the kid and work means it’s hard to get away. This is like the next best thing. (watching a show on St. Paul Cathedral) I do like London, though. I’d climb that the next time I’m in London.
Her: It’s 30 stories! You’d never make it, you decrepit old man.

Also saw my boss for drinks the other day.

Me: I wanted to say, “I’m sorry.”
Him: (surprised) For what?
Me: For how things turned out. I had all these beautiful plans – personal and professional. And life ____ed me outta all of them. I thought I’d come back this summer but I just wanna take care of the kid. That’s all I want to do these days.
Him: You don’t ever have to apologize for any of that. And raise your son. We’ll be here when you’re ready. Trust me – when he goes to school, you’ll be itching for something to do.
Me: (laughing) Maybe…

Location: the gym, pretending I’m not 46
Mood: hopeful
Music: I’m a little bit home, but I’m not there yet
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personal

Logan’s 46: The Guard dies

…it does not surrender


It’s my birthday today.

I remember for years that I used to say, Wish me a Happy Birthday, alla you bastards that read me and never say anything.

The last time I said that was 2014, before everything went to hell.

This year, I pour out my soul to you with a simple admission: After Alison died, three words kept ringing in my addled head over-and-over again: The Guard dies.

The Guard dies.
The Guard dies.
The Guard dies.

I said those three words to myself hundreds thousands of times after she died. I would fall asleep to those words in my head and wake up to them as well.

I plotted for months on how to do it the right way, if there could ever be such a thing.

Because, I promised her parents and you that I would keep her safe. And I failed.

I failed you. I failed her parents. And, most unbearably of all, I failed her.

Failure has a price and I’ve always been driven to pay my debts.

There’s an apocryphal story about the Old French Guard during the Battle of Waterloo when the Middle Guard turned and ran, a solider from the Old Guard asked the general if they should run as well.

The general replied, La Garde meurt, elle ne se rend pas.

The Guard dies, it does not surrender.

In my drug/alcohol/grief/anger-fueled haze, I only remembered the first part.

Alison was my charge and I failed her so it was only fitting that I follow her. Because, wherever she went, I was always close behind.

It’s remarkably selfish and self-centered, I know. I wasn’t thinking clearly then.

But, due to a number of interesting bureaucratic twists and people like my mother-in-law, my father, Daisy, Gradgirl, and – of course – the Gymgirl, the fog slowly lifted.

And I remembered the boy. I am so ashamed to say that I forgot him in my grief.

Well, more appropriately – in my head – he was better off with people that were functioning, and I was clearly not functioning.

Moreover, I was so focused on Alison needing me that I didn’t really consider that he needed me.

Interestingly, the thing that really pulled me out of this mindset was a conversation with my mother-in-law one day. She said that I needed to raise the boy and that she would help but that he was my responsibility. I suspect she had some idea where my mind was.

In any case, that triggered a memory of a conversation that Alison and I once had: She told me that, if we were ever in an accident and I was given the option to save her or the child, she would never forgive me if I saved her.

And that, in turn, caused me to remember the rest of the quote: … it does not surrender. That’s when I realized that leaving would be surrender, not staying.

I lost my charge. But she had a charge too, one that she cared about more than herself: The boy. So, even if he weren’t my son, he would still be my charge because he was Alison’s.

Because she loved him more than anything, including her own life.

The boy’s given me something as well: A chance for me to redeem myself and my failure.

Essentially, the general was saying that the Guard does not run or surrender to overwhelming odds. It either does its job or dies trying. Like Alison did.

I’m 46 today. If ever there was an Old Guard, it’s me.

And the Old Guard does not surrender.

Him: Will you come get me today? From school?
Me: Of course. What am I gonna do, leave you there? That’d be silly.
Him: (laughs) That’d be silly! You’re silly, papa.
Me: (nodding) Yes.

Location: this afternoon, my blue bathroom, thinking of my possible pasts
Mood: heartbroken
Music: I’ve lost my place. I’m close behind
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personal

Falling to the level of our training

Defining things

Me: Can you pack stuff for a picnic and I’ll meet you in the park? It’s beautiful today.
The Gymgirl: Pier?
Me: Perfect. I was also thinking of getting us half a roast duck.
Her: Woo-hoo!

I had run down to Chinatown for a haircut and some food but the weather was so nice that we made last minute lunch plans.

We’d not been out in a few days because we both got sick with a stomach bug so it was nice getting out.

We’d also not been able to get to the gym, which we both wanted to do.

This fella named Archilochus once said that, We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.

In a way, at our gym, we’re both training for something that will hopefully never happen. But I thought about that quote for a different reason.

You see, if not for this blog, I’m not really sure how much I would have remembered about our meeting.

Don’t remember much from the last several years. My mother-in-law thinks it’s because I slept so little and sleep is when your memories are set.

This is probably a good thing. There are horrors I experienced with Alison that I don’t wanna remember. But there are things I wish I did remember. About Alison. About the boy. About the Gymgirl.

All I know is that, after Alison died, I could barely function. So I just did that which I trained myself to do – after all, you are what you constantly do and after years of womanizing,* that’s what I defaulted to.

Well, that and drink to excess.

And as the fog of all the alcohol, craziness, and misery slowly faded, the Gymgirl came into focus and what I thought initially as another disposable relationship became anything but.

My life and luck has been – admittedly – complete s__t. But she and the boy are welcome outliers to my otherwise execrable existence.

Me: I wanted to say thank you. For everything. For all the things you do around here. With me, with the kid.
Her: Of course. (laughing) It’s not a big deal. But what brought this on?
Me: (shrugging) No reason. Life. Just…thanks.
Her: You’re welcome, Logan.

*Alison hated when I used that word: Womanizing.

But I don’t know a more appropriate word. I don’t think what I did/do really falls squarely in the realm of dating, or pick-up, or what have you – for reasons that are my own. They’re different things to me.

And once I met Alison, I stopped so I never spent any time thinking of a different word.

And once again, I’ve stopped. So it remains the most appropriate word I have.

Location: noon, yesterday, Pier I in NYC
Mood: grateful
Music: we’ll never know when, when we’ll run out of time
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A Flying Fisherman in an Aviary in NYC

Nice Surprises


Don’t like surprises. Mine are generally of the type no one wants.

I like knowing things, so surprises are anathema to everything that I’m about.

My birthday’s next week so the Gymgirl decided that the best way to surprise me for it was to take me out beforehand. Way beforehand.

She first told me that she was going to take the boy and me out to eat and that she had two places picked out or I could choose.

Since she and I are still on a diet – and I’m super lazy – I told her I wanted to stay local, so we went to The Flying Fisherman around the way.

I ordered fish and chips just because I felt like carbing it up; the boy was only interested in the fries and, even then, only as a vehicle for the tub of ketchup they gave us.

Me: You can’t just eat ketchup!
Him: (eating just the ketchup) Why not?
Me: Because it’s pure sugar.
Him: But I like it.
Me: (sigh)

It was a nice night and we went back to my place to get the boy ready for bed. But just as we were putting him down, the doorbell rang. I went to get it and was surprised to see my babysitter at the door.

Me: (to her) What are you doing here?
The Gymgirl: (from behind) Surprise! Get dressed, quick! (the sitter laughs)

It turns out that she got us a table at The Aviary at the Mandarin Oriental. So off we went.

Me: You already did enough! This is too much.
Her: I like doing stuff for you.

We ended up having several different types of drinks, including one that looked like a bomb and tasted amazing.

Me: You know, my cousin designed this hotel.
Her: I’m not surprised. (laughs) The people you know…

She slipped the waiter her credit card when I wasn’t looking.

We were actually there over two hours and just talked. And then we walked home. It was my ideal type of evening.

Me: (arriving home) Oh, we forgot to use our headphones to listen to music on the way back.
Her: It’s fine. I liked the conversation.
Me: Thanks for everything tonight, it was perfect.
Her: (beaming) Great! I’m glad. I had a good time too.

Location: 10PM the other day, The Mandarin Oriental
Mood: relaxed
Music: It’s gotta drive you crazy, how you keep it all inside
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Speaking toddler

Can you hear me?


We’ve all been sick so I put on Singing in the Rain for the Gymgirl and the kid.

Him: (after opening credits) It’s over…
Me: It just started!

On that note, the Gymgirl and I have been having a competition of sorts as to who understands toddler more.

Him: (unintelligible)
Me: What?
Her: He said he was done and wanted to watch television.
Me: How on earth did you get that?
Her: (shrugs) You’re old. He and I are closer in age. We speak the same language.

Actually, the boy speaks with some interesting turns of phrases:

When the boy was in his room: I’m here if you need me.
When I gave the boy a time out: Let’s talk about this.
When heading to school: Are we running late?

Again, he’s three years old.

Suppose he’s parroting myself, the Gymgirl, or some other adult. Still, it really floors me because there was a time I was worried he wouldn’t speak at all.

Although he did leave me speechless the other day.

Him: (gets a stool and climbs to the top) Mom! Mom! Mommy! Can you hear me?
Me: Wha…what are you doing, kiddo?
Him: I wanted to see what happens.
Me: Oh. OK. (pause) I’m sorry, kid.
Him: (laughing) Why are you sorry?
Me: No reason. I just am. (smiling) Cm’on. I gotta start dinner. Keep me company.

It’s April.

Me: I hate April and May.
The Gymgirl: May, I understand. But why April?
Me: It’s stupid but it’s because I know May is coming right up. Our birthdays were just about a month apart. I dread my birthday because I know we’re that much closer to May.
Her: (nods, puts her hand on my shoulder)

Location: 2:30PM today, Central Park with the boy
Mood: anxious
Music: used to talk with honest conviction
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A day with friends and the Hudson Yards

Day drinking rum with friends

Her: I’m in the mood for an adventure.

The Gymgirl and I decided to go check out the Hudson Yards the other day before our gym class. It was totally last minute so we didn’t have tickets for anything. But it was a beautiful day and we were happy to be out of the house.

Because of our diet, the Gymgirl hadn’t had coffee in months because things like beans and seeds weren’t allowed in her diet. But she decided to slowly add them back one-by-one, starting with beans. Mainly for coffee and chocolate.

She was already planning to have coffee that weekend so we decided to go to Queensyard Cafe.

Her: Do they have a creamer I can use?
Me: Soy milk?
Her: Yes!

For the latter, we ended up at at Li-Lac chocolates where the owner comped us some chocolate. Unfortunately, he also told us that chocolate was a seed and not a legume.

Me: You already ate some. In for a penny in for a pound, I say.

This was her response:

We then took a long (long) walk to Home Depot to get supplies for a project, that I’ll tell you about later, before heading to our gym class.

After Home Depot, however, I got a got a text from RE Mike about a block from our gym class:

REM: Where are you?!?!
Me: It’s today? I have it down for next week!
Him: You’re _____ me.

I wasn’t.

The Gymgirl immediately started running and so I did as well.

If REM wrote just five minutes later, we woulda missed the whole thing, because she and I don’t check our phones when we’re at the gym. And we’re there for hours.

The “thing” was a bar mitzvah for the son of my friends around the way. Luckily, it was just a few blocks from where I live, at the Time Warner Center.

Me: (entering the apartment and immediately setting a 10 minute timer) When this goes off, we’re out the door.
Her: (heading to her clothes) Got it.

In less than 30 minutes, we went from being casual to this:

They’re some of my favourite people so it would have been terrible if I missed it.

Him: I wouldn’t have let you live it down.
Me: Nor should you.

We were there until the end, which meant that we were home by six. But we drank so much rum that we just crashed until midnight or so, when we woke up and watched a few episodes of Love, Death, & Robots.

Well, the ones I could watch.

All in all, a really strange and awesome day.

I remember when I had awesome days. I had forgotten what they were like.

Me: Did you get your adventure?
Her: Yes, now I need a nap.

Location: last week, Ascent Lounge in NYC
Mood: guess
Music: Holding onto cobwebs that has us both on the fence
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Another health scare

It’s not a crate!

Mutual Friend: (concerned) You doing okay, buddy?
Me: I’m fine. I’m sure you have a friend that is a complete softie around kids. Well, whoever that person is, s/he’s got nuthin on Blaine, I think that if the kid had the vocabulary, Blaine woulda have given him an ice cream sundae, a beer, his ATM card and PIN, and the password to all his online accounts while we were out.
Him: Man, Uncle Blaine sounds awesome.

The Gymgirl and I decided to catch a film – last minute – and had a friend of ours watch the kid. I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve done this.

Me: Now, no matter what he says or how much he cries, just leave him in the room and let him sleep.
Blaine: Sure.

We watched the film without issue and came back to find Blaine sitting alone of the couch in relative darkness.

Blaine: So, I changed his diaper like a champ…
Me: Oh, great.
Blaine:…but he also climbed out of his crate and fell. I think he’s ok.
Gymgirl: You should lead with that!

Blaine said that the kid started crying as soon as we left so he took him out and let him sit with him as they watched some television. For a toddler, that’s pure crack – there’s no going back from that. So after Blaine put him down to sleep, the kid wanted more of the good life…

Blaine: I heard him fall and cry so I ran in. I found him outside his crate…
Me: It’s not a crate! It’s a crib. People will think I keep my son in a cage.
Blaine: Crib, crate, cage, same thing.

Blaine’s one of the nicest people I know; in fact, he just had surgery that day and arrived in a cast to watch the kid just so we could catch the film. So it’s pretty impossible to be mad at him.

I mean, he carried this kid around with a cast on. Plus, we all knew that it was just bad luck that the kid decided to try his hand at climbing outta the crate crib with him and not us.

The boy managed to fall asleep so Blaine just left and we waited to see how the kid was in the morning. He seemed fine so we brought him to school. But the Gymgirl insisted that we get him x-rayed and researched places around the area.

The place that she went to last year had a machine so we went there. Took three hours but the kid didn’t have any broken bones but did dislocate his elbow (nursemaid’s elbow) that the doc tried to get back in but couldn’t.

So I rang up my friend Kris, who’s a pediatrician, and she said he probably got it in if the kid was able to raise his arm over his head, which he kinda was. The Gymgirl and I may also have done some things ourselves to make sure it was in properly.

The boy was not happy about any of this. But alls well that ends well.

Spoke to Blaine afterward:

Me: I think that the doc managed to get his elbow back in place because he’s been moving it a lot more.
Blaine: Man, I’m really relieved to hear this. I still feel horrible.
Me: He should be fine. Yesterday was no fun but that’s done with. Anywho, I’ll give you another update tonight. Just wanted to put your mind to a little rest.

These medical scares always wear me out more than you might imagine.

Or, perhaps, exactly as you might imagine.

Gymgirl: Are you OK?
Me: I will be. (thinking) Hey, thanks for everything.
Her: Of course. I love that kid.

Location: last week, another medical office
Mood: guess
Music: How long until we find our way In the dark and out of harm?
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