Noticing things
Me: Yo, what are you up to? I can’t do any more work and I’m going stir crazy here.
Him: Screw it, come on by. Do you have any extra gloves and masks?
I’ve been trying to catch up on work, but it’s hard being here with the sheer emptiness of it all. I miss the boy terribly.
So, like I said in my previous entries, I hopped onto my scooter and zipped down from the UWS to the LES to take Chad out to eat.
Here’s a quickie vid on what it’s like out there.
It was honestly the perfect day to be out and about. It took me twice as long to get there as it should’ve because I kept stopping to take pictures or video. Once I finally got there, we tried to figure out what was for lunch.
As you know, I’m a sucker for a gyro, so that’s what I got.
He got a gyro burger, which makes no sense to me but he’s an adult so…
Me: OK, where we going, man?
Him: It’s a nice day, we can eat by the river.
My lungs are mostly ok but, honestly, walking those few blocks was difficult. Not necessarily bad, but noticeably not normal.
This thing is truly a bear. Being audited while you’re trying not to die is a new experience, lemme tell ya.
And I’ve had a lotta shitty experiences.
We finally got to the river and it was just perfect. More people were out than probably should’ve been but definitely less than the normal crowd. It was nice to be in society again.
And the food was so good that we both agreed not to speak for five minutes as we enjoyed it shoveled it into our pieholes.
Afterward, we chatted for a bit when I locked eyes with one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in my life. She was stupid attractive.
Me: Hi there.
Her: (laughs) Hi!
Chad commented that I should have spoken to her more.
Him: Whoa, she was hot and that was a huge smile she gave you, why don’t you talk to her?
Me: (laughing) How do you know she had a huge smile?
Him: (puzzled) What? I saw.
Me: (nodding) OK. Yes, she was beautiful, and, yes, that was a big smile she gave me. But here’s what I noticed….
Him: (afterwards) Oh, that’s really interesting. I never thought about that.
Me: I have my rules. I always have my rules.
Him: (shaking head) I don’t get it but, ok. Man…
It’s a little party trick of mine; noticing little things and trying to make sense of what they mean. Hopefully correctly.
All my senses have been dulled for so long but I feel a little bit of the old me from so long ago.
After a bit, we headed back to his place but stopped off at a local bodega.
Me: Hard seltzer. I’m secure in my manhood. Do it?
Him: (laughing) Sure.
Me: Oooooh, mango…
We kept some good social distancing in his tiny pad.
Honestly, it was good to see and speak to another human being again. I didn’t realize just how cruel and harsh solitary confinement is. And this is nuthin compared to that.
Me: Well, I guess I should go.
Him: Are you ok to get home?
Me: (getting up) Well, we’re about to find out.
Podcast Version: Lunch by the River
Location: a few days ago, the John V. Lindsay East River Park
Mood: hungry
Music: I notice every single thing, that’s ever happening (Spotify)
Like this post? Tell someone about it by clicking a button below.