Box Wine and the Wild Boar

The Weekend is Here! What does that mean in NYC? Well the streets are less crowded when walking down the sidewalks. There is less traffic out so less noise. The grocery store is more crowded. There are more children out and about with their parents. Most strollers and little ones I see during the week look like they are with a nanny. I can hear people going up and down the stairs in the apartments building more and the pitter patter of the dog upstairs who must be happy to have his owners home. I think during the week he is crated.

Last night we programmed the Apple TV and were able to continue watching the series Making a Murderer. I think we have watched 6 out of 10 episodes. It was a nice change up to get back into the program. We also started Breaking Bad when we were at Sebastian's place so now we can resume that too.

Around 9:15 this morning my next door neighbor Anne called me to tell me that yesterday she was walking behind the house and she noticed our French doors that open from the family room were open. She and her husband went in the house to check things out. Nothing seemed out of place but the alarm was going off. Our alarm hasn't been connected to security in years but if the power ever goes out sometimes that is enough to make the alarm beep. They secured the doors and I gave Anne the code to turn the alarm off. This has happened once before years ago when the door wasn't bolted well and it blew open in a wind storm. I'm sure that is what happened this time.
 
 

 





This morning after breakfast we took a walk to Whole Foods. It is a mile from the apartment and we took our time. We made a left out of the apartment and walked down York Avenue. York Avenue follows the East River which was nice to see in the distance. Right before we turned to walk up to Whole Foods we passed a residential area and what looked like a little park. We crossed the street and went to investigate. It was a lovely little park surrounded by nice apartment buildings. There were lots of benches to sit and look at the river. In the center of the park was a bronze statue of a wild boar. Not really sure what the boar represented but it was pretty cool looking.
 


After the park we made our way to Whole Foods. Of course it was very crowded but the long lines ran efficiently and we purchased what we needed. We had two large Trader Joe's bags and my backpack to put our groceries in. Across the street was a shop called Oak and Barrel which caught Jim's eye. We went to explore. It was a very impressive wine and liquor shop. In New York City wine and hard liquor are sold together in a store and beer is sold in the grocery stores. Very different from the way it is done in Virginia. Jim has been wanting to buy some quality box wines for me so I can have a glass when I want or for cooking when needed. We found a red and a white that we are going to try. Then as he rounded the corner to look at the bourbons the selection was the best he has ever seen. They even had Japanese bourbon. Jim is not supposed to be lifting more than 10 pounds because of the biopsy so we cabbed it back to the apartment with all our goodies.

Back at the apartment we had to take the trash out. In the basement of the apartment building is where we are to bring the trash. It is a crawl space so the ceilings are low. I don't like going down there and I will not go down at night because there are probably city rats that come out. Trash and rats go together in the city. Anyway I followed Jim down to take some pictures. There are containers for the trash and recyclables. There are other strange things down there too like an old bed frame, a mirror, a bicycle and lots of buckets.

Tonight I am going to make Jim a Naan pizza in the toaster oven and for myself a polenta veggie dish in the electric skillet. I think we will be watching some TV too.

Unexpected Snowfall

This morning we woke up to snow on the ground. Not too much because we are in the heart of the city and with all the traffic and tall buildings it melts fast. They were calling for a couple of inches but we didn't see it. It was snowing when we left for Jim's appointment at the clinic so we took a cab. He had an appointment to have his PICC line dressing changed and to talk to someone about the cough and congestion that refuses to go away. We were at the clinic for an hour and a half. I stayed in the waiting room and read magazines. This time I brought my coffee with me and managed not to spill it. Dr. Horwitz's nurse practitioner, Nadia, saw Jim and put him on a regime of Sudafed, Mucinex, a prescription cough suppressant and an inhaler. Hopefully this combination will do the trick and get rid of whatever it is he has.

After the clinic we walked to CVS to pick up the drugs then over to the post office to check the P.O. Box. We got the usual bills but I also got a package from Laura. She sent kitchen towels, a berry bowl, miniature cutting board, a tiny candle and a reusable wrap for me to pack snacks in. What a nice surprise and very much appreciated. Funny I haven't wanted to use the cutting board at the apartment because it looks so old and nasty. This new one is perfect. From the post office we headed to the Apple store. We decided to go ahead and buy Apple TV so we could stream Netflix and continue watching Making a Murderer and Breaking Bad. We had started these shows when we were at Sebastian's place besides we have time on our hands while waiting for Jim to start his next treatment. On our walk it was cold and Jim was coughing a lot. I told him to go on to the Apple store and I would meet him in there. I was only a couple of blocks from Central Park and I could see the blue sky and white trees as we got closer to the store. I quickly walked over to the edge of the park and took a few pictures. It was a sea of white and how beautiful it looked. I wish we had time and I wished Jimmy was feeling better then we would have walked into the park.

On the way back to the apartment we must have passed a doggie day care. There were about 4 packs of dogs tied up along the sidewalk. I'm not sure what was going on but I stopped to take pictures of them with my cellphone.

Biopsy and Laundry

Today Jimmy had his biopsy. We were up by 5:30 after a restless night of sleep, or lack there of. We left the apartment at 6:15 and walked down the street to MSK. Luckily it is only a 6-7 minute walk. They let me go back with him to the holding area where he changed into a gown and they ask all the pre-op questions. Since he had a PICC line in they did not have to start an IV. Finally around 8:20 they took him back. I walked to Padoca and had a cup of tea with my overnight oats that I brought with me. There was a woman across from me nursing her little baby. My how time flies.

Jim was done with the biopsy by 11:00 and we walked to BagelWorks so he could pick up something to bring back to the apartment. When we arrived back at the place Denis was just finishing bolting shut the window in the bedroom and he reimbursed me for the toaster oven I purchased. He mentioned he liked the way we rearranged the apartment and that it made it look homey. Actually all we did was hide the crap and change the light bulbs to make the room brighter.

I made myself two duck eggs with smoked salmon on corn tortillas for lunch then gathered the laundry to take to the laundromat. Since I had at least three loads I put a lot of it in a rolling suitcase then packed the rest in a big L.L.Bean canvas tote. I made a cold brewed coffee to enjoy while in the hot laundromat. I placed it in the bottle holder of my backpack and went on my way. The minute I got out to the street I passed a man who blew his nose onto the sidewalk. How disgusting is that. Tell me he hasn't heard of tissues. I hurried to make the light and ran across the street lugging the big tote on my shoulder, the backpack on my back and pulling the suitcase behind me. After I had crossed the street a women said I had dropped a towel or something back before I crossed. I laughed and told her I was glad it wasn't my underwear. Back I went to pick up a kitchen towel I dropped and as I bent down to pick it up with people passing me left and right my cold brewed coffee spilled onto my shoulder and jeans. Really???

The machines at the laundromat were all full. There was a tall man near the door and I asked him a question about the extra large machines, the only ones that were empty. He told me they cost $5.50 a wash so no wonder no one was using them. There was a woman with dark eyes on the far side of the room standing near some washers that look like they were almost done with the cycle. I asked her if they were almost finished and she gave me the rudest look. I quietly waited for "her" machines to be finished. After "her" machines were done I waited very patiently while she emptied the wet clothes into the dryer. After she left the tall man and I struck up a conversation. He said she was rude and that some people become very possessive over the machines or even the rolling carts to put your clothes in. We chatted for a good while. I learned a lot about him. His name is Thomas and he is 62 and has been a hairdresser for 40 years. He has been living with AIDS for over 20 years. He and his partner live in the building next to Sebastian's place and his apartment faces MSK. He has a great sense of humor and we talked a lot about life and never giving up. I got his number incase I decide to use him as a hairdresser. We were both done about the same time and walked back towards MSK together. We stopped out front of his apartment and said good bye and I went on my way.

Back at the homestead Jim was hanging out on the couch. Skye called to let me know there was something wrong with her eye. It was swollen, red and painful but she didn't think she did anything to it. I recommended she go to an urgent care before it got too late. Ended up she has a corneal abrasion so I'm glad she got it checked. I spoke to Debby and Denise for a while. Don't really feel like making dinner and neither of us are very hungry but I will come up with something.

Venting Apartment Frustration

Yesterday was our last morning with Skye. Although she still wasn't feeling well she was able to hold down a little food and water. She rested until it was time to catch a cab. Around 1:00 we walked with her down the street and hailed a cab to take her to the airport. I felt so sad seeing her drive away. Despite her getting food poisoning we had a very nice visit. She arrived in plenty of time for her flight. She said the fare cost her $70.00 with tip. New York City is far from cheap.
Jim and I walked to the post office and to the grocery store to buy a few things for dinner. I cooked some fancy ravioli for Jim and I had my gluten free pasta. We caught up on emails, journaling, read the paper and watched a little news on TV.

Today Jim had a 10:15 appointment with an interventional radiologist. He will be the doctor performing the needle biopsy on one of Jim's nodes to see what specific cancer (B-cell or T-cell) is involved. This procedure will help diagnosis the new spots using a minimally invasive image-guided technique. We first met with Dr. Fine, the fellow, who explained the procedure and risks involved. Dr. Maybody came in to have Jim sign some papers. The nurse was the last to come in and go over pretesting information. All of them were very nice and professional. The procedure is scheduled for 6:30 tomorrow morning at the Main Hospital. Early but no problem. The sooner the biopsy the sooner the next treatment plan is determined and the sooner Jim gets to transplant.

We walked the 30 minutes back towards the apartment. There was a fine mist in the air and it was gloomy out. We checked the mail at the post office and headed to Leonard's Seafood Market to purchase some Scottish salmon. Jim can't eat or drink after midnight so we decided to have a nice dinner tonight.

Denis, the man I am renting the apartment from texted me to check in on things. That was nice of him but does he really want to know how I feel?  This is what I felt like telling him:
-No Gas so I don't have access to an oven.
-No toaster.
-No mixing bowl or anything bigger than a cereal bowl.
-No oven mitt.
-No can opener, no wine opener, no spatulas, no wooden spoons. Only a soup ladle and forks, spoons and knives.
-No cheese grater or vegetable peeler.
-No measuring cup or measuring spoons.

Now luckily I brought a few essentials up when I packed for New York. I have also bought several things since being here to make preparing meals easier for me. Most people that live in the city must eat out or have their meals delivered.

Denis told me the gas was out to the building when we checked in. He bought a hot pot to boil water, an electric two-burner stove top and he provided us with a microwave. There is one of those long orange extension cords that runs along the back of the kitchen sink connected to the microwave which sits on top of the refrigerator and blocks part of the cabinet.

The other day I bought a toaster oven. Since being in New York I also have bought my own electric skillet and small humidifier for the dry apartment air. The girls gave me a hot pot for tea and I am so glad I brought that up. I use it everyday.





These are my utensils and such that I either brought up from home or have bought since we got to New York.
So I texted Denis back and told him I purchased a toaster oven. More importantly I voiced my concern that the bedroom windows do not lock. The left window opens to the fire escape which runs the length of the building. Anyone can climb up the escape or come from another apartment that opens to the fire escape and lift our bedroom window open and walk in. There not only is a lock, there is no screen. We have been keeping the window open during he day because the apartment gets very hot. The heat is controlled by the building. The window coverings are sheers so I prop our boots against the sheers to possibly deter any critters, pigeons or rats from climbing in. Now that I know the window does not lock makes me frightened, especially if I am here alone after Jim is admitted to the hospital.
Denis said he would come by and bolt the window shut. He also said he would reimburse me for the toaster oven. He really is a nice guy.

Tonight we will have salmon that I'll cook in my electric skillet. I'll roast little organic red potatoes in the toaster oven and make a mixed green salad. The excitement for the night will be going on Target's website and ordering some toiletries, paper towels, toilet paper and possibly some lighter PJ pants or shorts for Jimmy and me. What is our life coming to???

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Beautiful One Day, Crappy Day the Next

Sunday night (the 31st) Skye and I went to see Beautiful, the true story of Carole King. Our seats were 6 rows back from the stage on the aisle in the Orchestra section and they were worth every penny. I loved Carole King's songs as a teenager so I was surprised when Beautiful was one of Skye's three picks for Broadway shows. We cabbed it to the theater and both of us thoroughly enjoyed the show. While we were at the show Jimmy walked to a restaurant he has been wanting to visit. It was the 2nd Avenue Deli, home to the finest Jewish culinary creations in New York City. He bought the famous corn beef sandwich and took it back to the apartment to have for dinner. When we got home Skye had a little bit of a stomach ache. We didn't think anything of it.

Monday morning (February 1st)

Skye must have food poisoning. She was violently ill with all the symptoms of food poisoning but did not have a fever. Poor baby spent the entire day in bed or in the bathroom.We planned on going to the September 11 Memorial and Museum but that didn't happen. Also Skye was going to go to our appointment with Dr. Horwitz so she could meet him and hear what he had to say but she stayed in bed.

We had a 5:00 appointment to see what the PET scan showed. Unfortunately we did not hear what we were hoping. At this time Jim is not ready for transplant. The PET showed some of his spots had reduced in size but it also showed a few new areas that were not there before. Most likely the reduction of tumors are the B-cell cancer and the Rituxan has helped that but the new spots could be the T-cell cancer showing its ugly face again. The only way for the doctors to know what they are dealing with is for Jim to undergo another biopsy. We will meet with an interventional radiologist who will look at the PET scan and decide where to take the biopsy. Afterwards it will take another week of so to get the results. Dr. Horwitz reassured us he has several concoctions of drugs and even a clinical trial that he could try. At this point Jim is tired of waiting. When will the green light be? It's very hard to put life on hold and hover in a state of limbo. We walked back to the apartment and there was a light drizzle in the air. Skye still was not feeling well. Jim called his sisters and parents. We spoke to Sara for a while. It was Skye's last night so we really wanted her to feel better before having to depart for the airport. Crummy ending to a crappy day. The sun better come out tomorrow.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Sunday, January 31st

On Sunday Skye and I walked to Central Park. I wanted to show her the southern part of Central Park and later in the day we would meet up with Jimmy and explore a little bit of the central area. It was a beautiful day, not too cold and the sky was a vibrant blue. Being the weekend there was not the usual hustle and bustle of the city traffic. It was more families in strollers, people jogging and of course the usual little dogs out for a walk with their special outfits on. When we got inside the park there were lots of people running, walking and riding bikes. It was invigorating. We were glad to be there. A lot of the snow had melted since Jimmy and I were there last but you could still see some of it. In fact one area of rocks where Skye and I went to take pictures was very slippery. We were walking like old ladies being careful not to slip.

We walked past the Central Park Zoo. Zoo's make me sad. Unless they are truly a safe haven for injured animals or rehabilitating animals to eventually return to the wild I feel they are cruel and unjust. You can see the see lion area without having to pay to enter the "zoo". Two sea lions swimming around in a very small area for the rest of their lives. Yes it brings joy to children and adults alike but it's not joyful for the sea lions.

We walked past Wollman Ice Rink. Back in the mid-70's the ice rink with its large bleachers was home to music festivals which included such artists as Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Tammy Wynette and Pete Seeger. The rink was also featured in the movies Love Story and Serendipity. Walking a little further we passed the Carousel. It was closed for the season but I hope to go back if we are still in New York. The Carousel is Central Park's most popular attraction. It is one of the country's largest merry-go-rounds with over 250,000 riders a year.

We made our way to Strawberry Fields and Imagine Mosaic dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. This is a very popular spot for people to sit or take pictures of the mosaic. There usually is a musician singing Lennon's songs.

Eventually we met up with Jimmy and took Skye to the Alice In Wonderland Statue. The bronze statue of Alice stands eleven feet tall. Atypical of most sculptures, children are invited to climb, touch and crawl over Alice and friends. Over the decades the hands and feet of thousands of children have literally polished parts of the statue's surface smooth.

On out way home I took Skye to Candle Cafe, a vegan restaurant that also has a nice selection on gluten free fares. Jimmy passed on lunch and went on to his favorite bakery to buy some bread.
Skye and I both had different salads for lunch and then split an incredible peanut butter chocolate pie with chocolate hazelnut ice cream. All vegan, gluten free and delicious. We were in heaven.

After returning to the apartment we were full from lunch and in need of a walk. We decided to walk down the street to an overlook which had a view of the East River and Roosevelt Island. Skye and I had  plans to go to the broadway show Beautiful so we didn't stay out too long.

Baby Girl Is Here

I have neglected to blog the last few days because SKYE IS HERE!  She arrived on Friday on the Amtrak from Charlottesville. We had to move out of our Hope Lodge room by noon so we stored our luggage on the 6th floor and waited in the lounge area until her train arrived. Unfortunately her train was over an hour and a half late but Penn Station was literally one block from the Lodge so when the train pulled in she texted me and I walked over to meet her. We showed her the guest area of the Hope Lodge and the security man called us a taxi. What a ride it was. The manic driver was a Italian Puerto Rican with a strong accent who talked nonstop, kept touching Jimmy's arm and was looking up things on his cell phone as he drove through Friday rush hour in Manhattan. The cab fare was $40.00 to get us to the new apartment at 421 East 72nd Street. We were late meeting Denis the owner and by the time we lugged all our belongings up the narrow curved stairs to apartment 2D it was nearly 6:00. Skye and Jimmy walked to the store to buy some beer, wine, water and a few groceries while I attempted to find space for our suitcases. Mind you it is a very small one bedroom apartment- New York Style.

The apartment is in a good location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is only 6 minutes from Memorial Sloan Kettering and I should feel safe walking back and forth to the hospital even at night. It was disappointing though because the apartment is not clean. The owners had food in the refrigerator and pantry. The bathroom space was full of their toiletries. Even under the sinks and in the hall closet they had their belongings. Again the apartment is very tiny and the storage space for my things is tight, even if their things were not here. Since I will be here for 5 weeks or possibly longer I threw away the food and took their toiletries and some of their things and put them in bags and hung them in the coat closet. I had to make room for my things. I would have thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and bathroom but will do this after Skye's visit. I was required to pay a $75.00 Airbnb cleaning fee but I don't know what for. Even the refrigerator was dirty inside. That night we snacked on cheese, crackers, smoked salmon, salad and spent the night catching up with Skye and deciding what to do the next day.

Saturday, January 30th

Skye and I did a lot of walking and sightseeing. Jim decided he would stay back at the apartment and rest and encouraged us to go alone. After breakfast the first place we went was Vegan Divas to buy a breakfast treat. Next we walked to Padoca Bakery, got a seat by the window and ordered cold brewed coffees. We split our gluten free vegan banana chocolate chip muffin and looked at the playground across the street and planned our route.

Our destination was Greenwich Village and after we walked to the subway station the train we were going to take had been canceled.  It was a beautiful day so we decided to walk for a while and try to take a bus or subway later. We made it all the way to Rockefeller Center taking pictures along the way. By then we were cold so we took the subway the rest of the way. I am getting better about finding my way around. Being Saturday there were a lot of tourist so we felt safe. Still the subway is always interesting and you have to be aware of your surroundings.

                                                                                                         We walked around Greenwich Village and had lunch at Chloe's, the vegan restaurant Jimmy and I went to earlier in the week. I knew Skye would love it. The line was out the door but with patience we were able to snag a table. Everything was fantastic. We split our meals of quinoa taco salad, sweet  potato fries and bacon mac and cheese. Remember everything was vegan and gluten free. Wish they would open a Chloe's in Virginia. 

After lunch we walked through Washington Square and watched street performers, musicians, a man with pigeons, a balloon maker and a chalk artist. Lots of people were out and it was very entertaining but we were getting cold, it was getting late and we were far from the Upper East Side. Our attempt at taking the bus home was more challenging than earlier. We waited at stops where the bus never showed then finally got on a bus and had to transfer to another before eventually making it back. While we were out Jim walked to Lenwich by Lenny's to get a pastrami sandwich so he wasn't hungry for dinner and neither were we. That night the three of us watched a movie Skye brought up with her.

For our sleeping arrangements, Jim and I have a little bedroom with a full bed. It is pushed against the wall with a dresser at the foot of the bed so Jim sleeps on the inside and I am closest to the door. I get up early so it is easier for me to have that side. In the kitchen/living room there is a microfiber brown couch that folds into a bed for Skye. The apartment is very dry and warm. The building controls the heat so we keep the windows cracked during the day to ventilate the rooms. The heat is very drying so I will have to unpack my humidifier I bought earlier in my trip. The windows do not have screens so we can't leave them open all the time. We wouldn't want a rat, pigeon or other critter to crawl in the bedroom window. There is a nasty ledge, maybe it's a fire escape, outside the bedroom window and it has two big plastic containers out there and an ashtray of old cigarettes. I believe the fire escape is shared with the apartment next door. One concern I have is the window doesn't lock so logistically someone could crawl up the fire escape and come in the window. We might have to figure this one out. AND...one last thing. The gas to the building has been shut off. Deja vu.