October 18 – Day 42: Solo Again
Pidge left today, and there was much sadness.
It feels like she was here about five minutes, so that week just shot by.
The day began with her getting up before me to pack (it didn’t take her long), then the two of us walking down Avenue B to go to a little place called Post for brunch. I don’t normally eat breakfast (eggs and pancakes tend to sit like lead in my stomach; waffles aren’t bad), but she does, and this place offers an avocado biscuit (which also has a slice of Parmesan, a fried egg, and tomato), which is right up her alley. We walked in and were the only people in there, but others soon came in. We sat at the counter and ate (I had an immense—and good—biscuit with butter and jam) and talked and participated in a conversation the guy behind the bar was having with two woman who were, apparently, from Los Angeles. (We were all talking about Los Angeles-related subjects, anyway.)
Post. "As big as a minute," as my mother would say.
My breakfast. One-third done. I did not have a knife.
Pidge's breakfast. One-half done. She had a knife.
When we were finished, we walked back to the apartment. It was a gorgeous fall morning, sunny and clear and crisply cold. I was reminded of how morning smelled and felt when I was really little; like, when I was five years old before we moved from Long Island to La Mirada. It was just before noon, and her car wasn’t due until 1:00, so we just lay on the bed and talked and looked at our phones. Just before 1:00, she got a text from her driver that he was running late, so we decided to wait outside on the sidewalk. I dragged her bag down the stairs, and we waited and talked. The good thing about being on a one-way street is that there was no other direction the driver could come from, so I knew where to look. At about 1:10, I saw what looked like the car (a black SUV). It was, so we said goodbye, she got in, and took off for the airport.
I took off for uptown, and actually passed her car while it was waiting at the corner, but she didn’t see me. My plan was to go to the comic shop (I’d missed it Wednesday), then up to the Equity offices to get a flu shot. I’d called Kaiser last week to see if I could get one here through them, but my coverage here is basically limited to emergencies. When I was at the Equity office last week, though, I saw a sign that they’d be giving free shots to both members and EMC (membership candidates—that’s what I am), so I was determined to get one.
After the comic shop (there was some stuff, but not a lot), I took the R to 47th and 7th again, then down a block to the Equity building. I was prepared this time; I had my driver’s license out for the woman in the lobby (it normally takes about five minutes for me to wrestle it out of my wallet) and my Equity card ready. I went up to the 15th floor, and was told I needed to go down to the 14th. Another actor and I walked down the stairs, followed the signs, and got to the right place. We were told to fill out forms and go into yet another room, and not once did anyone ask for my ID. Anyone could have walked in and gotten a shot, but I guess the union figures that the only people who are going to be there are union members who know about the offer or that that benefits of herd immunity outweigh any possible vaccination fraud.
That done—in less than ten minutes—it was back onto the subway to Union Square. I wanted to get a newspaper, so I was headed to the 7-Eleven on 11th and Avenue A, but since my throat was feeling a little scratchy, I decided to stop at Starbucks and get a citrus defender, as well as going to a Duane Reade—there’s always a Duane Reade—to pick up some cold and allergy medication. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I wanted to be prepared. My plan was to do all of that, then go home and take a nap until it was time to leave for the show, all of which I managed to do.
It was still pretty cold and windy, and if I’d thought about it, I would have stopped on the way home to buy a heavier jacket than the one I brought, but the idea didn’t occur to me until I’d gotten home and I didn’t want to go right back out. I thought maybe I could stop on my way into the theatre, but didn’t know how long it would take, so I postponed it until Thursday. It was cold and windy enough that I almost reconsidered, but I knew I wouldn’t be outside that much, so I took the risk.
The show was very good. Listening backstage, I was hearing a lot of new and interesting things from everyone and was actually trying some stuff on my own. For a brief time in the first scene, I thought I saw someone I knew and wanted to make sure they got their money’s worth, but I later realized it wasn’t them and phoned it in (no; I was fine the whole time). I considered staying for a drink afterward, but decided I was better off just coming home and going to bed. On Thursdays, the theatre has a pretty good jazz trio play in the bar, and there were only two people listening to them. I felt sorry for them, which almost lured me into staying, but I thought better of it.
I (very) briefly decided to stop at Katz’s for a brisket sandwich (I’m done with their pastrami), but Yelp told me that a little bodega, Sunny and Annie's (actually next door to the place Pidge and I had had breakfast) was higher rated for sandwiches—and was bound to be less expensive—so I stopped in and ordered a roast beef and Swiss. It was only okay, but I have a feeling the zinc lozenge I’d just had altered my perception of it. I’m willing to give it a second try.
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