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October 4, 2018: Another Wing, Another Prayer

I’m beyond tired. I didn’t sleep at all last night. This was because I knew that I’d have to get up at 5 a.m. If I overslept I would miss my plane. I would have done better had I had a non-human alarm.

We did leave Eleanor’s at 5:30 a.m. Her friend Jerry appeared at the door and we were off. It was still dark out. There was a lot of traffic. The TSA workers had made a lot of corridors in order to accommodate the large number of travelers. El and Judy had pre-checks and I did not. TSA solidarity, they went through the long line with me, which I thought to be totally unnecessary. Nice of them though.

The flight (thankfully) was just 4 hours and 39 minutes. I thought it would be way longer. The pilot told us that it was going

October 4, 2018: Another Wing, Another Prayer
Harlem Saturday

to be a fairly smooth flight with just a few bumps. Well, my seat was over the wing and I could not see the horizon very well, so I spent most of my flight time in a state of abject fear. Time flies and so do I.

Once again I was very fearful. I understand that those around me don’t understand this, and for this reason I don’t speak of it often. I was glad that Judy and El were seated in a different area because I would not have held my own, conversation wise.

I was ecstatic to have survived this trip and to be in New York City. El spent months planning this trip. Beforehand, she found us a place to stay and how we might get there. And I, at the end of this long day, very much appreciated all her hard work.

We went by Uber to Harlem. The driver was quiet, so the three of us took in the sights. There was a lot of traffic; however, he did an excellent job negotiating what seemed to me to be difficult vehicular terrain. It was overcast, the surrounding scenery was somewhat industrial. We passed several tall apartment buildings, projects they are called.

And soon enough, we were dropped off at 1 19th street. El had found us an air b and b, a brownstone. There were a lot of stairs to deal with – outside stairs, hall stairs, and inside stairs, the latter took the form of a spiral staircase. I grabbed the room that was furthest from 19th street. Poor El got the upstairs room adjacent to it. Judy who is handicapped, got the downstairs room.

Bill, the apartment owner, soon appeared, and in a thick Brooklyn accent, he gave us the rundown on how to get around, where to eat, and what to see. The tall, gray haired man most definitely enjoyed holding court. El took notes because I was too tired to hold up my end of the deal.

I am now, as I’m writing this, dozing off. El, Judy, and I went for a walk. I like Harlem and do feel safe here. The people are friendly and the food, tonight pizza, is good. We are most definitely off to a good start here.

Next: 277. 10/5/18: The View, a TV show

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