Day 6 of Home Time

Hello, Hello!
Happy to see you here on another edition of Home Time. I'm sure my mom is the only one reading this, if anyone at all! And if you are reading, thanks, Mom!

I am doing my best to stay thankful in these scary times. Sharing a tiny NYC studio apartment with my wonderful boyfriend of 5 and 1/2 years has its challenges, but we have not yet lost it. We are in good health and spirits for the now. We've been cooking daily, making new recipes, reading a lot, and yesterday, Victor and I began Day One of Boot Camp. We are both sore today and I, for one, am happy about it! Having cracked two ribs back in November of last year, I have to work out and strengthen to fully repair. And during my usual work week, I was not accomplishing what was needed to heal and restore. This break seems to be causing a lot of us to reevaluate whether what we've been spending our time on has been worth the time committed.

While thankful for a bit of time away from work, on one hand, on the other hand, I am missing the productivity, the schedule, and the friends I have the joy of annoying throughout the usual workday. Hospitality is an especially social industry. It's quite likely that I have made more phone calls in the last week than I have in all the weeks of this year so far combined. I imagine the combo of social distancing and the need to connect has caused a surge in calls worldwide. It's funny. I remember back in the 80s when we only had a landline, and even before caller ID, when you had no idea who was calling. I used to race to answer the phone for the sheer joy of the surprise as to who was on the other end of the line!  The culture with cell phones is definitely to text.  So it's been fun to reach out even if the person knows who's on the other end.

Walking home from a grocery and liquor run yesterday, a man and his son were walking the other way down my block. The man had a speaker and was playing the Temptations' song "I Can't Get Next To You."  I laughed the rest of my walk home.  Add that one to the list.