A to Z Challenge: My theme this year is NYC before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JUGGLER: Just another Monday morning in Brooklyn last year:
JEOPARDIZE: Like yesterday’s isolation, jeopardize is another current buzz word. Everyone is in jeopardy of contracting Covid-19, which means, we would then have the very likely potential of jeopardizing others if we get it. Every day, we need to think about the essential workers who are jeopardizing their lives and the lives of their loved ones when they go to work each day. One way to make their lives easier, is to think about what we’re doing when we go to the grocery store, or any other outing.
A to Z Challenge: My theme this year is NYC before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
EAST ESTUARY (RIVER): That’s right; the East River is actually an estuary (I couldn’t resist the triple E). The island of Manhattan lies between the Hudson River (also an estuary) on the west side, and the East River on the east side. What you see above is the southern tip of Manhattan and the beautiful Brooklyn Bridge, taken from the Brooklyn Bridge Park, just south of DUMBO–and only a 30-40 minute walk from our apartment.
While it’s cleaner than it has been in decades, the river’s pollution level deems it safe only for secondary contact such as boating. From sewage to bodies to diamonds, the East River contains it all, including a surprisingly diverse marine life (much of which comes with warnings to not consume–no surprise). Despite it’s sordid waters, many swimmers cough up (no pun intended) $2000-$3000 to take part in the 20 Bridges Swim each year. Nope.
The river has had its share of disasters including the 1904 sinking of a steamship that claimed over 1,000 lives, making it the deadliest NYC catastrophe until 9/11.
I hate to just rag on the East River, so here’s a fun story from last September where a paddle boarder came across a tomato plant growing out of a wooden pillar in the river.
Photo: Matthew Frey
EERINESS:Empty would also be appropriate. We rarely venture out unless we’re going to the grocery store, or maybe the occasional short walk to get the blood going.
The streets and sidewalks are quiet; an eeriness has settled over the city. Discarded rubber gloves have replaced coffee cup lids. Frankly, that’s about the only trash you see right now. We made a game out of it: if we spot two gloves of different colors mingling together, that’s a padiddle. A mask and a pair of gloves together is a triage. We haven’t spotted one of those yet. (It’s easy to run out of things to discuss on a long walk.)
Before leaving the apartment, I feel as though we’re preparing to walk out into Chernobyl. Once outside, it’s hard to not envision you’re in an episode of the The Walking Dead, feeling vulnerable, uncertain, and fearful.
But it’s necessary. And as eerie as it is, I’m glad to see very little people out and about. So let’s keep up the eeriness until we get through this.
A recap of the last two years: played director for Northern Colorado Writers ; wrote very little; traveled some; sent a kid to college; traveled some more; sold NCW; and moved to Brooklyn.
There. You’re caught up.
Oh, and I’ll still be directing the 2019 NCW Conference this May 3-4, but after that, I’m done directing anything other than my writing and my husband.
After nearly 42 years in Colorado I traded mountain views for a Manhattan view.
Seriously.
I truly thought the biggest change in my life over the past few months would be switching from a PC to a Mac. (That really is throwing me for a loop.)
While I’ve been to NYC many times, and even spent October through December here last year, this lifelong Colorado lady has a lot to learn about city life; about apartment life. Going from 2700 square-feet to just under a 1000, was an adventure (Oh! the marvel that is Facebook Marketplace).
We’ve only been here a week and it took just a day to be called out as transplants. “Where you from?” the sales guy we had been working with asked. When we said “Colorado,” he nodded. “Yeah, I knew you guys weren’t local. You’re too nice.” And who knew water chestnuts aren’t a thing in Brooklyn? (Oh! the marvel that is Amazon Prime).
So you’ll be hearing from me a bit more regularly as I chat about my discoveries and insights as that Colorado bumpkin in 11E. I’ll also be working on my long-suffering YA manuscript that I hope to complete this year.
So anyhow, I hope you’ll follow along on my journey. I promise to keep my posts short and to-the-point, the New Yorker way. Look for my New York Minute posts–they’ll take a minute or less to read. Usually.
