There are a few lessons I’ve learned during the pandemic that are relevant to our three month adventure –

There are so many ways to stay connected.

So many ways to learn.

And so many ways to engage in our world.

One of my questions about our foray into Brooklyn was how I would manage to stay connected in a meaningful way with friends and family back home. And would I be able to forge friendships with people in Brooklyn in a short period of time? Would casual connections with social encounters be enough of a human connection for me?

Tonight I was reminded of the value of those all lessons. I took an online pasta-making class through a Brooklyn business that I learned about last spring. Prior to the pandemic their classes were all in-person and as with all businesses, they quickly had to adapt or die. They adapted and thrived by offering their classes via Zoom. I took a couple classes last spring-embroidery, journaling (try as I might, I still don’t do it), and…I can’t remember the others.

Tonight’s pasta class was a great success and what made it even greater was that two of my friends took it “with” me – one from Washington, one from California and me from my kitchen in New York. How cool is that?!

So – Connection? Yep. Learning? Yep. Engagement? Yep. What a great night! Thanks, Glynnis and Lorraine for joining me! Our distanced cooking adventure made my day!

And to the rest of you…Look up Brooklyn Brainery! It’s a great resource. Want to learn about Scotch Whiskey? Block printing? The history of cats in art? Book binding? Buying a home in Brooklyn? There’s a class for everyone! brooklynbrainery.com And no…they don’t pay me to share their info!

PS The pasta is in the freezer for another night. Stay tuned.

I’m not a risk taker. I don’t do discomfort well. I don’t seek “new” experiences. And yet. Here I am in Brooklyn – completely a fish out of water. Before Glen left for Rochester for a couple days, we talked about fear because things are different and fear because there’s actual danger. Good food for thought. I think I’m learning the difference.

When Glen headed to Rochester on Monday, I wrote that I would have to “put on my big girl panties” and step out of my comfort zone or maybe away from (or into?) my fears. It was a daily, conscious decision – even a bit of a push – to do so. How did it go, you ask? Well…

The first day I took the subway…all by myself. When we travel, Glen always takes the lead and I follow along not having to think or really pay attention. Would I be able to figure out my route on my own? Would I get confused in the bowels of the system? Would I find my way back home? I chose to go to an area of Manhattan that was familiar to me so it was sort of a compromise adventure – familiar and still foreign. (Remember that word “familiar“.) It was a beautiful day at the river. I enjoyed my meandering walk and making decisions about which way to go as I went along. Turns out that having a river on one side of you is a great clue for which direction to move toward! (Thus my challenge in the bowels of the subway! No river or tall building to follow.) After a relaxing lunch on the quay, I ended the adventure by walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and then catching the subway from the east side back to the house. Baby steps for sure, but success by all counts!

The next day, I chose to stay closer to home and just walked a couple miles to a check out a different market. Not so exciting, not so new, but a slightly different neighborhood with a slightly different vibe. Later in the day, I took Dug as my date to an Italian restaurant that Glen and I had discovered a couple days earlier. I had a meal and a cocktail by myself! That might be the first time I’ve ever done that. So another new experience in a familiar location and another successful day!

The next day I returned to Prospect Park which is 3 miles away. Dug and I had ventured there before so it was a familiar location. I did map out a different path to get there because…well…part of the route we took the first time was not through the greatest neighborhood. So this was a compromise walk – familiar location with a new path.

Yesterday, Dug and I walked 3 miles to the East River and Domino Park. It too, took me through a couple neighborhoods that were not familiar to me. Once we got to the park, the walk there was phenomenal – great views, shade, kids and nannies/moms everywhere. We were in the neighborhood where Glen and I had stayed a couple years ago, so it felt familiar. The challenge of the day was that it was HOT and I knew that Dug was suffering so…I woke up the Uber app and we took a ride back to our home. First time I’ve ever done that on my own. A familiar form of transportation, but done independently. I figured it out – even when the first car canceled on me while standing on a hot corner in the middle of the day. Dang it.

So, what have I learned? I’ve been thinking…Is it a risk to do something unfamiliar? Is it uncomfortable? Maybe even scary? Yep. How do I overcome the fear of “new”? By making it NOT new – by repeating the experience, by making it familiar.

Here’s the proof – We’ve been here two weeks and I’ve noticed that the streets around Halsey (our street) that I have walked repeatedly don’t seem so unfamiliar anymore. The scenery is not new or different. The basketball courts are full of players throughout the day and evening. The stoops around the corner have the same older gentlemen shooting the breeze all day. The homeless man wanders the neighborhood. I pass by the mother and daughter walking to school every day. The coffee shop owner says “see you later” as we walk by. The people don’t seem like strangers anymore. I think that I’ve learned that making the unfamiliar familiar is the key.

And guess what?! I’ve also learned that it is worth being uncomfortable! Every day these last few days (weeks) I stepped out of my comfort zone. I took risks. And I took deep breaths – many deep breaths and…maybe…just maybe…I’ve learned that I’m a bit more of a risk-taker than I thought!

For years (10+ actually) I traveled to Rochester, NY for mostly business purposes as we (TYS) merged or integrated with a wonderful group of people. It was how we went from TY to TYS. AND that represented such a huge gain for Chris and me – they truly completed us. I recall in those early days (the first year) being in Rochester 13 separate times and spending nearly 80 nights in the ROC Airport Holiday Inn Express. I stayed their mostly as I knew I needed to use all my energy on the integration (More on this later). I so fondly remember Ann picking me up (occasionally on time) and our regular morning chats. Ann was so patient with me, as I often was a bit of a grouch. I cherish those memories. Thank you Ann, so are a valuable member of Team TYS.

Fast forward to August 10, 2021. My first trip to ROC in my new role. For years Tim had been inviting me and encouraging me to stay with him and Amy. Tobin was staying there at the same time, so what the heck, I would too. Well, darn it, I learned my preconceived notion (energy saving) regarding staying in a hotel was silly, and wrong. It was great to stay with Amy and Tim!! Thanks so much for opening your home to me. You’ve always, since day one, brought me in to your family. I’ve been enriched by the experience.

I’m less of a doer now and more of an observer and speaker of MY truth. I’m learning how to judiciously and effectively use my voice. It is a responsibility I endorse and own. And like all humans, I am perfectly imperfect.

This was an important step for me. Thanks to everyone involved for being so supportive!!

Well, big girl panties are fully in place! After a short walk with Dug this morning, I hopped on the subway to lower Manhattan and walked around the seaport. Turns out the morning is a great time to be there…all alone! It was cool and quiet – just the spot to sit in the breeze, watch the water traffic pass by and enjoy an early lunch. I walked back via the Brooklyn Bridge-that sure never gets old. On our trip across the country, Glen and I listened to most of David McCullough book about the construction of the bridge. While it was a lot of engineering that went in one ear and out the other, I still seriously have new appreciation for the miracle of the feat of its construction. Along the expanse of the bridge, I love hearing all of the different languages being spoken and watching the photos being taken by couples, families and individuals (including me!) My only faux paux on my excursion was taking the A instead of the C train home. No problem, pop off at the next station and get on the correct train home. (And help the poor mom lug her stroller with child up the stairs! Yikes – no elevator!) Dug was very happy I didn’t get lost.

I’m (GAT) coming up on 20 years of regularly riding Amtrak (funny, most has been on the East Coast). My first was Early October 2001. I think we all remember September 2001.

When 911 happened I was already scheduled for a business trip to Portland, ME. it was with with one of my favorite clients and friends – Whitney Drake (how’s that for a classic New England name?!?). In those days I always took red eyes out of SFO into Logan. It was an eerie flight – there were 8 of us total on the flight. I got a whole row to stretch out. Eerie!

I’ve always strived to embed as many experiences into my life / travels as possible. JDT, the kids and I were Oakland A’s season ticket holders. And I learned in late September the A’s would play the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. AND as fortune would have it, games 1 and 2 would be played at Yankee Stadium during the week I was scheduled to spend in Portland. Just MAYBE??

I’m pretty good at logistics. This was whole new level. Tickets through the A’s. Discuss missing a day at the client with Whitney. Hotel. Train (connection to this post theme). Etc.

My college buddy, Steve Sagehorn was living in DC at the time. AND Steve is triple the adventure seeker than me. So I called him and told him I had a ticket for him, if he could get to Penn Station the afternoon of October 10. Easy peasy!!

Have you ever been to a playoff game at Yankee Stadium? Mind you, I’ve been fortunate to have been to plenty of playoff games, mostly with the A’s. (I’ll have to remember to tell the story of taking N&B to Minnesota for two playoff games – it’s a real good one). My first playoff experience was 1968 with my Dad, Steve and Mike (brothers) – Raiders v. Chiefs. I was hooked on sports. Back to the A’s – Yankees. There was a moment during the game where Jason Giambi hit a home run in the upper deck in right field. Well, me being ME, I jumped onto my feet and began chanting mvp, mvp, MVP!! The place was as quiet as a church, as this was a shot that sealed the win. My buddy Steve was tugging on me to sit down. Mind you, I was in full A’s gear. We did make it out alive!!

After a bit more than three hours sleep, I was off across 8th Ave to grab the train back to Boston. There was one more forever remembered moment. If you ever were in the old Amtrak portion of Penn Station, you know it was a bit “dated”. Anyway, as I navigated my way into the bowels of Penn Station, all of a sudden an announcement came through the speakers. You see it was early on October 11, 2001. And WE were observing a moment of silence one month on from 911. It was powerful.

All of these remembrances and emotions came over me as I entered the brand new Daniel Patrick Moynihan Train Hall and saw the same train I was on some nearly 20 years ago came up on the board.

So…the Block Party? Turns out it’s an opportunity for the neighbors to hang out and greet each other throughout the day. In terms of activity – there was a jumpy for kids and a cornhole set up. At the end of the street there was a couch, rug, and coffee table with some alcohol being shared. A few people bbq’d (Glen included) and a neighbor brought us some banana fritter…other than that – it was a day of people coming and going. The next day there were a couple main streets blocked off for block parties. Seems to be a thing here!

I found a new coffee place called “Odd Fox”. (There will be a t-shirt in Glen’s future – it has a cute logo.) Glen found a great bakery a couple blocks away and lo and behold! It also has a great Italian restaurant with tons of outdoor seating. We enjoyed a dinner there last night. Our waiter could not have been nicer; sadly it’s his last week as he’s headed to medical school. To finish our meal, we had the apricot pana cotta as we needed to compare it to Oakland’s Belotti’s raspberry pana cotta. Belotti’s won by a fairly large margin though Saraghina’s gave a good effort.

Today Glen is heading to Rochester so Dug and I will learn how to be independent city dwellers. Can I? Will I venture out onto the subway alone? Maybe Uber? Time to pull up my big girl panties and go!

Saw two rats today. That’s it. That’s the story. 😳

This really takes me back to my college days at Chico State. I learned my bbq skills from my neighbor in the apartment across the landing – Ken. For some reason I can’t remember his last name, and I think of him often as I bbq these days. You see, I learned without the benefits of today’s temperature setting pellet grill that I use at home in WC. In many ways I long for those days. If one can bring all the elements of bbq-ing (low, slow and steady) with devices meant to grill, well one can bbq or grill anything anywhere with a minimum of devices.

So I’m breaking in a brand new Weber. Kind of an ambitious undertaking when you’re doing your best to bring them food where they have incredibly high standards – pork spare ribs.

Shortly before the pandemic we spent time with our dear friends David & Mary. They are from the South – Birmingham, AL. And while staying with them and two other Southern couples, I dared to prepare biscuits and gravy. I’m pretty sure they loved it. Pretty sure!!

So, I may not always succeed. As a matter of fact I’ve been known to crash pretty hard.

The joy is in the trying!!

Here goes.

I have spent quite a bit of time sitting in our front yard. And by “yard” I mean a slab of concrete next to the stoop with a 16’x6’ dirt planter, and an iron fence and gate creating our space. All up and down the block are identical “yards” where only the ironwork and planters are different. Well, the stuff housed in the yards is also different – bbqs, chairs, storage units, trash receptacles, flowers, greenery, etc. Dug likes to be with me, but he cannot relax due to all of the activity and noise – passers by, dogs, traffic, sirens, deliveries, semi-trucks, MTA buses, school buses and construction in 3 places in this block alone. (Glen and I keep saying we want to record the noises here.) While it may not sound like paradise to some, I find I really enjoy my time out here. So many passersby greet Dug and me as they carry on their day. A few even stop to say hello. Yesterday a neighbor gave the kindest response to my greeting. When I asked her how her day had been she responded, “All the more blessed by your question”. I’ve met Zora and Patty who will be at the block party tomorrow. I swept our yard and sidewalk in preparation. And in the spirit of being a good neighbor, I also swept the sidewalks of our nextdoor neighbors! Let the ruckus begin!

Update – After using my little broom to sweep 3 “yards”, this afternoon a kind gentleman brought his blower and cleaned the sidewalk and yards for everyone on our side of the street❤️.

So, five days in and time for our first museum. JDT selected the Brooklyn Museum. I’m sitting here enjoying some shade as we are just beginning to experience one of NYC’s sticky summer days.