36 hours later...

from the last post, BAN is joining the protesters at City Hall, demanding large budget cuts in police funding and restoration of cuts that might effect youth jobs---should be exciting---I wish I was there, but i am not feeling well---earlier today I completed two "tasks" and perhaps that has left me pretty tired. I would like to get back in BAN participation as soon as possible---I think the contact and conversations with people there would be meaningful---but I am still nervous about what..? Travel...no longer. Let's peddle back a bit.
   Yesterday had my physical at the Ryan Center. The resident was pretty thorough, and the news, believe it or not, was good. Solid blood pressure and an EKG that found nothing. Much relieved--I was sure that some of the discomfort I felt in my stomach would carry over to the rest of my body, but it does not seem that way at all. The stomach pain (or at times no pain) seems to exist in a world of its own. I think this will give me more license to move around the city--nothing to really keep me on the upper west side now.
  This morning---bright and early at 7:30, I was first in line to get a live haircut at the barber shop on Amsterdam and 74th that I usually go to. And off the hair came---looking much better now I think. Then I took the subway to the Amalgamated Bank---I have an account there, and made a deposit. I was lucky because this "popular" bank had only been open three days a week, up to now, and the lines outside were much too long. Today there was no line, just two long transactions at the tellers, while I was waiting, (I thought they would go on forever) and I got what I wanted done.
  On the way back to the apartment, I opted to take a bus rather then the subway, since I did not want to pay the subway fare. The long ride back---north on sixth avenue---proved excruciating---bus very poorly ventilated---driver stopping for long stops at certain points--finally I got out at 59th west of 6th and walked a bit---at this point I felt totally dehydrated--found a cart where the guy sold me some ice water, and made my way towards the apartment. Also had a nice ice coffee at Shakespeare and Company on 69th street, and read a bit. Returned home to the apartment pretty tired.
  At the bookstore I came upon a book in the non-fiction section; apparently a memoir by a close friend of Philip Roth, recounting their time together. Roth and his life have always interested me--  I desperately wanted to buy it, but the price was a bit too high--so I left it in its place on the shelf. 
Disappointed, really curious to see what the book is---maybe another time, or maybe I can find a copy in the library---of course that won't be for a long time.
    So that is where I am now. Relieved about my physical state---thinking as I plan the evening
 that I have a lot more choices then before--it's so odd to think that I could spend a whole day away from the upper west side--that is how "wedded' I have become to the pace and identity of my day here, I, who lived to get away from the neighborhood before the virus. We will see what happens....