Friday night rambling

It decided to open up and rain this afternoon. The city went dark, gun metal dark, and lightning did its urban thing of just sort of making that darkness dully lighter for seconds, moments. Then the place went back to the stark odd brightness it gets sometimes, especially on rainy days in summer. It’s sort of like chrome instead of gun metal.

I was requested to pick up some food from McDonald’s for N, who is feeling better and finally lost this loose tooth that was driving him nutso last week, making him a wealthier fellow than before. Now, which McDonald’s I go to depends on which M15 comes to the bus stop near my job. If it’s the City Hall bound one, I go to the McDonald’s in Chinatown, over on the Bowery. If it’s the South Ferry one, I take it further down to the Seaport and go to the one up the block from there. The South Ferry one came today. I didn’t have an umbrella or any other suitable sort of thing for rainy weather, but it was fine.

I walked home through streets I love. Cobblestone streets, with buildings that have been there for over 150 years. Past a hotel that’s there. Past Radio Mexico, a restaurant owned by the man who adopted our Zoe and renamed her Beany (don’t ask) and made a new dog out of her, and gave her a home in the country half of every week where she runs in the woods and has a grand time; and although she wasn’t wise enough to avoid a confrontation with a skunk, bless her, she did manage to steer clear of an incident with a porcupine.

I skulked under the offramps of the FDR Drive (you have to skulk, it’s kind of murky there) and walked up alongside the housing project where my daughter’s best friend and most of her elementary schoolmates live, and even some of her middle schoolmates. I walked into our courtyard that, on the Lower East Side, east of Chinatown and west of Brooklyn, has the audacity to be landscaped like a beautiful European garden. All in the rain. Letting it wash over me in my construction company t-shirt and exceedingly comfortable black jeans.

My husband has just added a seventh medication to the list of things he takes every day. Apparently his triglycerides are indicating a problem that is affecting his kidneys. I heard this at the bus stop by my job when I called home and got instructions to go to McDonald’s. He must change his dietary habits. (He is very resistant to changing his dietary habits. I don’t blame him.) I expect the kids and I will change ours some along with him. After all, he’s the main cook in this household. The walk in the rain did me good. He’s gone out in the rain too, to his favorite sushi place out in Brooklyn. (Fish and rice are not on the list of things he can’t eat; yippee!)

I have wrapping and packing to do this weekend (in addition to laundry). I am tucking away some things too, some very important things. Some things just need to be kept safe. Some things need to be shared.

I probably need a good night’s sleep!