Today was not a good day to walk, but walk I did, down the Upper East Side.
I had to go for the annual mammogram with a new radiology center and while I rode with the boys out this morning and got dropped off pretty close to where I was supposed to go on 60th street, I still had to walk around 5 blocks. The morning (before) was a pleasant walk. It was totally different, though, with the walk out (after).
So there I was on 60th and Madison, and I had to pick up my old films from the old radiology clinic over at 66th and 1st. On a nice day, and even during the winter, that was not really a bad walk. Beautiful stores to walk past, a generally nice neighborhood, and not that much traffic. But it was HOT! The pavement was literally letting out heat and although I was dressed comfortably, I could feel the heat getting to my head.
Picked up the films and headed back to 2nd Avenue for my ride to 42nd. WHAT WAS I THINKING???!!
I was actually torn between doing something fun (like stopping by Michael’s Columbus Avenue branch by 100th street or maybe stopping by Kate’s Paperie on 57th), but I knew I couldn’t postpone getting my films and transmitting them to the new clinic. (Comparisons needed.) I couldn’t even indulge myself a stop at some restaurant to have lunch. I walked instead to ‘wichcraft and asked for Grilled Cheese. By the time I got to my floor, I needed to freshen up to the point of almost toweling off completely before I could sit at my desk.
I’m just happy to have taken care of “me”, even if it meant taking a half day off. We often end up postponing routine check ups thinking that we feel like we’re healthy and it’s something we can take care of later. But I’m at that age where “later” might be too late, so I try not to procrastinate. It’s bad enough that I missed last year’s annual mammo… (Bad, bad me, I know.) But the pics of my two friends seemed to have been okay because no reshoots were ordered, and I was told I could go.
I am thankful that I’ve been blessed with good health. (Even if sometimes I think I have too much of it — “healthy” me, that is.) Every day, I pray for my family’s good health, too, most especially my son’s. And with all that’s been happening around us, I also pray that he be kept safe at all times.
Summer camp is winding down, so he’s looking forward to spending some time at home. I think I’m going to give him that so he can enjoy part of summer doing what he wants to do. As a child, I remember that was one of summer’s greatest appeals — that I could just watch TV all day and do what I wanted to do, whether it was in Manila or in Baguio where I spent many summers of my childhood.
I keep going back to “Memories” for ideas for my art journal, probably because I keep going back to my Dad. It’s his death anniversary day after tomorrow. I am looking for this polaroid photo of him holding my hand when I was probably 2 or 3 years old that I want to copy into an art journal entry.
I also picked up a favorite poem I discovered in one of my favorite author’s books which I want to incorporate into a layout. Angelo chanced upon a scribbling of it on my bed and he said it almost made him cry.
Last night I made two backgrounds and one of them was specifically meant to be of a darker vein — I wanted to create black/grey backgrounds as sometimes my backgrounds are “too happy” for the more serious or darker topics I want to journal about.
I’m trying to pace myself and do things without trying too hard. Maybe I’m just getting old.. =)
Pinay New Yorker 