One of the Biggest Adventures is Staying Home and Being a Good Citizen

What do we do when we can't go out and do whatever we want?  It's an interesting question, and one I've been thinking about since the onset of the Coronavirus issue arrived in my country. 

I've been listening to the people in my life and the ones on TV and social media make fun of this virus, complain about the restraints that have been put on their lives due to the virus, and all kinds of stuff.  So, I had some thoughts myself, and I finally decided to say them.

For years, I've heard people complain that they don't have time.  I've been one of those people.  I've worked two jobs at times just to get by.  I've complained that I'm missing out on family time and writing time and time with my friends, and reading time, and cleaning time, and sleeping time, and TV time, and cooking time, and exercising time.  Well, here it is.  As my grandma used to say, "When God closes a door, he opens a window."  Let's not focus on everything we can't do right now.  Let's take a good long look at the silver lining of this situation.

Sure, there is no toilet paper.  Sure, we can't go out wherever we want and do whatever we want to do.  But there are so many good things going on as a result.  I've cooked more nutritious home cooked meals than ever before.  My family is eating together.  I've gotten more rest, had time to use my Nordic Trak, watched some great movies and TV shows, talked with my family, and in my case, had time to work on my latest book.  When my family is out of work because of the virus, they will be paid.  In my field, I may have to work more. We're saving money because we aren't running around so much.  It's a good thing.

I'm hopelessly hopeful.  I find myself in the position of my son's college start date being delayed, but I still see so much good that is coming of this horrible thing.  We all need to be aware of that.  Has anyone considered this?  Our government is working together better than they have in many years.  They are talking to one another and listening to one another.  There are suddenly 500 or so elected and appointed officials in Washington that are finally doing their jobs.  There are manufacturers, labs, research facilities and charitable agencies all working together for the common good.  A democrat actually called our President, President Trump.  Unity is a good thing, even in the face of adversity.  By having a common enemy, suddenly the powers that be are working together.  What could be better than that?

Many businesses that are normally just a pain in the neck are suddenly trying to help ease the frustration of the situation.  Cable companies are opening up movie channels for free and vowing not to cut services during the crisis for non payment.  Sports are turning to virtual sports events with the actual athletes taking part, just to help provide entertainment.  There are so many humanitarian and truly acts for the common good going on right now that I can't list them all.  Museums are providing free online walking tours of their institutions.  If you like opera, you can stream recorded performances of the NYC opera.  There are a lot of things happening to try and make our incarceration more livable.  All of these private sector things are being done without them being asked to do them.

I've instituted a group on Facebook and invited my friends.  They are sharing things and I hope that my friends get to know each other a bit.  It's working so far.  We shut out the business end of this thing and are concentrating on good things.  I've had a chance to talk to my mom more than just on holidays.  I've had a chance to clean my house and do some projects.  It's time for all of those things that you wish you had time to do.  This is an opportunity that probably won't come again in my lifetime.  I'm living the dream now.  The virus is bad, but time is good.

I know we all have things to do.  I know it sucks to be told to stay at home.  But, we need to take this time to be solid citizens.  No one thinks that we're all going to die.  The problem is that if everyone in a town like mine shows up to the hospital because they think they have the Coronavirus, that's 30,000 people.  Most of them won't be serious cases.  Most of them will rest for a while and be fine.  Mass death won't be the case.  Not everyone in a town will get sick at the same time, but if they do; you need treatment for them.  No one has that.  What happens if your grandma is weak and one of the people we really need to worry about?  What if in a line of 30, 000 people, your sick grandma is person number 30,000?  What happens when there are too many patients for them to get to the one that really needs serious treatment?  What happens if your grandma dies because there were so many people at the emergency room that she wasn't seen in time?  This is what our government is thinking about.  This is what we need to realize.  All the toilet paper in the world won't make a difference if grandma is in a line so long that she dies because no one could get to her in time.

We all have a golden opportunity to do the right thing.  Our government is actually trying to do the right thing.  It provides us with the one thing that we always wanted more of; time.  Don't worry about what you're missing because of this.  Think about what you're gaining because of this.  The world will get back to normal.  Everything will get back to normal.  When I was a kid, we were isolated for two weeks at a time from blizzards.  We played board games, cooked meals, and watched the three channels on our TV.  It's so much better now.  Enjoy the break.  Treat it like the adventure for anyone that it is and enjoy!


https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://hgis.uw.edu/virus/
https://www.mydomaine.com/things-to-do-when-bored
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26872864/what-to-do-when-bored/
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stuck-home-12-famous-museums-185921806.html
https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/music/metropolitan-opera-offering-free-virtual-shows
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/comcast-free-broadband-low-income-households-coronavirus-1203532765/

My Latest Down to Earth Adventures in NYC part 1!

As we all know, I like to go and spend a weekend in the city once in a while.  NYC is that spot that always has something new and interesting to do.  Every time I go, I feel like an explorer, finding a new form of transportation, a new neighborhood, a new event, or a new place that has been recently placed in the city.  This time was no different, because I found all of those things and had a great couple of days.

Let's start with the New York City Ferry Service.  We wanted to go to Williamsburg for some unique experiences, so the best way to get from our home base in South Manhattan to Williamsburg was to catch the ferry from Pier 11 and take it to North Williamsburg where our desired activities were located.  A ferry ride costs the same as a subway trip, so it's really inexpensive.  You can stay inside the boat or go to the roof outside, depending on the weather. 

It was my first time on this ferry, not to be confused with the NYC Water Taxis which I've taken and enjoyed, but this is a different company, therefore different pricing. 

We went to NYC on a unique day, so we had some unique experiences, starting with the ferry.  The New York City Marathon was in full swing when we arrived at the docks.  Because of the security necessary during the race, we ended up waiting a long time for the ferry.  As the largest group of runners were crossing the East River at that time, the police stopped all boats in the East River until they crossed.  So, if you go during an event such as the marathon, you may find yourself detained.  If that is the case, do what we did, and give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going.  We had no timely plans that day, because we were aware of the race, and it was just fine with us to wait until the police had deemed that the river was safe.

The ferry makes three stops on this trip.  The first is under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO at the amazing Riverside Grille restaurant.  The second is under the Williamsburg Bridge in South Williamsburg close to Domino Park.  The third stop was ours at Kent Street.  I would put the address up there, because it is the name of the development, but I was censored on another site, because they thought I was referring to a date that has a notorious innuendo. 

Williamsburg has been many things over the years.  Once an industrial center and home of the Domino Sugar Company, most of that has gone by the wayside.  The neighborhood from south to north is home to many groups, including Hassidic Jews, Puerto Rican folks, artists, and gentrifiers.  The gentrifiers are turning North Williamsburg into the place to be, and the prices to live there have skyrocketed.  They are a group of people who live life their own way and are doing it well.

Our first stop was Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea.  These two markets operate in the parks all summer long, and have become so popular that they found a great indoor space for the winter at 25 Kent Street.  There's great gourmet food and drink, and the flea market is full of unique items both old and newly artistic.  The space also comes with random piano music in the eating area and 8th floor high 360 views of the city.  Beat that.  Admission is free.  All you pay for is what you buy.  They are there every weekend Saturday and Sunday 10 - 6.  I found this wonderful project by watching Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" on PBS.  Samantha Brown lives in Brooklyn, so when she says you need to go; I go.

Williamsburg is famous for its street art.  We weren't even in the world famous Bushwick Avenue art scene, and we saw all kinds of great stuff.  Even the ads are art here, and we even met some of the muralists at work.  Everything we did in North Williamsburg was within walking distance of the ferry, and we were never bored.

The architecture in Williamsburg is well worth a look too.  The William Vale is an upscale hotel with a public second story park that comes complete with a food stand.  It's directly across the street from the building that currently houses Smorgasburg and it's an amazing structure.  Boutique hotels are all over the area and they are each very unique.  Just watch out for the prices.  We loved the idea, but I'll stay at my hotel in Manhattan and take the ferry.

As we looked at the art and met the muralists, we made our way around the corner from Brooklyn Flea and to the Brooklyn Brewery.  This is a great place that helped kickstart the micro brewery trend in the country that we all love.  This brewery was founded in 1989, and is now known around the world.  They have a great list of micro brews on tap in the tap room, and they give free tours of the brewery during tour hours every half hour.  It's an informative and entertaining tour and I learned a lot about how beer is made.  I then tried some great beer before we headed on our way.

Oh the architecture, the parks and the views.  We walked around and absorbed more of the art and architecture, and then stopped by a couple of great parks.  Williamsburg is home to a New York State Park.  The East River State Park is a great riverside park with some amazing views of the Manhattan Skyline.  Right next to it sits the local Bushwick Inlet Park with ball fields, picnic tables and equally amazing views along the river.  Well worth the stop and once again; free.

After a great afternoon of beer, food, architecture, art, shopping, parks and amazing views, we caught the ferry back to Manhattan.  The November afternoon was already ending in sunset and we had a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the harbor on our way back to Pier 11.  I will take the great discoveries from that point next time.  Enjoy!

http://brooklynflea.com/
https://www.smorgasburg.com/
https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/the-williamsburg-hotel?utm_content=non-brand&msclkid=163a14b341b0126fa55e496196d67302
https://loving-newyork.com/things-to-do-williamsburg/
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/155/details.aspx
https://bushwickinletpark.org/
https://www.dominopark.com/
https://www.thewilliamvale.com/
https://brooklynbrewery.com/verify
https://www.newyorkertips.com/bushwick-street-art/
https://friedavizel.com/
https://www.ferry.nyc/
http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://ninakindred.wixsite.com/ninakindredgroup/connections
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts

They Say You Can't Go Home...

They say you can't go home.  That saying has appeared everywhere over the years, even in a Bon Jovi tune.  Well, here's what's going on.  My son has decided to go to the University of Northern Ohio, and I grew up not far from there around Fort Wayne, IN.  So, in order to tour the campus, I made the trip back home.  What happened?  We loved the college, I got to see some amazing old friends that I hadn't seen in decades, and I learned a lot.

When I lived the first half of my life in Indiana, I didn't like the view.  It was all about corn, soybeans, wheat, and flat.  I moved to the east coast where we have hills, mountains, waterfalls, and ocean.  It's vastly different.  But, is vastly different entirely a good thing?  I began to wonder when my son and I headed down Route 30 to go to Fort Wayne.  That was the first gigantic wind farm that we encountered.  The wind turbines stretched across the massive farm land for miles.  You won't find that in Connecticut.  As far as I know, my state has three of these turbines, and there was at one point a law that there couldn't be wind turbines in our area, because they make too much noise.  I was blown away at how progressive Ohio is, since New Englanders pride themselves on being progressive.

There are things that haven't changed in my lifetime.  There are still tires being made in Findlay, there are still drive through liquor stores.  But, unlike many other states, Ohio is extremely progressive.  Did you know that a parent can actually take their adult child that is not quite 21 to a bar?  It's an interesting way to make drinking less of a forbidden fruit.  I like it.  While the state wrestles with the same issues as many others like health care costs and insurance and taxes; they also find solutions to issues.  Cities are cleaning up, and bringing in business.  There are lots of places looking for help.  It's a productive view that you see when you drive by.  There is a sense of hope in Ohio.  I liked it.

Not only did we enjoy a visit to The Waffle House and Bob Evans, but the staff in the restaurants were happy.  Haven't seen a whole lot of that in a while.  Most wait staff that I encounter around my home, are miserable and think that they deserve better.  The folks I met on that trip were happy to do their jobs.  They were a pleasure to be around.  I tipped extra well too.  And they said "Thank you very much."  I enjoyed that.  I had a feeling that I had gone to another country while I was there. 

There were many other things that I loved about Ohio.  They have a lot of race tracks for all kinds of racing.  They have amazing amusement parks.  They have great sports teams.  They have air museums, Amish communities, and Cleveland.  They have wind power and solar power and Menards for everything else.  I guess you really can't just go home.  My home town was not in good shape, and nothing much in the Midwest was the way I left it.

When I left the Midwest, everything was a bit dumpy, and it was called the rust belt.  What I saw when I went back, was a rejuvenated productive and progressive Midwest with a future and hope.  What I saw was an entire population of people doing great things and making their lives better.  The sunsets are still beautiful in the giant sky, but the people are really doing well.  It was a pleasure to go home.

I didn't really want to leave and go back to my current home, but I had to get back.  On the way home, I discovered the one thing that I never knew about Ohio.  They have the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  I had no idea that there was a national park outside of Cleveland.  They have a lot of hiking trails, and we stopped off at Brandywine Falls.  It's a beautiful waterfall right off the toll road.  We walked around a bit and found some great views. 

And last, but not least, I got to drive across the old route 8 bridge over the Ohio Turnpike.  Why is that special?  well, I've made this drive a hundred times, and I always knew when I was officially leaving or entering the Midwest when I drove under that bridge.  This was the first time I've driven over it.

Cedar Point, King's Island, the Browns, the Indians,the Reds, the Cavaliers, the Bengals, astronauts, Tony Stewart Racing, Cooper Tires, Cuyahoga National Park, and so much more are waiting in Ohio.  It's not like it was when it was my home.  It's so much better.  Find it here.  Ohio.  Enjoy!

https://ohio.org/
https://ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/site/tourism/resources/ohio-org
https://www.thisiscleveland.com/
https://cincinnatiusa.com/
https://www.experiencecolumbus.com/
https://www.visitcanton.com/visitors/
https://www.go-ohio.com/Toledo/
http://www.ci.sandusky.oh.us/
https://www.cedarpoint.com/
https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
https://www.allencountyohio.com/
https://www.unoh.edu/
https://www.eldoraspeedway.com/
https://www.daytoncvb.com/
https://www.greenenergyoh.org/
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts