Skip’s birthday last year more or less started the COVID shut-down for these parts, being that it was the first birthday/event that was canceled thanks to the world closing up shop. We were supposed to be having cocktails at the Plaza, eating an amazing Japanese dinner planned by Sherri, and taking in ‘Plaza Suite’ for Skip’s birthday festivities – and absolutely everything fizzled in the first shut-down that took everyone by shock and surprise. Lost in all of that terrifying mayhem was our friend’s birthday – I don’t think we even acknowledged or mourned that aspect of it, so devastated were we by everything else that was going on, and I suddenly feel like a rather crappy friend for not being able to discern that then.
Cut to a year later, and Skip and I have not been to the movies in all that time. We’ve managed a few socially-distanced get-togethers, some raucous trips to Trader Joe’s and a ghostly walk through Colonie Center, but winter weather and the roller-coaster that has been COVID kept us mostly apart this past year, and that’s been one of the more upsetting losses in this sad pandemic. Fortunately we’ve kept our friendship going through texts and social media – do us both a favor and follow him on Twitter (@daddydadblog) because he’s much more interesting than me.
This year there are no festivities, a sad situation to which we are all mostly already acclimated. While the sting of disappointment is not unexpected, it’s still a little depressing, so as part of his gift this year I included a book for touring Savannah, to give us both a little hope. If we’re lucky, one of our next trips will be to Savannah – a rare couples get-away that we haven’t done enough.
One of the things that Skip and I have in common is an insatiable love of living in the dream ideas of the moment. We can sit around and talk for hours about plans and possibilities, egging each other on with grandiose scenarios of how our world could, and perhaps should, be. Hatching schemes and running through various future events is not a bad way to spend time with a friend, especially when the majority of those plans come to fruition. We’ve plotted out all of our BroSox Adventure weekends in such a fashion, as we did various rendezvous with our significant others – the four of us meeting for cocktails in Times Square after a show, or dinner and a movie in Albany, and even a Friday night of games in Boston with their kids too. These days the power of planning – even if it’s just a fantasy – is imperative to keep dreams alive.
The silly tour book of Savannah is my way of giving his second COVID birthday a little bit of hope. Happy birthday, old friend – here’s to getting back on track!
