Burbank, California, August 2, 2024

It had been a successful work week. Traveling with my boss and one of my colleagues who had come to visit our Orlando office, we flew first to Columbus, and then to L.A., where the two of them live, we were in high spirits. Not only were we working well together, accomplishing the goals we had collaborated on for months, but we were joyful in that way co-workers are when they realize that they actually like each other.

Timing issues caused my Friday to be more of a social visit to our newest location in Glendale, but it was good to spend time with some of the managers there, as they busily set up the space. After giving them a hand in whatever way I could, including moving some furniture, I said my goodbyes and made my way out into the late afternoon sun of bustling Glendale. I had some time to kill before my college friend, Tim Knight would come pick me up at my sweet little boutique hotel where I’d spent the previous night, the Brand Plaza, so I had a nice, sun-drenched walk up North Brand Boulevard.

Tim rolled up right on time, and after a pleasant hug and warm welcome, we headed over to the Sagrado Mezcaleria on Glendale Boulevard. There, we met up with Sheila and Jeff Lane who, up to now, had always housed me after my work duties had concluded. On this trip, it would be Gordon Antell, another Syracuse buddy, who had agreed to have me stay with him and his wife, Krisi, in the Rancho district of Burbank.

With Gordon Antell and Tim Knight at the Sagrado Mezcaleria in Glendale.

With Tim Knight, Jeff Lane, and Sheila Lane at the Sagrado Mezcaleria in Glendale.

I’d already met with a high school friend, Peter Landau the night before for dinner at an Armenian restaurant across the street from my hotel, and we enjoyed getting caught up with each other’s lives. Took the perfunctory selfie in front before saying our goodbyes.

The hearty side-hugs in both pictures felt great at the time, but I cringe when I look at these photos, picturing those nasty little bugs, looking like red-spiked miniature landmines, swarming around us. All are CV19-negative as of the time of my writing this post, thankfully.

My two aforementioned colleagues were not so lucky, unfortunately; both came down with the virus the day after I did. They were very kind about it, when I told them I felt a bit like “Typhoid Danny.” “More like Typhoid L.A.,” was the response, as we apparently belong to a recent surge in cases in that city.

But I have “buried the lead,” as they say. Yes, I did test positive, after that lovely evening at the Mezcaleria and a quick visit to the Paddock Riding Club where we said hello to the horses Krisi boards there.

Krisi Harrison-Antell giving a kiss to her favorite horse, Finley, who was sleeping when we stopped by at about 10:30 PM.

To say Krisi and Gordon’s place is lovely is not doing it justice. They are on a magical plot of land where fruit trees shade the cute little guesthouse where I was meant to be staying for the next three nights.

Unfortunately, ’twas not to be. Instead, I had a horrible, sleepless, anxiety-filled night, at one point sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to find a full breath and actually thinking, “My God. What if I die of a heart attack here, alone in this gorgeous little cottage, 2,500 miles away from my wife and children?”

This prompted me to take a COVID test the next day, which came up positive. If that weren’t enough to stoke the fires of my anxiety, there was word of an impending typhoon making its way towards Central Florida. Talk of hundreds of flights already being cancelled. I went ahead and rescheduled my flight for that same day anyway. Sad to miss out on the time with my friends that I’d so looked forward to for so long, but I was so, so relieved to be home, in familiar surroundings, with my family near me.

The moral of this story? The ‘VID is still among us. Be careful, people. Mask up when flying. And get those boosters. I had thought my COVID series had concluded, but here I am, writing about it, four and a half years after that first update. Stay safe, my friends, and stay healthy!