philip has finished his work on the lexington avenue line, that was published in december. now he's hard at work on the sea bench and west end lines from brooklyn out of coney island. because of the pandemic, there has been some hesitation on my part to go back to the city, concerned about my health, but as a researcher, i have to go back. i will go back, i want to go back. i haven't been in the city for a year, i want to see how it is and what it feels like to be there again. it was familiar stomping grounds to me for a long time, i kind of miss it. and finally this week, a trip that frankly, still gives me nightmares. i am not the most confident public speaker, so when i was entered into a public live storytelling competition back in 2016, let's just say i was less than enthusiastic.