My boarding room in Milwaukee had one window which faced East. Unfortunately, it also faced a tall brick building, so my access to direct sunlight was limited. I did not have Seasonal Affective Disorder, but rather Annual Affective Disorder, or “The Year-Long Blues.”
The room was in an older motel and I wish I could say it had been refurbished. The mold was so bad in the bathroom that it would rain black into the tub drain whenever I took a shower. The thermostat was broken and when I pointed it out to the manager, he told me that if it got too hot to just open the window. And if I got too cold there was always the quilt.
I called it “Motel Hell,” not only in deference to the movie, but because of the lockdown, it literally became Hell on Earth for me. As an aside, the part of the drummer in the flick was played by John Ratzenberger. You know, Cliff Clavin from “Cheers,” and The Underminer in “The Incredibles.”
The motel did not have WiFi so pre-lockdown (or as I call it, “solitary confinement”), I used to hike to commercial establishments that would allow me to connect as long as I bought something. There was McDonald’s, and their $1.06 large coffee with a free refill goes a long way. And Starbucks, too. Because I have their “Gold (rewards) Card” I could get free refills, literally ad nauseum. The Milwaukee County libraries are great places in which to write and do research but their hours suck.
My last WiFi refuge was Planet Fitness. Because I am disabled, I have Medicare which offers a free PF membership through a program called Silver Sneakers. I broke my left shoulder running for a bus in May of 2019, and starting in September, my physical therapist gave me the okay to do exercises lifting weights there. My discipline was so strong that at my ultimate Ortho visit, I lifted the doc off the floor when he told me to push up with both extended arms while he applied downward pressure on my wrists. Granted, he is a short little fella but it felt very satisfying. So anyway, WiFi.
My last workout was March 10th of 2020. The Wisconsin version of solitary confinement started within days. No McDonalds or Starbucks lobbies, and PF was shut down totally. On the first day, I did go to Walmart to buy staples (no toilet paper necessary, though) and was taken aback by the desolation of the Milwaukee streets. There were very few cars, rarer fellow pedestrians, and no hookers or panhandlers. Before then, I would be approached 3-4 times per day by streetwalkers, and at least 8 times daily by the impoverished asking me for money. I am normally a generous man and it has always been my pleasure to help out the less fortunate.
But not that day.