Adjust your seat belts, passengers. I am cleared for take off.

At today’s appointment, the doctor was happy about how far I’ve come, happy about how good I feel, happy about how easily Pete’s knee can be fixed next month, happy about Pete’s long experience in professional kitchens, happy to talk about Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert, happy about how long it might be until Pete’s knee eventually needs resurfacing, happy to hear about how our visits are really exotic excuses to get to Veselka for borscht. I wrote down the address for him: 2nd Ave. & 9th St. and told him to get the challah.

Tonight, we rode two laps around the park by our house that felt like a victory parade without a horn section. I have to look into that.