My Mecca

Having left the observation deck at 2pm, there was a decent chance I could actually make it to SoHo for lunch at 2:30pm. I knew what subway line to go on, what direction and stop, and the walking directions for the last few blocks. Simple, right?

I found myself at the far side of the Oculus, needing to walk to the other end to enter Fulton Center's subway station. Simple. All I need to do is follow the signs for the J and get on in the right direction. Not simple.

All of the signs told me to go down to the platform where the A & C arrive. I dutifully did so.

And then the signs on the platform talk about using the elevators to get to the J & Z. Oooookay. Strange, but fine. 

After doing this a couple of times, and getting to the same stretch of platform and hallway and not seeing anyone who works in the station, I ask someone on the platform for assistance. She pointed my upstairs, but it turns out where she pointed me showed me to the same thing I had seen before -- a sign to the platform that would take me in the WRONG direction on the line I wanted. WTF?!!! I texted my friend to let her know about my difficulties, and that I would be late. Unknown how late.

I was going in insane circles, ranting ever louder, for TWENTY MINUTES before someone else who was going to the same line in the same directions overheard me and beckoned me to follow.

Elevator down to A & C platform. Check -- been there, done that. Turn and proceed down platform. Check -- been there, done that. Pass multiple staircases and elevators. (Hmm... all the signs said to take the elevators. Why pass any?) 

Go to the LAST elevator on the far end of the platform and take THAT one up to the J & Z. (Why the hell didn't you say that on the signs, MTA? WTF?!!!)

Thankfully, since the last time I was in the subway system, they have installed signs that display the length of time until the next trains arrive. 8 minutes until mine arrives. I dutifully text Karen to let her know so she can figure out about when I would be there. (She was also running late, given her train was taking a long time to arrive.)

Turns out we finally arrived at the same time.

Little did I know when I took this photo that there was a long line outside (mostly because of the reduced seating inside). The line went pretty fast, though the lines inside were very slow. (In fact, two of the lines that Karen stood on had actually been "closed" at the person in front of her.)

Shockingly enough, the person in front of me, who was getting a pastrami/corned beef sandwich, actually offered up some of the "samples" that the guy at the counter provided him. I gladly obliged a piece of the pastrami (not about to turn that down). He wound up offering again. Twist my arm...

After we got our sandwiches and pickles, matzo ball soup, drinks, and french fries, we lucked out with a table immediately next to us having just been cleared/wiped down. Snag it!

We both took the obligatory photos of our food to commemorate the meal. Mine:

Close-up:

Oh, boy! Was this worth the wait. As always, scrumptious. No deli better, no matter what a certain Boston-native friend insists on. (2nd Ave. Deli is good, but it's no Katz's, Ben.)

Given how late I was getting to lunch, let alone how long it took to get our food before we sat down to eat, catch up, and talk a bit about our plans for the marathon, I was guaranteed to be late to my next appointment, ostensibly the most important one of the day -- going into the expo where I was to pick up my bib (a requirement for running the marathon). I was meeting a different friend there, who was interested in seeing what the expo was like. Given the pandemic, NYRR decided that the expo would not be open to the general public (as it otherwise normally is), so only runners plus one additional person could enter (upon proof of vaccination being presented). So, he needed me to be there in order for him to get in. While en route to lunch, I pinged him to let him know I would ping him when I finally left the restaurant to give him an ETA.

Having finished our lunch, we continued the conversation en route via subway to Penn Station, where we would go our separate directions. Right before we did, she realized... oh, no, we didn't take a photo of the two of us in front of Katz's. Well, next best thing... Empire State Building.

Off to the Jacob Javits Center. About 30 minutes behind schedule. Ugh!