I Tested Negative

And I’m not sure that’s a positive!

photo by author (a view from the ferry of Lower Manhattan upon returning from the test)

Lately, I’ve been feeling kind of “malaisey.” Ya know — just a tad off with a headache and some chest congestion. Given this point in time, I decided maybe I should get tested for Covid. Yes, I’ve been injected twice and am fully vaccinated. But there are breakthrough infections.

So I went online to research free instant Covid testing and found several sites in New York City. But as it was 4;30 PM on a Saturday, I discovered only one that was open — and its location was the ferry terminal in Staten Island.

I decided to go. Hey! Staten is one of my favorite destinations and areas for bike riding. And it was a beautiful day. So why not?

When I arrived at the testing site, there was virtually nobody there getting tested except for me. Amazing! I breezed through the process in maybe 20 minutes.

And even though our ex-president referred to the Covid test as a “brain swab,” I found it barely uncomfortable. It was nothing.

I rode off on my bike to a bucolic spot as per usual, and an hour later, my results were in. Whatever’s causing my malaise is not Covid. I tested negative.