Evidently one must see one's prescribing physician face to face every two years so today I did. Ascertained that Queen's Park subway has elevators, knew that Bathurst and St. George do, so set forth bravely ninety minutes early because not only am I Like That, so is the TTC. (Local joke: TTC stands for Take The Car.) First problem was that my boots were too loose so that the toe with the unhealed ex-corn rubbed annoyingly, and the walk to Bathurst thus took 30 minutes instead of 15. Second problem was the St. George elevator out of service (and I *did* check for outages as advised but of course...) But there's an up escalator which took the rollator just fine. Guy in a motorized wheelchair led me to the elevator when we got to Queen's Park and up we went. Unfortunately the elevator debouched in the MARS building, which is a warren very much like the Toronto General Hospital it replaced. In theory it connects to the Elizabeth St annex where my doctor is, but not in any way that I can see.

So I took myself outside onto College St, all torn up and single lane one way, so that bicyclists were whipping past me on the sidewalk. Found a little paved path to the side that went in the right direction and followed that, bumping painfully on the unmelted salt, until it ended in a flight of steps with no handrail. Retraced my route and trudged the long half block to Elizabeth St and the long half block down to the entrance and argh.

Appointment over, I got myself to the ground floor of the annex and tried following the signs that promised to lead me to the subway entrance through the MARS concourse. Then saw a sign saying 'exit to University Ave' ie right back to where the subway entrances are. Memory said there's an Aroma coffee shop just south of the MARS complex and I was getting hungry, so out I went: onto a curved drive that I have no memory of, a biting north-west wind that whipped my neckwarmer out of my hand when I went to put it on, and a taxi just pulling up with a patient. Reader, I succumbed and took the cab back up to Bloor (and it *was* backed up, because not only is College torn up, they park their equipment in the lanes north and south of College, reducing University's three lanes to two.) Chatty cabby said they should double-shift the work to get it done faster because 'look, 3 o'clock and they've stopped for the day!' True, but efficiency is not a Torontonian virtue.

Had him drop me off at one of my pre-pandemic fave restaurants which has erected plexiglass dividers between tables and where the same waiters are still working, still know to bring me a glass of white wine without asking, and are so happy to see me again: and very much vice versa, because I don't get around much anymore. This helped a little, but only a little, with the twingy walk home. I can't figure what's going on with the city's snow shovelling. I know we had a bobcat clearing my block because I saw the tire tracks, but the two blocks south of me have ice fields in front of several houses-- but only on my side of the street. The west side is all clear.

Anyway, that's that for another two years. Some day, she sighs, I shall be able to walk again.