View from Sheraton
9:00 am
I am staying at the Sheraton Hotel about a mile from the Miami International Airport. This is not the Sheraton that I am accustomed to. It feels more like a different brand that has been converted and rebranded. Don’t get me wrong, it is clean and there is nothing wrong. However, in the past when I have stayed at a Sheraton, I LOVED their beds, and this is not the same bed as before. Perhaps they have changed their mattresses, or perhaps this hotel has been rebranded. Either way, there are no issues.
I have an appointment at CVS this morning to take a COVID test. I need a negative PCR result to get into Argentina. If I test positive, I want it to be here so I can just hop on a plane home, rather than having to quarantine in Argentina for 10 days! I took a home test on Thursday, and it was negative. I have been playing it safe, so hopefully, I am good to go.
11:02 am
The CVS where I have a COVID test is about 2 miles from the hotel. I thought about walking, but I am unfamiliar with the neighborhood and roads, so I decided to take a Lyft instead. I have never used Lyft, so this would be fun (albeit probably the same experience as Uber). My driver, Sharon, was very personable. She talked up a storm. After dropping me off, I went inside to do my PCR test. The lady informed me, in broken English, that they do not do them inside and that I had to go through the drive-through. I told her that I did not have a car and asked if I should walk through the drive-through. She said that, yes, I had to. On my way out, another guy told me that he had the same issue, and had to walk through the drive-through as well! When I was a teenager I used to ride my bike and walk through fast-food drive-throughs, but that was in the 80s and I figured that was against regulations due to legal liability.
Anyway, we both walked to the drive-through and I rang the bell. The guy inside gave me instructions on how to do the test. I followed the instructions and dropped the sample in the collection box. While at CVS, I picked up a few snacks and then took a Lyft back to the hotel.
4:45 pm
I am more or less done with work. I had a great Cuban sandwich for lunch at the restaurant in the Sheraton.
9:48pm
The Magic City Casino is a mere mile from the hotel and I want to go rip up the poker room. However, I should exercise restraint and NOT go because I will regret it if I catch COVID. I will be disciplined and stay in the room and do nothing. Five years of waiting would be gone in an instant if I caught COVID. As a side note, I am glad that I came down early, as there is a HUGE storm brewing in New England right now!