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| Remembering The Good Times of my life there, |
“The ability to observe without evaluation is the highest form of intelligence.”–Jiddu Krishnamurti
Thursday, we left about 8 pm.. I made it to Winchester, VA. and stopped for about 2.5 hours… I woke up and kept driving until I reached the Hershey PA exit.. I stopped and took another 30 minute power nap. Rolled into Hoboken about 9:30. Elena wanted to see Carlo’s Bakery. And then we headed back on the road towards Staten Island. we made it to my Uncles house around 10:30. We dropped out stuff off and headed for the Pizzeria..
We had skipped breakfast and just had gotten coffee when I got fuel in Jersey. And I did a good deed in Jersey…. The young man that was pumping fuel looked super cold and my thermometer in the car said 9*F….. I gave him some hand warmers. He was really thankful and started talking to us a bit. And so that was all we had in our bellies.
My Uncle met us outside on the street.. and showed us around the pizzeria.. then We ordered ourselves some brunch, it was honest to God Brunch, because it was between Breakfast and Lunch…
Margarita Pie
We devoured that pie.. and went on to the bakery for sfogliatella and regina biscotti..
Once we were all stocked up on the baked goods.. we headed out for some sight seeing.. and we ended up on Midlands beach… I used to walk midlands beach every weekend and most days after work… I loved walking the boardwalk.. and I was within walking distance of it.. So I used to go get my uncles dog, walk us to the boardwalk and we would workout then walk back home and start on dinner..
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| Gemma and Me at Midlands Beach |
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| Gemma Standing on the Boardwalk |
Then It started snowing soooo much, it was magical. I love the snow.. and I have missed it.. I really have. Gemma had never seen snow before… she was a little apprehensive then the next morning she loved it and was playing in the backyard having a good time!
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| verrazano bridge during the snow |
So, after we decided we were cold on the beach, I went grocery shopping.. and I felt like a kid in a damn candy store.. I haven’t seen that selection of stuff in forever!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I got some fish since it was Friday. My uncle told me to get 2lbs of fish.. I said ok! So I told the fella at the seafood counter, I needed 2 whole pounds of sea bass.. and he said.. “are you sure?”… I said “yeah, why?” and he said “if this is for just you two, that is a lot of food”….. I said…” well there are four of us”.. and he said.. “still a lot of fish”.. So I said “my uncle said to get two pounds”
And he said “well we better not piss your uncle off haha” I said, “true”. and he said “let me show you what 2 lbs looks like” and he started pulling fillets out and I was looking and looking and he said “this is 1 and a quarter pounds”. I said…….. “ok you were right and I was wrong…. I just need a pound” hahah…
Took that back to the house and we had broccoli and eggplant with baked fish… verra verra good…
Then we be-bopped to the liquor store and I bought a bottle of scotch then went back to the pizzeria and helped make dough and close up shop… then went home and my uncle and I drank like half of that bottle of scotch..
Woke up late the next morning.. (I wonder why) hahah, and went to get some bagels..
Glorious real bagels… happy me…. the raisin was the best!
Gemma was kinda worried she wasn’t going to get any bagel…
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| what about my breakfast?? |
We headed on down to the ferry after breakfast.. and what a fiasco… they have about 25 parking spots at the ferry and they were all taken.. so after circling the parking lot like buzzards I decided to just go back to my neighborhood and catch the train…. so I parked the car at the train stop and off we went..
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| Gemma on her first subway car |
We finally made it to the city, we walked from the ferry terminal up to canal street.. I noted the major changes that have gone on there.. and we checked out china town, and then hung a left on mulberry and checked out Little Italy, then headed to the subway and went to Union Square.. walked through the Christmas market in Union Square, Let Gemma run around a little bit and then headed uptown to Rockerfella center….
OH MY GOD. there was a sea of people checking out the lights and the tree, I wanted to get a picture of Gemma and I in front of the tree. but, holy crap there was an eb and flow going on through what appeared to be 5000 people… so we made it through that and did some window shopping in the high rent district… then went on to catch the other train to go across town to the chelsea. Where I met my other uncle, and the 3 of us had a great meal at a local place next to his apartment in the chelsea… then we headed back to the ferry and caught the 9pm ferry..
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| Gemma on the Ferry going home |
We made it back to the train and then to the car… and headed straight to the Pizzeria to help my uncle close up again, so we made dough 🙂
And then we had a repeat of the night before…
Woke up Sunday with a heavy heart… I had to go home..
So putting the I in procrastInation.. we went to a new joint they opened up on bay street… It was worth it.. it was really good.. I had a crab meat omelet and it was phenomenal…
I then drove back to my uncle’s house where we all said our good byes… and I’m not even going to lie.. I cried.. a lot…
So we crossed the outerbridge about 2:30ish.. and made it back to South Carolina about 12:30…
Monday was a rough day for me, not because I was tired from the trip.. just too much stuff and too many people… I officially ran out of Christmas spirit… metaphorically and literally…
I had to end yesterday with a sfogliatelle.. which made me smile…
Today has been equally insane… I woke up, did some yoga, made it to the Morgue in time for 6 cases.. I didn’t even look at the schedule this morning when I woke up, so I had no idea what I was in for… and one of those cases was a homicide… so that took numerous x-rays and tissue samples… which all means more work and more time.. then I made it home around 12:30.. just in time to find the electric fence for one of the horse pastures was down… so I fixed that and put out some hay to Tattoo’s pasture.. and then it was 1:05pm, I was still wearing scrubs and smelled kinda bad from the one previously embalmed body I was working on.. and I had no time to take a shower, so I changed my clothes and grabbed a bagel and I was at work by 1:27… (the doors open at 1:30) And…… here I am… I’ve been writing this in between patients.. and it’s been busy today…. I have wanted to call in dead to my office but, they would know I was lying…