Daddy/Daughter trip......Sweet Home New Jersey

Zoe and I planned this trip a few months back...NYC to see the play Waitress, maybe a jaunt to the Jersey Shore. On her Girl Scout film camp in Hollywood last year, she befriended a girl from Philadelphia, so Zoe arranged a weekend visit there as well. And since I was born and raised in Central Jersey, I had a ton of friends to hunt down….

My kiddo did an amazing job of organizing her luggage...

Our local regional airport now has a red-eye to Chicago, so the transcon trip is about an hour shorter than flying thru Portland or Seattle. And melatonin helps: a healthy serving nets me two solid hours of sleep on the four-hour leg to Illinois. Zoe naps fitfully, mostly bothered by consistent turbulence.

First time flying United Basic Economy. No problem with bags on the first flight, but in Chicago they won’t let me board, even though the carry-on fits under the seat. Grrrrr….

I like reaching my destination at 0900. A full day ahead...We find the LaGuardia bus to the subway, and off we go.

Understandably, our Long Island City hotel room won’t be ready until 12:30. So we leave our bags and ride the train into Rockefeller Center. Why? Because Book of Mormon, that’s why...I’m hoping someone cancels their tickets for today. Sure enough, we score cheap box seats for 8pm!!!

Back to the hotel but can’t get into our room:  12:30 turns into 1:30 and into 2:30. When redeeming points instead of paying cash, they seem less inclined to be accommodating. Oh well...We finally unpack and relax for a bit, then head back to Manhattan. 

A 7-day unlimited Metro pass is $34 and well worth it. By the time the week is done, we’ll do 20 rides each.... 

High School friend Steve, a city dweller for decades, recommends John’s Pizza in Times Square. I guess everyone in town gets the same message; the place is packed. No joy if we’re to make the show, so we find a quick corner joint that serves excellent slices. 

Awesome attire in the subway…

During a deluge, we seek refuge in the doorway of the Hamilton retail store...

Mormon is a riot. Great singing and dancing, enormous satirical content. The South Park guys who wrote the show looked for funding everywhere without success, because who wants to see a play about Mormons? Turns out, pretty much everyone. Since they foot the bill themselves, they pocket all the proceeds, too. 

Next morning; an insanely rich chocolate cheesecake at Grand Central’s Magnolia Bakery. Wow...a bit much. But so good. 

I take Zoe to see Alexander Hamilton’s grave at Trinity Church, then World Trade Center; two schoolmates Bill D and Ron V. Zoe is remarkably poignant when I tell the story….proud of my girl. 

The cheesecake is sitting heavy with her, so i abort the walking tour of Greenwich Village. We do swing thru Chelsea Market, because more pizza for me. 

Months ago, when we plan the trip, I mention that Madison Square Garden is probably the most famous concert venue in the world. Being a wannabe groupie and film producer, she looks at the schedule and loses her mind. Australian techno-synth dude Tame Impala is playing during our trip, so more tickets…

Dinner is at Navy classmate Craig’s Theater District restaurant Da Marino. Amazing food...besides us, the place gets many celebrities, including Carlos Santana at the next table...an episode of Sex in the City was filmed here, too. 

A block to the #1 train, then MSG.

My first time here since 1977, and the first person I see is The Pearl, Earl Monroe.

Zoe is amped….and the concourse looks a lot like scenes from:

1. Coming to America: the basketball game where Akeem is recognized by one of his countrymen while waiting in line for the bathroom
2. Rocky; my guy Stallion running into the arena while late to his own prize fight...but I’m pretty sure that filming location is the Spectrum in Philadelphia

I ask the usher if the concert will be loud, as my ear plugs are back at the hotel. She says yes, while giving me a spare set. 

I love New York!!

During the opening set, the arena is dark. So Zoe lights up her phone’s flashlight and starts waving it. Next thing I know, EVERYONE across the arena is doing the same. Surreal. 

Tame Impala is one guy’s name, like Pink Floyd or Jethro Tull. The music is a mixture of Tears for Fears on mushrooms with lots of minor chords. Zoe warns me that she’ll be screaming all night, and my kid doesn’t lie; she is amped for the remainder of the trip. Cool experience. 

We head back to the restaurant afterward: the earlier dinner portions were too healthy for us to finish, so GM Tom boxed up our leftovers and told us to return for them. So we do. 

During the planning stages, I reach out to buddy Carmen and his wife Suzanne, to see if we can meet in my old hometown for a meal. When Carmen realizes we’re shore-bound at some point, he offers a stayover at their Bradley Beach house, a block from the ocean. Uh, yes please!

Subway to Penn Station, train to Metropark/Edison, rental car to the Garden State Parkway and points south. We arrive early, so we detour to world famous Jenkinson’s Pier in Point Pleasant. 

Exemplary beach attire...

Zoe’s crepes are excellent, my pork roll unmemorable. The frozen lemonade was painfully cold…

Carmen and Suzanne arrive. We sit down on the deck for drinks...Suzanne looks at me and says, ‘Thank you.’ 

I smile. And I know. 

In 2005, master architect and neighbor Carmen contracts throat cancer and needs chemo/radiation. Around the same time, I’m enjoying a public speaking hobby...my prime rehearsal time is 0430 while walking the streets of Somerville, talking to myself and gesticulating like a madman, long before everyone is doing the same via Bluetooth earbuds. 

On many, many mornings, Carmen is hanging out the passenger window, looking miserable as Suzanne drives him to treatment. I get the grand idea of buying fluorescent chalk and writing something uplifting in the small parking lot of his mixed-use building...when he descends the stairs, he’ll get a personal message. 

I don’t tell either of them what I’m doing. 

It’s as if some mystery phantom with good intentions is vandalizing his parking lot. That year, Italy beats France in the World Cup, so I write ‘ITA over FRA’...or ‘You Got This’ or similar, and I always hustled to finish before they saw me…at one point, i receive a note from Suzanne, asking “Is it you?”  

Whatever do you mean, Suzanne? Moi? 

But it felt like I’m not hitting the bullseye. The messages seem too contrived...Until one morning….

Pitch black, nobody outside, very early...I’m walking down High Street. It comes to me, and I start laughing out loud. 

An hour later, Carmen trudges down the steps on the way to radiation, and is greeting by possibly the best line I’ve ever written:

“IT TAKES A TOUGH MAN TO MAKE A TENDER CHICKEN!!” 

 (Credit to poultry seller and prolific advertiser Frank Perdue). Later, Suzanne tells me that was the first time in six months that Carmen had a belly laugh. 

Last week, we all recount that time in our lives. They both would wonder what message would be there each morning, and who the author/lunatic is. Our only regret is that we never took pictures of the various quotes…

So last Friday at the Jersey Shore,  I find a hardware store that has chalk, and voila...this time, i get the shot.

Pizza with Carmen’s home grown (and insanely) hot peppers...a little oil on your pizza will make you see Jesus. 

Glorious sunrise at 0616. And the water is MUCH warmer than in Elk Lake, near Oregon’s Mt Bachelor. 

Old school espresso...

A morning walk up the Boardwalk to Asbury Park. 

A good reminder…

Then some beach time. 

Zoe and I shove off in the afternoon. On the way to my brother’s house nearby, we meet former work colleague Eric and his daughter at a local Popeye’s, because those chicken sandwiches are supposed to be excellent. 

I wouldn’t know; they do this massive nationwide rollout, massive advertising campaign,  and have massive shortages. Someone better get a spanking over this!

Good to see brother Curt and his wife Angela. Yeah, my ‘little’ brother Curt who probably goes 6’2” and 220# now. 

Onward to Havertown, west of Philadelphia, for Zoe’s sleepover with friend Liz. After the drop, I head north to Montgomeryville for dinner with Jeff and Liz; she was one of the sunniest, happiest person in all of Somerville High School. 

Then a late night drive to Central Jersey to see my man Bob, the smartest guy from my childhood...we talk long into the night about all things philosophical. 

Woodford helps...

His neighbor? The world’s best 7th grade English teacher, much adored by all (or most, anyway).

John is the textbook definition of ‘an iron fist in a velvet glove.’ When I post this picture online, former students comment in droves with their favorite Woody-isms...

“Time shall pass….but will you?”

Etc….

I drive to White Oak Park and text Lori; we had been trying to get together, and she lives nearby. She suggests a walk around White Oak Park, and I tell her I’m already there!

Next up: the Branchburg home of Lorrie and Doug, who also invited much awesomeness in the person of Heather, aka MovieStar (that’s a long story). 

Since I’ve been seeing hordes of friends and posting pictures of this trip, Heather calls me ‘the social director.’ Made me a little misty, as I’m sure it will my mom….as a kid, i let NO ONE inside, the best example of a guarded introvert you every saw; the 4th grade Nicky NEVER engaged, not even in my own head. All defense, all the time. Now, I’m all over the map, reaching out without concern or apprehension. 

I like this newer version of me better. 

A side trip to see my childhood home: that’s my room on the second floor. 

Back on the highway to Easton PA and Laura...she’s a radio advertising bigshot, wheeling and dealing her way across the frequency modulation spectrum. 

I pick up Zoe, and we drive thru New Hope, then Somerville. When she is two years old, I get a shot of us that is now on a coffee cup. Today, same shot in the same location...I’ll be getting a new cup with both pictures. 

Then

Now

We walk down Main Street, and we see another girl wearing the same band t-shirt as Zoe...the girl says she was at the same Thursday concert...small world. 

Then I say Zoe was the one who started the iPhone light show. The girl says, ‘wait, were you sitting up high and to the right of the stage?’

Uh, yes we were. What are the odds? 

• 4 days after a concert in the city
• 35 miles away
• Two girls wearing the same shirt walking past each other
• They ‘saw’ us in the dark arena

If we waited 5 minutes, we don’t have the encounter. That’s SM1 of the trip (Surreal Moment #1)

We stop at the Design Studio to see owner Tom; he was our neighbor when we lived there. Great guy! He last saw Zoe when she was four years old. 

Donna, a family friend from way back, has a pet snake that Zoe took a shine to. 

We reconnect with Carmen and Suzanne at their lovely Bound Brook home, where they are cat-sitting for a friend. 

Dinner at Da Filippo, still the best Italian food in town. Being early on a Monday, very few tables occupied. I see a couple walk in; tall husband, shorter wife with a distinctive hairstyle...

Flashback: Marty and Cindy are dear friends, Zoe’s non-denominational godparents who hosted many Easter and Thanksgiving dinners for us. Zoe first went to their house at 4 weeks...later, M and C graciously let me camp at their place when I sell our NJ house and have another two weeks before relocating. Later, they come visit us in Oregon during the snow season...Marty, knowing my love of the water, regularly sends me his boating magazines...they now live on the Chesapeake in Maryland...We haven’t seen them in 11 years. 

My mouth agape. Yes, it’s them. 

I stand in the middle of the dining room and wait for them to turn. Very soon, it’s three mouths agape, as we enjoy Surreal Moment #2.  Since good things come in threes, I vow to buy a lottery ticket. 

2003

2019

Filippo still makes an incredible baby octopus dish. The arugual fritters and dessert? Divine. 

Tuesday, we meet dear childhood neighbor Joann. So good to see her!

Drop the car, walk to the train, back to NYC and the Crown Plaza Times Square. Back to John’s of Times Square, and this time we’re seated quickly. 

On the way back to the hotel, we run into Da Marino owner Craig on the street. After chatting for a bit, we change clothes at the hotel, then walk 50 yards back to his restaurant for this…

Sigh. 

Another classmate, Matt, is dining as well. Lots of nice reunions on this trip!!

A final performance: the play Waitress, with Zoe’s favorite showman Todrick. While not the lead, he practically steals the show. Both of us are feeling the miles of this week, but it’s a nice way to end the trip. 

I need a vacation from my vacation!