So here we are, and its been a couple of days since I returned from New York, and I've had a few days to reflect on some of the events of this past week. We had a terrific time, got to see some family members that we don't get to see nearly enough (by the way, for you New York members of my family---that makes TWICE I've been up there in the last 6 mos--I'd say it was time for some of you to return the favor by visiting us here in Florida), got to check out some of the sights around New York City, and got to do a tour of a local college with Andy--his first ever college tour. All that, and it was colder than my first wife's heart while we there. Yikes! I think either this past Thursday or Friday was like the 2nd coldest day in the HISTORY of New York City. Weren't we lucky!
So the trip starts last Wednesday, and we fly into lovely Newark--Gateway to Seacaucus--and rent a car. Once again, Kellie is disappointed because we can't rent a Mustang. Hey, who needs space for luggage anyway, ya know? So we get to the Holiday Inn, which is located inside one of these corporate event complexes, ya know the type--about 5 hotels, and a shopping center that has stores that sell jewelry and bagels--not from the same store mind you. Anyway, we get checked in and there is a light dusting of snow on the ground, which of course thrilled the kids (and maybe me a little) and decided to head outside to enjoy the crispness of the weather--keep in mind that to people from Florida, the concept of really cold weather is sort of a novelty.
So Kim decides that we didn't really plan for the sort of weather that we were going through, and hears that there's a Wal-Mart down the street. (I can hear my Mom now-
"Not just a Wal-Mart....its a SUPER WAL-MART!") So we decide to march on down to the Wal-Mart to get Andy another sweatshirt or something, and I mean....its maybe 1/2 mile to the store.
Well, when we walked into the front door of the store, I realized that I couldn't feel my upper legs. So much for the decision to wear my khaki's on the day of the trip. I mean, I can't recall being that cold in I don't know how long--and it was only the first day.
We got Andy a new sweatshirt (and me a pair of gloves) and decided to eat at the Pizza Uno in the plaza. Now I know its a chain restaurant--but Pizza Uno isn't in south Florida anymore, so we felt like we could get away with our policy for the trip of "not eating at any restaurant that we go to in south Florida". It was a chain restaurant, but since it doesn't exist in south Florida---technically we got around it. Now, we had planned on taking a trip out that night and meeting my cousin Mary Ellen, and my Uncle John & Aunt Celia as well as some other various family members. So we get in the car and head over into New York state, with the old Mapquest directions to the restaurant to guide us. We pull into "New City, NY", and after a minor glitch in the directions (way to go Mapquest) we locate the restaurant...a cozy Italian place that looks like it used to be a house. So we go inside, and tell the maitre'd that we're part of a party of around 10 to 15 people for that evening that I'm sure is on the reservation listings.
Don't you love when you say something like that to a maitre'd or hostess and get a blank look back at you? Ya know...like their thinking...."huh?"
That was the sort of look I got. Cue the Homer Simpson line: "DOH!"
So Kim looks at ME like maybe I made some huge mistake on the night we were supposed to be meeting them.
"Did you tell them NEXT Wednesday maybe?" she asks me.
"No...I even sent an email out last night to Mary Ellen....I'm positive its tonight."
So I'm figuring that maybe, just maybe....they had just planned on arriving and hadn't made a reservation. So we are sort of standing around, waiting for a recognizable face to come driving into the parking lot--and still, no one shows up. I go back in to the place, and tell Kim that I'm not really surprised that Mary Ellen is late....since she told me that she had to deal with her kids and whether she would be bringing them or leaving them home etc etc etc...but that I was surprised that no one had at least called me to tell me that they would be a few minutes late. It was around this time that the maitre'd says:
"Hey, what was the name the reservation was supposed to be under?"
"Bowdren."
"I have a listing for TOMORROW night for a party of 13....the name looks like 'Boudreu'. Could that be it?"
Cue that Homer Simpson line again. "DOH!"
Well as fate would have it, they happen to have a phone number listed with the reservation. I make the phone call, and beloved cousin Mary Ellen is on the other end of the call.
"Hey there cousin," I begin, "what's up?"
"Not much. What's doing?"
"Guess where I am right now?"
"Where?"
"At the restaurant. Waiting for you."
"No...I thought it was for tomorrow night?"
"No, tomorrow night is when we're going to see the show on Broadway. The dinner was supposed to be tonight."
"OH MY GOD! I can't believe I messed this up!"
"Don't worry about it....its not a huge deal."
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I MESSED THIS UP!"
Now, let me take a very brief break in our storyline here to mention two small details that make the story even funnier.
1) Mary Ellen's job? She's a travel coordinater. So, this is the sort of thing that she does for a living--which really devestates her.
2) You have to love a solid marriage. Why do I mention this? Because while I'm talking to her on the phone, her husband walks into the room. Now picture this, here's Mary Ellen...she's upset that our plans were messed up, for reasons that were absolutely no one's fault...just a miscommunication....but she's upset at herself and her husband walks into the room. The conversation went something like this:
"Honey, you won't believe this...the dinner with my cousin and my family? It was supposed to be TONIGHT. Not tomorrow night. I can't believe this."
Now there's a dramatic pause. And then, with expert timing...her husband says:
"I knew you'd mess it up."
I mean, just a classic wise ass remark. None of this sniveling 'honey, I'm sure your cousin will understand'....or, 'baby, let me give you a hug cuz you feel bad'....nope, that's not the IRISH way!! It was a straight forward and simple:
"I KNEW YOU'D MESS IT UP."
Damn, a dagger....right to the heart. I really don't remember socializing much with her husband at the reunion back in September, but at that moment, I really wanted her to bring this guy to dinner.
We talked for a few more minutes, and it really was a simple mix-up in which night was better for each other....she thought it was for Thursday, but that was the night we had planned to take the kids to a show on Broadway. So we ended up rescheduling a meet and greet for Saturday afternoon, when there would be a St Patrick's festival in the town where she worked.
We then went into the restaurant (after canceling the reservation for the next evening) and had some dinner. I had the chicken marsala. It was good, although the place was a little bit fancier than we thought it would be and I felt a tad under dressed. After dinner we headed back towards the hotel.
So here was our brilliant plan. We would simple reverse the Mapquest directions and it would easily take us back to the hotel, right? Yep.
So at one point we were driving down the Pallisades Highway on the side of a hill and there was town that was beautifully lit up that he kids were just ooohing and aahing about. Now mind you, Kim and I are giving each other looks, because we have ZERO idea where we are...but we don't want the kids to know that. And Kellie says:
"Mom, what town is that down there that's all lit up?"
"Um....I think that's Yonkers."
Mind you, I don't think we were within 50 miles of Yonkers, NY...but hey, the kids bought it, ya know?
We finally stumbled upon that Holiday Inn, and I gotta tell ya.....it sure looked like home that night. It beat the hell out of being "Lost in New Jersey".
Later,
Jeff
Next: Day 2
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