Homecomings - Day 121 - 123

Thank you Maitlyn for the previous blog!! Great job. Let me know when you want to post another one.

It's been a long time since I have been back to my old home territories, and I have had a whirlwind tour in the past few days. After arriving here at Cape May on Sunday, and revisiting with all of my immediate family, I took a two day sojourn to Hoboken where I had spent my previous 15 years.

I think Maitlyn sufficiently described the goings on during the "Day at the Beach". And the goings on during my sojourn to Hoboken were nothing remarkable...same as it always was, I was glad to see. What's different about these days is me.

I know I have been a changed man since I started this trip. I'm happy. That's the most obvious thing I notice, as well as what most others say they see in me. A few decades ago when he met me, MFox used to call me "Mr. Happy". I feel like I could earn that title back again someday. But the changes are a lot more than just being happy, and being back in my former habitat has made me more aware of some of the changes that have taken place.

Seeing the whole family again at once, perhaps for the first time since our Disney cruise, was a bit overwhelming. (Then again, spending time with a ton of kids is usually overwhelming to me since it is not a normal occurrence in this single guy's life - I would be in much better shape if I were a parent.) The nieces and nephew grow so fast, learn so many new things, and are endlessly entertaining. And draining. And that was in less than one full day.

I then spent two nights with the former and current Hobokenites. I say two nights, because during the day they all seem to be working. Their loss.

During the day, I was able to catch up on a few local tasks that needed to be done. I went to the dentist for a correction to a previously botched cavity replacement and I did some banking at my local Citi branch to deposit some funds. Most surprising to my prior self was that, I took the opportunity to drop off my clubs at my Hoboken storage unit. Yes, that's right, I have removed the golf clubs from the car. If I need to golf, I will be renting clubs. It became a space issue and camping gear has forced the golfing gear out of the Prius. I'm not giving up golfing, but my newest hobby offers much more rewarding immediate dividends.

As for the two nights, they were spent doing what I perhaps love most. Eating. Ted and Joes for bar food and Maxwells in the city for steak. Both, great meals. The best thing I've eaten in a long while was the slab of bacon appetizer at Maxwells. It was about a half inch thick, with tons of perfect fat. It could have been a meal in itself. (see picture.)

Though the eating was great, the de ja vue effect Hoboken and NYC had on me was surprising. It was like watching a rerun of first season Seinfeld episode. Same cast and crew, same jokes, same stories, but new laughs all over again. I found myself talking too much...I think it was the gin.

It's lonely on the road at times, especially in the I states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana). And I have picked up a greeting common in most of this country that doesn't exist in the northeast. Hugs: while I was west, I picked up the habit of hugging people. At first I didn't take to it at all - it weirded me out, but it's happened so often during the trip, it's become natural to me. MFox always did this (charlies influence I'm sure), but me and most of the crew had always been just hand-shakers. I noticed that some of my friends were a bit stiff when I hugged...bFranc, Franc and url - stiff boards...loosen up guys.

Thanks 6pack for the lodgings...I'll be back in a month or so when I am wrapping up this trip.