Written by Kim
Well the weather didn’t cooperate for the start of our second week. Saturday was rainy so Alex’s golf with his boys and friends from GCNJ was cancelled. It was 50 and rainy. Brrrr. We met Heather, Antoine, Za and Lux for lunch at Cava. I love their Mediterranean bowls. Yum! After lunch Alex took the boys home and Heather, Lux and I did some shopping. It was a bit of a pain in and out of the car in the rain with the stroller but with 2 of us it was easier. We had dinner at Elaine’s. She made some yummy comfort food – chicken stew, mashed potatoes and broccoli that were delicious. It was great catching up with her and Jozef. We had a fantastic night.
Sunday Alex’s golf with the Elmtree guys in Wayne got rained out again. Ugh! We went to Park West for some breakfast so i could get my Taylor Ham. I got a chance to go to church again. I really miss my Wayne church so enjoyed seeing my friends one more time before heading home. Our Sunday was busy – after church we met my friend, Lisa and her boyfriend, Phil for coffee at Panera before going to lunch with Lyn at Grasshopper.
Sunday afternoon we got to watch Lux so mommy and daddy could go out to celebrate their first anniversary. We had lots of fun playing, napping, pooping – all the things a nearly 3 month old does. I had just put Lux in his swaddle and was rocking him to sleep when mommy and daddy got home. Evidently I didn’t swaddle him tight enough because he broke an arm out around 2:30 am and woke up. What a great day.
Monday started out good with a trip to Bridgewater diner then a visit to our friend K. We had plans to go visit my friend, Kathryn, so I stopped to get her flowers with a unicorn in them (she loves unicorns). As we were driving to their house I got a text from her husband, Greg, to call him. That’s where the day turned black! Kathryn passed away in her sleep. I’m beyond shocked and devastated. Kathryn was a very dear friend and taken too young at 44.
Monday night we had dinner with Ryan and Nikki at a nice place, Waypoint 622, on the marina in Brielle. The food was delicious and the company even better but I was really struggling so we called it a night after a short visit to see Huck, Alex’s grand puppy. Well Huck isn’t really a puppy he turned 10 this week but he’s got the energy of a puppy fetching his ball over and over.
Tuesday morning we went to Heather’s to watch Lux a bit so she could get some work done and run some errands. We had dinner at my BIL & SIL’s house, John and Karen. John cooked a delicious bbq dinner of ribs, steak, pasta salad, corn and garden salad. Yummy! Aunt Karen got some Lux snuggles. He loves his Aunt Karen (but I forgot to take pics!). Heather and Antoine got to meet Michelle, Jesse’s girlfriend. A good night was had by all!
Wednesday we did some family visits. Alex golfed in the morning while Heather, Lux and I visited Auntie Char, Tom and Caiah. Lux smiled and cooed for them. He sure knows how to play to an audience already. Wednesday afternoon we headed up to Mom’s for an early dinner. Charlie wasn’t sure what to make of Lux. He didn’t like when he cried and starting barking which made Lux cry more. They will figure each other out. Mom made stuffed shells one of my favorites for dinner. We had a fun day of visiting with family but missed my brother, Scott. They aren’t comfortable yet visiting with Covid.
Thursday morning we had a quick stop by Heather’s for more Lux snuggles before heading south. I taught him pat a cake which he loves. On our way south to AC we stopped at a favorite, Jose Tejas, for some fajitas. Yum. I feel like we are a bit on a favorite foods tour as we cross NJ on our travels. We had a nice surprise on Thursday night. Our friends, Patty & Tony and Dee & John were both heading to Borgata so we met for drinks and dinner. It was like being in the concierge lounge on a cruise again but the ship wasn’t rocking. We enjoyed catching up and a bunch of laughs. It’s so good to see our friends after such isolation with Covid. It’s beginning to feel a little more normal.
Friday is Beerfest day so we relaxed during the day playing some pai gow and slots before heading off to Beerfest in the evening that was held outside for the first time this year at Bader Field. We enjoy going to Beerfest with Alex, Briana and their friends. We’re on the older side of the crowd in fact this year some young kids came up to us calling us mom and dad and thought it was cool we were there. They took a selfie with us. Lol. I didn’t taste as many beers as I normally would since there’s too many carbs with my diabetes. This was good as I was the designated driver so Alex could enjoy. There was a huge downpour right before the fest opened but it cleared and wasn’t too muddy. We had a great time.
On Saturday our itinerary changed and we decided to go back north so we could attend Kathryn’s services. Before heading out, We played a bit in Borgata and I got my first ever hand pay with a $1700 win on some free slot play. I almost forgot I had $10 free play and decided to be a big roller with $1 spins. On my 9th spin I hit the major. Wahoo! A nice end to our trip getting a little cash back. We took a walk on the boardwalk so we didn’t put back our winnings then had a nice dinner at Back Bay Ale House with Alex, Briana and their friends, Shane and Lonnie before heading north to stay at Elaine’s for the night. Thanks again Elaine!
Sunday Alex played golf with the Elmtree group while I went to church. That was a nice treat seeing my church family again. We made a quick stop for some Lux snuggles before heading south for Kathryn’s services.
Sunday night wake and Monday mass for Kathryn were beautiful but very difficult for me. Kathryn was a close friend of mine at J&J and we helped each other both professionally and personally. She was my mentor in improving my health – always had an encouraging word, new exercise idea or food suggestion. She told me measure inches not pounds and eat peanut m&m so you have protein with your carbs! Often on Fridays we were the only ones in the office so we would sit in one of our offices and solve a big problem together. Given more time together I’m sure we could have solved world hunger – she was that persistent and creative. Kathryn’s smile lit up every room she entered and her laugh was infectious. I think I’ve listened to the last voicemail I received from her 50 times this week. I just want to see that smile, hear that voice and get one more hug! I miss you Kathryn but you’ll always be with me.
After the mass we started our journey home. We decided to go the Delmarva peninsula over Chesapeake Bay Bridge since traffic on 95 was awful. We stopped for the night in Suffolk, VA after a nice dinner at Island House in Wachapreague, VA. The restaurant was a littld detour but why not live a bit we weren’t in a hurry. We got home around noon on Tuesday.
We had a great trip except the last few days but it reinforced for us that seeing the people we love is very important. Take time for hugs, laughs or just quiet time together as you never know when it will be the last.
Until next time……when we meet again
