This weekend was definitely heavy at times, due to losing some dear friends. When we weren't paying our respects and trying to honor them, I tried to still make fun, new memories with several friends. Friday night I went to visit besties Jasen and Brendan at the Camper which was currently residing at Sun Retreats Pleasant Acres Farm in Sussex. It's really funny how just a 25 minute drive north of where I live can feel like a completely different world. Even though I already am blessed enough to live in this beautiful country area of New Jersey, this drive somehow makes you feel more at peace every single minute you get closer. I just kept hearing the word serenity in my mind over and over again. No, fortunately not the same way on the TV show Seinfeld they joked "serenity now, insanity later." I was so happy to run into besties Carrie, Christine, Emily, plus other wonderful friends new and old too. Friday night the weather was absolutely perfect for friends just hanging around a firepit or campfire, whichever you want to call it. I'll go with firepit since we were basically Glamping with their awesome Camper. Jasen handled cooking tacos while Brendan handled the firepit, and everyone was happy. It was a great, relaxing Friday night way to start the weekend.
Saturday morning I ventured back down 23 to Granny's Pancake House Diner, breakfast of champions. 2 scrambled eggs, (with pepper and plenty of hot sauce I add,) bacon, homefries without onions and white toast. (Sorry, I still prefer white toast to wheat. My bad.) They were fantastic as always. I went early enough to beat the weekend crowd too. Success!
Saturday afternoon, I received a text from Bestie Carrie inviting me to join her and Bestie Christine for the soft grand opening at Pine Island Tap House. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and I stopped doing errands to go join them over in Pine Island. The energy was terrific. Everyone was so happy to finally be enjoying beautiful weather! We've earned it. I don't even want to get into the weather forecast for Memorial Day again while my parents are hopefully visiting me this coming weekend. Northeast weather these past couple of Memorial Day Weekends has definitely been in a major slump, that's for sure! At least there's still some time where maybe weather patterns change in our favor. We can always hope.
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Saturday night I went over to see Girlfriend Brooks in Hackettstown. This past week it's been such a different vibe driving into her Panther Valley neighborhood. Last week, our wonderful friend Billy passed away. Over the years everyone in the neighborhood had referred to their area as "Fun Town," and they're all absolutely right. Always a fun, great time especially during summer and fall. Whether it's an event like Halloween (which they all basically turn into a neighborhood block party,) cookouts, football Sundays, or just fun impromptu happy hours everyone together with kids smiling and playing. They're right about it being "Fun Town," and Billy was always The Mayor. William Doran was always smiling, fun, joking, full of life, and inclusive to everyone. To think I've been there on a regular basis for over a year, and despite being "new," compared to everyone else, everything always has a fun friend/family vibe. My thoughts and prayers to so many wonderful family and friend's of Billy's. We'll all try our best to keep Fun Town going this summer, even though you feel the void immediately.
Saturday night I then learned from Bestie Carrie that our dear friend Janice passed away over the weekend. She was one of the very first, wonderful friends I made here in Jersey 12 years ago. Janice, her loving husband Pete, and kids are all absolute sweethearts. I haven't seen her in a couple of years, but she's the type of friend where it would be as if no time had passed at all. Everyone agrees nobody had both a heart, and especially laugh, quite like Janice.
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Sunday afternoon Girlfriend Brooks and I went to Billy's services in Harrison, New Jersey. This was my first time in Harrison, even though I've possibly been through it going to Newark Airport. From Vernon at my place it would've been an hour and 10 minute drive, from Brooks in Hackettstown it was only 54 minutes. The weather was sunny and warm, way better than it would've been if we had precipitation, plus wind.
When we arrived in Harrison, it was apparent that despite Sunday allowing for free metered parking, this was going to take some patience. I looked at Brooks once we approached a light after the funeral home where I said "well, since either of us don't know where we are, 50/50 shot whether we should take a left or right here, let's shoot for a left so we can try to do a glorified loop around the neighborhoods." So many driveways may have looked like open parking spots on the street at first , but then as you got closer it became apparent they weren't spots at all. As we got closer to Harrison I was reminded that it's been probably ten years since I've had to parallel park anywhere. I've been spoiled living here in country Northwest New Jersey these past 12 and a half years! In Boston I wouldn't say I was phenomenal at parallel parking, but with enough regular practice we did okay usually. Like so many things in life, when you fall out of practice, it just becomes a little tougher. After a couple of laps, Brooks and I spotted a spot that we couldn't tell if it was a new spot that had opened up or not. As we're saying "not sure if it's a spot or not let's try it," we slowly go by the spot. As I get halfway past the next car I hit the blinker and see in my rearview mirror there was a pretty big white pickup truck. Oh boy. Pressure is on! Fortunately, the guy in the pickup truck was patient. Even more fortunately, I nailed parallel parking into the spot IMMEDIATELY on my first shot! You couldn't have been off the street and into the space than I was. I think basically I got an adrenaline rush and blacked out while parking. I barely had to tweak the car at all straightening up in the space. Success!
On our way back, I asked Brooks if we could go somewhere just for a quick drink together. We were both dressed up, and I wanted to do something at least a little fun after the important Sunday afternoon activity we did of paying respects to our friends. I came up with the idea of having a quick drink at Mattar's Bistro in Hackettstown, where they have a wonderful patio. This ended up being a great decision for us. The weather was so comfortable and we were in the shade enjoying our drink. By then I just wanted an ice cold beer, and ended up getting a Lagunitas IPA. After one sip, I looked at Brooks and said "that sip just felt so amazing!"
It wasn't a long drive, just basically an hour each way, but a long and important day. Another remind to cherish, appreciate and love your wonderful friends and family every single day that you possibly can.
Brooks kept taunting me trying to force me to watch The Titanic for my first time ever. Many ask why I never saw that multiple award winning, billion + dollar earning film. Simply put? It's 3 hours long and I already know the boat sinks!!!
Fortunately we ended up watching a couple episodes of "The Rooster," with Steve Carell on HBO Max. We're really enjoying it.
Speaking of cherish, oh boy. Time to start planning next weekend when my parents hopefully visit me in Jersey for Memorial Day. Time to start cleaning too!!!