Start spreading the news...............New York New York

We are off on our big adventure to Brooklyn NY. I met Bigfoot at the Pilot Truck Stop in Port Wentworth, here in Savannah, and we headed North! It was late afternoon when we left, so there was not a lot to see as we went through South Carolina, North Carolina, and I think that was the last thing I saw before I woke up in the morning and we were near Baltimore Maryland. The sun was coming up and it was a nice morning. We drove through Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and into New York about 10:30 in the morning on Thursday. That’s when the fun began………..The guy waiting on our delivery had been calling about every hour to check our status and location. He was very anxious to get these shorts and pants we were carrying. When we got into the city, he found out where we were and let us follow him to the delivery location. Well, hello nightmare! We are in a huge truck, pulling a 45 foot container and they want Bigfoot to back in off a two lane side street, packed with traffic, cars parked on either side of the street, into a tiny alley, also with parked cars, trucks, and containers on both sides of the alley. Well, long story slightly less long……..it took about 5 people “helping” direct him backing up, pulling forward, turning the wheels, jackknifing the trailer, dodging the parked cars, and starting it all over again. We held up traffic in Brooklyn NY in both directions for about 45 minutes. Well, the citizens of Brooklyn there that morning were patient and loving as they sat there on this side street waiting to move. NOT! They were blowing their horns, waving their arms, shouting out the windows, getting out of the vehicles and walking over to survey the activity and scowl as if they could do better, which everybody helping thought they could because they are accustomed to driving Volvo city trucks and backing them into these alleys all day long. The Peterbilt does not act the same way as those trucks, so it was quite an ordeal to put it where they wanted it. One helper offered to back it in for Bigfoot, which he graciously through gritted teeth declined, not being one to A) let someone else drive his truck, and B) ever give up. At long last, he got it in the alley and the traffic was able to move. Whew! Once we got parked there, everybody was very nice and commiserated with Bigfoot at the situation and told him not to worry about all that stuff on the street, that it goes on all the time. They did not realize that Bigfoot could not have cared less about one of those people out there, he was doing his job and they would have to wait as long as it took. They started to unload these boxes, a little bigger than a shoebox, by hand one at a time, loading them onto pallets, wrapping them in plastic and storing them in another container across the alley. It did not take but a minute to realize we were going to be there a WHILE, which was perfect for me because it gave me time to do a little work, freshen up and wait to see if Fran was going to make it out of her doctors appointments in time. She did and she and Rich drove over from Manhattan to Brooklyn and met me there in that pitiful little alley. We squealed and squealed and laughed and hugged. It was SO good to finally meet my friend I know so well from the other end of the phone line, who I have grown so close to, and actually be able to see her. It was awesome! She was born and raised in New York, so of course, she gets quite a kick out of my Southerness. I made her a gift bag with lots of goodies from Savannah’s Byrd Cookie Company but could not pass up the chance to share with her some of the South’s most questionable delicacies. In her gift bag was a can of boiled peanuts (which we all really love here in the South), a can of potted meat, a can of Vienna sausages, and a can of pork brains in milk gravy! We got hysterical as she was going through her goodies. She got Rich all excited when she announced her plan to prepare the pork brains for a special occasion meal for them two of them. YUM YUM!! Romance is in the air! She gave me two very cool, black coffee mugs that say Brooklyn on them, and a way too generous gift card, with the sweetest card. We had a good time exchanging our goodies!
Bigfoot was passed out asleep before they ever even got there. We did not disturb him, as he needed sleep badly, so the three of us struck out to see some Brooklyn!
First thing, driving in NY is a scary activity. Its like dodgeball, bumper cars, Indy 500, all with bad manners. You fly this way and that, dodge double and triple parked cars, fly into the opposing lanes to do so, zip across intersections with cars inches away. I would probably still be sitting at one of the cross streets waiting for somebody to let me across, smiling and waving. We made it to a spot we decided to stop and found parking, another of NY’s most harrowing tasks. We put coins in the meter, which it would not register. We decided to chance it anyway, because Hey, they cant give you a ticket if the meter does not work, right? Wrong……….We found a pizza place called Rocco’s, of course, what else would it be called in Brooklyn? It was a small place with booths in the back and the most wonderful aroma of garlic and bread enveloping you when you walk in. We ordered zeppole, which I would describe as a cross between a funnel cake and a beignet. OH YUM! We ate those first and I did not think it could get better than that! I was wrong again. We ordered a Sicilian pizza, with roasted garlic, fresh mozzarella cheese and the best, freshest, lightest, most flavorful sauce. Oh gracious, was it good. The crust was perfectly crisp. So delicious. We got Bigfoot a couple of slices of pepperoni pizza to go and a leftover slice of ours and struck out again. We decided to head down to a bakery for cannoli. How can you be in NY and not have cannoli, especially if you have never had one before. The bakery was lovely with just the most beautiful assortment of baked goods ever. I could have just plopped down and had them starting bringing me one of each. We took our cannolis to go and walked around a little more. I was so envious of all the fresh food stands, vegetables, and fresh cut flowers. It was beautiful. The range of ethnicities are endless. You can get anything from any culture you want just walking around. I would so love to have access to that variety of goods. Jealous! When we got back to Fran’s car, we discovered that in fact, they can and will give you a ticket, regardless of the meter’s state of operation. $35!!!! Rich, who is just the best sport, walked all the way down 4 blocks or so to confront the police officer about the situation, to which he replied he had not written the ticket, and instructed him to take a photograph of the meter and sent it in with the ticket. Hopefully, that will work. Fran and I sat in the car and chatted while Rich was gone doing that. It was so nice to be with her. The funniest thing…..we were walking around and NY, as I am sure everyone knows, is a just a diverse melting pot of people. The particular section we were walking in at that moment seemed to have an abundance of Islamic/Afghanistan/Indian folks. Fran, says Goodness, did we cross a border somewhere, are we in Afghanistan? I said to her, maybe we are in little Afghan? (you know like little Italy?). We got a huge laugh out of that and she turned to Rich to let him in on the funny, and says, Rich, are we in little Afghan? As serious as a heart attack, he says to her, NO, we’re on 79th street. We lost it right there…….we laughed and have repeated that line a million times. It was SO funny.
We risked life and limb to make it back to where the truck was parked and Bigfoot was still sleeping and they were still unloading. We visited there at the truck for a little while longer and then Fran and Rich had to head back to Warwick. It is a long drive for them back home, especially after a long day of doctor’s appointments and then all our fun! We took some pictures and hugged and hugged some more and then had to say our goodbyes. Hopefully, we will get to see each other again, and for longer. It was just the best time and such an experience I will never forget. Thanks, Fran and Richie for my first New York experience. You guys are the best.

We sat for maybe another 30 minutes or an hour and they were done unloading. I woke up Bigfoot, he ate his pizza and cannoli, and we headed back south.

Maryland

Baltimore in the morning


Welcome to Delaware.

Welcome to New Jewsey!

Headed to NY!

Here comes the Verrazano Bridge.

NY from the Verrazano Bridge.

Gettin closer.

How far we were from other places in NY.

Whistlin Dixie in Brooklyn NY!

Here is our alley. The street is just past the white van.

This is how much room we had to move in our alley. I was sitting in our truck taking the picture. The white van is in front of our hood, the yellow box truck is squeezing between us and a container and we are all sandwiched in between two buildings.

Makes me think of the Paul Simon song, Late in the Evening, the line "the girls out on the stoop". This was going on everywhere.

Subway and grafitti.

Playground with no grass?!

Fran's treats! Lucky girl!

Down a typical street.

More sitting on the stoop, chattin.

Coming into Brooklyn.

Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna be, whatcha gonna be when ya be for me........as sung by Randy on My Name is Earl!

A brownstone, apparently the primary residence type of New Yorkers.

Wish I had a slice of this heaven right now!

Zeppole!

Fran after zeppole!

Stupid meter!

Bigfoot and his cannoli.......

Me and Rich in the delivery alley!

My wonderful, beautiful friend, Fran!

Me in the truck!

Me and Fran and the Pete!

I managed to stay awake for a good while, but I was tired after my big adventures of the day, so I turned in. I woke up in North Carolina somewhere at about 5 in the morning on Friday. Near the North Carolina/South Carolina state lines, we had seen a place called South of the Border on the way up. It is a huge place, a tourist attraction with an amusement park, miniature golf, gift shops, motels, RV park, truck stop, diner, arcade. It’s like a little theme town. I finally convinced Bigfoot to stop. It was a gorgeous morning, we could get some breakfast, stretch our legs, get some fresh air, and then continue the rest of the way. We ate at a horrible little diner with the worst waitress in history. I combed her hair for her as we left (that means I told her what I thought of her, for those who are unfamiliar with the lingo! LOL). We went into some gift shops and fooled around and got back on the road. We got back into town late in the afternoon. I walked back out to the truck to get my laptop bag and in the 3 minutes that took, Bigfoot passed out on the couch, dead asleep. He stayed asleep until the next day. Bless his heart. It was a wonderful trip and I had a blast, but it is a long way to go and a lot to do in that short time. We were beat.

Ole!

South of the Border.

Bigfoot Marley!

Me and Bigfoot with Big Pedro.

DO NOT EAT HERE!

South of the Border.

Have you ever been this tired? About 15 minutes after we got home...........

Bless him.........4200 miles in 5 days.

On a sad note, on the way home Thursday night, Jocelyn called to tell me Beebe bird had passed away. He had been sick and had an appointment to go back to the doctor, but he just could not make it. Joc was very good to take care of him for me until I could get here to have a little funeral of sorts. I buried him under the azalea bush in the backyard and planted a beautiful bright yellow Gerber daisy over top of his little grave. I already miss him so much. He was 15 years old and I have had him his whole life. He was a funny little guy who brightened my life for a long long time.

Sweet Beebe bird. I will miss you!

September 8, 1995 - March 25, 2010

The pictures may be slightly out of order, but I am out of practice with my blogging. I hope you enjoyed my latest adventure. I know I did. Until the next one comes up and I hit the road again…………10-4, good buddies, over and out!