A Visit Back Home

Now that I have got my head in order and my body clock reset I can finally start writing this blog. Although it seemed like a vacation, I had a purpose to check on my parents, visit friends some I haven't seen in 30 years and to see if there was anything for me back East.

Overall this visit made me open my eyes to a lot of things. I haven't been home in 4 years and things have changed big time. First my parents, they are getting older and mom is battling diabetes. Her situation has gotten worse over time and I'm really concerned. The temporary blindness and passing out has me wondering if she and my father are not telling the whole story. My sister seems to think so. It has gotten to the point where she is taking the steps to getting to the bottom of it. I still think of my parents as a couple of 30 somethings and never getting old. When I see them now, they are older and frail. Honestly it makes me sad not wanting to think when I will lose both of them. I do talk to them once a week because Mom will kick my ass if I don't call lol. My father really doesn't talk much but my mother is the total opposite. She is a news junkie and I enjoy her spin on world events. Mom was born and raised in the South and sometimes her view on life does not match up with mine but she is my mother and I love her. Now she needs a reality show.

The most enjoyable part of going home was seeing my friends. I stayed with my best friend and her husband. I have known this woman since 1982. I was friends first with her brother from Marching Band and had a total crush on her back then. As we grew older and went in different directions geographically, we remained close friends and I was even her "Maid of Honor" when she got married. She is a total geek like myself when it comes to technology and comic books she is my best friend and will not have it any other way. As I made my way from Cape May New Jersey to New York City, it seemed like I had turned back the clock seeing so many people from various times of my life. It started from my time in Radio visiting the old radio station in the Atlantic City market. I saw friends that I started with back in 1987 who have come back there at the request of the new ownership. We shared some crazy stories from the past, what we have done since and where we are at now. It felt good walking around those studios again and telling the people who work there now that I helped build this place. Radio has always been my "Happy Place" where I could always be myself and enjoy the two things I love the most Radio and music. As you continue to read this blog, I will be commenting on the state of radio. Radio is such a mess where I wonder if it will ever return to it's old glory. Next was my high school friends. My high school friends follow my antics and travels on Facebook. Through Facebook, we all have remained pretty close but I really wanted to see everyone. I really tried to see everyone but time was not my best friend. Someone had an idea to meet in one central place and throw a party for me. She posted it on Facebook and to make a long story short the party was on. It was a humbling experience to see friends take time especially a work night to see me. As I told them it wasn't all about me, it was about getting together and having a good time. It was good to get caught up, meeting wives, husbands and children of all who showed up. It was weird telling them that I had come alone not having a spouse or girlfriend. That's a story for a different day hopefully that will change sometime soon. Anyway I ventured into Seaside Heights to see another one of my high school friends. She runs a motel in Seaside and it was great to see her. We spoke about a lot of things but the thing that stuck out was what happened during Hurricane Sandy. She told me things that unless you lived in Seaside or the surrounding area, you would not have heard of the total kaos that took place. I could sense the sadness in her words and on her face. As I sat in front of this computer watching the storm beat the crap out of the shore, I had no idea how bad it was. I told her she needed to write a book about what her and her boyfriend experienced. It would be quite riveting. During that time in Seaside, I took a walk on the Boardwalk. I remembered what she told me about the area not really being ready. On the outside looking in, it looked like business as usual people enjoying the beach and the amusements but it was not the same. The boards may have been new but not as busy as it should be especially for a hot summer day in August. Sandy did so much damage both physically and economically where people aren't coming in droves this year. I lived there for 3 years and I have a pretty good feel on what it should be happening during the summer. The damage to homes and other structures were still visible and reconstruction was still going on. My curiosity was still getting to me so I ventured to the 200 block of Carteret ave where I used to live. To my dismay, the only thing I saw was an empty lot the two story duplex was gone. All those memories were just washed away just like the building. I never thought it would bother me so much but it hit me pretty hard. Honestly the entire Jersey Shore is economically depressed, rental prices have tripled and some locals who lived there aren't coming back. My last stop on my Jersey Shore tour was Little Egg Harbor Township another area that took a hard hit from Hurricane Sandy. That area was hit so hard by that storm, the shoreline actually changed. This is where I spent my high school years and I have an attachment to that area. Not to sound like a total wuss but this Jersey Shore tour was a little bit too much to take so I had to stop. So much sadness and uncertainty even gets to this toughened Jersey Guy. The last friend I saw happened to be a person I had dated back in the late 90's but have remained friends for all these years. She accompanied me to New York to see how the World Trade Center has progressed. I refuse to call it "Freedom Tower" sounds so "Fox News" to me it makes me sick. We ran our mouths from the time I picked her up till I dropped her off. She has since remarried and that seems to be the only thing that has changed about her, she is the same delightful person I have always known. 

After all of this I had a decision to make, go back home to family and friends or stay here in Northern California. With all the damage to the East Coast, limited housing and job prospects being limited the decision was pretty easy. I love my family and friends but I have to look at the bottom line. I have established some roots now. I may not have everything I want here but I'm learning to live with it. Always remember and never forget I'm still a Jersey Guy and either a phone call or plane ticket away.....