Used in a sentence: "I'm just hours away from my trip back home to PA in what I've named my Respect, Reune and Reconnect 2014 tour."
You see, it's been almost two and half years since I was last in my old stomping grounds ... in June 2012 ... when I was in town and said my goodbyes to my dying biological father (I passed on the actual service in Jan 2013 having had my farewell experience with him when we both knew that he had only months to live).
And so during this long holiday weekend, on the agenda will be stopping by his burial site in Ft Indiantown Gap. I've also made plans to visit my surrogate grandmother's JoAnn's grave in Uniontown, and my father's parents' grave in Akron and, with my sister Bonnie, my mother's parents one in Reading (and no trip back home is ever complete unless I share a Swisher Sweet at DJ's final resting place). That would just about cover the RESPECT side of things, except I've added the Flight 93 Memorial to the day's plans because clearly I'm an over-achiever.
Truth be told, this specific weekend was chosen for me months ago when plans started for the 25th high school reunion that was to have taken place. Turns out most of that big weekend is still intact ... a football game on Friday night with a bar social afterwards, dinner plans with dear friends once or twice, and a tour of the renovated high school Saturday morning all confirmed. Plus, regardless of the actual outcome regarding the other Saturday night gathering that had been planned (to a degree), many folks will be back in town, so we're committed to partying like it's 1989, aka the REUNE aspect of my trip! (PS ... I know that word is in the urban dictionary instead of Webster's, but, after all, I did go to a city school!) PLUS ... my undergrad alma mater has homecoming weekend at the same time, so there will be a bit of double dipping in the reunion department ...
Of course, you may know that my favorite Sweet Pickles book is "Rest, Rabbit, Rest" ... because I just love that bunny's timetables and how he packed so much into a day. Which is why I'm surrounding those plans with EVEN MORE plans to reconnect with as many friends and loved ones as I can ... with the Whitmans (there have been babies that have been had since I was last in town!) and the Woodwards and my best friends who didn't go to high school with me but with whom I worked at McDonalds or Hills (like Flowers and Kyle and Soulliard and Kristi) ... and current co-workers in the virtual world where we'll eat together as if we actually work in the same office (just message me where and when Kerrilee) ...
But wait ... there's STILL more! Visits to Kaplan centers in Pittsburgh, State College, Philly, College Park and DC! A meal at Glisan's! A meal at the Green Dragon! A meal at A&M! A meal at the Philly location for my ongoing Burger Quest! A visit to the Rockpile of my youth (assuming it's still standing)! Bickel's chips! Utz products! Gazebo Room dressing!
Flight leaves in six hours ... time to take a quick nap ...
THE LAST TIME I WAS HOME:
http://capcognition.blogspot.com/2012/06/random-soapbox-for-saturday-62312.html
ON THE AGENDA THIS TIME:
http://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/hours.htm
I LOVE ME SOME SWEET PICKLES:
http://books.google.com/books/about/Rest_Rabbit_Rest.html?id=8-40_Zrp5voC
No comments:
Post a Comment