Reunion Kick-off at Camp Kruza
Coronageddon quarantine did me a solid. It helped reunite me with my fellow Star-Trek-loving, musical, writer geek New Jersey second cousin Tommy Ranisekski. We had last seen each other in 1989 when my grandma Laura and I had visited Philidelphia. The cousins' reunion started with chit-chat over the adventures and misadventures of the last few decades of our lives. The reunion moved to Facetime, then finally, to my childhood home and parent's current slice of paradise in Clearwater, complete with pool, surf and turf, drinks, and backyard patio with neon signs, and Pandora playing a constant stream of classic rock, pop, and Jimmy Buffett tunes. Tommy's brother Louie joined us since he lives less than an hour from my folks, and I in my family-tree fecklessness, at first mistook him for his son. Oh well, there's a few "Louie's" in their family... but with a sunny Florida February day, I couldn't exactly blame it on bad lighting. Roxy joined us, too, and my folks and cousins reminisced over the old days in Phildephia, PA and Wildwood, NJ. I mostly listened and enjoyed. But we all celebrated the reunion and finished a fine three-hour picnic feeling, full, happy, and feeling loved... because we were all three.
Saturday 2023-09-08 in Cape May
After a good night sleep on an airbed in Tommy's living room at his home in Villas, he drove us to downtown Cape May to start out our first full day of vacation.
McGlades, next to the convention center, greeted us with breakfast by the shore, and me to an Old Bill omelette. Next, the Beach Avenue promenade welcomed us with patriotic flair, and Congress Hall with old-but-renovated hotel charm to start our day. Washington Street pedestrian Mall gave Tommy a chance to show me his fragrant place of business, Bath Time, which sold me two bars of soap and two candles. The shop Love the Cook, two doors down, sold me a bag of strawberry-chocolate coffee, which was one of the best flavored coffees I've ever tasted.
Next, we heard echos of World War II at the lookout tower, lighthouse, and bunker. The lighthouse tour guide recounted the history. For the first two full years the USA spent in WW2, the air and sky above Cape May looked serene, but ship convoys proved an underwater turkey shoot for German U-boats lying in wait below the surface. It took two years for aerial surveillance and ship sonar and targetting depth charges to turn the underwater tide and keep the U-boats at bay.
Wildwood Naval Air Station Air Museum's old bi-planes and bronze plaques told stories of heroism. Kilroy, the graffiti patron saint, reminded us allied soldiers etched him into walls all over Europe to keep other fighters' spirits up and lonliness down. Norma Jean Dogherty aka reminded us she worked as a riverter in the Radioplane factory before she became Hollywood's Marylyn Monroe.
Quadruple the Cousins
Menz Restaurant Terry and Mary, my other New Jersey Cousins who live in Marlton, NJ, met us for dinner at Menz restaurant. We caught up from the last 20 years and enjoyed great food at a warm but eclectic restaurant with a signature collection of taxidermy of two-headed animals. Mary
Sunday 2023-09-10
Midtown Manhattan
After a very rainy drive to Tom's River Port Transit Station, Tommy and I caught the 11am Route 319 bus to the Port Authority Bus Station in Midtown, Manhattan. The rainy weather made it hard to see the skyline entering the city, but Times Square greeted us after a quick five-minute walk from the bus station in all its megatron-ad sign glory. I have to say, Times Square is much smaller and more narrow than I thought. We browsed the M&M Store and the Disney Store before checking into our hotel the Belvedere on 48th St.
Back to the Future the Musical
Then, the main event, the anchor of our Manhattan trip, what my musical theater nerd Tommy and I came most to see... Back to the Future the Musical, at the Winter Garden Theater.
Soggy Night Walk
Tommy and I thought we we set on dining on Sushi, but picked Kitchen 46 with Mediterrean cuisine instead. I think I ordered seafood, but I know I had two glasses of wine. Tommy and I conitinued catching up on life and enjoying the wonderful cousin company.
Monday 2023-09-11
While watching the "Reading of the Names" on the morning news on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, Tommy asked me "How could anybody ever do such a thing?" My only answer was to quote Volataire: "If you can get people to believe absurdities, you can get them to commit atrocities.s"
Barneget Light ##
We got to Barneget Light about a half-hour after it closed (dangit:)
Tuesday 2023-09-12
Beach Day
The cove had fun, clean, knee high lefts peeling at The Cove. There were about five surfers out. I really wanted to give Tommy surf lessons, but the only shop in Cape May to rent a board was closed. So we took a "tourist summer" day and enjoyed a near-empty beach.
Family History
The spot where the Rosemont once was, my Grandma and Grandpa Kruza's rooming house, on Glenwood St., Wildwood, NJ:
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The LouFran boarding house at 305-307 Magnolia St., then owned and operated by Tommy's grandparents, Lou and Fran:
The Lily boarding house, run by my great Aunt Lottie, across the street, also on Magnolia. It's still a motel:
229 Pine St., fomerly The Flamingo, run by my great Aunt Julie and Uncle Frank: 
