Charity Ride ~ Bike for Bob

Bike for Bob went well again this year. The ride through the rolling hills of Union & Northumberland Counties was wonderful. At registration, we were shown where proceeds are going...a look at the blue print for the future 5 mile River Walk Trail along the Susquehanna River & PA Canal. My kids rode on.... Dag & I started out quite well...because our time seemed to be fairly good or at least better than last year. Good thing good ole Dr D. came cruising on by to help us out with our pictures
Primal Tri Man !



Here we go again! So glad there is one who likes to get out !

Z on my Ole Fuji (I found 5 snail letters from 25 yrs ago making some sort of reference to it)from college days!


He caught Dag & I trying to take pics with the cows!
What a duo! The leader Dr D. made his presence after surgery cancelled pace lead! Aaah! See you in a couple of weeks! Always a pleasure...................

Oh my ...sigh ahhhhhhhhhhhh

Al & I went to our traditional 20 yrs plus Stoneware Auction. The prices over the years have gone astronomical. Majority of the first 25 items never hit below $1,000. The first item went for $20,000, which is below, but there was a 10% premium added on to the price plus tax if applicable.!!! We bought the Blind Pig!!! A pygg jar(misread by a potter as a pig) was a container made out of clay & was used for storage of salt, wine, monies, etc.

Later, Dag (thanks for the push call) & I were able to sneak in a shy 20 miler. Actually it does not take up too much time. It makes you feel soooo much better - mentally, physically - combined with the knowledge of gross weather over the next 48 hrs. The snow better quit inching its way down south into central PA. Wishful hope; April 21 - 29 is looking good with sunshine peaks & 60's!!

Grandpa "the mafia thing" has died

My dad called today to let me know his father had died. He had a "do not resuscitate" on his will. I debated about going down for the funeral but I have been sick and next week is a bad training week for me at work. I feel bad though because they were always upset & gave the guilt trip for not going to Florida to see them. Over the years I stopped writing as much. I was reminded to get a nice arrangement for the funeral home. Of course, I will have to foot the bill and not split with my brother - I am the oldest in the family. I think I will try online at FTD. My (step but married for 50+yrs) grandmother is in denial....."No, No, No, he can't be dead, he is still warm - he's alive!" She is pure Italian and maybe more dramatic.

What is proper etiquette? Do I still send her a card & flowers at home, despite getting a spray for the funeral home. I don't know.
There was a lot I wanted to know from my grandfather. I think he had stuff to hide in the shady past. Now no one really knows...I have tried to say stuff to my dad but not much said or denied in return. No wonder my dad is a lost dysfunction. There is a mafia person in jail with the same spelling as my grandfather's first name & last (my dad's has an extra l)& same ties to living areas in PA & FL. There are some other weird things but afraid to say. For example, the kids (my dad & aunt) lived with an aunt near Beech Creek while the parents conducted their lives in Philadelphia around 1950. One night during a bad snow storm my grandmother(dad was 7)insisted for a strong reason to get home to see the kids - she got home but suffocated in her sleep. Her death certificate said she had epilepsy but.............. Also my grandfather and all his siblings owned hotels in New Jersey. How does one rise as a child of an Ellis Island immigrant to own hotels?
My grandpa threatened my husband at our rehearsal dinner. He pulled him aside and said that,"If you do not take care of her, I will have to do the mafia thing to you". To this day, Al says, he was not joking.