Wednesday, April 9, 2014 

Been up since 4:05. Meeting Barb at 6:00 am for the gym. We figure we can go three times a week very early to get our days started. For me, it’s a little tough. Am trying to creep around without waking the pups and mom and Rob. Betty just called for my wake-up call. It’s 4:45 am.

Later—

Gym went well. Felt good to get out early, but I must drive mom to the dentist today—a 2-hour trip to NJ. We still see our dentist in NJ. Dr. M. can’t be beat. He’s an excellent dentist and we get to see our old home across the street. I miss the expanded center-hall, Dutch Colonial. Everything fit perfectly in that house. We had 2 full baths and 2 half baths. By now, we would have redone the kitchen among many other things. The house would have been paid off. It was ideally situated between the river and the canal and was across from the park, where I used to play tennis (6 Har-Tru and 6 clay courts). But the neighborhood went down steadily. Oh how I miss the house, the gardens, the 200-year-old cherry tree in the back yard (which has very sadly been cut down), the wisteria, my collection of day lilies, Cornelia hybrid musk along the fence, which is also gone. In fact, the entire garden is gone—years of work and effort and money.

I asked Dr. M. where to go for the best pizza in the area. De Lorenzo’s closed about 2 years ago. It was, at that time, the No. 1 best pizza place in New Jersey. I went back for some only 2 weeks after it had closed. According to Dr. M., the neighborhood around Hudson Street has become quite dangerous. The Italians are gone and have been replaced by illegal immigrants, Colombians, Ecuadorians, people from Haiti, the Dominican Republic… The Italians would not allow crime. They sat on their front porches and knew and saw everything that was going on. Alas, they are long gone, as is the Italian pasty shop and probably the Italian feast in the fall.

So Dr. M. recommended a place called Palermo on Lower Ferry Road. Mom and I enjoyed a most delicious tomato pie and salad there. (They also have pizza, but tomato pie is the real thing!) And I bought home some pasta e fagiole for Rob. Glad I don’t live too nearby. I would avail myself of the tomato pie too often! You can’t get a really great pizza in PA, except for Philly and Norristown.

When we arrived home, I was beat. Getting up early and driving for hours wore me out. The pups were glad to see me though, and I always happy to see them.

Been working on an article for Linda B (formerly Linda K). It’s about a seat belt injury in a child, strangely enough. It say strangely enough because I used to have mom sit in the front seat, until one day I looked over and saw her tiny little body sitting there. It occurred to me that she would never survive an accident in which the air bags had been deployed. I am not sure about seat belt injury, but as much as she does not like to wear them, she must. I drive carefully, but when she is in the car, I drive extra cautiously.