I took my neighbor, and good friend, C to the mum farm today. As I expected, it was a very eventful trip.
Let me begin by telling you a little about C, so you can appreciate this post. C is a firefighter in Trenton NJ. He is the social butterfly of the neighborhood who organizes picnics, Christmas parties and knows what's going on at all times. When I was upset by the news that my brother was moving 1500 miles away, he hugged me and told me that his family would be be my family close by. He is the guy that all the men in the neighborhood like and dislike at the same time. I'll explain:
Because he is a firefighter, he works a few days and has a few days off. So he has days off during the work week. When the guys in the neighborhood go off to work, C is home doing things around the house that the others can't get to until the weekend. They go to work, he builds a retaining wall around his front flower bed; they go to work, he paints the dining room; they go to work, he tiles the back splash in the kitchen. I think you get the idea. Any way, the wives (including me) nag our husbands and ask them why they can't be more like C. Of course we need to be reminded that they go to work while he is home doing these things. It is a major topic of conversation at our parties, with C being praised by the women and "hated" by the husbands. All in good fun of course.
So today, C and I headed off to the mum farm for him to get mums (this was my third trip this season). While we were out, he asked if we could do a few errands since we were near Trenton. So off we went to his chiropractor, to the farmer's market, to the Polish butcher shop, to his credit union where I met several of his fellow firefighters, then to the Italian bakery. Of course, no trip would be complete with out him taking me past the fire station where he works which is in one of the least desirable neighborhoods of the city, and then, to complete the day, he took me down one of the worst streets in the city where, on a normal day, the sidewalks would be filled with drug dealers - thank goodness, it must have been nap time since no one was out.
We've done these trips before - they are always filled with laughter. How truly lucky I am to have a wonderful neighbor like C!
4 comments:
He sounds a bit like Mike on Wisteria Lane. Just saying.
Thanks for commenting on my post over at the NJ Mom's Blog.
Sounds like C has a "sweet" life.
And as for Trenton...I worked up that way for approximately 2 weeks & got lost one day coming home. Can I just say "OMG! You do not want to be a woman in a Hyundai in certain neighborhoods!" LOL
Is my hubby (GB) too old to become a firefighter????
He sounds like a love - and I know he works hard for those days off.
tsannie - I don't think he would want to work there. C told me this morning that the day after our adventure, a young man was shot and killed right near the fire station. Poor guy, has to work in such a lousy area of the city.
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