I always love getting back to Long Island.
Along with the fact that there's no better pizza on the planet, or better bagels, the fact remains that I have a few very dear friends on the Island that I just can't see enough.
The drive from Rochester wasn't bad. I stopped for some gas, got some coffee and hit the road. Now, for a moment, let's talk about that coffee. In another life, I traveled extensively throughout Canada. Hell, I'm pretty confident I've seen more of Canada than most Canadians. One of the best things about Canada, being a coffee drinker, was Tim Horton's. "Timmy's" is like the Dunkin' Donuts of Canada. Well, after I got gas I looked for a place to get a cup of coffee (I wasn't diggin' the gas station coffee). You can, I'm sure, imagine my amazement when I discovered that Tim Horton's has come south of the border. 'Tis a good day that starts out right, and then day couldn't have started out any better.
The weather was less than perfect. It had rained overnight, so the roads were wet and slick. It was still drizzling a bit, but at least it wasn't the torrential rain which we'd apparently had overnight (I'm not a huge fan of driving in hard rain).
I pointed the car south and pressed the gas.
The drive was pretty uneventful until I started getting close to New York City. People in places like Atlanta and Los Angeles like to bitch about their traffic but, when all is said and done, there's nothing like a good New York traffic jam. The bad part, though, is that a traffic jam in New York can stretch from the Bronx to Hauppauge, 50 miles to the east on Long Island.
One thing I always like to do when I'm on the Island is drive past the old homestead. Oddly, the house seems smaller now. At one time (long after Mom sold it) it had fallen into a state of disrepair which was sad to see. Whoever owns it now, though, has done a real nice job of making repairs and cleaning the place up. Most interesting to me, though, is that there were two huge pine trees in the front yard. Today, there's but one.
The best part of this house, for me, was the front porch. We were famous for having friends over on a rainy weekend afternoon, guitars and beers in hand, jamming on the front porch. No huge, legendary parties. Just good times with good friends.
I found my way to my friend Eileen's house. I have three truly dear friends in this world who I would literally do anything for, and Eileen's one of them. She graciously opens her home and puts up with me every time I visit Long Island. She's a pretty damn good cook, too, so there's that. Her grilled salmon is pretty legendary and is, by a very wide margin, the best I've ever had.
My stay on Long Island was as relaxing as I'd hoped it would be. Rochester was a whirlwind; something going on every day (not that I'm complaining). I was able to relax, see some old friends and I even got to do a couple of tattoo shoots with an old high school friend and her daughter and make the obligatory stop at the Palace Diner. Eileen made dinner for her and I and our friend Patty, as well.
As is so often the case, my visit to Long Island was over way too soon. I expected that, though. It doesn't matter if I stay two days or two weeks, when I'm on the Island I always find myself wishing I'd had another day or two.
My trip wasn't over yet, however, so goodbyes were said and I found myself back on the road, headed south.
Again...
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| The best coffee ever... |
The weather was less than perfect. It had rained overnight, so the roads were wet and slick. It was still drizzling a bit, but at least it wasn't the torrential rain which we'd apparently had overnight (I'm not a huge fan of driving in hard rain).
I pointed the car south and pressed the gas.
The drive was pretty uneventful until I started getting close to New York City. People in places like Atlanta and Los Angeles like to bitch about their traffic but, when all is said and done, there's nothing like a good New York traffic jam. The bad part, though, is that a traffic jam in New York can stretch from the Bronx to Hauppauge, 50 miles to the east on Long Island.
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| The Long Island Expressway. Enjoy your stay... |
One thing I always like to do when I'm on the Island is drive past the old homestead. Oddly, the house seems smaller now. At one time (long after Mom sold it) it had fallen into a state of disrepair which was sad to see. Whoever owns it now, though, has done a real nice job of making repairs and cleaning the place up. Most interesting to me, though, is that there were two huge pine trees in the front yard. Today, there's but one.
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| 438 Townline Road in Hauppauge... |
I found my way to my friend Eileen's house. I have three truly dear friends in this world who I would literally do anything for, and Eileen's one of them. She graciously opens her home and puts up with me every time I visit Long Island. She's a pretty damn good cook, too, so there's that. Her grilled salmon is pretty legendary and is, by a very wide margin, the best I've ever had.
 |
| Yes, please... |
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| Eileen and me... |
My stay on Long Island was as relaxing as I'd hoped it would be. Rochester was a whirlwind; something going on every day (not that I'm complaining). I was able to relax, see some old friends and I even got to do a couple of tattoo shoots with an old high school friend and her daughter and make the obligatory stop at the Palace Diner. Eileen made dinner for her and I and our friend Patty, as well.
 | ||
| Eileen, Patty and me... |
As is so often the case, my visit to Long Island was over way too soon. I expected that, though. It doesn't matter if I stay two days or two weeks, when I'm on the Island I always find myself wishing I'd had another day or two.
My trip wasn't over yet, however, so goodbyes were said and I found myself back on the road, headed south.
Again...
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