Going back

Justin Mattes surprised my "niece" Georgia!! He has been visiting at Fusco's Market today!! We miss you!!
File this under a "Feel Good Post", where I'm not going to write aan opinion on current events nor insight some wisdom to the public.  Even t hough I LOVE Cape May with 90% of my heart, there's still 10% left in Woodcliff Lake, sorry living in a town for 38+ years can do that to anyone. Of course every  time we go up there it drops my "Cape May Cred" back a few points I hear my friends at the VFW jokingly say "Yeah, move back North ya Yankee". Truthfully parents still have doctors located in Northern NJ and so we need to go up there a few times a year for their check ups, especially my mom.  So we need to make the 168 mile trip up the Garden State Parkway! We did it once this summer when my  Uncle and Aunt visited from Texas! Then we did another trip up in late October for my license plate meet in Elmwood Park, I used  up a lot of brownie points for that one, but it was worth it to see my friends, since they won't come to Cape May (hint,hint).
So each of these treks north requires two mandatory stops, Golden Dynasty  in Franklin Lakes and FUSCO'S Market. I actually DIDN'T stop at Fusco's Market once and I think the family took it as an personal insult.  It's usually for my traditional "root beer and sour cream chips" which is affectionately labelled "The Justin Mattes   special" because I seldom get anything else, beside the occasional  hero!!  Also the last time I was up there I timed it so I had lunch there and got to chat with George. I had what I felt was "upgraded status" which meant I went behind the counter to sit down awhile!
The last couple of times I announced to the world i was going north, it was all over Facebook. This time it was a "stealth mission". Dad had doctor's appointments in Spring Valley, NY so I convinced him to drop me off at Fusco's on his way. Of course I had to convince him George would be there so it wasn't a total surprise!! However George was happy to see me even if he knew about it ahead of time. I walked in as if I never left Woodcliff Lake. All George could do was smile, we immediately got into a conversation! He *would never admit it but h e missed me like I missed him! His two older girls soon go off the bus from high school and went and got the youngest daughter. who's  in kindergarten, and came over. I've seen them all grow up but I remember when the youngest was born, I even wrote a poem for her. She was shy around me but her sisters always encouraged her to "give Justin a hug"/ When we met this time sh e didn't need any  coaching, as soon as she saw me she ran into my arms. George snapped the picture above and immediately posted it on Facebook~! Oh I just melted. I love all three of them as if they were my nieces.
I say this all the time I love Cape May with all my heart, but I go back to Woodcliff Lake any chance I get. I go back because of family and people like the Fuscos who always welcome me home no matter how far I have travelled
Location: Werimus Rd, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677, USA

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