Special gift-- Hardest RSVP

I have been listening to police scanners for over twenty five years,When the fire whistle blew I would grab my scanner and race down to the firehouse often when the trucks were just leaving and kwait until the trucks returned. Over the years I got to know all of them pretty well. I saw folks my age join as juniors at 16 and go through the training firefighters need. At times I tried tor give them some encouragement or just be around them. I went to all of the wetdowns and even showed up at a few calls when I knew I could observe at a safe distance. They all  smile when I show up  at the firehouse I watched kids my  age first become juniour firefighters and then regular firefighters. I wanted to be with them as m uch as I could!! One of my dreams was to make it to the Chief's Dinner at least once, but it was for memberrs, family and special guests like the Mayor.

As soon as my parents bought  the house in  Cape May I knew the clock was ticking. It was always thier plan to move down to Cape May, even when my mother say she'd never do it  during their many arguments over building the house. b Although they want to add a secoond floor which eventually meant rebuilding the entire house. Well long story shorft, an architect, a lawyer and a varience hearing later it turned out the house was to be rebuilt from  the ground up. That took a year and more, so that meant a delay in moving. Folks around town knew we were moving and it was brought up every where we went. I was sick and tired of people asking me "When is the big move?" After all I spend all of my 37 years in that house.

While I love Cape May one of the hardest parts of leaving Woodcliff Lake was not being able to ride the scooter down to the firehouse any more.  I told my friends on the department, who I have now known for 20+ years. We've grown together, I watched people I went to school with rise through the rannks, I went to high school with the chief. W ell  folks in the department decided to/ have a little going away party for me. I got a, dinner at the firehouse. At the end of the dinner the chief called me to the front of the room

Months went by and  I got an email from someone from the fire department asking for my  address, I excitedly gave it to him knowing what was coming in the mail. As soon as  it arrived I opened it the best I could, thenw my heart sank, it was on Chris's birthday and at the end of the week Zander and Quinn were visting. I knew I kcouldn't go but it was so special I got the invitation. This entry was a month in  the making!~!!!

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