Jersey Daydream

I’ve been trapped in the car for over an hour. Remind me again what possessed me to drive to Central Jersey on a Friday afternoon? Oh yeah….CHILDREN! G-d bless them and the games they play with your head. The constant whining and begging over the last four days, the countless phone calls of pleading to come and rescue them from the exile. The guilt they put on you for making them spend most of the summer with their grand parents.

Yeah, the cruel and unusual punishment of spending weeks stuck with two people who love them no matter what they say or do. They go out of their way to keep them entertained and happy! Two retirees who upgraded to a Broadband internet connection and cable package to include Cartoon Network, Disney channel and Nickelodeon in preparation for their only grandchildren’s visit. Not to mention the two swimming pools, three tennis courts, a gym, and clubhouse of which their development boasts. That’s in addition to the multiple parks, a petting zoo, malls and beaches within a 30 minutes drive! Ungrateful little @#$%%^s! Yep, that’s my kids! And I love them dearly!

I stretch and look around the massive parking lot also known as New Jersey Turnpike. The drive that has been stop and go for the last 20 minutes has come to a complete stop! I look to my left, and survey my husband’s face. He is sporting that famous “I told you so” look, that over the last 20 years I had come to know well.

Great…I’m in for another lecture! Pick a topic from “we should’ve left earlier”, to “we should’ve waited till tomorrow” or even “you could’ve gone by yourself”. Not willing to deal with it now, I give him my sweetest smile, reach over, hug him and give him a kiss. His face softens, and *gasp* he doesn’t comment. *insert satisfied sigh* yep, still got it! And it still works!

He looks at the dashboard, sighs and says “ We only have a quarter of a tank worth of gas left. We should turn off the air conditioning and open the windows to save gas.” As much as the idea of sitting in traffic without the benefit of air conditioning, in the middle of August, sounds despicable…I just nod in agreement.

Who am I to argue with a driver!

One of the things I learned over the last 20 years of marriage are the words ‘always’ and ‘yes’. The one in the driver’s seat is ALWAYS right! And the “YES dear” answer is ALWAYS appropriate! I press the switch and open the windows, reach up and open the sunroof. “Happy Dear?” He just grunts.

Now what? How about some music? I reach toward the radio and attempt to switch from a radio station that’s playing some elevator crap to my CD. “Don’t even think of switching.” He growls. “Yes dear!”

I reach into the endless depths of my trusty everyday purse and pull out my Zen. Lets see…what am I in the mood for today? Hmmm…Lets mix and match. The opening riffs of “Dry County” flow out my headphones. Sweet Jovi Heaven! My mind drifts back to that glorious night about a month ago. To the first night at Madison Square Garden. The night my husband finally accompanied me to a Bon Jovi concert, the night a miracle happened...he grudgingly admitted that he really enjoyed himself and that the boys put on a “hell of a show” YESSSSS! We have a “conversion!

I sigh and pull my shades on. Perfect! Now I can close my eyes and drift. The song changes and “Open All Night” comes on next. A vision of Jon in “That Red Shirt”, singing on a small side stage at the Mohegan Sun concert is on my mind. What a great show that was! I got so lucky with my ticket for that concert, best seat I ever had, at least so far. The “scratch and sniff” seat as my friend called it. Both Jon and Richie within five feet of me at one point in the show. And what did I do? Froze up completely, stood there with a silly grin on my face and most likely drool dripping down from my mouth. *shudder*

A whiff of cigarette smoke pulls me out of my reverie. Yuck! Hate that smell! I open my eyes and search for the offender. Sure enough, a car right next to us. I look down from my SUV. Hmmm…a large black Beemer…..nice! A lone driver, a baseball hat, a pair of dark sunglasses, AND the offending cigarette in hand hanging carelessly out of the open window. *insert eye roll* I cough exaggeratedly to make my statement. The driver looks up and smirks….my heart skips a bit at that all familiar expression…NO WAY!!!!!!

He shifts in his seat and the sleeve of his white T-shirt rises slightly. I can’t stop staring. The slightly faded Superman tattoo appears on his left shoulder…HOLY SHIT!!!!! SOMEBODY PLEASE PINCH ME!!!!! GULP!!! I smile at him. He slightly lowers his shades. I catch a split-second glimpse of THOSE BABY BLUE EYES!!! THUD!!!

Luckily I’m already sitting down, because I’m certain if I wasn’t I’d already be on the floor. What comes next does me in completely and surely. Yep, you guessed it. THAT AMAZING, GORGEOUS “MILLION DOLLAR SMILE”!!!!

The traffic picks this moment to start moving again. NOOOOOOOO!!!! My hubby, the good man that he is, shakes me gently and pulls the headphones off my head. “Wake up baby” he says, we’ll be there in less then ten minutes. I swallow, nod and smile at him. I sneak a look out of my rapidly rising car window. The black Beemer has been replaced with a yellow pick up truck.

Welcome back to real life…the bitch that she is!