Oh, The Syracuse Life and Family. Visits are Brief. Adult Responsibilities Are Growing. And It Just Makes Me Happy to Gather, Catch Up, & Reflect

Saturday revolved around Jack and Madeline's 50th Wedding Anniversary. I was the Uber driver, and came from Connecticut because my sisters were booked. Butch had on a dress shirt and tie by noon, and I kept saying, "THE PARTY IS NOT UNTIL 4 PM DAD!!!!" (I use capitalization to denote shouting so he can hear me). The twins and Kanyea arrived for lunch, so we took Butch to Chubby's and played a little pool, but he was focused on the wedding and was already tiring. NOTE: It wasn't a wedding, but that is what he was fixated on. 

Val's chicken wings and Chubby's pizza seemed like a good idea for lunch, but they weren't smart at all. 

We returned to Amalfi Drive, visited with mom for a bit, and then I knew it was time to load the parental units in the car for the anniversary party. The boys left, and then we headed to Fireside Inn in Baldwinsville -a classic joint in CNY. It was open bar but my mom barely touched her White Russian and dad didn't finish a Labatts Blue. They both ate well, although my dad complained about his dentures. 

It was wonderful to see Jill and Joel, and to celebrate their parents' 50th. They were middle school kids when I graduated high school, but it is great to meet them in their adult lives. Jack and Madeline were staples to Amalfi Drive and I don't think anyone has lived in Cherry Heights longer. They come with the street, so I was thrilled to be home in CNY to applaud their long-term marital commitment. It was also great to meet Jill and Joel's partners. 

Cherry Heights was a wonderful place to grow up and being able to celebrate Jack and Madeline was a beautiful milestone. They are a ritual of Amalfi Drive, like the normalcy of mail trucks, snow plows, and the ice cream guy. It's just the way it always has been. 

At night, Dad and I sat out front - him in several layers because he claimed it was cold - and we talked about changes he's seen in the area. We talked about the boys, Chitunga, the work as its changed, my pain-in-the-ass dog, Karal, who my dad is kind of fond of, and the laundry he still needed to do.

My plan was to make my mom an ice cream sundae with the peanut butter cups left on the tables, but by the time dad and I came inside, my mom had already eaten them. No Sundaes for her, I guess.

It's wild to think how generations ebb and blow. Beautiful, really. 

One foot in front of the other. One day at a time. 

We never know what will become of it all.