2004 Tolomeo Family Reunion
-Long Island, New York
I don't care how long this island was, it was not going to contain the family. My mother predicted it was going to be a na casino (chaos) (italian translation will now appear in parentheses, as shown). And that's kinda like saying that my mother only yells a little. Quite an understatement.
The whole trip began with a 7 vehicle 30+ person caravan from Irwin, PA all the way to Elmont, NY. That's some 6 hours of driving, 3 hours of sitting in New York Traffic, an hour of rest stops and another hour of Augustino peeing(more on that later).
Uncle Nino and his silverado led the brigade with aunt mary and regina and chenza in the back, my father served as caboose allowing nessuno (nobody), and I mean nobody, behind him. Our rented van contained my parents, my and paul splitting 3 inches of leg room in the back and danny and little paul in the middle, including pauls portable dvd player, cd player and portable gamecube.
Very old italian cassettes were blaring through the back speakers while me and paul attempted in futility to get any sleep at all.
Also along for the trip was Parma, Grevada, Gracia, Augustino, Rosio, Phillipo, Cina, Angela, Uncle Paul and AL, Mr. and Mrs. Rosota, Frank Labate and family, Santo and Caterini, Augusto, Vincenzo, Diane, Magareta and probably a few others I forgot.
Amazingly we were confronted by state police on one occasion. This occurred during the first of Augistinos bathroom breaks, just as the seven vehicle caravan pulls over on the shoulder of the turnpike, Stino whips it out and begins to urinate, promptly one of New Jerseys Finest (maybe PA or NJ, Im not sure what state we were in besides a state of shock) tells us to get on going, and as he circled around our cars with his flashing lights and everything but a gun pointed at us, he scared the shit out of Stino, actually he scared the shit back in him as he was unable to release anything.
Now I have peed in a lot of places that were never designed for such purpose and I know many stories of many people pissing in unauthorized locals, but how many people can say they pissed on the 23rd mile marker on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Well atleast 1
and he's 6
back to the trip, getting the piss scared back into you tends to be a good thing on long road trips, that is until it decides to come back out on New Yorks busiest thoroughfare, as the seven vehicles cross 3 lanes to the left all at once to enter the mobile gas station, many crashes were barely avoided, but our seven vehicle caravan took over the 2 pump gas station and everyone did what they had to do and it was off to Sapienza Bakery
-/\/
-Long Island, New York
I don't care how long this island was, it was not going to contain the family. My mother predicted it was going to be a na casino (chaos) (italian translation will now appear in parentheses, as shown). And that's kinda like saying that my mother only yells a little. Quite an understatement.
The whole trip began with a 7 vehicle 30+ person caravan from Irwin, PA all the way to Elmont, NY. That's some 6 hours of driving, 3 hours of sitting in New York Traffic, an hour of rest stops and another hour of Augustino peeing(more on that later).
Uncle Nino and his silverado led the brigade with aunt mary and regina and chenza in the back, my father served as caboose allowing nessuno (nobody), and I mean nobody, behind him. Our rented van contained my parents, my and paul splitting 3 inches of leg room in the back and danny and little paul in the middle, including pauls portable dvd player, cd player and portable gamecube.
Very old italian cassettes were blaring through the back speakers while me and paul attempted in futility to get any sleep at all.
Also along for the trip was Parma, Grevada, Gracia, Augustino, Rosio, Phillipo, Cina, Angela, Uncle Paul and AL, Mr. and Mrs. Rosota, Frank Labate and family, Santo and Caterini, Augusto, Vincenzo, Diane, Magareta and probably a few others I forgot.
Amazingly we were confronted by state police on one occasion. This occurred during the first of Augistinos bathroom breaks, just as the seven vehicle caravan pulls over on the shoulder of the turnpike, Stino whips it out and begins to urinate, promptly one of New Jerseys Finest (maybe PA or NJ, Im not sure what state we were in besides a state of shock) tells us to get on going, and as he circled around our cars with his flashing lights and everything but a gun pointed at us, he scared the shit out of Stino, actually he scared the shit back in him as he was unable to release anything.
Now I have peed in a lot of places that were never designed for such purpose and I know many stories of many people pissing in unauthorized locals, but how many people can say they pissed on the 23rd mile marker on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Well atleast 1
and he's 6
back to the trip, getting the piss scared back into you tends to be a good thing on long road trips, that is until it decides to come back out on New Yorks busiest thoroughfare, as the seven vehicles cross 3 lanes to the left all at once to enter the mobile gas station, many crashes were barely avoided, but our seven vehicle caravan took over the 2 pump gas station and everyone did what they had to do and it was off to Sapienza Bakery
Saturday Night
-Pompeii
The annual Saturday Night pre reunion dinner was held at Pompeii, nobody got deported to Italy, Im talking about Elmonts finest eating establishment. We took over the lower floor of the restaurant, us and some schools prom that was next door. Somehow 10 italian fathers managed to outdrink and outyell an entire congregation of 20 something year olds. I counted 17 truzzi's (salutes with wine glasses) and numerous empty bottles of wine. Our food finally arrived 30 minutes shy of midnight as we were joined by our cugini (cousins) from New York, Greg, Maria, Dom, Pasquale and his girfriend Dawly, Antoinette, Laura, Marianne, Antonia, Baby Tone, Little Dom and whoever I forgot.
Me, Dom, Greg and Parma went driving around after back to the gregs house and then hung out outside of the Holiday Bin (Laden), there were 3 lookalikes at our place of stay.
The annual Saturday Night pre reunion dinner was held at Pompeii, nobody got deported to Italy, Im talking about Elmonts finest eating establishment. We took over the lower floor of the restaurant, us and some schools prom that was next door. Somehow 10 italian fathers managed to outdrink and outyell an entire congregation of 20 something year olds. I counted 17 truzzi's (salutes with wine glasses) and numerous empty bottles of wine. Our food finally arrived 30 minutes shy of midnight as we were joined by our cugini (cousins) from New York, Greg, Maria, Dom, Pasquale and his girfriend Dawly, Antoinette, Laura, Marianne, Antonia, Baby Tone, Little Dom and whoever I forgot.
Me, Dom, Greg and Parma went driving around after back to the gregs house and then hung out outside of the Holiday Bin (Laden), there were 3 lookalikes at our place of stay.
Family Reunion Day
-Lido Beach
We were awoken by my screaming father,
We were awoken by my screaming father,
asbrigiti! sonno sette menza
(WAKEUP! Its 730). myself, paul and little paul ate at what we thought was the free breakfast buffet, but we later found out it was 10.95 plus 18% gratuity, but that didnt stop us from getting a free breakfast
For some reason it was imperative we made it to the beach and 8am, the food fest began then and there with more food than all 18 other pavillions on the beach that day....combined
As the day winded down we began to feed the other people from other partys as they flocked to our mushroom pavillion, even more than the seagulls. 2 drunken americans even joined in a few pictures and tuti (everyone) and I mean everyone on the entire beach, joined in for an amazaing happy birthday to palma, 1 day shy of being 18 with the 3rd largest cake in all of north america, courtesy of nino.
In a classic moment palma wiped cake icing all over her father grevades face.
It was too cold for the beach but me palma and vincenzo went anyway, decent sized waves, little paul came running into the water, im not sure what his intent was, but he stepped on a sharp rock and went tumblign head first into the chilling water and brough palma down with him.
Danny also accompanied us to the beach but as soon as he got down there the bagels caught up to him and he had to take a dump, so he walked allll the way back and by the time he made it to the beach, we were leaving already.
Went off the diving board at the pool, I still cant dive but I can front flip and land squarely on my back as I proved many many times. Basketball in tapini, I score the first 14 pointes and chenza shot 0 for 15 until she turned it on the second half and hit 3 of 8 shots. Me and vincenzo defeated Parma, Chenza and Paul 20-16 in boccee.
For some reason it was imperative we made it to the beach and 8am, the food fest began then and there with more food than all 18 other pavillions on the beach that day....combined
As the day winded down we began to feed the other people from other partys as they flocked to our mushroom pavillion, even more than the seagulls. 2 drunken americans even joined in a few pictures and tuti (everyone) and I mean everyone on the entire beach, joined in for an amazaing happy birthday to palma, 1 day shy of being 18 with the 3rd largest cake in all of north america, courtesy of nino.
In a classic moment palma wiped cake icing all over her father grevades face.
It was too cold for the beach but me palma and vincenzo went anyway, decent sized waves, little paul came running into the water, im not sure what his intent was, but he stepped on a sharp rock and went tumblign head first into the chilling water and brough palma down with him.
Danny also accompanied us to the beach but as soon as he got down there the bagels caught up to him and he had to take a dump, so he walked allll the way back and by the time he made it to the beach, we were leaving already.
Went off the diving board at the pool, I still cant dive but I can front flip and land squarely on my back as I proved many many times. Basketball in tapini, I score the first 14 pointes and chenza shot 0 for 15 until she turned it on the second half and hit 3 of 8 shots. Me and vincenzo defeated Parma, Chenza and Paul 20-16 in boccee.
Sunday Night
-Cugliari Household
Me, palma and vincy sat around comparing in italian different threats we hear from our parents then watched with greg in amazement as 6-7 people used his tricked out honda accura as a leaning post. My family retired early for the evening so we could be up at 455 am in the morning
Me, palma and vincy sat around comparing in italian different threats we hear from our parents then watched with greg in amazement as 6-7 people used his tricked out honda accura as a leaning post. My family retired early for the evening so we could be up at 455 am in the morning
Monday
-Long Island-Picksburg
We woke up at 455 in order to escape the madness of New York City traffic and the madness of another day with over 60 tolomeos. We missed a trip to Guidos Deli where apparently my aunt rose and uncle jack "emptyed the store" and I do believe it. Someone brought us back some aranciata (italian orange drink) and I cannot thank them enough.
On the way there, it took us nearly 12 hours, the way home we made it in exactly 6 hours and 21 minutes. I unpacked, showered and headed back to work
ahh, back to life in picksburg
Well that was the 6th annual Tolomeo Family Reunion, the fesitivites return next year on July 24, here in picksburg
On the way there, it took us nearly 12 hours, the way home we made it in exactly 6 hours and 21 minutes. I unpacked, showered and headed back to work
ahh, back to life in picksburg
Well that was the 6th annual Tolomeo Family Reunion, the fesitivites return next year on July 24, here in picksburg
my normally schedule ramblings, return Friday morning, be sure to check back
-/\/
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