Giant Joy Continued

I didn't post yesterday because I was waiting for my brother Joey to stop by my house so he could upload some photos and videos he had taken on his iphone at the Giant game Sunday night. He got here kind of late. We had looked at the pictures and videos the night of the game, but Joey didn't have the hook-up for his phone, so we couldn't download them on to my computer that night. But I just wanted to continue a bit more with the Giant game theme and a special moment in time that my brother had with his boys this past weekend.

Sunday he took his sons, Robert and Jojo, to their first football game...the New York Giants. How lucky, their first game, their favorite team and a big win. It was, to say the least, an absolutely awesome and memorable day, for Joey and his boys.

After Joey dropped the boys off with their mom Sunday night he stopped by my apartment as I live upstairs from the boys and their sister Bella. Been here since before the divorce...if it's not broken, why fix it? But he was showing me his pictures and a few videos he filmed to show me the excitement of the game. As he's flipping through the videos he comes upon one that he didn't film, didn't see Jojo film it. As usual our Jojo, he can be so quiet and soulful and mushy as well as off-the-wall funny, smart, sharp and sly. And he's charming.

A few years ago I was watching all three of the kids and putting them to bed. They all were in their parents bed, watching TV, winding down a bit before lights out. Of course I'm super easy with them, they can con me easily. But I was downstairs relaxing, because as anyone who knows about kids, three kids, probably 7, 5 and 3 at the time, I was exhausted after spending a few hours with them. Just needed to not think for five minutes, not hear, just chill, was drinking a bottle of water.

So I'm downstairs for I'm sure less than five minutes when either Bella or Robert is telling on Jojo for something, and probably Bella, such a girl! I go upstairs, still holding the bottle of water, as well as my cell phone. Whenever I watch these kids, to this day, all I say when they push me too far, again because I'm way too easy, is I'm calling your father, so I have my phone with me. Holstered at my hip! With their dad, when he says stop, it usually stops.

Whatever Jojo was doing I told him to stop and he, out of the three of them, can get me with with a look, his charm radiates off of him, like his father, to know him, is to love him. I said come on, we had a nice night, it's time for bed, do you really want me to call your father and I take a drink of water.

In one of the Austin Powers movies, one of Mike Meyer's characters says "father" with a silly accent, kinda sounds like fazzure. So again I was asking Jojo if he wanted me to call his father and he looks at me so seriously but with the Austin Powers' accent, "Call my fazzure, I don't care." Robert and Bella were ready to burst with laughter but looked at me first, was I going to laugh? I spit the water out of my mouth cracking up and Robert and Bella joined in. He got me that Jojo. The three of them are funny, but Jojo's got that extra oomph.

My brother Bob told me that recently he came to see the kids at their dad's house. They were all playing outside with the neighborhood kids, a nice size gang on the street they live on. Bob said something, a comment about what they were doing and none of them paid him any attention or if they did it was a look like, are you from another planet. As Bob is walking inside the house he hears Jojo real low but loud enough for all to hear, "awkward." He has timing. Doesn't need to push his humor most of the time. He's a kid, he does get crazy and can push the best of us to the edge, but again for the most part, this kid has comedic timing down pat and the things he says just get you.

I didn't call their dad that night, the comic interlude brought them all up wide awake and they crashed down just as fast, even Jojo.

So getting back to the golden find on Joey's iphone. Joey was flipping through the videos and when he played this one his heart just soared, as did mine. Just a few seconds of Jojo expressing his Giant Joy.

Jojo says it, means it and shows it, this was a Giant Day, a Giant Memory!

I love a line from the Billy Joel song These Are The Times To Remember:

This is the time to remember
Cause it will not last forever.

How true...

Now This Is Fantasy Football

GIANT GAME INTERRUPTED BY YOUNG BOY ON THE FIELD
January 8, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giant game today versus the Atlanta Falcons was interrupted by a young boy running on the field almost being tackled himself. The kid jumped from the stands onto the field without anyone noticing, fast, agile, he was part of the game before anyone could stop him.

It was unknown who the child was until the fans were going wild, chanting "Jojo, Jojo, Jojo". The chanting began in the upper deck where Jojo had started his trek down onto the field. His family and friends started the chanting before even seeing his face on the giant screen. Knowing Jojo, they knew it was him. The chanting grew. Before long the chanting was coming from every corner of the stadium, "Jojo, Jojo, Jojo".

Security didn't notice Jojo right away. Just 9 years old, this kid was in the midst of giant men, running under their legs and moving so fast even the players weren't sure what was going on. Wait a minute, is there a kid out here?

Now most sports fans know that jumping on the playing field can lead to being thrown out of the stadium and being arrested. But this is a 9 year old kid. Who's going to throw him out of the stadium, who's going to arrest a 9 year for fulfilling his fantasy football dream.

By the time security came on the field the players gathered all together, put Jojo up on their shoulders, carrying him off the field, chanting along with the crowd. Jojo was in his glory, pumping his fists in the air screaming "go Giants"! The crowd was loving this kid, there was no way security could do anything to stop it. The kid had the entire stadium in the palm of his hands.

The players passed Jojo back into the stands, keeping security from catching him. Jojo's father and brother Robert were waiting for him, both smiling as well as shaking their heads saying "that's our Jojo".

Jojo's father and brother were questioned by reporters after the game. What was Jojo thinking they asked. His father replied, "That's my son, he just has a way getting into anything and anywhere he wants. I took him to a Wagner College basketball game not long ago and as I'm watching the game, I see my son helping himself to the Gatorade set up on the sidelines of the court for the Wagner team.* He's not trying to be sneaky, he was just thirsty, saw the Gatorade and cups and helped himself. It's just Jojo". When his brother Robert was asked what he thought of his younger brother he said "That's my brother Jojo, if something pops in his head, he just does it. I guess today he's famous, huh?"

Yes, I say, this kid made a Giant leap into fame today!

*This part of the story is not fantasy, Jojo did help himself to the Gatorade. And maybe the entire story wont be fantasy. Anyone who knows my nephew is betting on him somehow getting on that field. I'm even going to watch the game just in case he does show up!

Giant Game, Giant Man, Giant Memories

The other night my brother Joey was putting his youngest child, Bella, to bed and decided to lay down and talk and cuddle before she fell asleep. A minute later his oldest, Robert, climbed into bed with the two of them and my brother was in his glory. And then came Jojo, the middle child, and he looked at the three of them in Bella's tiny bed wanting so much to join them but not seeing any room. My brother said, you want to get in on this don't you? Get in, there's room for all of us. The four of them in Bella's little bed, cuddling and talking.

They were talking about family, specifically my parents, and I think Robert said, I wish I knew them. And Bella, so smart, says, you do know them. Pounding her little hand on my brother's chest, she said "they're in here." I could cry just thinking of her knowing that. She's only 7. She said we know them because daddy does things that they taught him and now he does those things with us. They're right here, again touching Joey's chest, his heart. I'm sure my brother was tearing up, he's a mush too. But I love that Bella understands that, taught her older brothers something so important. We may lose our loved ones but they are with us, inside us, forever.

Joey is very much like my father Bo. Bo was a giant man, he married my mom after my biological father died. He became a father to me and my five siblings, raised us. Joey is his biological son, but I never felt any difference, I was his daughter. Again a giant man.

Joey is a giant man. He's a wonderful father and even before he became a father there wasn't a kid that wasn't just drawn to him. He's 42 and when you watch him play with his kids, his nieces and nephews, he's one of them, he plays, he's silly. I have a friend and years ago her son had a friend who was deaf. They all came to my brother's house one day for a BBQ and to swim in the pool. This kid was in love with my brother in five minutes, constantly asking my friend when he could go back and see Joey again. He saw the giant man in Joey and he met Bo too. Just like Bella says.

This is a giant weekend for Joey and his kids.

On Saturday Bella receives the sacrament of Reconciliation. When I was a kid it was called our First Confession. What sins a 7 year old has to confess, I don't know, but I guess it's a start in learning about sins, about people who don't know right from wrong and keeping Bella on the right path. It's an important event in Bella's young life.

And on Sunday Joey is taking his sons to the New York Giants play-off game! The boys are so excited but I don't think it compares with my brother's excitement. When he told me he got the tickets, he talked about two major sports moments in his life that live in his heart in a giant way.

My parents took him to a Wagner College basketball game. By the way, another great thing to do in Staten Island. Wagner College has some great sport events, as well as terrific shows from their theatre department. It's a beautiful campus and the school spirit is infectious!

So my parents took Joey to a game without having tickets. When they got there, the place was packed and there were no tickets to be bought. Joey was so upset and a man came up to him and said, I have three tickets. Joey ran to my father and said a man has three tickets! Bo went up to the guy and said how much? The man said nothing, enjoy the game. My father tried to give him money, what can I do for you, you made my son's night, please take something. But the man just wanted to give. There are so many good people out there, we all have to remember that.

Joey said the game was amazing. Wagner lost but it didn't make any difference to him, again the spirit inside that gym was something you couldn't help but feel. It's a giant memory in Joey's life, a wonderful fun night spent with his mother and father.

Years later, in 1986, the year our mom passed away, my father had season tickets for the New York Mets. It was the Mets' year, they won the World Series and Joey says remembering going to those games with my father is giant, fills him with so much happiness and he's flooded with memories of the smallest details.

Sunday is Joey's, Robert's and Jojo's giant day in more ways than just going to a game. This will be a memory that will always be so fresh in their minds they can play it like a movie in their head, they will feel themselves being there, they will smell the smells of the day, feel the cold, the smallest details will come alive whenever they think of this game.

Giant Game, Giant Man, Giant Memories.

Staten Island, The Forgotten Borough

Staten Island is the forgotten borough. Ask any of the people who live here and they will say the same thing. There's just a feeling of being neglected. When I first started working in Manhattan commuting was an absolutely nightmare, I still think it is for many Staten Islanders. We're so close to Manhattan yet it takes forever to get there. If you drive off the Island, you have to pay, the only free access to Staten Island is via the Staten Island Ferry from downtown Manhattan. A free ride. A beautiful free ride, something very rare in New York City. But then where do you go from there?

So many people take a ride on the ferry because you get a great view of the New York City skyline from the water and also ride close by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It's a tourist attraction. But most people just turn around and get back on the Ferry for the free ride back to Manhattan.

The Staten Island Yankees' ball field is right next to the Ferry but unless you're going to a game, I guess you wouldn't venture over there. I went to a game once with my brother and his son Robert. It was great, a night game and the view of the Manhattan skyline above the field was absolutely beautiful. There I was in this old fashioned stadium, felt like I was watching a game from the movie A League Of Their Own. It's a trip back in time to the simple days of baseball, a small field, the kids love it, the concession stands sell food at a much more reasonable price, it's a great outing for a family.


Although this is a sad place to visit, there is a spectacular memorial to the Staten Island victims of 9/11. The memorial faces Manhattan and I believe if you are standing on the side where you would be facing Manhattan, the view is where the Towers once stood.

When you are right in front of the memorial you will see 270 granite plaques that bear the name, birth date and the place where each of the 270 Staten Islanders lost on September 11th worked. And more, each of their profiles in silhouettes. Again, though it is heart wrenching to remember that day, all the souls lost, it is a tribute to them and if you're riding the Staten Island Ferry for free, you might want to take a walk to the memorial, pay your respects to the Staten Island victims of 9/11.


If you dare venture farther into the wilds of Staten Island there is so much more to see. Though born in Brooklyn, I have lived in Staten Island for more than half my life and I still am pleasantly surprised at some of the beauty and historical sites that I have ignored all these years.

The Staten Island Ferry is located in the St. George area of Staten Island and the courthouse and the library are both old buildings with so much character. Although we have outgrown the courthouse and a new one is being built, I believe the old courthouse will become offices or put to some use and not torn down. But walk across the street from the Ferry, go see the library, again so much character.

Not far away, and not within walking distance are some beautiful homes from at least 100 years ago, hidden by the modern overhead wires and fences that cover and surround them. I remember not so long ago having a few friends who lived in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, beautiful brownstones and nice streets, but right around the corner drug dealers, abandoned and burned out homes. Or homes where people were living in horrible conditions, unsafe buildings. Park Slope has changed, it's a beautiful artsy neighborhood, families wanting to raise their children in that neighborhood. We hope for that in Staten Island in some of the old areas, they hold so much history and can be turned into beautiful safe neighborhoods where people would want to raise their families. But everyone forgets Staten Island and all that it has.

Yes traffic is awful. Staten Islanders think so too, but again being forgotten our roads haven't been expanded as quickly as the population grew or as quickly as the price of the bridge rose!

We have beautiful parks and historical sites. The Alice Austen House which I've actually had picnics by many times and never knew anything more than it was the Alice Austen House. I didn't know who Alice Austen was. Well, she was a photographer in the 1880s, rare for a woman and she travelled, she lived a big life for a woman of her times. Her photos were filled with satire, some even risky and wonderful photos of the landscape of Staten Island during those times. At that time photography equipment was huge and bulky but she filled a trunk and traveled everywhere with her equipment, capturing pictures wherever she went.

Less concerned with decorum than with getting a good picture of the auto speed trials, Alice perches on a fencepost. Photo (and this blurb) courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

This is a picture of the beach where I would have my picnics, a beautiful view of the bridge and then a picture of the Alice Austen House right across the street, which I ignored for years. So much history right in my own backyard. I bet wherever you come from, you'd be surprised if you looked up the history of your area.

Historic Richmond Town is more popular, located I guess in the center of Staten Island, but again it's a great tourist attraction for history buffs and children. My niece and nephews have been there. They learned how to make soup like they did 200+ years ago. They made a toy that children of that era would make and play with. They so enjoyed the visit, right in their own backyard. The picture is of the carpenters shop. It's wild, for me anyway, to see these buildings built hundreds of years ago and imagine life in those times.

Blue Heron Park Nature Center. During the winter, there's an event called The Owl Prowl. During this time of the years the owls are beginning their courtship, in the quiet peaceful park, you can hear and see nature's wonders. My niece and nephews spent one of those nights in the park and they loved it.

Wolfs Pond Park, beaches, nature, lots of land.

Clove Lakes Park, picnic areas, boating, streams, just take your shoes and socks off and walk on the rocks.

Miller Field, right by the beach. Kids play soccer there, fields and fields of grass.

So many beautiful parks in Staten Island.

Come visit. Take a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry and then you can find a bus or a train to get you to some of these locations or if you have a car take a ride, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

No More Flying!

I don't want to fly anymore. I don't mean flying on an airplane, I mean flying solo, just me, the wind and up I go!

One day I found myself flying through the streets of Manhattan. Seriously!

I worked across the street from Battery Park and as I was walking up to my building the wind picked me up and I flew about 30 feet down the street. Flew! I was actually flying! Yeah I'm a nut, but it happened and three men who thank goodness were standing in the doorway of the garage area watching me fly, ran out, they surrounded me and with their weight supporting me, were able to get me inside the garage to safety. I was never so afraid of the wind! Two women (also petite) who worked in my building were hurt bad that day. One woman got thrown under a car and broke her leg, the other crashed into the building and broke a couple of ribs. I'm telling you that wind was strong and scary. Since that day I always check the weather to see what the wind gusts are. Over 40mph, I'm not going anywhere near downtown Manhattan.

My family has made tons of jokes. They're going to give me weights to put in my pockets and wrap around my ankles. Yeah that'll work, I wont be able to move!

The day I flew, it took me over an hour to stop my heart from beating so fast. At first I stood in the lobby of my building by the elevator banks, but I could hear the wind going through the elevator shafts and the thought of getting on an elevator just made me more nervous. It sounded like the elevators were going to come crashing down. It took a while but I finally got on an elevator and made it upstairs, but since that day, windy days in the city made me over the top nervous.

Downtown Manhattan is windy. One New York Plaza, closer to the Staten Island Ferry, used to put ropes around the outside of the building so you could hold on to them because of the wind. I also used to work at the World Financial Center and on my way to work would walk through the outside concourse of the World Trade Center to get to the Financial Center where some days it was so windy I would see a small tornado of dust and debris. When it got too cold and windy, they closed the outside concourse because the wind was so dangerous, the Towers created a tremendous wind tunnel.

It took a while but I stopped thinking and worrying about the wind until one day it almost happened again. At this time my company had moved our offices from downtown to Times Square in midtown. I commuted via the Staten Island Ferry to downtown and then would walk up to the Bowling Green train station to catch a train to Times Square, which was about four or five blocks up from the Ferry. One day when I got off the ferry the skies started getting so dark and the winds were kicking up. My heart started beating faster. Walking up the street I noticed the street vendors' tables bouncing around because of the wind and most of them were trying to pack up their goods and shut down before the storm hit. There was a young man walking next to me, maybe about 19 or so, and I walked up to him for help. I'm sure he thought I was totally nuts, but I begged him to please let me hold on to him while walking up the street, told him I was so afraid of the wind. He looked at me like I was crazy but saw the fear in my face and kind of reluctantly agreed to help. Only a minute later the street vendors who didn't pack up were watching their tables fly across the street, the goods they were selling flying all over and this man and I were dodging tables and NYC souvenirs flying all over the street. The man helping me picked up the pace, I could tell he was nervous too and now understood my fear. I think I was gripping his arm so tightly I might have stopped the blood flow, even through his winter coat! We got to Bowling Green station and he said "RUN!" He had to walk farther up Broadway, but I could tell by the way he said "run" that it was really bad and he was now scared too. I ran down the stairs into the train station as fast as I could and made it to safety. Thank God that young man helped me, he saved me! When I got to Times Square I could tell from inside the train station that the winds didn't sound as bad, I would be able to get to my office safely.

Scared of the wind! Never thought I would be, but I am. Mother Nature is a powerful force, one I will not ignore.

No more flying for me!

I Need Another Glass

Today is my birthday and I never feel a year older, just a year more blessed. I'm alive, I'm healthy. I have family and friends who love me. Who could ask for anything more? Well okay, I always wish to win the big jackpot in lottery games but as far as my life is concerned, I hit the jackpot the day I was born into my family.

How you look at anything makes a difference. Glass half full or half empty?

I've had my share of hardships, had some really rough roads that I traveled but somehow at the end of all that I came out more than fine, I'm a better person for it. Easy Street isn't all it's cracked up to be. I mean without the dark, there is no light. If life was easy with nothing to worry about, no losses, what kind of life would that be.

Flat.

There would be no comparison and you wouldn't be able to see and enjoy the light.

My birthday celebration started last night. My friend Kathy who is mom to Honey from the We Moved blog I wrote, sang happy birthday to me. I wish I could share it with you all but it's on my Facebook page and I can't figure out how to download it to my computer? Maybe someone reading this can tell me how and then I will add it to this page at a later date.

This video was absolutely too cute. Honey howled along to the birthday tune and her whole body and being was in the moment. It was one of the most fabulous birthday greetings I have ever received. My glass full.



I also started receiving happy birthday wishes on my Facebook page last night and this morning awoke to so many more. I love that. Seeing all those people reaching out just to say happy birthday. My glass full.

My phone is filled with texts from friends and family wishing me happiness. My glass is full.

And this morning my nephew Jojo also touched my heart. Jojo is very smart, does well in school but there are times he is in his own world and notices absolutely nothing. I have seen his older brother leave the house to go to some sports practice or game, saying goodbye to Jojo and an hour later Jojo will be looking all over the house for Robert, calling his name until someone reminds him, he said goodbye to you an hour ago. That's Jojo. He can also be a mush (to me in private of course), a very loving boy. Well this morning as his mom was dropping him off at school he turned around to her and said, hey mom, tell Aunt Tricia happy birthday from me. Oh Jojo, my glass might have overflowed on that one! He remembered me! Little things mean a lot!

The way I look at life, my glass is full and I need another glass.

People

People who need people...



That's me. I'm a people who needs people.

I had a little writers' block today. Unfortunately an ex in my life, who recently read my blog, sent me a text and said he liked my blog but also said why would anyone be interested in reading my blog when all I do is write about my family and friends. I told him because they can "relate" to me and my stories.

Since his remark, I've been trying to come up with an idea for a blog today, and found that his words were lingering in my mind and blocking everything else. So I think that I should write about that. Not about him. But people like him. People who just don't understand how important it is to relate to people. People who don't really need people. People who think, what can you do for me, instead of what can I do for you.

Empathy. Compassion. Altruism.

Empathy is being able to feel and share feelings with a stranger, a friend, even an enemy. Compassion, an awareness of the suffering of another person and wanting to relieve that suffering. Altruism, giving with no expectation of getting anything back.

I am blessed with empathy, compassion and altruism. Truly blessed.

I didn't expect anything back when I started writing my blog. But oh what I got back! Way more than I gave. And every time in my life that I have given without expecting something in return I have gotten back way more than I gave.

Thank you all my readers who relate to me, feel me, have empathy, compassion, those who are motivated by altruism.

You are the people I need. The people I want to surround my life...today, tomorrow and always.