I was having breakfast with family at a diner in Elmer, NJ, when my aunt asked the table at large, “Is that lipstick on my coffee cup?”
Everyone peered her way and agreed that yes, that was a faint pink smooch on the mug.
My aunt paled a little. “I had my mouth on that.”
When we asked for a clean cup, one of the waitresses explained the reason: “It’s these new waterproof lipsticks. It can be hard even for a dishwasher to get them off.”
You learn the darnedest things in South Jersey diners.
Yep, I’m back, preparatory to attending the American Society of Journalists and Authors conference in New York. Why come all the way to the East Coast (a 14-hour trip) and not visit relatives?
Door-to-door it was closer to 16 hours, what with a full runway in Philly and then traffic going to Fairton. (Note to self: Maybe landing at 4:30 p.m. wasn’t the way to do this.) But once we crossed the Commodore Barry Bridge it wasn’t long before we reached one of South Jersey’s favorite examples of architecture: a Wawa.
Yes, I got Tastykakes. Mailed some to my niece in Alaska, too.
South Jersey climate
Weather-wise, I’ve lucked out: warm days (but not too warm), sunny skies, cool breezes, relatively low humidity. It reminded me of being in Phoenix in February: You think, “I could get used to this.”
Not long after, the air in South Jersey turns into a wet mop that you’ve somehow aspirated, and Phoenix becomes Satan’s Fry Daddy. You think, “How do people live in this?”
I lived in South Jersey/Philadelphia for 26 years. As an adult, what I mostly remember about summer is being uncomfortable. Good food (especially the fresh produce), but stinkin’ hot and humid weather.
These days I notice a lot of air conditioners in windows or central air conditioning setups as I walk along. Air conditioning was not the norm when I was a kid. I notice a lot of Dish network satellites, too. My brother, with whom I’m staying, says he has the only TV antenna on the block.
South Jersey memories
It’s been odd to walk down my childhood street and along the route that we once took to school, and to the store for Popsicles and candy. Grass has completely filled in the path once worn to bare sand by our relentless little feet. In part that’s because kids are now bused to a regional school and in part because very few children live in the area. It’s an aging township.
Its housing stock is aging, too. Some houses I remember have collapsed and/or been carted away. Others, according to my brother, are rentals. When I was a kid I bet there were few if any rentals in Fairton; it was inhabited by long-established families. Everyone knew everyone, by sight if not by friendship.
Now my brother says he recognizes some faces but not many. Towns change. Well, it has been almost 40 years since I lived here.
I’ll be in New York beginning late Monday afternoon. While I do have some meetings scheduled throughout the week before the conference starts on Friday, I’m also interested in saying “hello” in person to any readers who live or work in the city. E-mail me at SurvivingAndThriving (at) live (dot) com if you’re up for a breakfast or a coffee meet-up.
There is nothing like a Jersey diner breakfast!! I also used to miss WaWa and Tastykakes – but they made their way down here 🙂 Enjoy your trip and family time, and Happy Mother’s Day Donna!
Last time I visited my dad, he showed me the Wawa and told me that when it first opened there lines to get in the door. Expatriates from the Delaware Valley, I guess.
Thanks for the stroll down memory lane! I lived in Philly and the surrounding area from 1968 to 1990. Yep, those summers were ridiculously hot and HUMID. But, on the flip side, the good news & it’s true: “Nothing is a tasty as a Tastykake.”
I enjoyed your memories.
Don’t know if you have wheels- any chance you would want to meet up for breakfast in Haddonfield on Sunday? My Mother’s Day plans are later in the day.?
I’ll be in Sicklerville again, visiting with my dad and stepmother. As I will have only that day and part of Monday with them, afraid I don’t want to take any time away. Next visit, maybe, and thanks for asking.
No problem-have a wonderful Mother’s Day and visit.
Wow…16 hours of travel…I’m gonna be traveling in a bit and am not looking forward to 8 hours, can’t imagine 16. Aaand when family come home to visit here they take a load of Tastykakes and Utz Potato chips home with them…it’s an addiction! Sad to hear that your town is “shrinking” and changing…As they say change is inevitable…it doesn’t make it any easier. Safe travels….
The 16 hours included getting to the Anchorage airport at 10:30 p.m. (for 12:30 a.m. flight), a couple of hours of layover in Seattle, and the drive to my brother’s in Jersey. It takes time to get anywhere from Alaska.
Hope your trip is as painless as possible. Personally, I recommend generic Benadryl.
As our small town ages and older people die off, I go up town and don’t know hardly anyone. I probably am the only one in my town that still has an antenna. We only have comcast here for internet, besided dish, so they have things sewn up and it really cost. For the few channels we watch, I wouldn’t pay that. I know a few towns will not allow antenntas or washlines. I guess for sights sake, but then I see as high as 4 dishes on one roof. To me, that looks worse! Some rules are downright stupid! I have Utz chips here right now, but have been trying not to do Tastycakes as I ate too many sweets and have to try and cut down. Being from a small town and never traveling much, driving to Philly and the airport terrifies me!
You can order Tastycakes online! I know because my friend (originally from Philly but living in Raleigh) ordered a big box and sent them to me in Texas when I was pregnant with my first child. Best gift EVER!
Welcome to NJ. Glad you could enjoy the nice weather we had for the last few days. Today is a bit cold and dreary. We have a WAWA open in Ewing and it has been fabulous. I love WAWA. The gas is a great price too.
Happy Mother’s Day
The gas price there is generally lower than the stand-alone stations. Plus: hoagies and Tastykakes. Before I get on the Megabus in Philly tomorrow I might visit the Wawa on Arch Street to get a hoagie to take along for my dinner.
I’m old enough to remember the first Wawa commercials: “People on the go go to Wawa food markets/Ride right up and park it right away/People on the go go to Wawa food markets/Fast fast shopping night and day.” This was back when supermarkets tended to close at 9 p.m. or earlier.
I can remember when the local supermarket closed at 5 or 6 p.m. on Saturday and didn’t open again till 9 a.m. on Monday morning! Somehow, we survived. I know what you mean about the old hometown. I was in Pittsburgh at Christmas time & it was a little sad to see quiet streets where kids used to run and play…
Enjoy your visit & safe travels!
Yep. And the banks closed at 3 p.m. Friday so if you wanted money for the weekend you’d better get there in time.
Ya’ll are going to have to explain yourselves:) It sounds like a Wawa is a grocery store, yes? But what the heck is a Tastycake?
Wawa is a convenience store. Tastykakes are manna:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tastykake
If they know that lipstick is hard to remove from dishes, I think they should be responsible for using a cloth with vinegar to clean it off. They cannot pass the buck when they are aware. Their explanation was supposed to make it okay? No, it did not.
Hey, you belong to ASJA? Used to be a member for years. Not fond of traveling as much as you are so let it go at one point — but found it the most useful of the national groups for freelancers. And what a great way to make a visit with relatives deductible. 🙂
On the lipstick issue: THE reason I will not eat at a Denny’s — any Denny’s at all — is that they served me a cup of coffee with some woman’s big kiss mark on it. When I asked for a clean cup, the waitress REFUSED to replace it.
Just joined ASJA this year. So far, so good.
Did you ask to speak to the Denny’s manager, or did you just leave? I would have done both, in that order. After that, I’d have written a letter and taken to social media, because I’m vindictive like that.