October 20, 2004

Just returned from a few days in Bolzano, which is a great mix of Tyrolean and Italian. I met Lee and Helen, who I absolutely adore, and when I first saw them in the hotel lobby, I started crying. What a big fucking baby. I felt and I must’ve looked like an idiot. It just felt so good to see folks with ties to Haddonfield and home in general.

We spent our time together wandering, eating, drinking and talking about everything from therapy to the upcoming election. When I first met them at coffee, I assumed they were very conservative because they are older and well off, but as time passed I realized that my original impression was completely off the mark. They told me they don’t advertise their political views in Haddonfield too much because they assumed that everyone was Republican. Everyone I know, except for the Burmasters and Tom Bullock, is voting Democrat. But I think I am just traveling in those circles. The people with the really big money on King’s Highway, Warwick Road and Chews Landing Road are probably all conservative Republicans and don’t mix with the likes of me. Jack has a ton of money but he’s very liberal and very Democrat. I think most folks in Haddonfield are socially liberal. When Diane and Marilyn were suing the State of New Jersey for the right to marry, virtually everyone I know supported them. Either that, or they were afraid to voice their dissent to me. Anyway, I did not mean to digress there. We really had a good old time chatting it up. They were so nice – wouldn’t let me buy any of my food and drinks the whole time we were together. I am really happy I took the opportunity to hook up with them.

Read Jason’s new book on the train ride back. He is the editor of an anthology called “Best American Travel Writing 2004” which is published by Houghton Mifflin and actually sells quite well. He goes through a ridiculous amount of travel writing and gathers one hundred pieces from which the guest editor, who is normally a well known writer in the genre, picks twenty. It’s a good gig for him and gives him a cushion for his other writing and reviews. When I met Jason, I had heard a bit about about him from Pam and Christina Di Sanzo, and I had it in my head that he was going to be this stodgy, snobby guy. Dead wrong again. We hit it off immediately and found three dozen subjects on which we agreed completely. Both of us can be wicked as hell and we both love to drink. I always say that his job as food reviewer for Philadelphia Magazine was the best year of my life. When his wife couldn’t go, or was sick of dining out, I’d get the call and come running. I think he chose me because I, a) was terminally single, and could answer his call at the drop of a hat, and, b) always had a black dress ready to roll for any occasion. Once the three of us went out and that was fun. He’s married to a great gal, who is also a writer, and he is father to a beautiful boy. Another baby is on the way right now. I thoroughly enjoyed being his companion on those nights when I was pressed into service. And I loved seeing my pithy comments on food on the pages of the magazine, I must admit. One of our better nights out was when he was doing a piece on Philadelphia’s best hamburger. We ate and drank ourselves senseless. I couldn’t look at beef for a month, but it was a hoot. He keeps threatening to visit and I sincerely hope he does. I want him to get to know Chris better as I am hoping we spend a bit more time with them when we return for good.

Oh, and I did buy the Sunday Times in the Hauptbahnhof on the way down to Bolzano. It was 15 euros and I was sighing over it so contentedly, it felt like porn.