As I write this first blog of our February trip, Susie and I are drinking our first Sailor Jerry and Coke Zero of the trip in a Comfort Inn in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. We left Ocean City at 9:45 this morning, and arrived at the hotel at 5:30 this evening having driven 422 miles in day one of our trip, traveling from New Jersey, through Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and into North Carolina. Not much to talk about but the Interstate Highway system, so I thought I might give a quick recap of what the past week was like in the “Kenny and Chris to LA Tour”!

Last Sunday night we picked Kenny and Chris up at JFK’s Jet Blue terminal at 10:30 PM and drove home to Mineola where twin sister Krissi and her boyfriend Mike were waiting for them. We’d earlier in the day (per Kenny’s instructions) bought a selection of pizza slices from Angelo’s in Carle Place, and after Christmas #5, it was time for a Twins (and significant others) “Night in the Basement.” If you read my last blog post, you realize this might be the last time this will happen for Kenny and Krissi in Mineola, so there was indeed some added meaning for the two of them!

The next day was President’s Day, so all the working stiffs were off, and the plan was for a Siblings and Significant Others afternoon and evening in Astoria. At one time, a couple of years ago, all three of our kids lived in Astoria (as well as many of their friends, and Billy’s future bride Lori) and now just Krissi and her boyfriend Mike live there. They started doing this Siblings Day Out a couple of years ago, rather than buy each other Christmas presents, and with Kenny on the cruise, this was the perfect opportunity for the six of them to get together. It was also another “last” for them, as Kenny moves to LA, and Billy and Lori move to North Carolina. Susie asked them to take a picture of the three D’Elia siblings so she can get it printed for her Mom, and here is the result.

Kenny and Chris crashed at Krissi’s apartment Monday night, and then Tuesday headed into Manhattan for a day and night of getting together with friends. The boys spent that night in a Manhattan hotel, and had a great time…even though the sun was up before they were in bed!! Ah, to be young again!!

Wednesday was Nail Night, and even though the boys were a wee bit under the weather (not as easy to bounce back as you get into your thirties), it was a great night for all six of us at St. James for drinks and dinner. Because of President’s Week school vacation, the place was a zoo, but that didn’t stop the D’Elias from having a great Super Nail Night!!

On Thursday, Susie and I headed down to Ocean City, followed shortly by Kenny and Chris, for a last goodbye to the shore till next summer for the boys. Thursday night they were honestly still recovering a bit (kids!), but we enjoyed sushi at Tokyo Mandarin, and then an early night!

Friday’s plan was an afternoon and evening at Harrahs in Atlantic City, with Krissi and Mike heading down from NYC via bus in the afternoon, and all six of us having a drink with our good friend, and excellent AC Bartender, Ralph and then dinner and some gambling. We had 3 rooms that night at Harrahs, so there was no issue with drinking and driving, or having to stop before we were ready to stop! In preparation, the boys slept till 10 AM, and then Susie and I headed off with them to Ready’s Coffee Shop on 8th Street in Ocean City, for a hearty breakfast…a base for that evening’s goings on (people have been known to have issues with Ralph’s martinis if you don’t have a substantial base in your body prior to entering Harrah’s Eden Lounge). After a good breakfast, it was back to the house for showers and then we were off to Harrahs!

We lucked out by being called from the Diamond Line to the VIP Check-In area by a very nice lady who put Susie and I and the boys right across the hall from each other, and reserved and pretty much checked Krissi in several hours before she got there! After we dropped off our bags, it was down to the Exhibition Bar so Susie could get an excellent Bloody Mary, and the rest of us more ordinary drinks and start the gambling process! Susie managed to hit Four Deuces and an Ace on a Video Poker machine at the bar for $320 and then we hit a couple of other things, and left with a voucher for $400! Not a bad way to start!! After playing a few more machines, Frank got lucky and hit a machine for $500!!! We headed up to the room and played cards while we waited for Krissi and Mike to arrive.

Once they got all checked in, it was time to go visit Ralph at the bar, and he was thrilled to see Kenny and Krissi, as he always asks about them, because he hasn’t seen them recently! He loved hearing their plans and what was going on in their lives, and took Mike aside before we left the bar and told him what a good girl he had in Krissi! I guess Mike passed the Ralph muster! Here’s some photographic evidence of our time there!

Then it was dinner at the new AC Burger restaurant at Harrahs (good..everybody enjoyed the food), some more gambling, and a lot of family fun, till Mom and Dad decided it was time to leave the night to the young, and head up to bed with more money, I must add, than we came with!

Saturday dawned earlier for Susie and I than the younger D’Elias, and since it was Bagel Saturday, we headed over to Hot Bagels and More in Somers Point armed with orders from all the kids. While they slept in, we followed our usual Saturday morning routine and had bagels as we headed to Hawaii via Hawaii Five-O on the TV!

Saturday night, there was an impromptu gathering of some of our Ocean City Family, as they met Chris and Mike, and said goodbye to Kenny and Chris! As always, a fun time, and the boys enjoyed being with these folks and being able to say Hello and Good-Bye at the same time!

This morning the boys headed out at 9 AM, headed down to Cape May to take the Cape May/Lewes Ferry to start their trip, while Susie and I did the more normal Atlantic City Expressway to Interstate 95. Tonight the boys are in another hotel in Rocky Mount, NC and their plan is to grab Subway or something, and settle in to watch the Oscars. Susie and I are probably going to head across the parking lot of the hotel to the Texas Steakhouse and Saloon, and there you have Day One of our February/March 2017 trip!!

See you tomorrow!!

PS – In the months since we ended our 9 week trip across the country last fall, I have forgotten how much most hotel’s “free Wifi” sucks!  IT SUCKS!!