Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Eating Pizza With Dirty Hands


Tomorrow is one of our commemorative Anniversaries. Because, six years ago, we moved here. Into our home. At the time, we were amid a miserable heatwave. The heat index was over 100. It was humid. The air was thick and soupy. You can read all about our hot, sweaty, and dirty moving day here.

I post this photo on my Facebook wall every year on July 12th. It's the photo I took when we were between point A (our old home) and point B (our new home).

We were extremely thirsty and in dire need of caffeine and food. Our favorite pizza place, Nuccio's Pizzeria, was in the same plaza as Cumberland Farms. Lisa ordered a large cheese pizza. We made 4 large iced coffees at Cumbys.

Lisa and I ate and drank with gusto in the U-Haul Truck. We were both soaked with sweat. Stinky. Dirty. Sore. But, it was one of the best meals we've ever shared together.

If you look closely at the photo, you'll notice how dirty my hands are.

We swore that every year, on July 12th, we'd grab a large cheese pizza at Nuccio's and Cumberland Farms iced coffees to celebrate our move-in anniversary.

Sadly, Nuccio's Pizzeria closed shortly after our move. To improvise, we always order takeout on July 12th, enjoy our dinner at the kitchen table, and play cards.

And, of course, we talk about the day we moved here. We've reiterated this story many times, but it never gets old.

When I think about this meal being one of the favorites Lisa and I have shared over the years, I'm reminded of a story an old friend of mine shared with me years ago when she and her husband bought and moved into their first home.

"The house was a fixer-upper. Poor shape, but that's all we could afford at the time. We saved our pennies for a few years to buy our home. That included scrimping and living the frugal life. 

When all was said and done, we didn't have a lot of money left. What little money we did have went towards moving expenses. Neither one of us has family that lives close by. None of our friends had pickup trucks. 

Our cupboards and refrigerator were bare. With all the hustle and bustle of moving, we didn't think to stock up on the basics. So, while my husband was unloading boxes and unpacking the necessities, I walked to the corner market. I bought a box of spaghetti, a jar of sauce, and a loaf of bread from their bakery. 

The total cost for that meal was under $5. It one of the most memorable meals that my husband and I have ever shared. Each year, to celebrate our house anniversary, I make spaghetti and sauce with a fresh loaf of bakery bread. It's our favorite."

Our story and my friend's story reminds me that the simplest of things are often the ones we remember and treasure the most. It's not the dinners at swanky restaurants or pricey, all-inclusive vacations. It's the pizza eaten in U-Haul truck with dirty hands and the under-$5 spaghetti dinner.

I raise my glass to 6 years of living in a wonderful home and neighborhood and to our neighbor friends who have become family.

No comments:

Post a Comment