True Story: A Honeymoon, A Funeral, A Tesla, & Who The "F" Are They?

My favorite picture of my grandfather...Baby me eating his shoulder.

June 14th...Seriously, how did we get here? 

It seems like yesterday I was leaving for my honeymoon to the Dominican Republic and finding out my husband & I's luggage didn't exactly make the trip along with us. Oh yeah...not fun. Thankfully we were staying at an all in-clusive resort and we had a lot of cash with us. Let's just say I'm glad the gift shop sold maxi dresses and I was able to buy the a swimsuit.

This however was not yesterday. It was three years ago. When we returned after the most awkward honeymoon experience I found out my grandfather had passed away the day we left. I was lucky enough to see him a few weeks before and got to tell him I loved him. Of course it saddened me that my grandfather had died, but truly I felt like he was finally at peace. 

The next day after we came home we had to rush up to Connecticut for the funeral because luckily my family was able to wait for me to hold the services. But this is where things got even weirder. 

Craig noticed a Tesla in the church parking lot and asked me, "Who in your family drives a Tesla?" I had no idea and thought maybe it was my uncle's rental car. Why not drive a Tesla to your father's funeral service I thought. Or possibly there were two funerals happening at the same time. 

Ironically Craig and I accidentally went to a wrong cocktail at a wedding venue once. It happens, I swear it does.  lol. 

But as we entered the church I noticed my cousin and my uncle in the only vestibule. I was so good with the tears until I saw my uncle. That brought the tears. My mom came out and told me to come on up because we were going to start. 

Now mind you Craig and I had been in the Dominican Republic for the past 4 days. 

I was not part of the funeral planning at all.

The church that the services were being held is very long with tons of pews. I was sweating and crying by the time I got to the rows with people. I recognized everyone on the left side of the church aka the usual suspects of my family and extended family...On the right side...No Fucking Clue who 5 rows of people were. 

I'm an only child and have 2 first cousins and 3 Second cousins through marriage. I have my aunt and uncle and my aunt's family. That's it on that side, my Italian side. The people on the right side looked like they stepped out of Page 6 of Vogue Magazine. Designer bags, black designer suits, and probably designer hats to match. Everyone looked at me smiled and offered condolescences. 

I finally got to my seat in the pew and turned back to my cousin Marina and said 

"Who the fuck are they?" 

She laughed, her husband laughed as well as my uncle. Evidently all the people work in the New York office of my uncle's cosmetic company and friends from when he worked at Estee Lauder. Every one of us started to crack up and it was exactly what we needed right then and there to ease us into everything. 

I will never forget that day and the mysterious people who I swear to God looked like the mafia themselves. It explained the Tesla and the packed parking lot. 

Yes it's a long story but when you wonder how sitcoms and movie directors and writers come up with these zanny ideas that appear to be out there...Just wait...it will happen to you one day.

I truly miss my grandfather - Julius Zecchino.

When I was younger my grandparents would take to the zoo, strawberry & blueberry picking, the afternoon movie, dollar stores (I was obsessed when they all started to spring up), to the Mickey Mouse park up the road from their house, and to so many other things.

He always made sure I had my very own little saucer of milk when he'd make oatmeal in the morning. The large one he used was too heavy so somehow they found a little one just for me. 

He'd watch golf, even though I never knew him to play golf. He also would always tape the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade so we could all watch it when we got there. Years before DVR.

He was obsessed with James Bond movies & the Indiana Jones movies. 

He was always unwinding and winding up the large cuckoo clock in his living room. 

He would tell me stories about his time in World War II. Especially how his brother surpised him by sleeping in his bunk unexpectedly. 

He would listen to Crystal Gale's song "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" on cassette in his old car. 

He'd always do the cross word puzzles. 

Rest in peace grandpa. I miss you lots!