"In this sticky web that we're all in, behaving decently is no small task." -- Novelist Stacey D'Erasmo

Saturday, April 4, 2015

Jersey's Not So Bad

     I'll be doing a lot of traveling for the next month, like any self-respecting retiree should. Except I won't be going to Hawaii or Tucson or Sarasota. I'll be going to . . . well, to start off, I'm traveling through New Jersey. Land of Chris Christie and Tony Soprano.

     The temptation is to do some New Jersey jokes. And I'm thinking Tony Soprano is New Jersey tough, so people from New Jersey can take it. For example:

     Why is New Jersey called the Garden State? Because Oil, Petroleum, Nuclear, Land Fill & Toxic Waste State didn't fit on a license plate!

     I said I was traveling through New Jersey. I'm not actually stopping there. Nobody actually stops in New Jersey. You wanna know why? Take a look:

New Jersey produces a lot of industrial materials

      Of course, you're probably thinking I'm not being fair. You can find a pile of junk somewhere, in any state of the union, if you look hard enough. So here's another view. This from Trenton:

View of Trenton, NJ

     Okay, say what you want about Trenton, but I happen to like the Janet Evanovich crime novels which feature the exploits of the tough, wisecracking Trenton bailbondsperson Stephanie Plum.

      Why does California have the most lawyers, and New Jersey the most toxic waste dumps? New Jersey got first pick.

     But still, it doesn't seem like this guy is particularly happy about being in Trenton:

At the Trenton Amtrak railroad station

     But one good thing about New Jersey is that it isn't very big. Go southwest, and you reach Philadelphia:

The Philadelphia skyline

      And to the northeast stands New York City:

New York's Freedom Tower rises up behind the Jersey skyline

     Now I know there are at least a few people from New Jersey who read this blog, so I hope they won't be offended. In a way, it's a compliment that I can joke about their state -- it's an appreciation that they're tough enough to take a comic shot or two.

     Did you hear about the power outage that took place at the state university in New Jersey? Over 30 students were stuck on the escalator for three hours.

     And to be fair, there are a lot of nice places in New Jersey as well. Many of the beaches along the Jersey shore are really gorgeous, and Cape May is one of my favorite vacation spots, anywhere, especially in September when the crowds are gone but the water is still warm. And remember, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis used to go horseback riding in the New Jersey hunt country. So you know it's gotta be nice out there. And by the way, those Kennedys were pretty tough, too.

     Speaking of tough, it makes me wonder. It takes a tough person to be president. I wonder if Tony Soprano would have made a good president. He certainly could whip Congress into shape. He might even be able to handle Vladimir Putin and take down ISIS. Whaddya think: Would he have been a Democrat or Republican?

20 comments:

stephen Hayes said...

He definitely would have been a Democrat. A corrupt Democrat. Enjoy New Jersey. I'll light a candle for you. Take care.

Tabor said...

My sons-in-law family is from New Jersey and while I have been there a few times, I really never saw the state and much go again some day.

Olga said...

I had relatives living in New Jersey when I was growing up. My Uncle Mike lived in Hackettstown and worked at the M&M factory. To a kid, that was the coolest job in the world. Why couldn't our dad get a job there instead of boring old IBM?

Florence said...

Obviously a Republican because he ran his own small business and opposed government intervention in running it.

Wisewebwoman said...

I'd say republican. Closest I ever came to NJ was being stuck in its airport for about 8 hours and looking out over the bleakest landscape I've ever seen and hearing that Joisey accent everywhere.
Enjoy your whip through.
XO
WWW

Anonymous said...

Not familiar with Tony S, but Christie I would not vote for president.

Anonymous said...

Jersey is called the garden state because the south once produced much produce (think strawberries, blueberries and Heinz tomato catsup) for NYC.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, Jersey was better in many ways. I was married in South Jersey in 1975 (husband's family lived there) and travelled there extensively for Verizon. We loved the Jersey shore.

Although I once knew Jersey like the back of my hand, I don't know what it looks like today. The last time I took the train to NYC was May 2002.

Like Jersey, I'm a little older, and so is the back of my hand.

Anonymous said...

PS Tony Soprano was a Democrat.

Meryl Baer said...

Definitely a Democrat, and corrupt of course, one of many bosses in a long tradition of corrupt Jersey politicians...The Jersey shore (at least in the southern part of the state) is still a wonderful oasis amidst all the negatives Jersey has to offer.

Madeline Kasian said...

I grew up in south jersey and this post was,well, a bit sad to me.

I enjoyed the high speedline and was able as a teenager to go in and out of Phildelphia easily, enjoying museums, culture and history. I took a 90 minute bus to NYC any weekend I wanted.

The Jersey Shore was NOT what people saw on that awful TV show-- it was a haven for bird watchers as well as folks who just love a day on white sand.. and cool ocean breezes.Not to mention SPRINGSTEEN!!!!!

I spent my early married years in Collingswood, a Victorian town with beautiful historic homes and a newly refurbished Main Street.GREAT MEMORIES of my small son fishing in the lake down the street from our home.

I wish I had time to post some of the great pictures of my New Jersey years,Tom..

The photos you posted are a sad and limited view of a place where I have made many memories!!

DDD said...

I work in Trenton. Most My colleagues are afraid of venturing out of the office compound at lunch time. I am curious where is the Trenton view....your second picture....my office look out at Delaware river....beautiful river and bridges why go vacation with this view?

Anonymous said...

Absolute lack of education, total lack of travel experience or really seeing anything blatant from your comments! Try real traveling sir... I've lived in the listed most beautiful places and I could send dozens of disgusting location shots, just because you pick bad spots means you have an agenda - so typical, actually boring - and are a glass half empty person... I came away feeling sorry for you and happy that I've visited Many Beautiful Places in great NJ

Dick Klade said...

Only thing I'm feeling sorry about is that you allowed that awful post by Anonymous.

Tony Soprano no doubt was a Tea Party guy, but he probably drank nothing but the red stuff.

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