After this we’ ll go out to eat
When the children were younger in 2000, we traveled for more than 30 hours continually from Perth to Newark New Jersey with Mimi, Luke and Ryan. Just as we touched down, Luke threw up in his seat, followed by Ryan and I almost had lift off myself but managed to hold it back. We were invited to my niece’ s wedding and we were also going to attend the unveiling of my father’ s grave. My Dad, Harry, had died the year before at 85 years of age, but I was unable to get to the funeral in time and I knew that the next opportunity to pay my respect would be at the unveiling, which is typically held 12 months after the funeral. We stayed at my sister Linda’ s beautiful house in New Jersey. Her daughter Nicole was so warm and caring and was to get married to a guy named Brad whom we had previously met. Linda’ s other daughter Meghann was wild and crazy but super smart. I related very well to Meghann as I too was a bit wild to say the least.
We all got dressed up and went to the cemetery to the unveiling ceremony. It was a very cold and windy November day and the small crowd gathered around the grave and headstone that was covered at the time. My father was a very simple person and had few interests. One of which involved participating at family meals that usually had quite a bit of food. Usually, after we all consumed just about as much as we could, we sat back and felt literally stuffed. Harry would wait for the exact moment to then say,“ Would you believe, after this, we’ ll go out to eat.” We would all know that it was coming, however we all did chuckle a bit and any new comer to the dinner laughed more than we did. The Rabbi had just finished some of his prayers at the unveiling. We were now so cold that we were shivering. The Rabbi then pulled the cover away to reveal the beautiful headstone for Harry Epstein. After his name, birth and death dates, appeared the statement- Would You Believe, After This I Am Going Out To Eat! The Rabbi was stunned and my sisters and I laughed so loud as it literally captured our Dad and the moment was perfect. We talked about it for years afterwards. We joked about what each of us would do to the other for an unveiling. My famous line that I have used in corporate and social settings was Cover Me, I’ m Going In. I wouldn’ t be at all surprised to learn that this could be the surprise at my unveiling if I did have an unveiling.
A Rabbi, Priest and Indian Chief
Nicole & Brad Bucci Wedding
While we we still in New Jersey, we attended a very ritzy wedding of my beautiful niece Nicole and her lovely husband Brad Bucci. We had not been to such a lush affair that I understand cost upwards of $ 40,000 and it was magnificent. A few days prior to the event, we went to a well known tuxedo rental place in Peterson called Barry’ s, where we were all fitted.
BARRY STEVEN EPSTEIN- PhotoAutobiography DRAFT 84 of 156