Friday night pizza

When our kids were small, every time we went to visit Cindy's parents in California, on Friday nights Cindy's parents took us out for pizza, and not just any pizza it was always pizza from the New York Pizzeria in Calimesa, California. As a matter of fact when Cindy and I were first married, on Friday night of our first visit to California we met the whole family for pizza at the New York Pizzeria.

Imagine this, the first time I met Cindy's brothers was over a New York Pizzeria pizza and a pitcher of beer. The new husband of their baby sister, and now I'm sitting across the table from, and being looked over by her three brothers, all at once. I find myself staring at three men much bigger than me, I'm out of my element, I'm in California for the first time ever for God's sake, an outsider, the new guy, staring down three guys that I don't know. It could have been pandemonium! We are at The New York Pizzeria with the whole family and I was afraid that no one would notice a little pandemonium, but in my favor Ray (Cindy's Dad) had already given me his blessing.

Two  of her brothers were more interested in the pizza than me, and one wanted to flex his muscles and let me know how his little sister would be treated. He was the smaller of the three and flexing muscles don't impress nor intimidate me anyway. The pizza was good and after a couple of slices and a mug of beer, he stopped strutting around like a bantam rooster and I guess that I passed the test because I'm still here after twenty plus years.

Needless to say Friday night is pizza night, and every visit to California after that included Friday night pizza, with the Family special, of an extra large sausage, pepperoni, and cashew pizza with all the side fixings, a pitcher of beer, and coke for the children and non drinkers.

When the kids were younger, we all sat around visiting and watching while the kids scarfed down the pizza, we always had to order extra because between all the running back and forth between the game machines and the parents for more quarters, the kids were never full of that good ole cashew pizza.

Our kids are all adults, Cindy and I now live in California and take care of her dad Ray. And when our kids come to visit they still want to go out for Friday night pizza. And not just any pizza, it has to be at The New York Pizzeria.

When Tim, Elisa, and Benjamin came out the last time, Tim really wanted to go out for pizza, Tim loves that sausage, pepperoni, and cashew pizza but I think he loves the memories of going out with Cindy's parents for the Friday night pizza routine more than the pizza itself.

Although I have seen Tim order two large pizzas to hide out in an ice chest so he could carry them back home to New Mexico, I have a feeling those pizzas never made it all the way to New Mexico, heck the empty pizza boxes probably landed in a road side rest area trash can somewhere in Arizona.

Now that Cindy's Mom is gone, and her Dad doesn't get around very good, we don't go to Friday night pizza that often anymore. Tim asked his Papa Ray if we could all go out for Friday night pizza and Ray simply told him no, said that we could order pizza and bring it home.

Tim told him that it wouldn't be the same, that he remembered always going to pizza with Nanu and Papa on Friday night's, and now that Benjamin was here that he wanted his son to have the same memories of Big Papa that Tim did.

We pushed Ray to the car in a wheelchair, pushed him into New York Pizzeria in that same chair, ordered the Family special, of an extra large sausage, pepperoni, and cashew pizza with all the side fixings and a pitcher of beer. And of course Cindy and Benjamin got their pitcher of Coke.

Benjamin ran back and forth between the game machines and his parents (and Mimi) asking for more quarters and ate his fill of pizza, Benjamin had a ball and believe it or not Ray had just as much fun as Benjamin did, Ray sat and laughed, he had pizza and a few mugs, but the best time he had was talking with Tim, going over memories and oohing and aahing over the "prized possessions" Benjamin was gaining from the quarter eating machines. Ray didn't really want to leave when it was time to go.

I'm not sure how many more Friday night pizzas we are going to have with Ray, but I do know that this was a great one. Four generations sitting around together eating the same pizza at the same restaurant they have been coming to since Cindy was a little girl.

I have a feeling that one day Benjamin just may walk into the New York Pizzeria with his children, and order a Family special of an extra large sausage, pepperoni, and cashew pizza with all the side fixings and a pitcher of beer. And of course a pitcher of Coke for Mimi.