CAFA Afternoon in Salgado County

It’s a Fall Tuesday in Manhattan and the start of the UN General Assembly. The President of the USA was coming to the UN event and NYPD vehicles and personnel blocked off First Avenue (where the UN is located). They also limited access to side streets (42nd through 47th Streets) leading to 2nd Avenue. Why is this situation important to know?  Well, because Tong Salgado is coming into NYC (from Rockland) to get Rodi Picar and Oni Mayo for a CAFA fun get together at his home.

Rodi wisely decided that the best way for Tong to avoid blocked off streets and the resulting traffic would be to meet up at 5th Avenue. Rodi came to 5th Avenue from his home in Chelsea at the West side of Manhattan. Oni walked to 5th Avenue from his apartment located in the vicinity of the highy security UN area. By eleven AM the three were in Tong’s car for the trip north to Rockland County where the Salgado clan stays. 

After a scenic pleasant trip through the State Parkway, Tong pulled up at his garage. Lola Rita Salgado was there, sunning herself on the driveway with new grandson Arthur (son of Ariel and Coleen) on her lap. Yes, the retired Tong and Rita are doing baby sitting chores. Bili Mayo is much in the same boat (she was left back in Manhattan where she was needed to help out daughter Lia with her newborn). This is why Bili had to skip going with the CAFAs to Rockland. 

The lunch was sumptuous rib-eye grilled steak, buttered wild flounder fillet, shrimp pasta and fresh green salad capped with choices of cake desserts. Rita prepared the meal while tending her now frisky grandson but of course ably assisted by doting Grandpa Tong. The enjoyable afternoon lasted into the evening. Still full from the heavy lunch, the group indulged once more on Salgado hospitality by evening before heading home.  Pizza (served with unlimited anchovies) over glasses of wine was the tasty coup de grace. 

Romy and Rory are now in Connecticut with Romy’s mom. The couple was suppose to join the Rockland party but had to cancel at the last minute.  Romy's mom had to be brought to the hospital where we hope she will be OK. According to Tong, the other East Coast CAFAs are not available since many are still not 'retarded' like us and have to be at work. In the case of Nore and Didi, they just arrived that day itself from Vancouver and thus missed the party. 

A CAFA get together is always an experience. Watching the CD of the Vermont Reunion brought back memories.  Trivial chit chat could not be avoided. It has become standard reunion fare today to go through the list of CAFA members and back talk each one of them. As usual, it's too bad if you were not there to defend yourself. Hear that, Dero, Bess and Alice? Not only did the group dig deep into the past about well-kept secrets but it was fun dissecting the unique personalities of dear friends. (Ben, Sam and Tito – you were not spared.) 

The next CAFA Grand Reunion was also a topic of conversation. “Wacky in Milwaukee” is high on the list but Tong suggested that a “See Ya in Manila” Part II would also be fun. Rodi agreed and offered his beach resort in La Union as a possible Northern leg of the reunion. From Rody's place in La Union, the nice destination places in the North (Baguio, Vigan, Pangasinan) are nearby. 

So boys and girls, please plan to go to the next CAFA reunion as early as now. Sam, no more excuses.  Gerry, are you listening? 

See slide show for more photos.

Sunday Funday

On Sunday September 10, The CAFAs had a get-to at Foster City, California. Ben & Tess came from Davies. Dynn & Mynna came from Sacramento. Alice came from Union City. Oni came from San Francisco two days earlier. 

Except for Oni, the guys drove most of the morning from their different cities. Everyone was at the Chinese resto by lunchtime (ABC resto along Hillsdale Ave.) but the resto was filled up and the CAFAs had to cool their heels for 20 minutes or so. 

The wait was worth it. Steaming hot dimsum on carts rolled by between tables.  The CAFAs had a field day picking out their preferences and wolfing down the delicious tidbits. Alice couldn’t take all the protein and so she ordered pancit. Oni approved the lechon kawali to the disapproving glare of the health conscious CAFAs.

 Maybe because of their salable conmodity, the ABC restaurant proved to be a haughty one; not only don’t they accept reservations but by 3PM, they seem to be hurrying up the customers so that they can close already. Talk about a “sellers market” attitude! But as they say- 'when you're good, you're good!'

After the filling lunch, the CAFAs proceeded to nearby Hillsdale Shopping Center in search of real coffee. Walking around the mall, Ben squeezed in a little shopping.  He bought a nifty fatigue jacket with lots of breast pockets (see slide photos). The group eventually settled for Starbucks.  The group took advantage of Starbuck's comfy sidewalk sitting facilities up to closing time.

The CAFAs had high plane conversation as usual. Appropriate topics include what is the best posture when sitting on a toilet bowl.  Or whether pets are better to have than a paramour at this stage in one's life. Health statistics were also of high concern. Oni wondered if it’s a country thing when 3 out of 6 guys in the CAFA huddle have no more gall bladder? This is not mentioning the fact that 2 out of 6 have eye cataract problems. 

By 5:30PM, most of the group reluctantly had to head for their homes which could be 2 to 3 hours drive away. The CAFAs would not admit though that the reason they had to leave before dark is that darkened roads are hard to see when one has cataract problems. Alice drove Oni back to his Foster City base where she got to at least meet Bili too. Bili could not join the CAFA lunch.  She was with her college chums (based in North California) who also invited her out for the weekend. 

 It was another good meet for the CAFAs who never seem to tire of getting together. For sure, they talked about the next big CAFA thing.  Gerry, please be forewarned and get Wisconsin ready. At least for this California group, Wisconsin is now calendared for the CAFA September 2013 Grand Reunion.

See slide show for more photos.