The Ben Franklin Bridge

Nicole, Ryan and Jess are standing outside the Aquarium at the Camden Waterfront. New Jersey has done a nice job trying to revitalize the area.

The bridge in the background is the Benjamin Franklin which is one of the many which connects New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

This bridge plays a big part in my family's history. My grandpop, Grumpy - a name a gave him, used to work on the bridge. However, one day he fell off the lower portion of the bridge into the Delaware River below. He then got out of the water and walked home to his apartment in Philadelphia. I am not sure if anything was broken but he did go to work the next day.

My Grumpy was an amazing man. He survived seven heartaches in a row where they could not stabilize his heart and lived to the age of 79. He always new how to make me laugh, and his favorite express was "Down in the front peanuts" because we always blocked the tv. (Of course, it was a large color console tv which was amazing when we only had 19 inch black and white-remember I am 40!)

He had a bar in his den, and one year for Christmas I got a 7 Up Soda dispenser which my mom would never let me fill with anything. Not Grumpy, all soda was dispensed from my 7 Up machine. He and my grandmom always let us get away with these small infractions.

He passed on my one week aniversary of being married but he got to see me in my dress that day! He was very sick the month before, and he told my aunt he had to make it through my wedding. So if ever asked what my favorite gift is or was, my Grumpy being with me on my wedding day is the winner every time!