Weekend at Disney

Posted on February 9, 2017 by Joe

In celebration of Rosalie’s 40th birthday our family (Rosalie, John, Ben, Joe & Rose) spend a whirlwind weekend at Disney World. Rose and I got a phone call 2 weeks before her birthday asking if we were interested in going to Disney for her birthday weekend. She wanted to celebrate this milestone and we said yes – of course. We took a 6am flight to Orlando and used our Disney Vacation Club points to stay at Old Key West resort. We spend all day Friday and Saturday and even Sunday morning in the parks before returning on a 1:30pm flight to NJ. We had a great time. It was warm (75-80 degrees) and the Cooks even went swimming. It was a once in a lifetime event.

Joe High School Jobs

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Joe

Paint factory in Carteret during high school summers

Between my junior and senior year in high school I got a summer job at a paint factory in Carteret in one of the buildings along the railroad tracks across from the Holiday Inn (which was not there at the time). There were 3 of us who got the jobs. We had to get “working papers”. I worked in the main warehouse while Frank Cundari worked in the lab. Continue reading →

Joe College Jobs

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Joe

Kappa Networks in Carteret during college years

While going to college I got a job at Kappa Networks at the corner of Roosevelt Ave and Carteret Ave in Carteret. I got the job through my neighbor who worked there. They hired me because I was studying to be an engineer and they wanted someone like me. Continue reading →

How we first met ..

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Joe

Rose and Joe first met on October 30th, 1965. Rose was 16 and a junior in High School. Joe was 18 and a freshman in College. Rose was having a “house-warming” party to celebrate her moving into the upstairs rooms in her home in Colonia. Her uncle had moved back to Long Island. Rose invited Joe’s cousin Tony who was her friend but Tony did not drive so he asked his cousin Joe to drive him and stay at the party. That’s how and where Joe and Rose met – at Rose’s house in Colonia.

Rose’s mother was upset that a “college” kid was coming to the party but was surprised when he turned out to be a skinny quiet Joe.

They started dating shortly after that. Here is the first photo taken at a New Years Eve party later that year. The photo was taken by Tony Ragucci….

Disney Vacation Remembrances

Posted on May 29, 2011 by Joe

As we are about to leave on another Disney World vacation, it brought up the need to add stories about “memorable” disney vacations like:

First visit – “do you think we’ll ever come back?”
Our first visit to Disney World was in 1972 when we took a vacation touring Florida. Disney World was in the middle of nowhere and the only hotels where those on the monorail – nothing outside the park. So we stayed in Orlando which had the closest hotels. Only the Magic Kingdom existed and we spent a day there. As we were leaving Rose commented “Do you think we’ll ever come back?” Well, that was an understatement as we are a frequent visitor now!
Rosalie & John Engagement (and the dropped ring in garage)
John in the wheelchair going on Disney Cruise –
Disney visits with Mom
Disney visit with Rosalie’s college friends
Ben and the pool slide

Rose & Joe – slept on the sofa

Posted on April 24, 2011 by Joe

In the early years of our marriage, we lived in an apartment in Carteret. It was very common for us to spend our Saturday nights at Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Tony’s home in Port Reading. It didn’t matter who was home, we just enjoyed each others company.

On one Saturday night, we had an unexpected difficulty. Continue reading →

Ragucci, Rose & Joe – “water ceiling lamp”

Posted on February 7, 2009 by Joe

Recorded by Joe Ragucci.

When I began dating Rose, she lived with her parents at 2 Village Green in Colonia. Before I met her, her Uncle Jack lived with them for a while and had the upstairs finished into 2 rooms and a bathroom. After he moved out Rose claimed the upstairs as her own – with a bedroom and a living room.

In the center of the upstairs living room was a ceiling lamp in the shape of a upside-down bowl. One day when I was there, she said that the light wasn’t working. So, I decided to open it up and see what I could do. The bowl shaped light was held on with a nut in the center. Unknown to me, the ceiling leaked water. So as I finished unscrewing the nut, the light bowl quickly came down and spilled water all over the place. It was filled with lots of water! Once the lamp dryed up, the light worked again. From that day on I would check the light and empty any water that it collected. Obviously the roof was leaking and that’s where it would accumulate.

Ciaccio, Rose and Rose – “almost hit by car”

Posted on October 10, 2008 by Rose

I was just a little girl walk down South 5th Street in Brooklyn holding my mother’s hand. Still holding mom’s hand, we arrived at the corner. Suddenly, my mother felt a pull holding her back from crossing the street. In an instant a car jumped onto the sidewalk directly in front of us. Fortunately, neither of us were hurt. My mother said our guardian angels held us back and kept us safe. I’m sure they did!