Regular readers of this blog know that I’m usually and particularly hard
on the French, not without reason, but today my thoughts and prayers are with
that oldest and most contentious of allies. The French have been uncommonly
welcoming of a burgeoning Muslim population and they paid for that
yesterday. I was struck by the defiant response
of the French people at this latest outrage perpetrated in the name of the “peaceful”
religion of Islam. France is a lot like
the USA in that toleration has its limits and be careful when you wake up a
sleeping tiger. Today – we are all
Charlie. It’s time to set up some
bulldozers on the Turkish/Syrian border and head south to start salting some earth.
In the more mundane world of local news, testicles are rising
all over New England as some bone chilling cold descended overnight. The resident jokester at work commented, “It’s
so cold the flashers are just describing themselves.” Someone who no longer has to concern herself
with such (to her) terrifying temps is my wife who successfully deployed to Panama
ahead of the cold front.
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| Saying Goodbye to the PanaGal |
We had to get up at 2:30am in order to travel to Boston in
time for the PanaGal’s early flight which worked out fine in terms of traffic,
if nothing else. We dropped the PanaGal
off at the dreaded American Airlines terminal and then continued on to the International
Terminal where we had a couple hour wait for my wife’s flight on Copa Airlines. The only problem was there just wasn’t a lot
to eat on the public side of the security gates at 4am. We gamely moved about the terminal with my
wife’s customary mountain of luggage trying to locate breakfast which
ultimately failed.
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| Wife Atop her Mountain |
She’d already
divested herself of winter jacket and boots so going outside again was not
within the realm of possibility. Since
we’re both really bad at goodbyes (which we make up for in truly transcendent
hellos) she ordered me off but I hung around until she was safely through
security and near the food court. It
seemed like a much longer drive back to Worcester after the constant flow of
conversation driving to the airport.
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| The Worst Part |
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| Safely in Panama |
The direct flight from Boston to Panama has been a true
Godsend and not just because it takes American Airlines out of the equation. She was in the tropical paradise by 2pm and
had a full half day to spend with her relatives (I’m sure shopping was
involved). The PanaGal took the American
Airlines routes and landed totally frustrated three hours after my wife even
though she left Boston two hours earlier than my wife.
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| The Birthday Boy With His Mom and Dad |
Today is also the birthday of my namesake nephew and it’s a big
one – 21. He’s living up to the guy he’s
named after by hitting a bar at midnight and then convening his aunts and
uncles at McShawn’s Pub tonight; must be something about the name. I just wish it wasn’t a school night or I’d
be beating feet down to Rhode Island. I’m
really proud of this young man who’s just started working at his full time job
where he’s thriving as a mechanic. Happy
Birthday Big Guy!!
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