Morning Surprise

ABFA and the BRS

For those of you with a dirty mind, no, not that kind. I was consigning my usual breakfast to the hereafter this morning when my wife’s IPad started squirming around. I opened it up and was greeted by the cherubic face of the FBR. She was in the middle of devouring her own breakfast. Since that breakfast consisted of waffles and she recently had her first ever waffle at grandpa and abuela’s house she felt the need to reach out to us. That sentiment might actually have come from her mother, our daughter, but it sings better originating from the granddaughter.

At any rate it was a fabulous way to start a day besieged by some nasty weather as a Nor’easter bears down on the area. The prophets of doom, I mean the local weathermen, have been preaching all week about this dire storm but I’ll take two inches of rain and high winds at this point in the winter. It’s supposed to change over to snow later tonight but six inches of snow is barely above notice with a high March sun to address it afterwards.

The Gang at Val's Last night

Keene Friend’s first week on the job will be celebrated along with the First Friday of the Week this afternoon. His presence continued to pay benefits as he joined us for dinner out last evening with the Neighborhood Mafiosos where he got to compare meatloaf recipes with the Mafiosa (who knew – a new side to Keene Friend- pocket chef!). It was a fun way to celebrate Weekend Eve as we traveled up to Holden to eat at Val’s, which is open on Thursdays and provided their usual sterling service and great food.

Wingman and His Nurse Yesterday

Wingman availed himself of some bad food Wednesday during a trek into New York City and then had to spend all day yesterday hanging out with the FBR while dealing with the fallout. By all accounts the FBR was not fully invested in providing her dad the needed rest and recuperation time although she did claim to be an excellent nurse during our call. Wingman was non-committal in his endorsement of that claim.

The adjustments continue up in Stratham, New Hampshire as the FBR completes her conquest of the new mom and dad. The ABFA reported another successful walk in yesterday’s more agreeable temperatures. My Favorite Son reports that Riggins has abandoned the master bedroom at night as it has to be kept at warmer temperatures with its new resident. Both my son and the ABFA have embraced their new parental roles with their usual steadfast excellence. This surprises absolutely no one that knows them.

I finished reading the book my daughter so kindly sent, Lincoln in the Bardo. The "Bardo" is a term for a state of existence between death and rebirth and yes, I had to look that up. The novel provides a fascinating new way to look at the afterlife. The story revolves around the very real death of Abraham Lincoln's young son Willie during the height of the Civil War. The author skillfully weaves in comments from real life contemporaries of Willie's death along with the imagined comments of the ghosts that surround him in the cemetery. The energizing event is President Lincoln's nocturnal visit to the graveyard to visit his son's tomb. I had so much fun reading the different dialects from the graveyard commentators as the ghosts who remain refuse to accept they are actually dead. There was humor liberally laced throughout this very sad scenario as well as an examination of class, race, and life itself. I loved it and heartily recommend it to anyone. Thanks daughter!