Normalcy Intrusion

I’ve given up my extremely brief career as a travelogue aficionado as my life resorts to a close a semblance of normal as it ever gets. I do miss the cobblestones and bier though. I shall revert to my genuflectionary routine towards the two little sprites that have captured my heart in no uncertain terms. I have neglected both the FBR and the BRS on the blog for two whole days and I can tell the cosmos is not pleased. I therefore offer the accompanying photos in an attempt to placate whatever celestial being is offended.

T Shirt Says it All

The FBR has commenced an art career. She heard we were at the airport and then on some planes so she then drew a fairly representative airplane. The last time I saw her draw it was just a series of scribbles – just another indicator the young lady continues to grow. She’s also set off on a new year of pre-school which she was pretty excited about. A little too excited I guess as her parents reported that she was caught talking during nap time and had to surrender two pompoms, whatever that means. She had a fun mother-daughter weekend with my daughter as they stayed up late watching a favorite film (sound familiar?) and then did some rock climbing despite a bad hair start for the day.

My Favorite New Artist

She's Moved on to Portrait Work

At Work

Off For First Day of Pre-School

Definitely a Bad Hair 

But on Top of a Mountain Later that Day

Well Maybe More of a Rock

The BRS has been similarly busy over the last couple weeks. She spent a spell at day care decided to look at the world through rose colored, well, I guess you’d call it a mesh. She’s moved to a big girl’s chair for her meals and is learning to play my son like a violin. I did warn him about daddies and daughters. She was finally on the other end of a biting situation the other day which left us all speculating if one of her former victims had risen up to challenge her. I have a lot of fun hiding off the edge of the IPad screen which she finds delightful. I have to enjoy it while it lasts because the FBR has definitely outgrown that game.

Rose Meshed

Spot the Hidden BRS

Yep

Flower Girl

Beautiful Family

ABFA and BRS

Checking out the Game with Dad

Daddy's Girl

I’ve been to the movies twice since my return; once alone and the other for date night. I’ll let you guess which was which. It Chapter 2 is a very long movie but you almost don’t notice it as it careens from scare to scare. There’s plenty of that as the grown up versions of the kids from Chapter 1 return to battle Pennywise again. There’s some real texture as each must combat childhood issues that have been suppressed after leaving Derry, Steven King’s orifice of evil. The Master himself shows up for a very cool cameo as an antique dealer. I thought Chapter 1 was scarier because Pennywise wasn’t so omnipresent and when he did appear it packed a gut punch. The filmmakers went a little overboard with the CGI which cartoonized the evil clown a little too much. The final revelation that helps the Losers in their climatic battle is also garbled instead of highlighted. Maybe they realized just how long the film was at that point. Some great performances by both the young and grown up versions of the characters which kept me fully invested. I do wish they’d made more of a hero out of the lone Loser to remain in town to confront the evil when it reappeared. A fitting end to one of the Master’s best efforts.

Hustlers is based on a real life scam run by some New York City strippers to steal thousands of dollars from our favorite villains – Wall Streeters. I’ve never been a big J Lo fan but I’ll admit she dominates here. Whenever she’s on the screen everybody else seems to fade a little bit – a truly charismatic performance. She lends a surprising amount of nuance to her pole dancing character. I thought she’d fallen into a habit of mailing in her performances but this director drew out what is definitely the best performance of J Lo’s career. She’s mesmerizing and Constance Wu is hanging on for dear life just to keep up with her. This played like a street level Ocean’s Eight and had a lot of heart which is due to the fabulous ladies who made it happen. It serves as an excellent cautionary tale for anyone ready to make assumptions based on socio-economic premises. Go see this, it may be the first time J Lo has ever truly acted and she is glorious.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues