On Monday’s trip back to my home town
the weather was truly symbolic of the reasons we were traveling north. During
my military career I would always kid my family when we crossed into the state
of New Hampshire from wherever we were coming from by saying, “Isn’t the sun a little
brighter and the colors more vibrant since we crossed the border?”. Monday’s
trip was in stark contrast as the New Hampshire weather was mourning along with
the rest of us. We crossed the border and rain started almost immediately and
continued off and on for the rest of the time we were in the Granite State. My Favorite
Panamanian and I were journeying north for the funeral of Aunt Peg, who
functioned as my second mother from the latter half of my youth onwards.
After making the tactical mistake of
pulling into a department store for a rest room break, which meant I had to
re-enter the place to extricate my suddenly shopping wife, we pulled into the church
at the same time as Great Aunt, Soxfather, and Namesake Nephew. In keeping with
Aunt Peg’s devout nature the funeral consisted of a complete Catholic mass. I
was afraid that was all until at the last moment Aunt Peg’s son got up to share
a few thoughts on his very special mom. What followed as an almost stream of conscience
tribute that truly captured the wonderful spirit of the lady we were there to honor.
He even mentioned the fact that we functioned as a second family for her and recounted
the time we all showed up at the nursing home so Aunt Peg could meant the FBR.
We were invited to share lunch with the family at a downtown hotel which turned
into a special time as we got to speak at length with Aunt Peg’s sons and daughter.
As it always seems to, I ran into another long lost friend, a guy who remembered
we were in Boy Scouts together. We hadn’t talked in over a half century (boy I’m
getting old). It was an exceptional time and we were the last to leave. As we drove
back into Massachusetts the rain stopped as soon as we crossed the border. New Hampshire
knew.
Date night and we saw an amazing movie
last night in Joker. There is something about the character of Batman’s Joker
that brings out extraordinary performances but Joaquin Phoenix has outdone all
predecessors. He totally inhabits the role and it was mesmerizing to behold.
This is an origin story but it doesn’t involve a descent because he’s already
psychotic when we first meet him. He plays an unsuccessful clown/comedian in a
crumbling Gotham City. You can almost root for him as his desperately lonely
life dissolves into chaos. Phoenix’s performance lends the perfect amount of
unease to the audience as we watch the train wreck that his mind is unfold in
slow motion. The sudden violence is unvarnished and pointed straight at those
who would lionize the comic criminality the Joker is usually surrounded by.
This is a very bad man; despite the challenges society and his warped life have
thrown at him. I’ve always thought Joaquin Phoenix was kind of an acquired taste
but you can see the pain and madness permeating his character and it’s
impossible to look away. One of the best movies I’ve seen in a while but don’t
go if you’re not ready to be figuratively smacked in the mouth.
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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 3rd 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
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