So the governor sent everyone home yesterday except
for what he deemed essential businesses. Much to my wife’s disappointment
transit falls into that essential category. I’ve experienced a wide range of reactions
at work and I’m constantly reminded I now work with civilians. It’s at times
like this that you learn a lot about the people surrounding you. I’ve actually
had people saying they are too scared to work but still want to be paid while others
want to profit from the crisis. On the other end of the spectrum are the ones
who realize that many of our customers depend on our service and are willing to
work. It’s a tough adjustment for me, having spent most of my adult life in the
military. The culture in the Army when times are tough you are expected to step
up even further. I remember catching a bus into the still burning Pentagon on
9/12 when all civilian businesses were closed – the bus was packed with a very
determined pack of fellow service members. There were hundreds of other less
serious situations during my Army career when you knew you could count on the guy
or gal next to you to step up when challenging situations arose. Like I said
though, I now work with civilians. It is an entirely different kettle of pescadores.
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| BRS & Her Buddy Riggins |
If there is an upside to this I witnessed it in talking
with my granddaughters. They are thriving by getting to spend their entire days
with their parents now. It is the happiest I’ve seen them in our nightly FaceTime
calls. The parents also look happier and who wouldn’t; getting to spend all
this time with these two young ladies has to be uplifting during these dark
times. Of course, it is very easy for a grandparent to say this without
entering the calculus of dealing with the full spectrum of a housebound 2 and 4
year old. Still, they all seemed very happy.
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| BRS Atop a Tower Prior to Destruction Methinks the Legomaster - Her Dad Was Creating |
The BRS was having a good time with her dad when we called
while the ABFA worked from home upstairs. The BRS spent a lot of the call
perched on top of Riggins who was a very good sport. It is cool to see the bonding
that is inevitable with a dog. She would only leave her perch to throw herself
bodily at my son. Near the end of the call the ABFA finished her work and was
greeted with a spectacular welcome by the BRS. Of these small things is life
made worthwhile.
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| FBR With her Cake |
Meanwhile in the Garden State the FBR was proudly proclaiming
the successful baking of an apple cake with her mother. My daughter had a bunch
of apples that were about to go bad so she teamed up with the FBR to create an
apple cake. The FBR promised to save a couple pieces for her grandparents. Again,
this is the most talkative the FBR has been in a while during our calls. It
could be the return of her abuela to the calls but I think it has more to do
with spending the day with Wingman and my daughter instead of a daycare classroom.
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| BRS Also Helping in Kitchen |
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| When Not Hanging with Riggins |
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| Progress Through the Marvel Universe |
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RECURRING
CHARACTERS
BR3 – inbound granddaughter
#3, 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; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her
single days in Brooklyn
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