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You would think that, with the closing of bars in Pandemia, that celebrations for the First Friday of the week would take a serious hit. That underestimates the will and determination of those acolytes (guilty) of assigning proper recognition of that most important day of the week. Even though I’m retired the appropriate merriments surrounding the arrival of the First Friday of the Week have gotten even better. Last evening, we kicked it off with another family FaceTime call. The granddaughters took part but soon tired of adults’ banter. My son was last seen chasing the BRS across his lawn with Riggins in hot pursuit. They had just finished the closing, on a table in their driveway, on the refinancing of their house, so another reason to celebrate.

The Immensely Photogenic BRS

She Rocks!

After the kids were pulled away from their screen by their kids, we had a great chat with Great Aunt and Soxfather. I had to leave that call because the infamous Roothuggers had scheduled a Zoom call for 7pm. This is the absolutely superb classmates from my Command and General Staff College time. We’ve stayed in touch over the years and have had a couple memorable reunions I was able to attend, one in New Orleans and the other in Florida. It had been a few years but the banter picked up immediately as we compared notes and tentatively planned a Roothugger visit to our Panamanian condo. I learned I am sharing my prostate journey with a fellow Roothugger who undergoes the surgery this week.

Roothuggers Back in the Day
The Guys Standing Up were the Karaoke Team
I'm Holding the Pitcher - Each to His Strength

We finished these calls around 8pm and I headed up from the Man Cave to have some dinner because the obligatory First Friday sacrifice of Coors Lite had been underway since shortly before five. When we got to the top of the stairs we were in yet another Facetime call, this time with my wife’s family from Panama. It seems they wanted to join in the First Friday fun as well and who am I to deny anyone their God-given right to celebrate. They were all very concerned for me and wanted me to know I had their prayers and love with my upcoming surgery. These messages from friends and family have meant so much over the past week. I had a talk with another Army buddy I haven’t seen in nearly twenty years. He called after reading the blog post about the prostate situation.

The FBR Cleaned Her Own Room

Unprecedented

Then Turned the Camera on Herself

And Her Assistant Wingman

I finished up the basement on Friday and one of my charges from my Favorite Panamanian was to delve into the two storage lockers of photos to find pictures of my daughter. We’re going to see them on Monday and she wanted to show the FBR what her mom looked like as a kid. While I was in there I ran across a bunch of photos of long ago and so many memories. If you have the time, I highly recommend this journey through old photos. I share a couple here.

Keene Friend, Cantankerous, & Pittsburgh College Roommate
With Daughter and I in Early 1980s
Cantankerous Is Rocking his Hairdoo

Army Buddy and I on Amador Causeway Sunday Afternoon
Early 1980s How we Spent All our Panamanian Sundays

With Two Other Buddies on the Causeway
Guy in Yellow Shirt was my Best Man at Wedding

With Pittsburgh and Keene Friends Celebrating 50th B-Day
Can't Believe that was 15 Years Ago!

I finished up the read of Dr Walsh’s book on prostate cancer. It was filled with great information but I’m not sure I needed to know (I did) how the actual operation goes down. I found myself crossing my legs a couple times. Well, at least I’ll be asleep (the doctor promised) for the most gruesome parts. It brought home how lucky I am with the advance of technology around this procedure in my lifetime, it used to be a veritable death sentence.

Last Alien Watch

Finally, I finished my watch of the Alien series, my ranking included below. Nothing could top the second movie, Aliens, with Sigourney Weaver’s epic battle with the queen. I just wish there was a way to wash Aliens 3 out of the entire fabric, what a waste. I’m taking suggestions on the next series of films to watch.

1 - Aliens

2 - Prometheus

3 - Alien

4 - Alien Covenant

5 - Alien vs Predator

6 - Alien 3

7 - AVP - Requiem

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – 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 3^rd 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