Fired Up

I have, for the past couple years, endured the slings and arrows of well warranted jibes at my style challenged backyard fireplace. I built it out of the large rocks I found excavating to build the garden terrace walls and it has always had a strange place of unwarranted pride in my heart. It allowed me to embrace my lifelong love of open fires which was a small price to pay for its reputation for a complete lack of beauty. It’s been so dry for so long around here that I haven’t felt free to use it. That all changed with two deluges this week. 

Wife Toasting Last Night

Firebug Getting Started

Mouse Habitat Departing

I was back out there last night feeding the wood from our garage mouse’s former habitat into the flames. My Favorite Panamanian donned her winter gear (I mean temperatures had fallen into the 50’s!) and braved the artic temperatures to roast nearly half a bag of marshmallows we had hoped to use for the BRS. It was a very fun evening and the neighbors didn’t call the fire department, so win! I finally got to burn the wood out of the broken shovel head that I’ve been jonesing to replace, now all I have to do is figure out how to remove a rivet, one step at a time. 

Happy Anniversary to Two of My Personal Heroes

Yesterday also marked the anniversary of a landmark event in not only Great Aunt and Soxfather’s lives but also mine. I’ve often stated that I wouldn’t have gotten married when I did if I hadn’t had such a great time at their wedding, now, seemingly impossible, 39 years ago. I was so fortunate that the first gal I dated after returning to Panama from that memorable wedding was my Favorite Panamanian. Happy Anniversary for two of my favorite people in the world and two of my best friends. 

Colors Are in Full Bloom But we Can't Get Out to Leaf Peep This Year

Speaking of best friends, my Pittsburgh College Roommate called the other night and we had a great conversation with his wife and him. They’re still trying to figure out the logistics of attending the Annual Birthday Pub crawl in November in my hometown. They committed early this year to showing up since this marks the 65th birthday year for our group of high school friends. Then, of course, the pandemic showed up to screw up literally everything socially related. I really hope they can make it up for what I am sure will be a much smaller, fully masked gathering this year. Pennsylvania is still on the pariah list so we’ll have to see. 

My thoughts and prayers are with one of my distant cousins, she who created the quilt I now spend most nights huddled under in the Man Cave. She sent me the quilt when she heard about my prostate cancer diagnosis and has always been one of my favorite people. She is now facing a renewed battle against cancer herself so please add her to your prayers, she’s one of the best people around. 

Wife Wasn't the Only One Toasting Last Night

While my October continues to be better, on a geometric scale, than my September, 2020 still has a couple punches to throw. I had hoped to get the garage door repaired yesterday but the repair guy showed up and after a few minutes declared the entire thing a lost cause. When we added the room over the garage last year the construction guys apparently reinstalled the opener incorrectly. For the past year just the motor was lifting the door and the side springs were never re-attached. This meant the door had warped and the very abused motor was about to give up the ghost. I ordered a replacement door and opener and hopefully will have them in place within a month. 2020. At least the new door will up the R-value for the garage which is in line with the tightening of the house I’ve been embarked upon. 

The New Heating System

In other construction related news, the installation of the new heating system has reached its blessed conclusion. Late Friday afternoon we had hot water in the house for the first time since Monday. This meant hot showers which was greatly appreciated by the gal I’m sleeping with. The new system is incredibly quiet and promises to save significantly on energy costs because it is a full twenty per cent more efficient than the old system.  

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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 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