Rejuvenation Weekend

Just when my recovery was starting to plateau I received a huge jolt of companionship that truly energized whatever part morale plays in medical rejuvenation.  It started with First Friday celebrations when Keene Friend showed up to join in the fun. We hadn’t seen him in over a month now that we lo longer work together, even though I’m still his boss’ boss. He merged in the craziness that is the family Facetime call when the granddaughters are in full voice. As usual the granddaughter families fell off the call first which left just Soxfather and Great Aunt with us. We spent an additional hour and a half with just them and it was time so well spent. Pandemia has robbed us thoroughly of the companionship of old friends and family so when we overcome these times through technology it’s almost as good as being together.

2 Very Happy Grandparents with Best Medicine 

Keene Friend and I with First Friday Sombrero

I was very excited for Saturday which brought the promise of the true highlight of the weekend with the arrival of the BRS and BR3 with their parental units. They hadn’t been able to stay overnight since Christmas and this was their first attempt since the arrival of BR3. I charged around with final preps which included a couple errands. They arrived shortly after noon and I realized I had tried to do too much which my Favorite Panamanian was only too pleased to point out. I’ve come to believe that her favorite phrase is the Spanish version of “I told you so” (Te Digo!). I think that is pretty much a wifely prerogative that transcends culture.

Son Helping BRS With New Acquisitions

BR3 Taking it All in

ABFA with 2 Gorgeous Daughters

Any incipient feelings of fatigue and pain were no match for the effect of having my Favorite Son, the ABFA and their two daughters under our roof again. The BRS brought her full complement of dolls and was soon delving into the treasure chest of gifts her abuela had bought for her. This included pampers for her dolls as well as a fold up crib. The BRS takes almost maniacal care of her troop of dolls and relished the opportunity to add these accoutrements, although I was dragooned into doll pamper emplacement duty. The BRS was fresh off a ballet lesson which she showed us some moves from and then demonstrated some dance moves to music from the movie Coco which our Alexa provided. She certainly cannot deny her Panamanian blood if her inclinations to dance are any indication.

Coco Dancing

It was a windy but unseasonably warm October afternoon on Saturday so we spent a lot of time out on Deckzilla. My wife was stalking me to insure I didn’t try picking up either granddaughter since they both exceed my ten-pound lifting restrictions. I did inveigle my son to get BR3 to sit in my lap a few times. She seems fascinated by me (no accounting for taste) much in the same way the FBR was at an early age. I think we’re going to be good friends.

Son and BR3 on Deckzilla

BRS Inheriting FBR Granddaughter Boots

BR3 and Grampa

During my errands in the morning I found an IPA beer with the ABFA’s name on it so that had to be part of the celebrations. One of my son’s friends commented on seeing the label that my son would not be allowed to drink any other kind from now on. What is really weird is the beer right next to this one on the shelf had Wingman’s name on it. I guess I should call it the “In Law IPA” section.

ABFA with Namesake IPA

Abuela and BR3

They Got Out on Deckzilla Too

Over the weekend we had several Facetime calls with the New Jersey bunch. The BRS is fascinated by the FBR who tries nobly to engage with her cousin. One of the funniest episodes was watching the FBR trying to impart the few Spanish words she’s learned to the BRS. The BRS showed some real talent for languages and perfectly repeated each of the Spanish words she was given. This, of course, totally impressed a certain abuela.

Facetiming with FBR

Man Cave Time

Talking Football with BR3

By late afternoon my wife and son conspired to get me down into the Man Cave where I could lie down but still enjoy the company. I’d really missed this hang out time with my son and we watched some college football while the granddaughters flitted about and the BRS transferred doll maintenance activities to the Cave. Somehow the BR3 found her way back into my lap and we talked about football. I could almost physically feel the inundations of emotion sweeping over me to spend time with them. I’m not trying, well, not too hard, to be overly poetic, but I hadn’t felt this good since before the September excavations began, truly medicinal.

So Grampa, What's Your Password?

Very Happy Abuela

Son Bedtime Reading in Teddy Bear Bed

The BRS was sleeping for the first time outside a crib and we inflated the teddy bear bed where the FBR also spent her first night here outside a crib. Her parents were a little nervous about this but the BRS handled it like a champ. After the kids were asleep my son and I watched a few episodes of The Haunting of Bly Manor. Due to both our choice in spouses neither of us get to watch horror flicks that much any more so this was a real treat even though the show stuck predictably to the old Turning of the Screw Story – it still had some scary moments.

Sunday Hojaldra Face

Sunday morning had the BRS once again diving face first into her abuela’s hojaldras. She then insisted on helping her abuela clean the kitchen. I don’t have to tell you how impressed my wife was with that. I felt much better Sunday which I attributed directly to being inundated in the company of these fine people. While Sunday also brought their inevitable departure, nothing could dim the healing effect our time together had brought.

Helping Abuela Clean Kitchen

We'll See How Long This Lasts

My son had to negotiate with the BRS who didn’t see the need to collapse her newly acquired doll crib for the trip home. It wasn’t as if there weren’t already two child car seats, a large golden retriever, and a collection of other new gift to go along with the usual travel gear. Even with the brand-new car it was a tight fit. My wife and I spent the rest of Sunday resting and I guess we weren’t the only ones a little spent. My son called later in the day to report the BRS fell asleep immediately upon departure and slept behind her sunglasses all the way home. I feel so much better for having been in their company this past weekend. Today we start getting the new heating system installed and I’m going to try swimming for the first time in over a month so I’ll be putting this recovery to a test.

Goodbye Lunch with BR3

Rock Star Sleeping all the Way Home

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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