Despite engaging in activities early in my life that raised questions as to my long time viability I have somehow reached senior citizen status with my 65th birthday today. I remember thinking this was an ancient age back in the day but I find that I still have the same silly thoughts and impulses I did when I was much, much younger. I always wondered what my grandparents were thinking and now I know. It’s kind of scary.
Birthdays in Pandemia
are a very quiet affair and my Favorite Panamanian and I will be celebrating
solo today. However, I was able to accomplish a shadow of my usual riotous
hometown birthday pub crawl yesterday with the gallant efforts of my Kindergarten
Friend, Keene Friend, and the Cantankerous Friend. My wife had been giving me serious
flak all week about doing the crawl but as we got closer I found that I really
needed it. In one of those viability doubting activities I spoke about earlier
I told her that I didn’t need her permission, a big mistake; turns out, I do.
Strat of the Crawl Outside Cobblestone
With Keene Friend (c) and Kindergarten Friend
She dropped me off at
Keene Friend’s house shortly after noon and went on her way for a day’s worth
of shopping. Keene Friend and I ambled downtown to start the crawl at the Cobblestone
Pub. We were shortly joined by the Kindergarten Friend who had done a serious
amount of reconnaissance on the pub scene in preparation for the crawl. We were
all wearing masks as were most of the other patrons. There ample space for the few
people out and about so social distancing was possible. The college kids still don’t
seem to get it and were the only ones I observed all day not wearing masks. Fortunately
they always gravitated as far away from the old codgers’ table as possible
Crawling with Wings
We started at Cobblestone
because Penuche’s, our usual launching pad, didn’t open until 4. After a few introductory
beers we wandered across the street to the Lab ‘n Lager to continue our libations.
The Cantankerous Friend joined us at this point after acquiring what he felt were
the needed daily bike riding miles. This completed the group that constituted this
year’s crawl. This is, of course, a wholesale drop off from our usual
contingent of dozens but it would not have been irresponsible to gather in
larger numbers and it means that next year’s will be massive with a huge PR
campaign leading up.
Outside Lab 'n Lager joined by Cantankerous
Next it was down the
street to the Kilkenny Pub with its usual understated elegance. Kindergarten Friend
commented that the bathroom must remind me of my Army days for the level of
pure funkiness. The Kilkenny has a special place in my heart for the crawl and
I always look forward to hitting it. Upon leaving I was instructed to pose in front
of some large yellow wings. I’m still not sure why but we were flying by this
point.
Inside Kilkenny with Kindergarten Friend
Demonstrating to my Wife we Used the Wipes She Provided
Inside Pour House 
The BFB
It was up to the head
of the square and the Pour House next. This is where we ended the crawl last
year and I was reminded it was here the FBR and my Fellow Panamanian joined us
for a memorable windup celebration. We acquired our beers and I noticed Kindergarten
Friend had a massive beer mug which he blithely informed was called a BFB (Big
F-ing Beer). I decided I had to have one. It brought back memories of the Beer
Towers of the now defunct Scores where we used to end the crawl. 
Buddies Since Kindergarten with our BFBs
We made our turn south
down Main Street as the sun set. Margarita’s was now open and we stopped in
there to break up the trek to Penuche’s. None of us were feeling any pain at
this point but walking in straight lines was still possible if not always accomplished.
We reached Penuche’s to conclude the crawl and found it eerily quiet with only
a small crowd which is definitely not normal for a Saturday evening in a
college town but was welcome for pandemical reasons. While there was only the four
of us and fewer bars this year, this was exactly what I needed and wanted for
my birthday. Spending time with these oldest of friends was the best birthday
present I could hope for in these dark times. I did miss having my usual crawl
mate, my Favorite Son, but I didn’t want to endanger his health with the two
little angels he’s now responsible for. Next year.
Outside Margarita's
Extraction operations
started at Penuche’s as Kindergarten Friend’s daughter picked him up while the other
three of us walked the short distance to Keene Friend’s house to await the
return of my Favorite Panamanian. Earlier in the day she complained that there
was no way she would be able to shop the entire time of the crawl but she
somehow managed and was over a hour and a half late in getting to Keene’ Friend’s
house. He provided a birthday cake which I was about to blow out in completely
un-Pandemic manner until I was reminded and used a very quick hand swipe to extinguish
the candle. If Keene Friend had been a tad quicker I would have batted the cake
against the wall but, as with the entire rest of the day, it worked perfectly.
We forgot to conduct our usual drunken phone call to the Pittsburgh College
Roommate but I put that down to the evils of demon alcohol.
Last Stop - Penuche's
Masks Came Down for Photo Only
Birthday Cake at Keene Friend's House
My wife eventually
loaded me in the car for the trip home. For some unknown reason I promptly fell
asleep. She had a great time recounting this morning how I must have been
dreaming because I kept waking up to say, “Thank You Guys!” repeatedly during the
drive. I must have been reliving the crawl and thanking those great friends
that made my birthday so special. There is no physical way I can thank them
enough for the present of their company.
Hand Swipe to Extinguish Candle
As Keene Friend Lifts Cake Away to Prevent me from Blowing on it
I've got some more solo celebrating to do today. Earlier this week, in a huge surprise, the Maine Musquetera and her husband drove all the way down from northern Maine to drop off a birthday cake for me. I was truly touched for the both them to make the three hour drive down only to turn around and return after dropping off the cake. Such great friends. I'm also really psyched because she makes the best cakes I've ever tasted.
Wife and Maine Musquetera After Cake Delivery
Earlier this Week
Back in Action This Morning
No After Effects!
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Spousal Presents Delivered This Morning
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; Kindergarten
Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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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