Working Out

I’ve become a big fan of my daughter and wingman’s new Peloton bike during our stay here. It has a feature where you can load scenic rides to watch as you peddle, seemingly though whatever target ride you’ve chose. Over the past few days I revisited Bern, Switzerland as well as San Francisco and three different rides in Panama. The work outs here are especially fun because they take place immediately after our morning wakeup call from the FBR. She stands alongside me as I go through the exercises the physical therapist recommended I continue as well as the belly crunches and leg lifts. This morning she stood on a stool next to me as I peddled on the bike and narrated what we were seeing on the screen. Some workouts just fly by.

My Workout Buddy

Check Your Form Grandpa!

A Great Partner

FBR and Wife Do Yoga While I Ride

Over the past few days the FBR has also inculcated me into the cult that is – High School Musical. Both the FBR and the BRS are huge fans of these Disney movies and the FBR clearly remembered that I promised to watch them while I was here. The kid forgets nothing, unfortunately, in this case. So, I’m up to speed with numbers one through three watching the adventures or Troy and Gabriel and the East High bunch. I’m told I have yet another one to view today called Sharpay’s Big Adventure. Grandparenting isn’t always easy.

FBR Launches a Rocket Which I am Expected to Catch

My Favorite Panamanian and I took our Covid tests today in preparation for our flight to Panama tomorrow night. We were promised results within 24 hours and it took less than two hours, both negative. This means we won’t be officially required to quarantine upon arrival although we will keep our distance from my mother in law until two weeks after we arrive. There are worse places to keep social distances than in Las Lajas. The beach is definitely calling.

Building What She Described as Best Tower Ever with her Mom

Wingman & I Took Offense as we Both Thought we Held That Title

She Was Right Though

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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; 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 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

Sublime Routine

There are some activities in life that reach beyond the normal enjoyment of life in general. Spending time with granddaughters certainly fills that category. Our bedroom is right next to the FBR’s and she’s appointed herself as our morning wakeup call. She’s under parental orders not to emerge from her bedroom until 7am when her alarm light goes off. On Sunday morning she actually slept in, a highly unlikely situation. Around 8 I knocked on the adjoining wall and she came flooding into the room but I was to pay for this indiscretion.

Two of my Favorite Ladies

Her parents returned from their weekend sojourn and it was so great hanging out with the entire crew. Around 6:30am on Monday the FBR began an incessant banging on our wall, obviously a trick she learned from her grandpa, hence the payment I was speaking about. I rushed to her room to quiet her down before her parents heard and correctly assigned blame to our presence in the house. As fate would have it, I met my daughter as I was leaving the FBR’s room. My daughter only gave me a tired smile at the antics of her daughter.

The Dynamo Yesterday

I set up he computer in the basement for the couple hours of work I have to do each day. I quickly learned to use the mute button during the zoom calls to cover the sound of an energetic five-year-old running back and forth on the floor above. I am greeted like a returning hero every time I journey upstairs; so much so that I occasionally go up just to get the greeting. We had a lot of fun chasing rockets in the back yard yesterday even if the temps were a little brisk.

So Much Fun

We’ve taken to watching movies with my daughter and Wingman each of the past two nights as my daughter walks us through some of the Oscar nominated films. We watched Minari and the Father over the past couple nights. Both films were excellent although The Father made me nervous as it dealt with an aging father and I was the only aging father in the room. There’s a pivotal scene in Minari which involves the routine of burning trash. This brought back memories of my own youth I had all but forgotten. It was one of my routine chores in the early 1960s to take the family trash to the back yard and burn it in an oil drum back there. Every house had this which is probably a good reason it was eventually banned. Can you even imagine what kind of pollution that created not to mention whether it was wise to have young children burning things in the backyard without supervision? Times have changed. I don’t think the FBR’s parents would even consider sending her out back with a book of matches.

Not Sure what the Belly Baring Means

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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; 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 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

Saturday Jersey Sojourn

The FBR was left in her grandparents’ care for the entirety of Saturday as her parents spent some well earned rest at a local cabin escape. The FBR promptly hit her marks with the 7am wakeup call but we must be shifting into the mundane as this morning we had to call her to come in and “wake” us up just before 8. I recounted a lot of yesterday’s adventures in my last blog post. Yesterday afternoon we were subjected to a barrage of pleas to walk down the street to visit/play with one of her best friends. She received intel from another friend a couple houses down who shouted out her window that something was going on at the other friend’s house.

The Gang

the Cabin Escape

As with most things, we find we cannot deny her anything. We checked with my daughter and Wingman who said it would be fine, so we walked down the street with the FBR charging ahead in her excitement. We arrived to find the mother of the friend making last adjustments on what looked like a formal dinner party outside. We were immediately supremely embarrassed to have intruded although the FBR seemed blithely unaware of her social faux pas as she chased her friend around the back yard. The mom explained she was expecting another family to join them shortly for a Passover dinner. We apologized and dragged the FBR out for a return trip home. Of course, as we were walking home we ran into the invited family, including the little girl who had shouted out the window earlier. The FBR’s first question was the obvious, “Where are you guys going?”. More awkwardness as we tried to explain the situation to her. She bounced back nicely though with the promise of creating a funfetti cake with he abuela.

Funfetti Cake with Abuela

We received some great news yesterday morning when our favorite son revealed he received his company’s most prestigious award for his work over the past year in a Friday night award ceremony. He’s really grown into the expanded role they have created for him and taken upon himself to lead the company’s training program as well as juggling construction jobs spread throughout New England. I’m so proud of him and gratified that his company realized the jewel they have in him.

My Son's Award

We received this news when we queried as to why he missed the Family Facetime call on Friday evening. That was the usual success although strange to have the FBR with us for the event. She’s usually the one wanting to end it quickly so she could get to movie night.  I was truly enjoying the usual lively conversation with Great Aunt and Soxfather when my Favorite Panamanian and the FBR began conspiring, again, on the acquisition of a rodent sized creature suspiciously labeled as a dog. They kept showing me pictures of various incarnations of these beasts until I was reminding the FBR she was cutting into her movie night time. Soxfather and Great Aunt could not stop laughing at my predicament.

The Friday Arrival Gifting Ceremony

Dragon Received

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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; 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 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

Target Engaged

The current year continued its winning streak yesterday when we made landfall in Maplewood, New Jersey to spend time with my daughter and her family. We loaded up the car with the past three weeks of suitcase packing done by my Favorite Panamanian and headed out through the fog. We made the trip in just 3 hours with Connecticut even taking it easy on us. The FBR was still in school when we arrived which gave us a few hours to hang with my daughter and Wingman. This allowed some catching up that is simply not possible during our daily calls which are dominated by a certain give year old.

And Just like that - All Was Right with the World

Speaking of that five-year-old, the FBR arrived home from school to find us sitting on her front steps. There was immediate excitement from both sides. She had been threatening us with running hugs all week and delivered on that promise to our sublime delight. Since she’s off from classes next week, the school held an easter party yesterday and she was determined to show us each and every bit of candy she acquired. I might have mentioned at that point that we also had brought her some gifts. You could almost see the lightbulb go off over her head when she realized in her excitement that she had forgotten what a visit from grandparents meant.

FBR Arrives Home to Grandparent Laden Porch

Abuela Gets the First Running Hug

A Happy Pair

She spent the next fifteen minutes going through the booty acquired by a certain grandmother with some sneaky shopping over the past few weeks. This was the first time we’d seen the FBR in person this year. Her grandfather had also not been blameless when it came to shopping. When I heard about the recent McDonald’s debacle where she was given something other than a Raya and the Last Dragon figurine, I ordered one for her. In the funniest moment of the entire day (which is saying something) she burst out with “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!” She could not have been more excited and a certain grandfather was complete. The dragon has accompanied her everywhere since acquisition.

With her New Dragon

Exuberance Embodied

We’d encourage my daughter and Wingman to give themselves some time during our visit and they rented a cabin for the weekend. They set out after briefing us on the intricacies of the FBR’s movie night and feeding of Pee Wee. You can probably guess that the movie in question was the aforementioned Raya and the Last Dragon. The FBR escorted me to where the Junior Mints were stored and then “coached” me on how to make popcorn. Those of you who know me well know that this was akin to an insult based on my legendary abilities with my favorite snack. But, granddaughters can get away with a lot and I only nodded at her sage advice.

Abuela Also Had some Swing Time

Pee Wee Offering to Help with Bacon Prep

This morning provided the promised 7am wakeup call from the fully alert FBR. We heard her awake and playing in her room but she patiently waited until her 7am official wake time to emerge, or more accurately, descend on us. Groins had to be quickly protected from a flurry of small elbows and knees. My wife had tried to negotiate a later awakening but that was not to be. The FBR assisted me with my morning exercises while my Favorite Panamanian created a batch of hojaldras. The FBR’s parents recently acquired one of those high speed peloton bikes and offered me its use during our stay. Once I figured out how to connect the shoes I was able to load in a couple scenic rides for my workout. I spent 10 minutes going through the old city of Bern which brought back a lot of memories from our 2019 trip to Switzerland. I then finished the workout with a 20 minute trip through the back roads of Chiriquí, my wife’s home province. It weirdly felt a lot like going home and the video quality was amazing, I almost forgot I was working out.

5 Year Old Dynamo

Bike Tour

Today the FBR took me on a tour of the neighborhood with her new bike which probably qualifies as another workout for me giving the amount of grandfather effort spent keeping up with her. We then had a session of rocket catch. She has an air powered rocket set that launches the plastic foam missiles skyward by stepping on a big cushion. When my wife came outside I began a lesson in adjusting fire with the FBR until we could reasonably land missiles in her abuela’s vicinity. The FBR’s also determined the swing was a lot more fun if she was draped across my chest while I went as high as possible. This turned out to be quite a through arm workout to complement the bike ride and chase. The FBR was a little put out when I had to call an end to this activity in the interests both our safety.

The Arm Workout

Peas in Proverbial Pod

2021 just keeps winning. Two weekends in a row spent with granddaughters. I now have a complete week to spend with my eldest and, for sure, most muscle challenging granddaughter.

This Went on for a While

I Don't Think Anyone Minded

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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; 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 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

Cutting it Close

This will be my last post from Worcester for a while. I am not entirely upset about that. We first have a week long sojourn with the New Jersey bunch which the FBR has become increasingly excited about. We leave tomorrow morning and meet with our house sitter tonight. After our week with my daughter’s family, we’re flying out of New York for a month long stay at our beach condo in Panama. This is about four months later than our retirement plans called for and I blame it squarely on 2020 and that damnable virus.

Freshly Vaccinated

Speaking of all things Covid, my Favorite Panamanian got her second shot yesterday so we are both fully vaccinated. She’s up and about today with no lingering side effects. I’m starting to think Pfizer is the way to go in terms of reduced side effects. Thankfully, something neither of us has to worry about, for a while. The past few weeks have seen one of my wife’s epic and customary suitcase packing frenzies. As we approach the finish line the action is really picking up as items are taken out and replaced with others. I just hope there’ room left for my underwear.

Comparing Haircuts

She Wins

This week also saw pre-deployment haircuts for both my wife and I. As you can imagine, a lot more care and effort went into my Favorite Panamanian’s coif than mine, which is as it should be. After surviving her first winter in a while, it’s good to see her so excited about finally seeing her family again. The granddaughters were on the air last night and this morning. BR3 spent our entire call blowing raspberries at us. I’m not sure what kind of message she was trying to send. The FBR was very excited about our impending arrival, this morning, when her enthusiasm resulted in a spilled bowl of cereal all over her school clothes, shortly before she was scheduled to leave. My daughter, her mother, was less than pleased as the FBR tearfully begged for her not to be mad. I would find it very difficult to remain stern looking into those eyes, but I’m a grandparent. So there.

BR3 Blowing Raspberries at Us

The moment the Cereal Bowl was Turned Over
I Don't Think the Thumbs up Lasted

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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; 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 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

Elder Rooting

Yesterday was as perfect a day that March is liable to offer up so I was back out and under Deckzilla completing my anti-rabbit campaign. I thought the ground was thawed out so I could dig the requisite trenches to embed the chicken wire behind the lattice work the rabbits had been gnawing on. While I got the project completed, it was not without its lowlights. I blithely ignored my Favorite Son when he declared I shouldn’t be crawling around under the deck at my age (talk about waving the proverbial red flag in a bull’s face). It turns out he was right. At some point I’ve got to recalibrate the mind to match my body’s capabilities. I think they’re about twenty years apart at this point.

Wife Swinging with BR3 on Saturday

I was also right. The ground had thawed, for about two inches. It did seem moderately vulnerable though, so I employed one of my favorite tools of ignorance – a pick axe. I was able to chip out the needed channel beneath the latticework although some of my Favorite Panamanian’s flowerpots paid a price. Then came the crawling as the last part required I install the wire from underneath. I also had to evict any rabbits that my efforts hadn’t convinced to leave. I crawled as far under the deck as I could with a flashlight and pole. Crawling under the deck reminded of a college activity that was best left in the memory book.

Trench Dug, Wire About to go Behind the Lattice

Wife Caught me When I was about Half as Muddy as I ended Up

I had a semi-psychotic roommate in my college fraternity who loved what we called “rooting” which he defined as rolling around in the mud for no other reason than it felt good. He would also yell from the window to passersby that we had him chained to a radiator, but I digress. Yesterday’s sojourn under the deck certainly qualified as “rooting”. That top two inches of thawed out soil made for a really fine mud that was helpfully very cold as well. It turns out cold mud coating your body can sap energy (of course that just might be age related as well). I had to crawl out from under the deck three times to clear a jammed staple gun because, well, mud gets everywhere; a lesson learned from my days in the infantry.

Finished Product

By the end of the day (literally – the sun was setting), I buried the last trench and declared victory. I did so in a small voice though as my wife had seen the inroads I’d made on the flower pots. As I was as dirty as I’d ever been coming in from a field exercise during my aforementioned infantry time we reverted to one of the standard operating procedures from that time. I would come home with two weeks’ worth of sweat, dirt, camouflage, and some other, less savory, substances coating my body and uniform. My wife would not permit me to enter “her” pristine house in that condition. In warmer climates she would hose me down in the driveway with the garden hose. In other situations, I was forced to disrobe in the garage and then hose down the dirty uniforms. That was what we went with yesterday as I stood at the rear door of the garage in my underwear hosing down the well rooted out clothes I’d worn. Hopefully the neighbors stayed safely out of eye shot. If nothing else, I confirmed my rooting days were best left to the fraternity back yard and the infantry – definitely a young man’s endeavor.

BR3 Flashing the Baby Blues

As to be expected, my wife also had her camera working overtime this past weekend up in New Hampshire and provided these additional shots of a splendiferous weekend with my son’s family. Not to be outdone, the FBR also insisted on taking a couple pictures of her during out Facetime calls.

ABFA Providing Some Driving Lessons

And She's Off!

BR3 Wanting to Go Outside to Help Dad and Grandpa with Firepit

BRS and Hojaldras - Matich Made in Heaven

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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; 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 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