And then, there were none. Our version of grandparent nirvana came to a crashing halt today with the departure of the FBR and her parental units. I can say, without question of contradiction, that we sent her off with a bang. Unfortunately that bang came from a serious thunderstorm which descended in the middle of yesterday’s family barbecue and didn’t let up overnight. The rain, however, was no match for the festivities which met them head on and conquered.
My
Favorite Daughter and Wingman slogged through a five plus hour slog through
Friday traffic to finally reach us. Saturday morning dawned with hojaldras
cooking and the FBR thoroughly content to have her parents as part of the program.
The big event was the afternoon barbecue which Soxfather and Great Aunt would
be joining us for. We were all out on Deckzilla enjoying the breeze as we
looked down the hill as Worcester was pummeled by a thunderstorm. Unfortunately
the storm eventually noticed our dry state and turned towards us. We safely evacuated
inside with two minutes to spare before Deckzilla was inundated.
Dinner Last Night
Out on Deckzilla with Storm Clouds in the Distance 
Inside as the Storm Rages
Someone
still had to throw the dead animal flesh on the grill however. I donned some
rain gear so I could protect the meat as it headed towards immolation. I was
thoroughly soaked by the time the meat was ready but it came out perfect and
was safely deployed into the house. I made a huge tactical error though in my
haste to abandon my post. I thought I had turned off the gas on the grill and
didn’t learn until this morning that one side of the grill had remained lit
overnight. I could hear one of my old sergeant’s voice, “Kind of ate up with
dumbass today, aren’t we?”. The steaks were worth it though.
The FBR, Our Activities Counselor
The Cook
Even
better, the company. The FBR created new games for her assembled devotees to
pursue during the rain. We bounced balloons all over the living room, sometimes
requiring diving saves, as well as a number of other diversions emerging from
her very fertile imagination. She and I had made a cake earlier and I then turned
decorating chores over to her and my Favorite Panamanian. The result was a
simply superior confection that received rave reviews.
Heading to my Post
Making Cake with Grandpa 
Decorating with Abuela
It
was approaching the FBR’s bed time which is always a time of contention (an
inherited trait from her mother). The FBR invented yet another game requiring Soxfather
to feign sleep after which Great Aunt would waken him to reveal what she and
the FBR had done during his “long “ sleep. It was hilarious and another testament
to the FBR’s incredible mind's eye. Shortly
after she departed for her bedroom, we looked for the baby monitor which would
listen in to her bedroom overnight. We had the stand but not the receiver. I
made a joke saying the FBR probably hid it to which my wife stated that the FBR
would never do something like that. My daughter shook her head sagely, however,
agreed the FBR was more than capable of this type of sabotage, especially if it
involved her bedtime. The mystery was solved this morning when I asked the FBR
if she knew anything about it. She sheepishly denied it initially and then
crawled under the living room ottoman to retrieve the device from where she had
hidden it. The entire room exploded in laughter.
One
of the best times of the weekend occurred after the FBR’s bedtime though. Soxfather
and Great Aunt were finally staying overnight with us, having been convinced
their dog would survive. We all gathered in the Man Cave to watch a soaked Red
Sox game but the real fun was the joking and catching up with each other that
had been sorely missed over the last year. This was the first time Wingman
spent significant time with the group since Christmas 2019. We all agreed that
was not an acceptable situation. This was another opportunity to drive a stake
through the heart of 2020’s frustration of not being able to hang with friends
and family. The people in that room met both criteria, I am so blessed.
FBR With her Creation
Sunday
did, inevitably, dawn and that brought with it departures. This would be the deepest
valley for certain grandparents who had been operating on the peaks since the
FBR’s arrival. Soxfather had to run down to Rhode Island for a church event but
Great Aunt stayed with us until he returned. This allowed her to spend some quality
time with the FBR that usually isn’t available when Soxfather, with his
undeniable popularity, is around. They worked on a jigsaw puzzle app during which
the FBR stated that she was much better than Great Aunt at puzzles and that she
was the family puzzle master. Beyond cute.
Great Aunt Bonding Time
I’ve
tried to stay extra busy since everybody left as a way to deal with the yawning
void today’s departures have left me with. The house is so quiet! We have a PanaGal
inbound tomorrow to stay with us for a while so my Favorite Panamanian is
rushing around picking up the detritus of extended granddaughter residency. I
mad the mistake of giving the granddaughters a book of stickers. My wife was
pointing out that our house is now liberally decorated with them. I asked her
not to take them down as they serve as a poignant reminder of how much love and
laughter the past couple weeks provided.
Sadness Descends as they Leave
Sticker Decorations
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
No comments:
Post a Comment