Friday Thrice

I have a well earned and long sought-after reputation for appropriately celebrating the first Friday that rolls around during the week. I may have overdone it a bit yesterday but that’s how traditions are forged and then enhanced. I ran into my old operations manager a couple weeks ago and he suggested we get together to celebrate a Friday. I contacted him earlier this week and said I would host the event on Deckzilla. He was appropriately excited although I did maintain our long-standing joke that he would probably miss it. His job was to rally the troops at my old company while I was in charge of getting Keene Friend down for the event.

First Friday #1

During Thursday’s rain soaked passage I gave Deckzilla its annual power washing which was about as much fun as it sounds. Yesterday after the morning swim I stopped off at Home Depot and secured some stain/sealant to touch up Deckzilla’s rough spots. After that, the lawn was mowed and I was more than ready for my first beer. My Favorite Panamanian was equally excited to see some of our old work friends for the first time in years. As we approached game time Keene Friend dutifully showed up while I started receiving alarming texts from my former Ops Manager. Of all things, he was claiming he might not come because work had intruded its ugly countenance into his plans to escape. He attained the nickname of “pigeon” for his repeated failures to come to First Friday celebrations during my tenure as GM and apparently nothing has changed. The nicest part of the assembly yesterday was the arrival of my former excellent boss who found us after stopping at our old home across the street (he hadn’t updated my info). The only other people to show up were my former CFO and her sister but we had a quorum and with my Favorite Panamanian’s lively presence the party was on. Most of it was consumed with pointing out the shortcomings of the former Ops Manager for not appropriately revering First Friday protocols but it was a lot of fun hanging with old friends. The CFO revealed the celebration of First Friday had died with my departure, sadness; but the old horse and water saying suffices. Thus passed First Friday celebration #1.

#2 was the weekly family First Friday call. That started just as the first party was packing up for their respective drives home. The FBR demanded a short call as she was looking forward to her weekly movie night. After they bowed out, the BRS and BR3 entertained us with their mad dashes around the house with my son in semi-hot pursuit. We were able to get a few pieces of adult conversation with Great Aunt between all the careening. Thus passed First Friday celebration #2.

First Friday #3

When that call ended, my Favorite Panamanian had already departed for the Neighborhood Mafioso’s house where the next celebration was taking place. Keene Friend and I escorted our beer filled cooler across the street to join in. We were celebrating the birthday of one of the adjunct members of the Panamanian Mafia, an Ecuadoran married to a Panamanian gal. He has a well-earned title as a dedicated jokester which he did everything to maintain last night. After a beautiful summerlike day, the temperatures dove into the sixties in the early evening which had the Latinos and certain beachified gringos donning snivel gear to deal with the cold. I don’t think we stopped laughing the entire time we were there. Thus passed First Friday celebration #3.

Birthday Boy in his Snivel Gear

Keene Friend and I retired to the Man Cave upon our return home to catch the end of the Red Sox game and start watching a movie. Apparently, both of us were asleep later in the evening when it started raining outside. My Favorite Panamanian came down stairs and was repeatedly jumping on the overheard kitchen floor to get my attention (our informal alert system) and then yelled down the staircase with no response. She eventually donned one of my coats and rescued all the cushions on Deckzilla from the rain. I don’t think she was pleased with my lack of response but I declared unconsciousness was a valid excuse. It had been a long day and even longer evening. Victory!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course