Basal Vanquish

Once again, I find it hard to countenance that it is, all of a sudden, July. June sped by at pre-pandemic pace, which means way, way too fast. June was a victim of too many good times which has that effect. July promises an equal amount of accelerated spells as there are already several get-togethers taking shape. This starts tomorrow with a stop over at the annual 4^th of July party at one of the Latin Mafia’s homes. After a too short stay there we’ll head north to my hometown for Keene Friend 2’s birthday party. This will hopefully be followed by a visit to Alumni Field for the 4^th of July fireworks display. Some great memories, stretching back more than sixty years for me, are attached to that event. My designated driver says we might not be able to attend the fireworks since we have to drive back to Worcester that night.

Target Area

I’ve been puttering around the house, knocking off small tasks over the past couple weeks (including my “epic” climb), but I’m committed to starting my big project next week. I’ve told too many people I’m going to do it to avoid and I’m actually looking forward to it. That is, until, I’m sure, my shovel bounces off that immense rock I’ll have to extricate. I’m digging into the hillside around my style challenged fireplace. I’m going to bring it down to the level of the exit from Deckzilla. I’ll then pour cement to create a level mini-patio below the fireplace. I’ve actually been listening to all the people, mainly my Favorite Panamanian, that I have to be a little more circumspect when it comes to intense physical labor. There’ll be a lot of that if my earlier forays into back yard excavations are any indicator. I’ll dig only when the target area is in the shade. That’s the plan at least.

I’ve completed the requisite time for applying the chemotherapy cream twice daily to the biopsy site where the basal cancer cells extended beyond the margins of the biopsy site. (How’s that for dermatology-speak). The last week and a half have been fairly painful but now it can begin to heal. It’s bothered me, and my well-honed vanity, to go to my swim workout with an area on the shoulder which looks like 3^rd stage leprosy. I’d show you a picture but it’s pretty grotesque. I showed Great Aunt last night on the Family FaceTime call and even she blanched and she was an ICU nurse for many decades. My continued march through my movie shelves continued with The Sixth Day and With Six You Get Eggroll. I know. A pretty wide margin of genre there; Schwarzenegger versus Doris Day. The governator was actually funnier. I’ll keep both, although this wasn’t an easy call.

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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