Daughter Day

This is one of the days, amongst many now as I think about it, that I get to brag on my daughter. There may be those amongst you that think I may be a little overzealous when it comes to praising my children, but, hey the evidence is overwhelming. Especially considering the handicap of their paternal parental example. I guess she’s getting to an age where I’m not supposed to reveal how many years ago on this day that I spent a delightful 20+ hours with her mother in labor waiting for her arrival. She always wants to make a dramatic entrance. She was more than worth the wait and when they wheeled her out of the delivery room and I got my first glance at her, it was love at first sight.

The Birthday Girl

Where have All the Years Gone?

I had always thought that was some poet’s invention and that it didn’t happen in real life but the thunderclap was real. I reached down and touched her tiny foot before they wheeled her away and nothing in life has blessedly ever been the same. As I dragged her around the world as an Army brat, she developed into a remarkable young lady. She inherited her mother’s flashing eyes, as you can tell from the photos. She somehow evolved into an ardent feminist (where the hell did that come from!?) and a really deep thinker (again – where!). We both love reading and movies and while the content may vary dramatically for each of us, it is a shared love I treasure. I can’t wait for her to tell me about an upcoming movie or the book she just finished.

An Earlier Birthday

Estrella Trying to Get Some Cake

The world is truly fortunate that she has a daughter to pass on her grace and intelligence while serving as a perfect role model for the FBR. I find myself calling the FBR by my daughter’s name because they seem to be carbon copies of each other. Oh, if we could be that lucky. My daughter is a fierce protector of friends and family belied by an outward calm. She is also one of those people who makes corporate America work as she has steadily risen through the ranks of her company to add captain of industry as one of her accomplishments. Along with being a fabulous mother, daughter, wife, and friend.  So there, I’ve bragged about one of my kids again, deal with it, if you keep reading this blog it will happen again. Happy Birthday Heart!!!!

I squired two Panamanian ladies for date night at the movies yesterday. I was a little embarrassed by the end of the date by how bad the movie was but both my Favorite Panamanian and her mom seemed to enjoy the time out of the house. I was excited to see Don’t Worry Darling but that was wasted anticipation. This movie represents a lovechild between the coupling of the Stepford Wives and the Matrix, so a fairly interesting premise. It falls flat on its face despite the heroic efforts of Florence Pugh in the lead role. She is utterly fantastic but she gets no help from the supporting cast. There’s a point where a mystery can be taken beyond the point of cleverness and the big reveal isn’t worth the wait. I think they were aiming for a broadside against toxic masculinity so maybe I’m not the right one to comment but the final fifteen minutes cannot make up for the dreariness preceding it. A big miss.

Three movies fell in my A-Z effort, all keepers, Beverly Hills Cop 2(rare sequel up to original’s fun and action), Beverly Hills Cop 3 (only survives because of first 2, climatic scenes almost unwatchable), Blockers (found myself laughing out loud many times – funnier than I thought).

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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; Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; 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); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; 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