First Friday Tragedy

Calm Down. I’m kidding. Well almost. Regular readers of Frail Deeds know that I hold the celebration of the First Friday that occurs each week as a sacrosanct event, worthy of celebration for its intrinsic value even though, as a retiree, every day is now a weekend. As I rushed around prepping for the family FaceTime call which no qualifies as the most important part of the celebration, I realized I was down to only one Coors Lite! I know. Shocking. I chalk this down to my increasing senility in failing to secure the most important ingredient, well next to talking with the kids and Great Aunt, for a successful First Friday.

The Toned Down Driveway

Why, at the same time, was I rushing around you may ask. Yesterday was the only day in the next seven that promised sunshine all day. You may recall that when the city repaved our street a couple years ago, they excavated a good third of my new, freshly sealed driveway as well. I must be a little obsessive compulsive because it always bothered me to have a clear difference between the two parts of the fairly small (thank God) driveway. So, I was out front yesterday with the power washer and once it dried with the driveway sealant and the squeegee applicator. It’s done but I still have, although less conspicuous, two tone driveway until the fresh sealant ages to the older part and I can always take pride that I sacrificed a beer run to make it happen. (maybe not)

This Hurt - Our Good Friends Celebrating First Friday
at the Condo on Las Lajas Beach - We miss Them

You can probably guess that my Favorite Panamanian wasn’t upset at all at my predicament. She has little patience with me in that area, something I take more than a little pride in earning. It was a fun call despite the lack of Coors Lite. I did try adding an IPA that I keep on hand for Wingman visits but that tasted like, well an IPA, which I hate. I know there are at least a thousand of you out there feeling intense sympathy for me. Strangely none of that thousand were on the call last night, oh well. The granddaughters were in their usual peerless states. We learned BR3 will have an absolute melt down if anyone else tries to feed Riggins. The dog looked a little frantic during the call because BR3 was out in her Barbie car touring the neighborhood and hopefully not ramming the back of her dad’s car (again - why does that always seem to happen to him, just asking) when his feeding time rolled around. The FBR, after downing her pizza had no interest in the call and demanded at least forty-seven times that her mom start the movie night. There was some great health news from Wingmom which made everyone happy. So, a fairly “dry” First Friday, but hey, today’s Saturday, so there is some room for reconvening.

Two movies fell in my A-Z watch, both keepers, Death Becomes Her, where CGI became main stream, forgot what a good comedic actor Bruce Willis was; and Death Race, Stratham being Stratham, Natalie Martinez’ entrance – wow!

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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; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; 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