Auspicious Late June

I can’t believe we’re almost out of June. Seems like it just started, but that is the way of summer, at least in New England. The Red Sox are in the midst of yet another swoon and will soon be forced to start double A pitchers if they can’t keep everyone healthy. Other than that, I’m really looking forward to the summer as events start their telescopic approach, beginning this weekend when all three granddaughters will be in residence ahead of a week long stay with us by the FBR. We’ll kick off the summer with a Deckzilla get together. In adulthood I’ve always looked at the summer as a precursor to the my favorite time of year, the fall. This was a natural evolution from school days when the summer was the ultimate goal.

Little Sis a Few Years Ago

More Recently With my Favorite Panamanian and I

More Recently Still with her Guy

If its summer time then that means my youngest sister is celebrating a birthday today. I’m so proud of the woman she’s grown into, finally finding her Prince Charming and establishing a vibrant home and life, complete with canines, the key to any happy life. She’s helping the love of her life through some health challenges but was still upbeat when we talked this morning as I called her to wish her the best. We’re hoping the spousal health situation improves to the point we can all get together this summer. Happy Birthday kiddo!!!

Scores Replacement

Ready to Rock

That precursor also heralds the coming fall with the big event of that season, the Birthday Pub Crawl! Oh yeah, there’s also Thanksgiving and the trip to the Holy Land and Italy but we’re talking priorities here. The annual event back in my hometown may be getting a boost by the opening of a new stop. The Cantankerous One sent an initial report that a new establishment opened today at the site of that iconic pub crawl stop – Scores. Scores was always the ultimate stop of the crawl, conveniently located next to hotels (yes, my wandering Cousin, I’m thinking of you). It’s been sorely missed since it closed a couple years ago so I’ll have to schedule in a reconnaissance to assess this new place, my work is never ending, but important.

BEginning

1st Coat

Second Coat

Back in Service

Some work does end though. I finished the garage stairs painting project yesterday with two coats of gray paint on the heretofore unadorned set of stairs. It led to some complaints from the Favorite Panamanian as I forbid walking on it until it was dry (I’m weird that way). The complaints stemmed from the fact it was raining outside and we all know that means my wife refuses to endanger her hair with something as dangerous as rain. Somehow, she steeled herself for the twenty-foot walk in the rain into the house. Her bravery knows no bounds. The stairs did come out pretty well though.

Two movies fell in my A-Z watch, both keepers, out of alphabetical order, new arrivals to the library: 4K versions, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Connery and Ford – great team; and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, not as much fun but still entertaining, even a nuke doesn’t stop Indy. I'm ready for the final installment now.

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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