Woosoxing and Graduation Day

What had been an overly mundane week was turned on its head yesterday with the arrival of Keene Friend and the Cantankerous Friend. During one of my earlier thunder runs up to Keene we decided we needed to see a Worcester Red Sox game together again this year. Last year we went too early and nearly froze our nether regions off. No such issue last night on a beautiful but not hot summer night. I had to sandwich their visit around two doctor’s appointments (more on that later). This counts as my Favorite Panamanian’s first WooSox game because last year we had both the FBR and BRS with us and that meant she did not see much of the game we attended with them.

At the Game Last Night

The two Keene stalwarts showed up in the late afternoon and we wended our way through rush hour Worcester to reach the stadium. Having been to a couple games, I chose seats a little higher this time and that made a big difference. We were closer to the concessions and the view of the game was better. The game included a late rally where the WooSox won in the last inning and fended off a late rally. The kicker was fireworks display after the game which I thought would be a modest affair but turned out to be very impressive. My Favorite Panamanian spent most of the game cyber shopping although she claimed to watch the whole game. The three guys snickered at this assertion but no one dared contradict her. I do offer some photographic evidence of my assertion though.

View from our Seats

Cyber Shopping Evidence

It was a great time spent with my oldest friends watching a Red Sox win. As opposed to Fenway, my knees were not ready to lock up either as the seats are modern and not made for 1917 sized humans (Yes Fenway, I talking about you!). Since both friends were spending the night, we adjourned to the Man Cave upon return and I plugged in the new John Wick film. We lasted until about midnight before declaring victory half way through the film,. We’ll have to reconvene to see the rest together. It was a great night hanging with two of my oldest friends. We had a lively breakfast this morning before I headed out for the second of the two medical appointments I had this week.

Post Game Fireworks

This is where we get to the graduation day assertion in the title. This morning’s session was with the prostate doc and my latest test results continue to show an undetectable PSA count. That means they’re sending me back to the primary care doc for routine monitoring of the PSA counts. This prostate battle was not without setbacks but I seem to have beaten it after three years. I cauterize the good feelings with knowledge of others dear to me who are not so lucky. I went two for two with the medical establishment this week as yesterday I had my semi-annual screening with the skin docs. They couldn’t find anything they wanted to biopsy for the first time in a couple years! All that covering up while down in the tropics seems to be working.

FBR Was Squired Around Town by Curbside Aunt and Cousin

Obligatory Book Store Stop

Curbside Aunts Rock!

Three movies fell in my A-Z watch, two keepers and one, not so much, Draft Day, Costner at his everyman likability best, great chemistry with Garner; Dragon Wars, D-War, what was I thinking when I bought this, awful; and Dreamcatcher, much better Stephen King than you’ve heard, love this movie.

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

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