Purgatorized

After the few days of all three granddaughters in residence, both my Favorite Panamanian and I needed a day of rest on Monday. Of course, rest is a relative term since we had one of the world’s leading opponents of grandparent rest, the FBR, still inhouse. She ended up accompanying my wife on a shopping expedition yesterday and returned, predictably, with a veritable treasure trove of new acquisitions. I’ve written before how much joy there is for my Favorite Panamanian to finally have a kindred soul in the family, at least when it comes to shopping. Of course, there is some pain associated with this relationship, isolated to me when I open credit card statements after a FBR visit. Totally worth it, to see the light dancing in her eyes as she excitedly reveals her purchases to me.

The Intrepid Clamberers Leaving the Chasm

The plan for today, based on the weather forecast, was a trip to the movie theater. The expected day-long rain didn’t materialize so I had to pivot. I was going to jettison the movie until I realized, after being reminded by the FBR, that I had promised a movie. I decided we’d go to nearby Purgatory Chasm which the FBR loved last year and is just a short distance from the movie theater. She’s a real fan of clambering over rocks and this was a perfect opportunity to do just that. My Favorite Panamanian, in deference to her balky knee, decided she wouldn’t join us but prepared a cool picnic lunch for us.  

Point man at the head of the Chasm

C'mon Grandpa, Keep Up

Conquering Hero

Cute As Well

There wasn’t a big crowd at the chasm which made the rock clambering (that was mostly the FBR) ideal. I made a mistake by still doing the stationary bike workout this morning and then forgot the knee brace. This made my “clambering” a lot more sedate, bordering on a shamble. My biggest job was insuring the FBR didn’t “overachieve” in cliff climbing since my ability to effect a rescue wasn’t at full strength. She was starting up a tough stretch when a teenage boy from further up yelled down, “Be careful, it’s kind of scary”. The redoubtable FBR immediately replied, “I’m not scared, I watch horror movies”. When I stopped laughing, I cautioned her to stop before the fifty-foot drop-off. The FBR assured me this was “good practice” for our Thursday climb up Mount Monadnock. (Note to self – don’t forget the knee brace for that climb).

Waiting for Me to Catch Up

Let's Explore this Cave

"Still Waiting Grandpa"

Lunch Time

View from our Lunchtime Perch

Despite my wife’s concern with my tendency to get injured, we made it through the chasm unscathed. I allowed the FBR to choose the picnic location and we dined on a cliff overlooking chasm. On the return trail along the top of the chasm the FBR wanted to go through a deep cleft which I thought I avoided by stating I could get some cool pictures from above. Those hopes were dashed when she complained about the slope and requested I accompany her. I kind of fit through. It was a fun time which concluded with the semi-obligatory trip to the on-site playground.

The One Shot I got Before I was Summoned Below

Near the End Where it Got Less Deep

Emerging

She Got the Camera Away from Me as we Were Leaving

Playground Time

Still Climbing

We were right up against the start time for the movie when we left the chasm. The FBR told me not to worry as there would be a bunch of previews to delay the start of the actual movie. Insert comment here about the apple falling circa the proverbial tree. We saw the latest iteration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles which was actually kind of entertaining. I thought back to the distant past where I remembered taking her mother to the first movie version back when she was about the same age as her daughter is today. So, another good day thanks to little bundle of energy who keeps jumping in my lap as I try to type this. She considers blog writing a waste of valuable “grandpa attending to granddaughter” time (so you see, you have an ally in reducing my nonsensical prose).

At the Movie Theater - Setting up Her Parents
for the Next Movie They'll be Taking her To

One movie fell in my A-Z watch, not a keeper, Fly Boys, just a silly World War 1 story.

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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