Two in a Row

For those of you still astounded that I completed a day of working on a do-it-yourself project without any donation of blood or other body parts to the effort, prepare to be further amazed. I was back at my next-door neighbor’s deck again yesterday where I completed the installation of the lattice work and once again my Favorite Panamanian is completely mystified because I emerged without bodily injury. She had to shelf the fully prepared first aid kit she had taken out. The neighbor was properly appreciative and gifted me with a case of beer afterwards.

The Gang Last Night

With the Maintenance Manager

There was also another mini-mini-reunion as several of my former co-workers came over for a Deckzilla First Friday celebration. Once again it was great to see these old friends, while I still miss the people, I certainly don’t miss the work. Especially after getting the latest run down of the challenges they face. One of them nonchalantly mentioned that her kidneys are failing, adding to a litany of other serious ailments she’s faced and conquered over the past decade. She’s like the energizer bunny and an object lesson to not go thirty years between doctor visits. I was especially pleased to hang with my former maintenance manager who had also faced a series of health issues as well as he looked spry and healthy once again. Speaking of reunions I received a couple more pictures from the official photographer, included below.

The Completed Project

With Keene Friend at old High School

Keene Friend 2 and the CRC

With Cantankerous in the Auto Shop

Three movies fell in my A-Z watch, all keepers: Gamer, non-stop violence in a future world of gaming gone amok; Gangster Squad, so much better than I remembered; and Gardens of Stone, of course I’m keeping it, I’m in it!

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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