Holiday Haunting and Some More Delving

Okay, I’m more than a little freaked out. Either I’m going completely insane or my house is haunted. Not the kind of choices I was looking for during the holiday season. Let me explain. I was doing my ab workout this morning in the living room, admiring the Christmas tree when I should have been crunching, when there was a very loud sound on the far side of the kitchen. It sounded like something large fell and this was followed by the sound of breaking glass. I was concerned because I would be accused of whatever breakage this event had generated (rightfully so due to my spotty history in this arena). I immediately set out to learn what I would be suspected of but I couldn’t find anything. I widened the search and even went into the garage and outside. Again, nothing to see. I went upstairs to ask my Favorite Panamanian but she hadn’t heard anything but immediately assumed I broke something (again, that history).

We both searched the house top to bottom and didn’t find anything broken. It still kind of freaks me out because the sound was so loud and very clear. I related this to the family and they made the same leap in logic as my wife, asking me what I had broken and why was I trying to blame it on ghosts (damn!). When I professed my complete innocence, they said it was probably a forewarning about something I was going to break in the future (geez, can I get a break here – oops, poor choice of words that). So, these are my options, I’m going mad, being haunted, or experienced a bubble in time. I’m blaming a poltergeist.

Hopefully the Granddaughters' Don't go all Carol Ann on me This Weekend

One of my mother’s favorite sayings (being a child of the Great Depression), was that nothing in life is free. As with most mother’s sayings I’ve found it rooted in truth. I remembered that today after an experience at the local Toyota dealership. Since they think so highly of me, they offered a free state vehicle inspection as a Christmas present. I showed up on time and the very young lady who was doing the intake slapped a gauge on the tires and said I was probably going to fail. I thought this was strange since I only had about 35K miles on the tires. We went back to her desk and she said she could equip me with new tires for only $1300, Merry Friggin Christmas. I told her no, please return my car to me, and I would get the tires at some place that didn’t require my first born. I drove down the street, got the car inspected (passing with flying colors), and paid $35 instead of the $1300. Because, as mom said, nothing in life is free. Since it’s Christmas time I’m going to assume the young lady just didn’t know how to read the gauge instead of trying to fleece me.

A Delving We Will Go!

I got another Christmas present today. On Tuesday I had my biannual skin screening at the dermatologist. This is where I have a fairly attractive young lady run her hands all over my body and I don’t get in trouble (my kids are cringing reading that I’m sure). Since I’d gone a whole year without any delving, I guess she felt honor bound to take two biopsies. One in my right ear and the other on top of my head. Today I learned both were positive for cancer and I’ll have to have Mohs surgery again (for the 7^th time) to remove them. Luckily it can wait until I return from Panama. Despite these adventures, I still love this time of year and the first batch of kids and granddaughters arrive tonight. Extremely cool.

Three movies fell in my A-Z watch, all keepers: The Howling, mom from ET versus werewolves; How the West was Won, true epic with virtually every major actor from 1960s; and Hugo, a personal favorite and a must see for all movie lovers.

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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