Deckzilla Transformation

Deckzilla has looked very sad since our return. I could almost sense its unhappiness to have been abandoned for four months to face the vagaries of a New England weather by itself. We’ve gone a long way in the last couple days to relieve those feelings. Most of the credit, alright, darn near all of it, belongs to my Favorite Panamanian as Deckzilla has acquired its annual spring restoration of flowers. My role was only the physical moving of all her newly acquired assets, moving all the Deckzilla ornamentation stored in the basement (not fun), and power washing Deckzilla.

The Master at Work

Now, to that phrase, “newly acquired”; I accompanied her to the local flower emporium, swearing I would be patient as she went about her “process”. For maybe the first time in our 42-year marriage I think I actually did it. It helps that I’ve seen, over the years, how special she can make Deckzilla look, fully festooned. She was a little taken aback my apparent lack of impatience (I do have a solid track record in the whole shopping arena). When we were checking out, the lady at the register commented on how lucky she was to have such a supportive husband. I, of course, know the truth when it comes to accompanying my Favorite Panamanian on her shopping expeditions. We shared a look that only those aforementioned 42 years could produce.  I was also armed with a bunch of gift cards which mitigated the economic impact. Still, it was fun seeing her unfettered release to accomplish the combination of two of her favorite things – shopping and flowers.

The Car Loaded

The biggest challenge of the day was fitting all her acquisitions into the car. With some creative positioning, everything fit. Once I got the haul unloaded onto Deckzilla, I was directed away to let the master do her work. She spent the better part of two complete days carefully planting all her new “children”. She refers to these times as her “therapy”. Getting back to patience, she has a lot more than I do. She also has an artistic streak (giving support to the old adage that opposites attract since I have none). I stand amazed at her ability to literally transform Deckzilla into its annual summer form. We were blessed with great weather, which has since departed. She was out on Deckzilla well after the sun had set last night. The results were remarkable as Deckzilla has truly been transformed (and she’s not done yet!).

Deckzilla This Morning

In my A-Z watch, four fell since I last posted, all keepers, True Lies (upgrade), could be the perfect Governator action/comedy/drama; The Incredibles, early indication Pixar movies are something special; We Were Soldiers (upgrade), probably the best Vietnam War movie ever made, plus footage shot in old home of Ft Benning; and Independence Day, injecting epic into B-movie genre, with probably the best presidential psyche speech ever made.

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

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; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course