Birthday Bashing

I’m in serious recovery mode, both emotionally and physically, after spending the last few days with my son and his family along the New Hampshire seacoast. They rented a beachfront house for the third year in a row. We journeyed there Thursday with the stated purpose of celebrating my Favorite Son’s birthday on Friday. The visit turned out to be so much more. We arrived to find the ABFA’s parents also in residence which always adds a decidedly increased enjoyment aspect. The ABFA and BRS were absent though as we learned they were down the beach achieving one of the ABFA’s bucket list items, learning how to surf. We unloaded our gear and started walking down the beach to observe this momentous occasion. I put BR3 up on the sea wall since she was too short to see over it as we walked. I quickly learned I needed to hold her hand as she would lose focus and start wandering towards the steep edge because she had seen something interesting in the distance.

Movie Time with the Birthday Boy

We arrived at the surfing site to see both the ABFA and BRS emerging from the surf with their instructors. We learned the BRS was professing to be a little tired and in need of a break. She didn’t go back in as she engaged one the instructors in making sand octopi on the surfboard. The ABFA was back in the surf and despite really small waves (compared to Las Lajas) got herself up for several rides. I was totally impressed because I know how taxing that initial spring to standing position can be. Of course, she is the best family athlete, absolutely. The ABFA was therefore victorious while the BRS made a couple superb octopi and looked cute in her wet suit. The ABFA was showered with renditions of the Beachboys’ “Surfer Girl” for the rest of the day.

Sea Wall Strolling

ABFA Emerging from the Surf

BRS Making Octopi

ABFA Surfing

Surfer Girl!!!

We returned to the house and while my Favorite Panamanian was unpacking the various meals she had brought with us, she suddenly exclaimed while looking towards the ocean. She claimed to have seen a whale close in to shore. She quickly learned with, our vigorous assistance, that what she had seen were a set of rocks emerging as the tide fell. That began a weekend long running joke about “Abuela’s Whales”. Whenever we were out on the front deck and she came outside there was an inevitable, “Thar she blows!” shouted out. She took it in good stride. We had an afternoon session on the beach where I got to test my new beach shoes which I hope to maximize next year in Panama. The grandkids were only to happy to help my experiment and after wading into the water I suddenly found myself emerged up to my waist as they had dragged me down. I was therefore able to quickly confirm my thesis that my time on tropical beaches had ruined me forever for New England’s cold ocean waters. (G-Damn, that water was cold!)

Walking Back

Wife out "Whale" Watching

Some of her "Whales" Emerging

After the grandkids were reluctantly put to bed (editor’s note: 100% of that reluctance came from the granddaughters and 0 from their parents), we gathered around the dining room table for an energetic game of Uno Flip, the game which became so popular in the family during the February Panamanian trip. It was testimonial as to the great people gathered around that table that we had so much fun. The surprising star of the show was the ABFA’s mom who revealed a hilarious dry sense of humor which she hadn’t manifested enough of in earlier episodes. Way too much fun, especially since my Favorite Panamanian gets extremely cut throat when involved in any competition.

Beach Time

Son and I on Front Deck

Front Deck View

Friday morning was my son’s birthday and it started with one of his mother’s signature hojaldra breakfasts. As with last year, he wanted to hit two movies to celebrate his birthday. As the father of two young children, his movie going experiences over the past few years have been almost exclusively Disney related. While the ABFA and her folks ran herd on the grandkids, my wife, son and I set out for the movie theater. We first knocked out a steak dinner at a nearby establishment. My much more technically advanced son had arranged advance tickets to the movies, Twisters and Deadpool & Wolverine. We sat through Twisters and were in the lobby as he tried to pull up the tickets for the second movie when he realized he had bought tickets for a performance the night before instead of the one he wanted. He was worried as this was the debut day for the most anticipated movie of the summer and didn’t think tickets would be available. Luckily the theater was showing the movie on more than a half dozen screens and he was able to land tickets for the right show just in time.

Birthday Dinner

Wife Testing her Camouflage Dress

After a long afternoon in the very comfortable theater seats, we returned to the beach house just before the grandkids’ bed time with the stated goal of opening presents and severing a birthday cake with Bonecrusher (the family broadsword). We did all this on the front deck so my wife’s whale friends could participate. The grandkids were more than cute with the cards they prepared for their beloved dad. This was followed by the cake. My Favorite Panamanian had worked her culinary magic again in creating the cake for which some of the lettering unfortunately melted during the long wait for debuting (it still tasted amazing). The kids insisted on assisting their dad when he drew Bonecrusher for the cake splitting blow. I had to remove the sword from the surrounding area after the BRS sought to practice her cake severing stroke while the rest of us ate cake.

Birthday Cards

The Amazing Cake

Bonecrusher Appears

Beautiful Family

Saturday was a beach day and was spent sitting under beach umbrellas while the granddaughters entertained us with their usual antics. Not wanting to repeat Thursday’s mistake when I became re-acquainted with the frigid New Hampshire ocean water, I safely remained up on the beach, safe from the granddaughter’s determined efforts to submerge me again. My son and I were able to solve almost all the Red Sox’ problems during our beach conversations, not that they’ll listen to us. The granddaughters also unveiled their newest game which involved approaching me with a closed fist and saying “open the lid”. This meant lifting their thumb up and then I was instructed to stick my finger into the closed fist. They then complimented me on cleaning their toilet for them. Apparently my reaction was priceless because that became the first of several hundred times this was repeated over our time there.

BR3 with Friend

Son and I Solving Sox Problems

Way Too Cute

Very Happy Abuela

We were supposed to come back home last night but my son campaigned to have us remain until today. We were having so much fun, that made the decision easy. We celebrated last night with another game of Uno Flip which was every bit as funny as the earlier game. We had to caution my wife when she won one game as her victory cries threatened to waken the finally sleeping granddaughters. It was with a truly heavy heart that we had to leave today and I still find myself thinking back to our time there and reliving the all too fun moments. That was the emotional toll, but this is the type of time that a full life is made of. The physical toll involved a slightly wrenched back from lifting and twisting the granddaughters. They’re getting heavier while the back is getting older, nothing a few dozen ibuprofens shouldn’t address. Still wish I was back there watching the Olympics with that very fun bunch.

Twisters was yet another vehicle for the latest “it” guy, Glen Powell, and he delivers. The guy has charisma. He plays a hot shot tornado chaser who falls for a much more serious scientist type. The special effects were amazing as you’re brought into the middle of several tornados. The film suffers a little bit because the female lead wilts in the presence of Powell’s megawatt personality. The part needed a stronger actress, say Helen Hunt, but that was only a minor problem. This was a great ride, a summer popcorn flick that delivers.

I was afraid there was no way Deadpool and Wolverine could deliver on expectations. The first two Deadpool movies were so good that there had to be a letdown. There wasn’t. I haven’t laughed this much at a movie in a very long time as Reynolds continues to shatter the 4^th wall with a more than adequate straight man in Jackman. They spend most of the movie trying to kill each other, despite knowing that is impossible. There are too many cameos to highlight and they all work, sometimes hilariously so (think Channing Tatum). Reynolds takes his new bosses at Marvel to task throughout the movie and it is just too funny. My only complaint would be the lack of adequate screen time for Monica Baccarin but you could say that about every movie, whether she’s in it or not. If this is Deadpool’s last ride, he goes out firmly on top. Best movie I’ve seen this year.

Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: Knight and Day, totally likable comedy action romp, with Diaz and Cruise oozing chemistry; and Knights of the Round Table, silly but nostalgic 1950s sword epic.

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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; 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