Birthday Memory Delving

Today marks the birth, some four decades ago, of my eldest and still most favorite daughter. We were too late in coordinating with her, and she already had made plans for the weekend so we’re staying home. I’m fairly certain she’ll have a lot more fun attending a music festival in NYC with the Curbside Girls than hanging out with her parents. We’ll see her in a couple weeks when her schedule opens up. My Favorite Panamanian and I were reminiscing this morning about that, longest of all days in both our lives (more than twenty hours of labor will do that), when she arrived to bless our lives. I’m still amazed at the adults both of my kids have evolved into while saddled with me as their dad. My daughter has steadily risen in the corporate ranks while remaining loyal to her first love of writing. Along the way she’s also more than successfully accomplished the role of mom to the FBR and wife to Wingman. I stand in awe. Happy birthday Heart, your grandmother would be so proud of the woman you’ve become, I know your mom and I are.

The Birthday Girl

We had a fun Worcester adventure last evening. My Favorite Panamanian violated a house rule by agreeing to a social engagement during the scheduled time of our weekly First Friday Family Facetime call. I accepted it since it meant spending some time hanging out with the Worcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia, including the Neighborhood Mafioso and her husband. Those last two worthies volunteered to drive, and we set out to eat at a new place, for me. This is not an easy thing, and I was steeling myself for a challenging menu when I learned we were eating at a Cuban restaurant. The menu was challenging but only because it was one of those QR codes to access an internet menu. It didn’t help that our waitress was only on her fourth day and the small restaurant was also hosting a wedding reception. This all added to the atmosphere, very entertaining, as is the case whenever this group of friends get together. In a development that will have my Cantankerous Friend smiling, the menu offered a ribeye steak which he thinks is my go-to option in Panama or any place with an overly ethnic bent.

Fun Crowd Last Night

Now, as to that titular delving, with a rare free weekend on our hands, my Favorite Panamanian and I decided to address a long standing and neglected task. One of the benefits of military life was the requirement to move constantly, at least every couple years. I know. That doesn’t stick out as a benefit. It was in one aspect. It forced us to jettison all the needless junk everyone seems to acquire over time, to meet the mover’s requirements. Well, with our transition to civilian life that no longer happened. I’ve mentioned before that my Favorite Panamanian is quite an accomplished shopper. Check that, a Hall of Fame level shopper. All this means the storage area of our basement was overburdened with a lot of junk that hadn’t seen the light for years, some since our last military move.

Wife Wading into the Morass

That all ended today with a determined effort by the two of us to burrow into the boxes and decide what needed to be either kept, donated, or jettisoned. Seven hours later, we ended our effort after a nostalgic trip through so many memories and not a little bit of mildew. We found those missing beach towels which my wife was convinced I had lost at some point. We also found a bunch of my Army uniforms and accoutrement. My dog tags now grace the large map in front of my computer. There was so much technology related times that are now obsolete. It was exhausting but also a lot of fun as we relived so many memories, including letters I’d written to the wife and kids while deployed; a real snapshot into our life from thirty years ago. Rubbish day this coming week will be a real challenge.

School Photo, Bad Hair Day

We also ran across a couple items from my daughter’s pre-adolescent times. It’s kind of a family tradition (really just me) to post embarrassing photos from their past on birthdays, so this was ready made. One photo is a school photo where she and her mother had argued about the state of her hairdo. My daughter won, going with what she wanted. I bet she hoped this photo had seen the last of the light, a true bad hair day. The second is a letter she penned to her pre-teen idol, the young actor, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, one of the sons on Home Improvement. Even back in those days, she did not approve of my musical choices, a trend that continues. The letter also shows her remarkable writing ability, even at that young age. I’ve done my duty and embarrassed one of my children. I’ve learned that is one of the critical responsibilities of grandfathers, keeping it real. I may have a character flaw, seeking disapproval from the most important ladies in my life. I still haven’t lived down posting the photo of my Favorite Panamanian in curlers from last weekend. I guess I like to live dangerously.

The Letter

Seven movies fell in the A-Z watch(!), all keepers: Mad Max the Road Warrior, may be the perfect action movie; Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, not as good but still eminently watchable, Mad Max Fury Road, I was wrong, this is the perfect action movie, has everything; The Magnificent Seven (1960), my favorite western from my youth, what a cast! McQueen, Brynner, Coburn, and Bronson; The Magnificent Seven (2014), credible remake while having to sacrifice to political correctness, Denzel can do anything; Major League, may be best sports comedy ever made, holds up well with some incredibly funny moments; and Maleficent, thought I would be jettisoning this but it captured me once again, whatever else Jolie may be, she can still carry a movie.

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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 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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Falling In

The house has undergone its annual transformation. I heard my Favorite Panamanian rooting around the storage area of the basement outside the Man Cave earlier today. I’m always concerned when her activities approach the Cave since our deal is, this place remains outside her sphere of control. It was a hard-fought concession, but she’s mostly kept away from trying to redesign my lair. This was not easy for her, especially given her very realistic assessment of my taste. It turned out she was just searching for her autumnal house decorations, consisting of a bevy of glass pumpkins, small gourds, and a bunch of other seasonally derived artifacts. I was immediately drafted to carry the items up the stairs while she continued to delve. I came back from the pool later to find the house transformed as only she can do it. She even had an apple spice candle lending further atmosphere.

Scenes from the House

I should mention at this point that I am writing this blog post on the new computer. As I alluded to in my last post, I was nervous about transferring all the programs and information from the old, damaged computer to this new one. I consider it no small point of pride that I was able to accomplish this without any assistance from my IT Section (my children and their spouses). It took about three hours, the length of the Red Sox game playing in the background. I was sorely tempted at certain points to reach out to the IT gurus, but I stumbled through the exercise, relying on their past lessons and from paying attention from days of employment when the IT guy would come to fix issues with my work computer. So, I am writing this with a fully intact computer screen for the first time in over two years, kind of weird, but I’ll take it. Thanks again to my Favorite Son for advising on the purchase.

We had an interesting road trip last night instead of our usual Date Night. We’re taking a trip to Italy in late October and last night there was a meeting of the tour group, held in our old church in Charlton. Since the traffic in Worcester was uncharacteristically cooperative, we reached Charlton with a lot of time to spare. We used that time to cruise by our old house which still has a special place in both our hearts. The trees I planted are now huge, a true indication of the nine years it's been since we left. On a whim (actually, the fervent guidance of my Favorite Panamanian) we pulled in to visit our former next-door neighbors. She was out in her back yard with her twin sons. They were newborns when we left and had grown even more than the trees. It was a great few minutes catching up with her although her husband and two older girls (who might even remember us) were not there.

Entering the church was equally nostalgic since it is the repository of so many memories as well, including my daughter’s wedding. The pastor, Father Bob, who officiated at that wedding, will be going on the tour with us and organized the meeting. We were supposed to take this trip last year when it included a trip to the Holy Land as well as Italy. The trip was postponed when the war with Hamas burst after the cowardly October 7 attacks. That war is still rumbling so the tour was modified to include a trip to the former Yugoslavia instead of Israel. We learned the specific itinerary yesterday and my wife is on Cloud 9. She is a very serious Catholic and we’re doing some extensive religious based tourism. We spend a couple days in the Vatican as well as a trip to Assisi. My wife was excited about the St Francis site but more so about the tomb of Carlo Acutis. She had regaled me, at length, a couple months ago about a young Italian who died young but is on the road to sainthood based on his deep faith and miracles associated with him. He died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15, offering his suffering for the pope and for the Church. His body has not decomposed at all and is located in Assisi.

My Favorite Panamanian is also a big devotee of the Virgin Mary (I know, most of you are asking how she ended up with me). In 1981, six children and teenagers reported seeing visions of the Madonna on a hill in the village of Medjugorje, located in the wine-making region of southern Bosnia. That village has become a huge pilgrimage site and that’s where we’re headed after Italy. So, I’m finally getting to Bosnia. I was scheduled to do so in the late 1990s with a battalion of well-armed friends. I can’t say anything more about that other than it was canceled at the last minute. So, there’s that. It should be an interesting trip as we get to Bosnia by traveling through Switzerland and Croatia. Our return trip to the States will include a stop off in Amsterdam. I’m not as excited about the religious nature of this trip but I’m very happy my wife gets to experience this. She rangered her way through the weather of my dream trip of Ireland and Scotland earlier this year, so it’s only fair.

Four movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Lucky Number Slevin, fantastic cast with fascinating black comedy plot; Lucy, awesome Luc Besson sci fi with Scarlett at her peak; Machete, very funny Robert Rodriguez action/comedy, how the hell did he get DeNiro to do this?; Mackenna’s Gold, old time, favorite western from the 60s, Peck was such a movie star and Julie Newmar, a childhood crush.

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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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Apple Time and Farewell to Friend

I was fortunate enough this past weekend to spend time with my son and his “energetic” family. Needless to say, most of that energy was supplied by the BRS and BR3. The time also rejuvenated some serious memories from my youth. Every year, before my parents divorced, we always spent a September Sunday driving to Vermont to do some apple picking. My son and the ABFA always schedule their kids for interesting family events which is where our good fortune asserted itself since they had planned an apple picking session. That took place on Sunday after our Friday night arrival. That meant we had to get through a Saturday which is always a lot of fun since these four people are incredibly fun to hang out with.

Son and his Family at the Orchard

We arrived Friday night after the granddaughters were safely past bedtimes. This allowed us to sit around the kitchen table and have an adult conversation with my son and the ABFA. This isn’t always possible when the BRS and BR3 are careening around. Saturday morning meant an hojaldra breakfast featuring the established family hojaldra queen, the BRS. Following this, the ABFA herded her young charges out the door for dual dance classes. They are adding tap dancing to their repertoire this year, which means two recitals each this coming June. Be still my heart. While they were out, my son and I accomplished another stated reason for our trip north, buying a new home computer for me.

Wife Decorated the Front Porch Before we Left

Mums the Word

BRS and BR3 Welcoming Crew

This is where we arrive at the friend farewell in the title. I spend a lot of time on the computer as evolving to at least a couple hours a day, so, we’re buddies. I believe this is a habit I acquired at work where all the work flowed through the electromagnetic spectrum for at least the past twenty years. I also blog occasionally (you may have heard about that). So, why do I need a new computer? Since it travels everywhere with me, it was bound to encounter danger. Two years ago, I traveled back from Panama for Soxfather’s funeral and thought it would be a good idea to bounce the computer off my driveway (side note – this is not a good idea). In my defense, I was not in a good frame of mind at the time. To my intense relief, the computer still worked, although, as the photo shows, the upper right conner was shattered and the screen cracked. I’m not all that devoted to the aesthetics, the computer still worked fine although I was also a bit nervous because it performs so many important tasks, especially when we’re down in Panama. My two kids were shocked I would continue to work with it and only shook their heads in disbelief when the see me seated behind it. A couple months ago it started to turn off by itself so I decided my tempting of fate was coming due. My son and I headed to Best Buy since it would be tax free in New Hampshire and I needed a member of my IT advisory council (consisting of my son, daughter, and their spouses) to accompany me.  I learned I had thwarted a conspiracy amongst my kids and my Favorite Panamanian. They had decided to take action into their own hands and planned on getting me a computer for my birthday in November.

My Old Friend

I’m so glad he was with me at the store as I walked into a vast array of choices. He was able to guide me to the table that held the latest versions of my current “friend”. When the salesman arrived, my son had already made me comfortable with a choice. It turned out to be the cheapest one on the table but he agreed that I didn’t need all the bells and whistles that the expensive ones had since my use is, well, fairly normal for a guy approaching 70. In a very funny moment, the salesman demonstrated one of the new features, a virtually shatterproof screen. He scraped a key across the screen without doing any damage. My son and I burst into laughter and explained why I needed a new computer. I now face the daunting task of transferring all my apps, protections, and other requisite software to the new computer. My son offered to help me but, in a moment of either sheer bravery or intense idiocy, I told him I want to do it myself. Hopefully this is the last blog post from the cracked screen computer. Luckily, I have all members of my IT council on speed dial. We shall see, keep me in your prayers.

The Dancing Girls

Albondigas Prep

The Team

Yep, I'm in Trouble

Hojaldra Breakfast

While my son was guiding me through this purchase, my Favorite Panamanian remained back at their house preparing one of my son’s favorite meals, Panamanian meatballs. The Spanish word for meatballs, “albondigas”, is one of my favorite words, just sounds great. It became a family tradition when the kids were growing up that I would start bellowing “albondigas” whenever she was making them. The grandkids have picked up on this which made the house a fun place to be. BR3 had volunteered to help her abuela with the prep. It was cute watching them work together, although I will be in trouble when she sees I posted a photo of her with curlers in her hair. Nothing ventured, etc. etc. They apparently bonded in the effort because BR3 accompanied her abuela to mass while the BRS was attending another of the seemingly endless birthday parties.

FBR in Cheerleader Mode

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, another big event, as the FBR made her debut as a cheerleader. She was very excited after the first few practices which I understand because, as I observed this past summer, the girl loves to cartwheel. She was cheering for both teams at her elementary school which I guess makes sense. My daughter sent the attached photos which were a bit startling because she looks almost twice her actual age. A perpetual complaint on Frail Deeds, these granddaughters are emulating their parents by growing up way too fast.

Sunday brough the aforementioned apple picking expedition. Things have certainly changed over the past five decades and is now a big business. The Cider Hill Farm was packed. A huge, full, parking lot had us walking through a large picnic area with assorted food vendors and apple related products. My Favorite Panamanian, spying the apple orchard atop a distant hill, decided to wait for us in the picnic area. Her knee feels better but not enough to dare that terrain. It was a crisp autumnal day as we moved through the trees after a tractor ride to the top. The granddaughters were intrigued by the process and flitted from tree to tree as we filled a couple bags. Despite the large number of people present, it didn’t feel crowded. The nostalgia hit me a couple times, remembering the times I did this with my three sisters so many years ago.

In the Orchard, Picnic Area in the Distance

ABFA and BRS Picking

With my Son and Granddaughters

ABFA and her Girls

BR3 escorted me on the walk back down the hill to the picnic area. We joined my Favorite Panamanian in a virtual cloud of yellow jackets who were attracted to the sugar donuts, one of the favorite treats available. The BRS was not pleased, due to a recent, painful encounter with one of these dastardly creatures. My wife was poo pooing the concerns until she took a bite of her donut only to realize she had ingested a yellow jacket, who was not pleased finding itself in her mouth. She spit it out before serious damage was done. A mild swollen tongue was the only result. It did not quell her conversational abilities which she continued to demonstrate.

BR3 Walking me Back

Son and I

Back in Picnic Area

I spent the afternoon in my son’s home theater watching the NFL Red Zone with my son while all the ladies took off for shopping. My son and I were playing each in fantasy football. He is such a great sport because he showed me how to log in on my phone so I could make some needed roster changes, even though this hurt his chances of beating me. A true hero as his sensibilities as my IT advisor were more important than winning. It was so cool watching football on the huge screen with the players life sized. The best part though, quality time with the son.

BR3 Shopping with Abuela

While I Watched Football in the Theater

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: The Losers, love this action, black comedy, fun to see Captain America as a wimp; Lost in Space, one of first DVDs I acquired, nostalgic feel from beloved 60’s sci fi show; Lost Souls, had to stop watching this at night because it was scaring me too much, finished in much safer daylight.

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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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Inoculating Time

Since it’s September, that means it’s time for some vaccines. It’s evolved over the past few years that I get both the annual flu shot along with the latest Covid shot. Despite all the right-wing conspiracy theories circulated by fans of our former president, the covid shots seem to work great. I was struck by how much the world has changed since the gnarly days of 2020-21. We all remember what a cluster f, whoops, I mean difficult time those dark years were. The game online, trying to get an appointment to receive the shot is certainly one of the more frustrating aspects of those days. Today I walked into the pharmacy and asked when I could get an appointment to which the nice lady said, “How about now?” Ten minutes later I was walking out with an appropriately sore left arm. It could have been worse. I actually volunteered to get a tetanus short as well. They initially said they could but then leaner they had farmed out all their tetanus vaccine for the day. My right arm thanked them.

FBR Manning the Counter

The FBR has been active (huge surprise that) down in New Jersey. She reports that she really likes her third-grade teacher. After school earlier this week, she had to spend some time at Wingman’s new restaurant. Never one to stand by, she volunteered to work the counter and then do some cleaning. That last part was a bit of a surprise since she certainly didn’t get her abuela’s cleaning gene, the pictures were still cute. I’ll be getting an needed infusion of granddaughter exposure with the attendant morale boost this weekend as we’re heading up to the granite state to spend some time with my son’s family.

Rare Photos of the FBR Cleaning

Her Abuela was so Proud

Date night at the movies earlier this week where we saw The Killer’s Game. This was okay with some John Wickian type action and some funny moments as well. Strange to see Drax the Destroyer  facing off against Mantis. Bautista plays a word class assassin (who, of course, only kills bad guys) who receives a mis-diagnosis that gives him only a few months to live. He takes out a contract to have himself killed. As luck would have it, he’s just fallen in love with a diminutive French dancer, played by the always watchable Sofia Boutella. After he learns he isn’t going to die, he now has to take on a bevy of fellow assassins while trying to protect his girlfriend. That very interesting concept is fully explored and this could have been a lot of fun if Bautista had taken it more seriously. He seems almost detached and just taking a payday while the rest of the cast is awesome. This surprised me as I’m a big fan of Bautista. Still, a nice, if very bloody, watch.

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch (some late nights), all keepers (a couple close calls though): The Longest Day, or the longest movie, actually a factual look at D-Day, still a great watch; The Long Kiss Goodnight, a personal favorite, Samuel L. in his element and completely steals the movie; The Long Ships, a bad movie that hasn’t aged well but keeping it because I loved it as a kid; Long Shot, need to suspend disbelief that Rogen would ever have a chance with Theron but some very funny moments; Looper, superb sci fi, with Willis taking an argument with himself to an entirely new level; and Lost Boundaries, a Keene Friend gift, so I keep it, also a great story based on actual bi-racial doctor in my home town.

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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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Cousins and Brothers

I find myself in kind of a funk right now. It’s a feeling I’m familiar with because I know the cause all too well. I spent this weekend surrounded by some of the most important people in my life. We have a saying in family, “There’s just something special about cousins!”. That was certainly proved true earlier today. However, the time I spent with these special people is only part of the story because I was also privileged enough to spend time earlier with guys I’ve come to think of as brothers. Primary amongst those would be the Keene Friend. We extended his birthday celebrations over three days which is only appropriate. He would never claim that because of who he is, but those of us lucky enough to call him friend know the truth. So, the funk comes from coming down from the high provided from being with these two groups. It’s a feeling of loss but at the same time a bone deep appreciation that I have them in my life.

The Assembled Cousins Today

The celebrations started Thursday night when the Cantankerous Friend and Keene Friend showed up in Worcester so we could go out to dinner and then take in a WooSox game. My Favorite Panamanian joined us for dinner but didn’t want to test her knee with the walk to the ballpark, so we had a guy’s night out at Polar Park. We had the usual great seats because I don’t think there are bad ones there. It was a fun night as we were able to talk baseball all night while watching hopefully the future for the Red Sox dominate the game. Before we let them depart, Keene Friend had to wield Bonecrusher to cleave the small birthday cake we’d prepared for him. Keene Friend thought this would be the highlight of his birthday celebrations. Little did he realize; it was only the beginning.

Thursday Dinner

At the Ballgame

Post Ballgame Cake

Keene Friend with Bonecrusher

Cake Cleaved

For the past two weeks Keene Friend 2 had been organizing a surprise birthday party for him on Saturday. He coordinated with a friend who owns a campsite at nearby Swanzey Lake. He convinced Keene Friend 1 to accompany him and Cantankerous Friend for an afternoon at the campsite. Little did the birthday boy realize that a healthy contingent of our high school classmates would assemble to celebrate his birthday. I wasn’t there to witness his arrival as I am married to a Panamanian and live about seventy miles from the party site. Due to that first factor, we were late in arriving but Keene Friend later said that he loved the constant stream of new surprises as different guests continued to arrive, including us. It was a very fun afternoon hanging with my classmates but that goes without saying (KHS class of 73 is decidedly special). They fit as many candles as possible onto the cake which generated a heat signature that may have been visible from low flying satellites. So much so that Keene Friend needed three blows to extinguish the conflagration. As is warranted whenever this group gets together, we made the obligatory call to the PCR so he could partake in the comradery.

Swanzey Lake Gathering

Keene Friend was kind enough to allow us to stay overnight at his place since we had another New Hampshire engagement on Sunday. That meant Keene Friend, Cantankerous Freind and I could continue our ruminations on college football at that location. In yet another indicator that my wife’s knee continues to recover, she pronounced herself well enough to drive and, despite this meaning she would miss out on college football as well as our profound thoughts on same, said she would visit her old friend TJ Maxx. She spent her customary hours there and reported no ill effects, although I doubt she would have admitted it if it meant reduced future shopping. While all this was going on, we vectored in the Kindergarten Friend, who’s birthday is today so I could gift him with one of the “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot” t-shirts I’ve discovered.

Kindergarten Friend with New T-shirt

The Swanzey Lake location for the surprise party brought a wealth of memories for me. My dad used to take me there every April of my youth on the first day of fishing season to catch our limit of brook trout. I’m always surrounded my memories of my parents when I return to the Keene area but this was an indelible one with my dad, of which there ware far too few following my parents’ divorce. I mention this because today’s event in Hancock, New Hampshire involved beloved cousins from my father’s side of the family. I see them hardly at all any more but every time we’re together it’s as if no time at all has passed. There is, unfortunately, all too visible evidence that time has marched on (lots of gray hair) but as soon as I’m around them, my dad is back as well as his amazing brothers and sisters.

Very Fun Cousin Table

The Hancock event involved welcoming one of the older cousins who lives in West Virginia and had returned for his high school’s 60^th year reunion (I did say time was marching on). He’s experiencing some health challenges so the senior cousins decided a meeting of the cousins was required. We gathered at the home where we’ve celebrated many Thanksgivings. It was strange being able to sit outside on the deck after all our previous visits taking place in the much “frostier” weather of late November. As is always the case when this group gathers, the time flew but I count myself richer for having the chance to hang with them. There really is something special about them. I drove home feeling a connection to not only my dad, for the stories they shared, but with the aunts and uncles who I worshipped growing up. Not a bad weekend, celebrating the birthday of my brother from another mother and the amazing cousins.

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Logan’s Run, one of my absolute favorites from 1970s, fell in love with Jenny Agutter, so much so I named my daughter after the character she played in this; London has Fallen, Gerard Butler as secret service agent who describes himself as a mixture of bourbon and bad choices, what’s not to like; and Lone Survivor, visceral retelling of heroic Seals in Afghanistan.

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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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course