So, It Begins

Some late-night blog writing is required since I plan to devote all the usual waking hours to enjoying my usual Christmas high. That unfairly burgeoning sense of joy was given a huge boost earlier today with the arrival of my daughter and the FBR. Before I get to that I have to report on a fairly frustrating Friday (unusual for that day of the week). I was excited all week long because my former most excellent boss and the guy who followed me as general manger were planning on meeting up for a First Friday gathering. The New England winter finally decided to show up which put the kibosh on that plan since my former boos was traveling across the state. I was further frustrated driving around the city on gift related errands. We only got about two inches of snow but traffic was snarled everywhere. It seems we’ve lost something since my youth when I remember anything less than six inches of snow caused no problems getting around. Of course, I lived in a small town with a population used to snow and not a large city with an unfair percentage of flatlanders.

Guarding the FBR's Stuffies

Morale was therefore dented but unbowed when it received the expected major influx of joy with the aforementioned arrival. They also delivered a bounty of Christmas cookies. Wingman had to stay home for work so he won’t be with us until Monday. The FBR was excited about the minimal amount of snow. Fifteen minutes after she arrived, she had linked up with the next door neighbors granddaughter, donned her snow suit, borrowed her abuela’s snow boots and was sliding down the back hill. She was taking particular care to avoid her abuela’s Virgin Mary statue, remembering the decapitation situation of a few years ago. The FBR must have inherited some of my New Hampshire genes that her mother avoided as she embraces the cold versus cowering from it (like my wife and daughter).

This Much Snow Shouldn't be a Problem

They're Here! With Cookies!!!!!

She returned from conquering the hill to unveil the first Christmas present she received, a karaoke set from Wingmom. She and her mom were soon belting out songs, with a decided preference for Taylor Swift. They drew my Favorite Panamanian into a performance of Feliz Navidad. We all started laughing when she had trouble with the line, “I want to wish you a Merry Christmas”. It turned out she thought the phrase was, “I want to wish you an American Christmas”. She did great with the Spanish part of the song. I maintained my lifelong determination not to inflict my singing voice on anybody, much less people I love as much as these. The FBR then promoted me to be caretaker of her stuffed animals and equipped me with some goofy glasses to perform the task (so much better than singing).

FBR on the Hill

Karaoke Time

Very Melodic

After dinner the FBR demanded a movie night since she missed her usual Friday because she was assisting her mom with cookie preparation (truly God’s work). We all descended into the Man Cave to watch A Christmas Story to enjoy Ralphie’s quests for his Red Rider. After a popcorn filled granddaughter retired for the night, my daughter and I watched the latest Clint Eastwood directorial effort which was really good. I truly enjoy watching movies with either of my kids, even if I don’t like the movie, the company is just that good. So, here I sit, around midnight, just savoring the Christmas spirit and looking forward to further embellishment tomorrow when my son’s family shows up. Life is good.

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: No Country for Old Men, almost a perfect movie despite the haircut; No Hard Feelings, Ms. Lawrence is simply fantastic; North Dallas Forty, some major plot holes but stark look at 1970s NFL; Notting Hill, Roberts and Grant at their peaks; The November Man, Brosnan back in the spy genre in great thriller; and No Way Out, dated but loved seeing some of my old haunts from DC area, including where I used to run every day.

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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; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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