Garage Eviction, Repeat Thunder, and Thankful Lunch

It’s been a busy week leading up to Mother’s Day, but that is to be expected when I’m living with a certifiable bundle of energy (when she’s going about reordering our life). The reordering is an annual event coincidental to our return from tropical climes. One of her highest priorities is the re-establishment of her vast garden complex, where I play a small but important role as financier as well as supplying a brute force and ignorance source of labor. She hoped to have Deckzilla ready, re-stained along with her usual wide assortment of flowers for Mother’s Day. New England weather conspired to thwart her intentions with almost constant rain for most of the week.

Wednesday Dinner

Not to be completely flummoxed by Mother Nature, we added a couple more events to the week. The most welcome was yet another thunder run back to hometown. I think my high school friends in Keene may be getting sick of me after their four-month vacation from my presence. The trip was needed as my Favorite Panamanian had failed to buy a few things on our last thunder run because she couldn’t find her list (it was cleverly hidden in her purse which I can understand because I can never find anything in that morass either, but I digress). She re-acquired the list and we were off to Keene once again. Keene Friend and the Cantankerous One joined me at the Lab ‘n Lager where we once again solved all the Celtics and Red Sox problems.

Earlier at the Lab

My Favorite Panamanian eventually finished her list and complimented us on our better behavior compared to the week prior. I’ll have to admit my initial thunder run may have involved a little too much exuberance (for lack of a better word). We had our customary post shopping(her)/pub crawling(me) dinner at Margarita’s. My wife drove us all to our respective homes after dinner, although a couple of us had recently obtained plants resting in our laps. The week’s constant rain not only impacted my Favorite Panamanian’s planting plans but had thoroughly soaked her purchased plants.

My Evicted Car

The Coddled Plants

This presented a problem as she claimed they were drowning. In response, she summarily evicted my car from the garage so the plants could get out of the rain. You’ll notice, my car. I suffered this indignity with ease since it’s a fourteen-year-old car versus the newer Highlander, but still. I thought plants liked water. We finally had a break in the weather on Thursday and she waded out into her accumulated plant haul and began her plantings. I was entrusted with digging a few holes and cleaning up the debris. It was a race against time because the rain was returning in fairly spectacular fashion as the horizon darkened. Of course, this meant all the newly potted plants had to be returned to the garage. My car remained in the driveway to receive the storm which is still blowing outside, 21 hours later. Maybe she was right, the plants are probably worth more than the car at this point.

The Horizon as we Finished the Planting

Lunch Yesterday

We took a break from the planting yesterday to finally get together with the Neighborhood Mafiosos. We took them out to lunch to thank them for their efforts at house sitting while we were enjoying Las Lajas. This winter threw some really cold weather and some other challenges, including a busted storm door and some really wet snow. It’s a huge relief to have such good people to trust with our home. We ended up in nearby Holden where we ate at Quinn’s. I hadn’t realized they had expanded from their Worcester base. If anything, the food and atmosphere was better in Holden. That was, of course, augmented with the great company we were in. It was a genuine pleasure to catch up with our best friends in Worcester, especially since the alternative was a return to potting plants. It was great interlude.

We dodged the raindrops earlier it the week for date night at the cinema where we saw Thunderbolts. This latest Marvel flick harkens back to their earlier films which were so entertaining. The blame for this return to quality lays squarely on Florence Pugh and David Harbour. They are standouts in a cast of misfits called upon to, you know, save the world. They’re not as well endowed with supe abilities as their preceding Avengers but they are a lot of fun, especially Pugh and Harbour who play a difunctional parent/daughter. The action is non-stop as is the lively dialogue. The only downside was the villain, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who’s only superpower was being obnoxious versus dangerous. Still, a welcome return to form for Marvel, a really enjoyable watch.

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Olympus has Fallen, Butler killing his way through the White House; The Omega Man, classic 1970s sci fi with Heston at his epic best; and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Tarantino rewriting history again, with a truly amazing concluding fight, with one Oscar winner flamethrowing another.

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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

Garden Plotting, Renovations, and Weekend Rescue

Our weekend was in dire danger of falling into mundanity but was ably rescued by the most dependable source of joy, granddaughters! With school vacation week flowing up in New Hampshire my Favorite Son and the ABFA decided an adventure was needed for the BRS and BR3. They journeyed to the wilds of Connecticut to participate in the kick off season for the Great Wolf Lodge, a waterpark built adjacent to one of the casinos. There were some very funny videos created, including a rare physical failure by the family’s best athlete when the ABFA fell crossing a lagoon on large lily pads. The BRS pointedly stated that she made the crossing without issue (apple and the tree here). The kids were excited to be sharing bunkbeds in the same hotel room as their parents. I’m not certain their parents shared that excitement.

Sunday Lunch at Red Robin

I base that opinion on how excited those parents were when they arrived on Saturday and took up residence in a bedroom separate from their progeny. Before they reached the weekend though their Connecticut adventure continued with a journey down to Mystic for Friday night. Saturday morning they toured the aquarium and made friends with the assorted sea life. The granddaughters were especially enamored of the seal show and provided a breathless rundown for their grandparents. Any dangers of a mundane weekend were effectively put to flight. I’m still trying to figure out why my back always hurts after a weekend with granddaughters. That’s a question I know the answer to, of course. They’re all getting bigger, but I find it impossible to resist the urge to pick them up and hug them repeatedly. Then there’s the repeated insistence for a game of tickle monster. I, am, unfortunately and somewhat proudly, the tickle monster who must chase them down when they venture from the safety of the couch.

BR3 and BRS at Great Wolf

Bunkbeds!

Sisters Wolfing

Sunday was a fun day. The ABFA and the granddaughters attended church with us while my Favorite Son tried to fix the issues with my printer. Yes. I took advantage of having a member of my IT section in residence. After a fun lunch at the Red Robin, we each went with our respective strengths. My son and I went to see a vampire movie (see below) while the gals went shopping (so a very expensive movie). We came out of the movie and eventually tracked them down to receive a full report on their accomplishments. The BRS is showing definite signs of inheriting her abuela’s style and shopping genes. After we successfully extracted them, we patronized the local Cold Stream Ice Cream Parlor before they had to hit the road home. A fully rescued weekend is a vast understatement.

My Man Cave Office was Transformed

My Decorators

BR3 at Saturday Dinner

And the BRS

Speaking of vast, my Favorite Panamanian has started her annual spring refurbishment of her vast garden complex. She’s been on a buying spree over the past couple weeks and her spoils are now awaiting their final plantings. She related a conversation at a recent plant shoppe when a fellow patron admired her purchases and they shared how much they loved this time of year. My Favorite Panamanian said while she loved the buying part, she now faced the less enviable task of getting them into the dirt. I know she doesn’t mind it too much because she refers to her time with her plants as therapy. Being married to a certain blog writer means she probably needs all the help she can get in that arena.

Wife's Targets Awaiting her Attentions

The Master at Work

We weren’t the only ones having a great weekend. We haven’t talked to the New Jersey bunch since Friday but they were a moving target all weekend. Wingman took the FBR to a monster truck event in the Met’s home stadium. I await a full report on that activity. At some point, her mom was out with some friends sampling some of Maplewood’s finest pubs. Once again, the apple falling from the tree in terms of genes. That DNA is clearly my responsibility.  A former bakery down the street from their neighborhood has re-opened as a pizza place (I think) and there was a great video shared on social media of the grand opening, with a band playing outside in the rain. I watched the video because it featured the FBR dancing with friends in the rain, making her abuela proud.

Wingman and FBR

Ear Muffs as the Trucks were Loud

Who Knew she Liked Trucks

Okay, we’ve covered the titular weekend rescue and the garden plotting, moving on to renovations. We decided earlier in the month to replace the trim and gutters on our house as there was evidence of some water seepage. The crew showed up on Friday and quickly stripped off the existing trim. I archly noted to the crew that there was no evidence that water had seeped through as the wood beneath was still pristine. I’m still happy it was done because it looks so much better. I was laughing at my Favorite Panamanian (I know, a dangerous habit) because she was very strict with the crew when they showed up, complaining (to me, of course) about the potential damage to her garden complex by the scaffolding. Bu the end of the day, she had adopted them (Ecuadorian immigrants) and cooked them a dinner of empanadas. On Saturday morning the gutter guys showed up and quickly created and then installed the gutters. They had a small van with some sort of machine that created the gutters in very short order. I was particularly impressed with the gutter for the back of the house, it is huge. At any rate, the work’s done and the house saved (even if it didn’t need saving) along with a fifty year guarantee. I’m reasonably certain that should keep me covered for as long as I’m around.

Trim and Gutters Removed

The Really Long Rear Gutter

Happy with the Result

That vampire movie mentioned above was Sinners. This was one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in a long time. It took me a while to figure out there were two Michael B. Jordans in the cast. He’s one of my favorite actors and he played both parts of twin brothers opening a social club in depression era Mississippi. They were locals who went away to make their fortune, including a stint in Capone’s Chicago Outfit. Everything is going swimmingly despite the clan’s looming presence, until a roving band of vampires led by an Irish balladeer the Indians failed to kill. You’ll have to see the movie to understand all that and it’s certainly worth it as the filmmaker turns a vampire movie into something special as a great storyteller. Jordan is always great, but the rest of the cast is up to the task as well. A great kick off to the summer movie schedule. If you don’t the mind of odd dismemberment, go see this.

Four movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Odd Thomas, nice little horror flick with sadly departed Ensign Checkov seeing dead people and doing something about it; An Officer and a Gentleman, what’s not to like, the gals all falling for guys in uniforms, even if it is the naval ice cream suits; Old School, dated but still a lot of harmless fun, except if you’re married to Frank the Tank; and Oliver, when this started thought I would be eliminating it but it captured me (again) with the sheer pageantry, fell in love with Nancy, of course, again.

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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

Thunder Road Redux

As promised/threatened last week when my hometown visit was cut short by spousal medical requirements, yesterday I executed a full-blown thunder run back to Keene. I was ably assisted by some of the usual suspects, Keene Friend, the Cantankerous Friend,  Kindergarten Friend and the CRC. We convened at the Lab ‘n Lager in the late afternoon and immediately set about catching up on the all the vagaries that life has thrown our way during my four-month tropical sojourn. Inevitably, given our ages, the talk centered around medical stuff as we compared notes on our various and sundry conditions. We also kept a sharp lookout for the pub’s crowd, which waxed and waned during our stay, but included a representative percentage of college students of the fairer persuasion. I mentioned that I thought it was disturbing to now being almost seventy and to remember how ancient that seemed not so long ago.

My August Thunder Run Crew Yesterday

It was a very rewarding afternoon spent with these old friends. We made our semi-obligatory call to the PCR, fulling intending to give him his usual ration of, well, you know. It turns out he was dealing with the aftermath of a potent thunder storm bordering on a tornado. We had to be nice. The beers may have been sliding down a little too easily which is usually the case when this bunch gathers. As required, my Favorite Panamanian was back in her favorite hunting grounds which meant I was perilously left to my own devices. The Keene Friend was given his usual guidance from her when she dropped us off. She told him to make sure I didn’t imbibe too many beers. He accomplished his usual level of success at that impossible task and struggled valiantly to serve as my filter.

We eventually declared victory and left the Lab to its gathering population of college students. The CRC and Kindergarten Friend had familial responsibilities while the rest of us wandered across the street to  Margarita’s where we hoped to rendezvous with my Favorite Panamanian. When we approached, we spied yet another high school classmate passing by and roped her into joining us for dinner. She is the Cantankerous One’s bike-riding buddy and usually the source of some good natured ribbing of him (not that any help is ever needed in that department). I failed to take a photo of this dinner gathering. If I had to guess, my level of prior beer consumption may have impacted my intellectual functions in that regard. Again. Just a guess. It was very fun dinner liberally laced with laughter which is what makes these gatherings so much fun. My wife eventually joined us and administered her cautionary looks at both the Cantankerous One and myself. Keene Friend, as usual, comported himself in such a fashion as to be above recrimination (even for his usual pointed failure to follow her earlier guidance). A great day but a long ride home in the co-pilot role. In good news department, my Favorite Panamanian forgot a couple items from her list which means we’ll have to return next week. Now that I’ve reenergized the thunder run process for 2025, I’ll try to be a little more circumspect next week. But it was fun.

On Tuesday we went to see The Accountant 2. I loved the first Accountant movie with Affleck playing a lethal auditor operating at a high level of the autism scale. The lack of aspect the character requires leads perfectly into Affleck’s acting style an he delivers once again in this sequel. One of the best arts of the original was the relationship he had with his estranged brother, played by the latest Punisher, Jon Berthal, an assassin in his own right. Th filmmakers must have liked that also because the sequel is centered around that relationship. The very few moments bodies weren’t flying about were amply filled with the two reconnecting as brothers. The accountant is called in to identify a missing immigrant family which has also caught the attention of a dangerous female assassin. There are some neat twists at the end involving the climactic battle with the villains. They obviously set themselves up for another sequel which is welcome news. A great action flick with fully developed characters.

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Ocean’s 11, smart, saucy take where all the cool kids team up; Ocean’s 12, not as much fun as the first one except when Julia Roberts impersonates Julia Roberts; and Ocean’s 13, the series definitely ran out of steam but still some harmless fun.

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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

New Addition Met

We checked off one of our most important redeployment goals yesterday when my Favorite Panamanian and I met the newest addition to the family – the daughter of the Namesake Nephew. She was born on my wife’s birthday in February and has conclusively captured the heart of Great Aunt. We, of course, had to see what all the talk was about, and Great Aunt facilitated that yesterday with a barbecue lunch at her house. This was the first time I’d seen my sis since I returned and that would have made the trip more than worthwhile in and of itself. The added benefit of the littlest one was gravy.

Great Aunt with her Granddaughter Yesterday

Great Aunt Assures me this is a More Typical Mood for Her

She certainly lived up to advance billing in the pictures that we had seen. She’s a beautiful baby but she was not in her best mood yesterday. She has an older brother and sister who made it their business yesterday through increased decibel levels to insure the baby did get her nap. I can also assume the baby might have been a bit shocked to have all the new faces (including mine which is not the most attractive) thrown at her. She made her unhappiness well known with some decibel augmentation of her own. That couldn’t hide the fact of what a welcome addition she certainly is. My Favorite Panamanian had her in her arms five milliseconds after they arrived. We were joined by other members of Soxfather’s incredible family. I failed in my usual mission to snap a picture of Soxfather’s sister because she (as is well known and chronicled) is a huge fan of my innate photographic abilities. I apologize sincerely for not capturing her likeness yesterday. She’ll have to find a way to forgive me.

My Wife with the Star of the Show

It was a great day, and I loved seeing how happy Great Aunt is being a grandmother, a role she has trained extensively for in spoiling mine. I was a little tired yesterday and I didn’t understand it. I showed up from Panama with an extra fifteen pounds (too much of Sunshine Pizza and gelato) that I’ve been trying to work off. I was more than half way to my goal until I ran into Great Aunt’s usual formidable dessert table. I was helpless to resist, especially when she unveiled her ultimate weapon, a donut cake. That has been my kryptonite for twenty years, dating back to when it was first deployed against me by Soxfather’s mom. I tried to go with just a small piece but that only led to additional ones. As stated above, helpless. A great day.

Great Aunt in her Element

I wasn’t the only one that had a great day this weekend. The FBR and her mom visited a cat café on Saturday. These two are both hard core cat lovers (which I struggle to understand but have accepted as a character flaw that can be tolerated). As you can see from the pictures the cats were fully appreciated by the FBR. I was convinced they would return with an adoptee as they are all available, but that didn’t happen. If I know my eldest granddaughter at all, I’m sure she made several impassioned pleas to her mother on this subject before they departed.

FBR at the Cafe

I Think She Found One

Today is a most welcome day as it marks what I have come to call the Annual Grand Opening. After a blustery weekend, we are blessed with a fabulous spring day and I returned from my morning swim to find all the windows in the house open. I always leave the decision to turn the heat off to my Favorite Panamanian since she is pathologically disinclined to brisk temperatures. I love having the fresh air in the house after all the months of the furnace and the air conditioning (that would be in Panama). The trees are starting to sport flowers and leaves and the winter finally seems to be on the run. Of course, this is New England, and we could get a blizzard tomorrow, not that I would mentioned that to certain Panamanians I cohabitate with. We had a minor emergency this weekend in the kitchen. No, I’m not talking about any culinary efforts I may have attempted (but that would have been a good guess). The kitchen TV died. While that may not sound like a big deal. It is. This is the TV we use the most and always have on to hear news and more importantly, SportsCenter. I ran out to buy a replacement and tried to get one the same brand so all the codes wouldn’t have to be updated. All the times I watched the Geek Squad install and mount the TVs finally paid off. Despite a skeptical Favorite Panamanian watching, I was able to dismount the old TV and install the new one. I even took it a step further and programmed the smart TV functions, something I usually wouldn’t attempt without someone for my IT section (son, daughter, their spouses) present. In a major surprise, everything works. I made a huge tactical error by showing my wife she could now watch her Russian soap operas dubbed in Spanish on the new TV with YouTube (when will I learn!?).

Newly Installed TV

Front Yard Tree Blooming

Five movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: new additions from Christmas: Furiosa A Mad Max Saga, Taylor-Joy continues to impress as they try to live up to Fury Road; Judgement at Nuremberg, important movie, especially given our current times; The Killer’s Game, trying to outdo John Wick and almost getting there; The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Reacher and Superman teaming up, the Nazis didn’t stand a chance; and back to the library shelves, Ocean’s Eight, better than the male versions, Bullock and her team are awesome.

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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

Lunch is Served

My high school class, despite our advancing ages, can’t seem to get enough of each other. I know that is usually not the case with high school classmates, so that officially makes us weird. It’s a weirdness we’ve come to embrace. In my tropical absence they conspired to start up a monthly luncheon at that renowned Keene eatery, the Pub. Since my tropicalness has been definitively concluded, I was finally able to attend. I linked up with both Keene Friends 1 and 2 ahead of time while my Favorite Panamanian headed out for tax free shopping armed with TJ Maxx gift cards that had been burning a hole in her pocket since Christmas. She also hit the Home Depot so it was an expensive lunch. Worth every penny of it though, as I was once again thrust into that “weirdness” that is so entertaining whenever this group gathers.

Part of Yesterday's Lunch Crew

My only complaint would be having to sit in a dining setting which meant for the most part you had to talk with your immediate neighbors. The Pub Crawl is superior in that regard since you’re free to circulate (as long as there’s something to hang onto but that’s only near the end of the crawl – whoa, I am seriously digressing and need to jump off that tangent). There were some notable absences as the Cantankerous One is on some sort of theater tour in Central Maine (I know – talk about weirdness), the Kindergarten Friend was at the doctor’s office (an inherent activity for our age group), and the CRC, who was probably hanging blinds somewhere.

The Other Half

The group that did gather was exceptional. My immediate neighbors included both Keene Friends as well as one of the most renowned storytellers from our class, truly a character of legerdemain. After the lunch, a few of us (those without immediate responsibilities) made our way to the only pub open at this early hour, the distinguished end of our annual pub crawl, The Pour House. It still feels weird to drink beer in what was a Sears store for my entire youth (and scene of epic battles between my mother and the store’s employees), but, as stated above, our class specializes in weirdness. We sat at a table with a sign that read, “Life is Made of Pour Decisions”, fairly eloquent. It was fun sitting around with friends while Keene’s Central Square busied itself outside on a perfect spring day.

At The Pour House

We included our almost requisite call to the PCR who looks forwards to them but always acts like we’re intruding. It’s all an act as we caught him on a golf course this time so we didn’t have the usual added civility of his spouse. He was planning on executing a hole in one at his next hole so we had to cut the call short – still fun to include him in the festivities. Since Keene Friend 2 had to umpire a baseball game, we had to cut those festivities short but Keene Friend 1 had a surprise for my shopped out Favorite Panamanian when she arrived. He had a birthday cake prepared which was just what the doctor ordered (a long-standing Frail Deeds truism – cake and beer – just the best). I woke up yesterday morning wearing a t-shirt I received from Keene Friend which includes a favorite quote from the movie, The Town, “Whose Care we Gonna Take?”. It’s a comment on what true friends will do for each other and appropriate for yesterday since I got to hang out with exactly that kind of creature.

The Eloquent T

This didn’t really qualify as a true thunder run as we were missing some of requisite characters and we had to leave early. I was even capable of driving which definitely moves it out of thunder run contention. My Favorite Panamanian had an evening MRI date (there’s that age related medical monster raising its ugly head again). I archly informed her on that drive that we would be returning to Keene next week to execute a proper thunder run. She glanced at the back of the car, overstuffed with her spoils of the day, and was more than happy to acquiesce. Before that, this weekend, I’m looking forward to meeting the newest addition to the family, the Namesake Nephew’s baby, who has completely conquered Great Aunt in our absence.

Keene Friend with Belated Cake for Wife

We snuck out to the movies earlier in the week to see The Amateur. While this is a bit of a formulaic spy thriller, I truly enjoyed it. Remi Malek is a compelling actor and perfectly cast as CIA nerd who is bound and determined to take out the terrorists who kill his wife. Everyone is convinced this frail guy is not up to the task, but he finds a way to get the training he needs and sets out for Europe with CIA assassins on his trail. I liked that the film didn’t automatically turn him into a super spy, and you could empathize with him as he struggles with his dark tasks. It puts out a very poignant message for today’s times, never underestimate the nerds. There is an excellent supporting cast with Lawrence Fishburne, in Morpheus mode, as the trainer, and Mrs. Maisel as the beloved wife. My only complaint might be the lack of screen time for Mrs. Maisel but that’s what gets the whole plot moving. A fun watch, really well done.

Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: new additions from Christmas: Deadpool and Wolverine, the anticipated hilarity when Reynolds breaks the 4^th wall with Jackman as a fantastic and lethal foil; The Fall Guy, hilarious action romp with Gosling as a stuntman trying to win back Emily Blunt.

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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