Roothugger Rundown

It had been over ten years since I was last in the company of one of the august members of the Roothugger Clan, that being the epic 2013 New Orleans reunion. Life inserted itself each time a subsequent reunion rolled around. For the uninitiated, the Roothuggers are the members of Staff Group 23B from our Command and General Staff College year at Fort Leavenworth, 1992-93. We have remained in touch over the many years since and always seem to generate a significant amount of fun. That fun had been reduced to the occasional zoom call as I had missed all the reunions.

Dinner Wednesday Night

The storied leader of Staff Group 23B decided to travel to Massachusetts and tourist up the place for a few days. He reached out and shared his itinerary and we were able to reserve an evening to meet up in Raynham, near their hotel. I included my Favorite Panamanian as the Roothugger spouses were definitively part of the social aspect that made that CGSC year and subsequent reunions so special. According to Army records we also did the work required as we all graduated and went on to distinguished careers, but the most profound memories are always composed of the after-school hours.

Two Old Roothuggers

The best thing about good friends is that despite the many years that have passed, as soon as we met up, it was as if no time at all had passed. While our physical conditions put a lie to that sensibility, we immediately fell into the laughter that always liberally lubricates a Roothugger reunion. We caught each other up on our various adventures including shared cancer experiences. The night flowed much too quickly but we made plans for a trip next year to Quebec and hopefully a journey to Arizona where we could also drop in on the Upstairs Neighbors as these fine people only live an hour or so apart. It was such a great evening and a stark reminder of the one thing I miss most about my time in uniform, the camaraderie.

Roothuggers Back in the Day
I'm top Row 2d from Left, He is Middle row Center next to Navy Guy

A More Descriptive Photo of our CGSC Experience

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Never Forget - 25 Years Ago

The words below are the same I publish each year on September 11 to remember that day in 2001. I do so because it provided a valuable lesson about evil in the world most were, up to that point, only subliminally aware of. Serving in the military, you get exposed to the threats and educated on the importance of defending our values, which are certainly not shared. The memories are still very ripe for me. They haven't suffered the erosion time usually employs. I assume that's because of the importance of passing this information onto a new generation and reminding those of us who went through it. It’s incredibly hard to believe that we are at the 25 year mark. I’m concerned that there seems to be real seepage in how the day is remembered. Too many people are ready to call any assignment of blame to the perpetrators, evil incarnate though they were, as islamophobia. That’s rubbish. I see Europe and Michigan here in the states struggling with the wave of Islamic migration where the migrants refuse to integrate and I worry for my granddaughters. We are a country of immigrants but we all came together to confront the evil done that day. Now we have mullahs and the Saudi educated clerics eroding common sense in the masses of their followers and I worry.  

I was assigned to the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. I remember a beautifully clear day where the oppressive summer Washington, DC heat was finally gone. We had recently dropped off my daughter for her freshman year at Boston University, my son was a junior in high school, and my wife worked at an adult day care facility in Northern Virginia. I was actually in a satellite office in Crystal City while our Pentagon offices were refurbished. My morning routine was to head out for a run along the Potomac River where there was a nice running trail. I ran around the Pentagon and glanced over at the helipad where I had taken several trips out of and then wound my way down to the river. I had just reached the river, on the opposite side of the Pentagon from the helipad, and turned south when I heard a very loud bang. There was always a lot of construction going on in nearby Crystal City so I initially thought that someone had used a little too much explosive for a new roadway.

Red X is Where the Plane Went in, Blue Line is my Running Route that Day
Yellow X is Where I was When the Plane Hit

As I continued my run I heard police sirens blooming from every direction. I reached a gap in the trees and could see a column of smoke rising from the Pentagon. I had just about reached the point where the running trail nears National Airport and I was greeted by a truly surreal sight. The airport, in reaction to the earlier attacks in New York City, was being emptied. People, with their luggage in tow, were wandering down the running trail with no real sense of where they were going, only that they had been ordered to leave the terminal. I gave directions to the nearest hotel to some and then headed back to my office, by now the sirens were almost deafening and traffic had come to a complete stop in both directions on the nearby George Washington Parkway.

When I reached my office, I learned the true scope of the disaster and watched the towers fall on a TV someone had set up in their cubicle.  There were a series of follow up explosions as transformers blew up in reaction to the Pentagon disaster. A couple guys and I made our way over to the Pentagon to see if we could help with any evacuation but the area was already cordoned off. We helped the rapidly growing casualty collection in the south parking lot; there were a lot of dazed civilian workers. The military, even those wounded, were trying to help out; we all realized we had just gone to war. Eventually we were ushered away as more of the professional emergency workers showed up.

I returned to my office and decided it would be a good idea to let my family know I was alive. I called my wife who had heard and was just about to go into full blown panic mode. I called Boston University because I didn’t have my daughter’s dorm room number with me and when I explained where I was calling from the operator connected me directly, even though that wasn’t usually allowed. I spoke with my daughter’s roommate who promised to find my daughter and let her know. A similar call to my son’s high school followed by a call to my mother’s house. I had to leave a message there since she out shopping and she later told me that was the best phone message she ever received because she had convinced herself I had been killed after hearing the news on the car radio.

All buses, my normal way home, were shut down at the Pentagon. Washington DC was shutting down and everybody was released from work at the same time. I went to the Metro station and waited while five different trains, packed to the gills, went by until I was able to squeeze into one. I rode it as far as I could and then walked up to a nearby mall where I could wait for my wife to come pick me up. I sat in a bar and watched the day’s events unfold on TV. One of the other patrons claimed to have been driving on I-395 and saw the plane plow into the Pentagon. He said he would never forget seeing the airline lettering so clear and so close. The plane went right into the area near the helipad, where I had run ten minutes before. After an hour the entire mall closed and I had to go wait outside a bookstore, also closed, for about two hours before my wife was able to get me.

One of the most memorable and cherished things from that horrible day were the phone calls we received all that night as friends and family from around the world, knowing I was assigned to the Pentagon, called to insure I was okay. My wife was a little shocked the next day when I told her I was going back to work but I needed to, I was so angry. It didn’t help when I arrived at the Pentagon, smoke still rising with bodies still unrecovered, that I was greeted by a group of protesters reveling in the destruction. It took a lot of self-restraint not to kick some serious ass at that point. I was so glad Clinton was out of office because I knew he would have been incapable of making the tough decisions required by this act. He would have thrown a few cruise missiles and called it a day.

We, as a nation, learned that day that there are some people who cannot be reasoned with and needed to die; that was the only way to end the threat and that you couldn’t do it from a distance. I also remembered the way the country came together for a short time and I felt glad my kids were around to see it; to see what a united America was like. This eroded over time as the politicians felt safe enough to stop cooperating again, but it did happen. It was another object lesson for evil as well, don’t wake up the sleeping giant, when you do, be prepared to experience unprecedented wrath. These were my memories of the day when everything changed, but maybe not enough. The evil is still out there and we owe a tremendous debt to our men and women in uniform who are out there daily in position to confront that evil, often without the notoriety and certainly not fame we routinely dote on underserving internet trolls.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Catchup

I was in the august company of the Cantankerous Friend last night who took me to task for not writing more regularly here. Not unexpectedly, he did not buy my excuse of recovering from shepherding the grandkids around for two weeks. He’s very strict in that regard, probably because he’s never been assigned that mission. The real reason I haven’t written. I’m lazy, but hear me out. I’ve earned the right. Nah, didn’t think you’d buy it. Doesn’t work on my Favorite Panamanian either. I hereby pledge to be more punctual with my fractured view of my life as it unfolds.

Dinner Last Night

I have been busy in one aspect of recovering form the grandkids visit. I put on nearly twelve pounds during their stay. That was a combination of not being able to do my daily workouts and following the grandkids’ diet selections. That meant a lot more pizza and especially ice cream than my battered old body is used to. A stronger man would have been able to resist, but what can I say. I considered that all the work I put in staying in shape should allow me these hedonistic periods where I can enjoy some dippin dots with the granddaughters. I mean, I could have gone for a small or even medium size serving, but that’s water under the bridge. The business I referred to in the first sentence of this paragraph was taking off that gained weight. I’ve taken out ten, so I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get back behind the keyboard.

Birthday Cake and Bonecrusher Appear

Earlier this week, I voyaged to the accursed land of Natick where my Favorite Panamanian wanted to take advantage of the remnants of Labor Day sales. I agreed only if we could coincide the trip with movie times at the adjacent theater. I think she got the better of the deal since the movie wasn’t great and I actually fell asleep a couple times in the theater (something I never do). It could have been the reclining seats and the two hours on the bike earlier in the day. Anyways. She had a good time shopping and I earned some hero points for being her chauffer without complaining (too much).

Fully Appreciating our Rendition of Happy Birthday

Bonecrusher Gets to Sundering

Yesterday was much more entertaining. We journeyed north up to my hometown to take Keene Friend and his lady out to celebrate his upcoming birthday. That was every bit as much fun as anticipated. They are both great dinner companions and his dry humor was flying as abundantly as ever. After dinner he and I returned to his house where he was charged with babysitting me while my Favorite Panamanian undertook her requisite foray into the morass known locally as TJ Maxx.At Keene Friend’s house we encountered the Cantankerous Friend who came over to watch first the Red Sox and then the Patriots (season opener).  He regaled us with tales from his recent bike around the Emerald Isle. That included a couple crashes of his rented bike and a full-on view of a showering naked Irishman. He claimed to have a great time though. It was good for my soul to hang out with these two old friends. We also further celebrated Keene Friend’s birthday with a small cake, appropriately sundered by Bonecrusher. My shopped out (hopefully) wife and I set out for home at half time of the Pats game, which turned out to be a very good thing, considering the 4^th quarter.

The Birthday Girl Today

It’s certainly birthday season because today also marks the 94^th birthday of my mother-in-law. My Favorite Panamanian and her sisters have been conspiring for the past couple weeks to put together a special day for this very special lady. Early this morning, the neighbors took her to mass where the priest singled her out for praise, given her lifelong service to the church, and even sprinkled some holy water on her. (I smiled at that because I’m currently re-watching the Supernatural series, my son will understand). I was dragged out this afternoon to assist in the loading up the car with my wife’s annual acquisition of mums. While she was in her prolonged decision process (which I waited out in the shade), she received a video call from home where her mom’s whole family, including her surviving sister, had joined together for a birthday feast. The surprise Mariachi band is showing up later. I was glad to see how delighted the birthday girl was. Happy birthday Mami!!

Meanwhile in New Jersey The FBR with her Minions
Capturing the Effect of a Breakfast Sausage

I’ve seen two movies this week. The first was an Apple TV premier. I was surprised this didn’t make it to the big screen given that it starred Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh. Reynolds stars as a 1980s spy plane pilot shot down in the Soviet Union in the throes of glasnost. He links up with Branagh as an American-loving ex-KGB agent (weird that) living as a hermit near the crash site. They spend the movie making their away across the USSR in search of escape, with Reynolds at the top of his snarky one-liner game. This was very entertaining and they make a very interesting duo, with unexpected chemistry. A good watch.

The Coyote vs. Acme was a must see for a guy that grew up in the 1960s loving the eternal chase of the coyote for a roadrunner dinner. He depended on Acme products which always failed, spectacularly, at the worst possible moment. This film featured the animated characters living alongside humans and the coyote, after sixty years, finally decides Acme should be sued. He finds a hapless lawyer to take his case, eventually to Congress. While that is certainly fertile ground for a great movie, it was only okay. It stumbles badly whenever the focus is taken off the animated characters. The humans just can’t keep up. It was fun for this child of the 60s to see virtually every looney tunes character find their way to the big screen. A fun watch.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Autumnal Prep

Having time of my own once again, with the lamented departure of the granddaughters, I have been searching out things to do that were delayed by that delightful interval. In response to my Favorite Panamanian’s latest haranguing campaign (that might be a bit harsh but I’m allowed wide editorial and poetic license by the Frail Deeds Editorial Board), we met with a lawyer this week for estate planning. Having finally admitted I might be getting on in years, combined with her constant perusal of TikTok videos, we decided to do the right thing. Our most excellent neighbors, the Neighborhood Mafiosos, recommended a local lawyer who was fantastic. What do I mean about TikTok videos, you might ask. My wife will latch on to a certain video and once she watches it through, the evil gremlins of algorithms start inundating her with similar ones. She saw one estate planning video and, well, there you go. We’re getting the whole package: will, health proxy, etc. etc.

Heading Out on our Walk This Morning

One of the other projects was the assembly of my new snowblower. With the departure of the old one on Wednesday, it was time to unpack and assemble the new one. Anyone who shoveled snow all his life and then used a snowblower, will never go back. I was heartened that I bought American and relished the opportunity assemble something with directions prepared by Americans instead of well meaning Chinese with a limited grasp of English. After this experience I am missing the Chinese. There was a huge manual in three languages which had nothing to do with the assembly.

New Snowblower in its Crate

The Cursed Directions

That was left to a single large sheet of double-sided paper with no printed directions whatsoever on it. It simply showed a series of cartoons with arrows and highlighted parts. The scan code on the top right simply led me back to the operator's manual. A mechanically inclined person probably wouldn’t have had a second thought about it but those type individuals were in short supply in my garage. It didn’t help that I was also sweating buckets since humidity returned for a hopefully last hurrah. I had to study the machine for several minutes on each step to find the highlighted section. It would have helped idiots like me for a simple line of “Find this under the handle”. There were only a few parts to be installed but it still took me nearly three hours to get it done. The last part which fit easily on the diagram failed to live up to that billing in reality. I had to remove a part from the machine and eventually slipped them together. Small victories.

Pre-Assembly

Finished Product

That comment on humidity was a complaint since, we’re in September which marks the start of my favorite time of year (now that I don’t have any school requirements). The A/C was turned off, and we slept with the windows open for the first time since June. I love the fresh air although the neighbor’s car alarm going off at 4am was a definite downer. I love the warm days and cool nights that signal the approach of autumn. After lunch yesterday I went out onto Deckzilla and sat in the swing just to savor the autumnal breeze. Yeah, I know they will evolve into the howling winds of winter, but I’ve got the next couple months, at least.

My Favorite Panamanian has also been watching videos on senior workouts. While I have my own routine down pat, she has been struggling for the past few months as every time she tries to go back to one of her traditional workouts, some body part ends up aching. The gremlins steered her towards a walking regimen which is why we were both out walking this morning to our church. I made the ill-advised recommendation that she could walk to our church during her daily attendance at mass. She thought that was a great idea and, since I came up with it, I was to accompany her this morning. The one flaw in my plan, the very high hill we live on, with the church at the bottom. Going there was easy, the return, not so much. We found a walking path at the bottom of our hill around a ball field which would be perfect for her though. She’ll drive to church and then use that track for her walk while I should still be sleeping. I like this plan.

Finally, I also have a tendency to wander the reels offered by Facebook and Instagram. The gremlins send me a lot of  World War 2 and military history (lots of Roman Empire stuff). They also realize I am hopelessly in thrall to the grandkids. The saying below popped up and actually had me misty eyed. I share it here for anyone else caught up in the blessed phenomena of grandchildren: “The hardest part about being a grandparent is not the gray hair or the wrinkles. It’s knowing you won’t get to walk beside them for their whole life, only a few precious chapters. So, pour everything you have into the moments you do have – the stories, the hugs, the prayers, the gentle words…Hoping that one day, when your chair is empty, their hearts will still feel how deeply they were loved.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Milestone Reflection

I’m finally coming up for air after entering the recovery protocol required after two weeks chasing granddaughters around the reservation. I also noticed, with some guarded assistance from my Favorite Panamanian, that we’ve turned the page into September. While this marks the start of my favorite time of year as we ease into autumn, I still miss the non-stop noise associated with hosting the FBR, BRS, and BR3. The start of September also brings forth another, blog related, milestone. This marks the start of my 16^th year chronicling my life and adding the occasional nonsensical ramblings. I’m still not sure how much longer I’m going to continue writing here, but I still enjoy it, something I truly do not understand. The pictures below show what I looked like when I started, and the other is a more contemporary one.

Then and Now

I also decided to check in on the blog stats, which I do occasionally. I hadn’t done it in a while and was therefore surprised that I’m now comfortably over a million page views. That is a modest accumulation considering how long I’ve been doing this, considering some worthless influencer probably does that in an afternoon. Still, a little bit of sneaky pride. I can also see what country the page views are coming from. The United States is easily ahead, as you would expect, but I was anticipating Panama to be second, considering how much family I have down there. However, Panama came in 10^th with Singapore in second place. Strange, indeed. The photo below shows the first one in the blog of my Favorite Panamanian and I, taken during a memorable trip to visit the relatively newlywed daughter and Wingman.

Back in the Day

I had to say goodbye to an old friend this afternoon. While I was in Panama our house sitter reported that our venerable old snowblower had given up the ghost. I bought a new one in August, but it is still in its box awaiting the departure of the old one. I checked around but businesses wanted over  $100 to come and pick it up. Worcester has a program where, if you can transport it to their designated location, they will only charge you $5. I was sold but couldn’t get an appointment until today. In the interim I learned (thank you YouTube) how to drain the oil and gas out of it. I used a table to wheel it up into the Highlander and then removed the handle so it would fit. I had to edge it around a mound of melted chocolate and candy wrappers the FBR had left. The drop off was un-ceremonial and, as I was driving out, I felt bad that I hadn’t bid an appropriate farewell to my old friend, who accompanied me on so many cold nights out on the driveway (at least before I started escaping the winter down in Panama). If I was one to ascribe personalities to inanimate objects, that is.

My Old Friend on its Final Journey 

The granddaughters have been incredibly busy since they departed our location. The New Hampshire bunch started school on Monday, the BRS in 3^rd grade and BR3 the first. Since they still hadn’t fully recovered east coast timing from their extended west coast tour, getting them up in time for the bus was a challenge. Their parental units reported a successful start to their school year. In New Jersey, my daughter faced a similar challenge, getting the FBR up much earlier than she was used to in the summer. In this she was ably assisted by Walnut. The cat streaked into the room as soon as the door opened and launched onto the FBR’s chest where he commenced symphonic purring. The FBR, usually grouchy when awakened (inherited trait from her mother), could not be angry when confronted with Walnut. She’s had a good couple days to start the year as well, except for overlong bus rides.

Son's Family at the Monday Bus Stop

BRS and BR3 First Day of School

FBR's Frist Day of 5th Grade

Shy, As Usual

Since our time is our own once again, we’re trying to catch up on movies. We saw Mutiny featuring my wife’s designated boyfriend, Jason Statham. Mutiny is yet another in Statham’s latest action movie journey. This one is formulaic, as you would expect. Statham is typically excellent in the action mode but this movie lacked some of the heart he usually brings to his roles. He scowls throughout as the director doesn’t take advantage of his proven ability to actually act. He plays a bodyguard to a Thai billionaire and the plot has him seeking revenge for an attack on his subject. Most of the movie takes place at sea aboard a huge cargo ship. There are usual plot holes you can drive a bus through, but Statham’s action expertise saves the movie.

The Dog Stars could have been a special movie, it’s not. I was surprised Ridley Scott didn’t do a better job with this post-apocalyptic story. I know Jacob Elordi is the latest “big thing” but I lay most of the blame for this on him. He just isn’t that interesting as the lead and since most of the film revolves around his personal story, that’s a problem. He plays a mechanic/pilot who lives in an abandoned rural airport with Josh Brolin, a former Marine and deadly survivalist. Elordi is simply outmatched whenever he’s on the screen with Brolin and later with Margaret Qualley, who is once again, excellent. There are the usual rogue survivors attempting to overrun the decent folk and those action sequences are uniformly excellent. However, these are always followed with extended sequences of Elordi called upon to emote and for the most part, just look listless. This caused a screeching halt to momentum and made for a very uneven watch. They should have kept the dog around to help Elordi appear more sympathetic. A good flick, that could have been great.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Descending Decibels

I am trying to summon the energy to finally get back to writing here on Frail Deeds. It is the first time in a few days that I can actually sit down and write because all of my time, and a significant portion of whatever energy reserves I possess at this point, were devoted to the final days of our annual granddaughter summer camp, of which we are the more than willing hosts for. As of my last writing, we had only the FBR in residence. That changed, in truly epic fashion, on Wednesday morning when we acquired the BRS and BR3.

BRS, FBR and BR3 Together Again

That required a trip up to the Salem, NH offices of my son where they were being stored. They had arrived from their west coast sojourn with their mom Tuesday night. They were still operating on west coast time which made the assembly and move to their dad’s office Wednesday morning an exercise in patience (for their dad). We actually beat them there by a few minutes. We chose that rendezvous point because Salem also just happens to be the home of Canobie Lake Park as well, that day’s destination.

FBR Adopted Two Stuffies Which Required Special Care
She Stands in front of the Cake we Made Together

Abuela and BRS Sitting out the First Ride

FBR and BR3 On the Ride

The BRS was feeling a little more of the effect of her busy travel days and actually sat out the first ride after we arrived. Under the ministrations of her abuela and a trip to the rest room, she rallied in heroic fashion. We hit a number of rides the FBR and I missed on our trip there the week prior. As we were walking up to the log flume ride, my Favorite Panamanian, who was feeling a bit left out after missing the haunted mine exploration, said it looked sedate enough for her. The part we were walking by had the logs floating by on a calm river. I failed to inform her that the ride also included a precipitous descent into a huge splash, figuring she would acquire that knowledge at the top of the descent.

I'm the Guide Taking them through the Haunted Mine

After the Flume Plunge

Cousins Heading to their Next Adventure

You have to know my wife to appreciate two facts, she hates getting her hair wet (outside of a shower) and thrill rides. I waited for their arrival at the splash area and saw her cowering in the back trying to hide behind her granddaughters. Despite the huge surprise, she thoroughly enjoyed the ride as did the granddaughters who thought it was great fun to put one over on their abuela. We did the park proud that day as we took advantage of the reconnaissance performed the week earlier. The BRS turned out to be the bravest of the bunch. While she and the FBR partook of every scary ride available, the BRS was always the one with her hands held aloft for every descent, she was incredible.

Wife in front of the Splash

The Granddaughters Causing the Splash

On a More Sedate Ride

BR3 was a decidedly different proposition. She learned earlier this year at Disneyworld that she wasn’t a fan of scary rides. Even though she was tall enough this year to join her sister and cousin, whenever they went scary, she went sedate. This worked out as her abuela was more than willing to join her. So, while the FBR and BRS were zooming and twisting on the Untamed roller coaster, she was motoring around the oval of the Antique Cars with her abuela. Everyone was happy, even myself, safely on sidelines holding backpacks and water bottles. This meant I avoided the stiff neck from the week prior since the FBR now had a more than willing thrill ride partner in the BRS.

The FBR and BRS on the Untamed

While BR3 Took her Abuela For a Ride

Once lunch of pizza and dippin dots were sent down range, we were supposed to move to the water park side but the granddaughters heard the siren call of the beloved strains of their favorite singer, Taylor Swift. At a nearby pavilion a young Swift tribute singer, accompanied by a backup group of dancers, was performing. The granddaughters were entranced and set up on the floor directly in front of the stage. This offered a more than welcome respite to their grandpa and abuela. The girls got in line to meet the singer after the show until I pointed out the half hour they would spend waiting in line could be better utilized at the water park. Thery immediately saw the wisdom in my suggestion.

Shared Lunch Soda

Lunch Time

Taylor Swift Show

The Ladies Were Impressed

The water park was a real adventure. For the first time ever, both their abuela and I joined them in the pool. Our destination was the tidal river where we spent all our time circling the park on the fast moving current. The ladies set up shop in two floating devices and I was drafted into being the connecting device keeping us together. The BRS sat with her abuela and latched on to my neck while I was instructed to keep my hands on the FBR/BR3 float. It made for an effective if somewhat painful transit (at least for me). I got my revenge when I steered us too close to the water fall and heard my Favorite Panamanian squawking loudly about getting her hair wet, yet again. The granddaughters laughed in appreciation.

BR3 on More Quiet Rides

Eventually Got the Other Two With her

BRS and FBR Back to the Flume

We had enough time left after getting out that it was back to the thrill rides (for the FBR and BRS). They were very “persuasive” when it came time to leave, about “just one more ride grandpa”. As you can imagine, I was powerless to resist. I carefully guided our departure away from some of the more attractive rides and was eventually able to depart. Since we slayed so late, most of the traffic on the benighted I-495 had dissipated. We made the tactical decision this year to have each granddaughter sleep in different bedrooms. This paid immediate benefits as they all slept in past 8am on Thursday. This would have been unheard of in earlier years. I think the west coast time difference helped since BR3 is usually the instigator and she slept the latest

BR3 Chauffeuring her Abuela

FBR and BRS Back on Untamed

Parents Dream?

Thursday, we had the one disciplinary problem with the FBR for her entire stay with us. That is a new record. She decided she wasn’t going to wear the special T-shirts we had made for them. It stated Granpa and Abuela’s Summer Camp 2026 and featured a photo from their visit to us in Panama. The FBR decided she didn’t like the photo and adamantly refused to wear it. I just as vigorously disagreed with her. We took the photo below on Deckzilla where my 51% of the vote on the attire was recognized although you can see her trying to hide. She sulked a little trying to tie the shirt up so it couldn’t be seen. That lasted until we were entering David Farmland, Thursday’s destination. The young lady checking us in saw the t-shirts and complimented the FBR on a great look. For the rest of the day, she was proud to display it.

Unhappy FBR

We had the added benefit, at David Farmland, of Great Aunt, her grandkids and their mom, joining us. It was very cool to see how effortlessly the group of grandkids merged. Everyone wanted to be the personal bearer of the youngest, Namesake Nephew’s daughter. She seemed oblivious to all the attention, enjoying her day with the animals. We had just entered when I found all there of my granddaughters with baby goats in their laps. BR3 didn’t look especially pleased about this while the FBR and BRS definitely were. BR3 also went out of her way to show us she has conquered her comical fear of chickens, even going so far as to chase one down to pat. This was a much better decision than during her recent trip to the west coast where she tried to pat a wild black bear they encountered hiking. The FBR befriended an Alpaca despite her fear of it spitting at her (too much Nature Channel). Likewise, the BRS adopted a mom and baby goat tandem she named Oreo. I had to repeatedly remove all of them from the attraction where they could pat live kittens. If there was a five minute break in the schedule that was where they were headed.

All the Grandkids Together

Goats

FBR With her Goat

Sharing with the BRS

Great Aunt getting her Time in

The kids had a great time at the park’s bounce houses which we strategically scheduled for prior to lunch. After lunch, it was off to the water park side. That had been seriously redesigned since last year and wasn’t as much fun as prior years. The granddaughters did not take on the suds machine, saying that the suds got inside their bathing suits too much. While Great Aunt’s brood decided to stay there, I was called upon to escort my bunch to the back forty where there is a huge slide and a self-propelled cart path. There was a great moment here where Great Aunt’s 4-year old granddaughter wandered over and wanted to partake in the carts which required pedaling. The BRS, without being asked, took her under her wing and walked around the entire course next to her cart. The BRS also showed almost freakish upper body strength by carrying the same 4-year old around the park all day.

BRS with her Own

BR3 Not too Sure About this

Great Aunt and her Granddaughter

More Goats

The End of the Great Chicken Chase

Alpaca Friend

And a Lizard

I think this will be the last year we hit David farmland. It is expensive but the kids don’t seem as excited about it as in prior years. They did like the traditional after-park ice cream stop at the Sterling Ice Cream Bar. In a first, all three finished their servings which are more than generous. Yet another sign they are growing up. Adding to he fact that the FBR now comfortably fits into her abuela’s shoes and will probably catch up to her height-wise in the coming year (although that’s not exactly a lofty standard to meet).

Bounce House Races

Swing Time

Ever Try to Get Six to All Look up at the Same Time?

Water Park

All Three on the Big Slide

FBR and BR3

BR3

BRS Helping Great Aunt's Granddaughter

Getting Ready to Leave

Ice Cream Aftermath

Friday’s big event was the annual WooSox game we bring the kids to, with the added benefit this year of fireworks after the game. Prior to that, the BRS and BR3 heard through some granddaughter grapevine that their abuela owed them a shopping trip. Enough said. The FBR provided expert advice to her cousins and they conducted a successful raid on the Blackstone Shopping Center. That was followed by a series of videos created in the Man Cave which they, once again, seized control of by main force. The FBR was the director and photographer while her younger cousins performed the music videos. I was genuinely impressed with the artistic effort although both their abuela and I lost control of our phones during these times as the needed cameras

Thanking Abuela for Shopping Excursion

At Polar Park

BR3 Conquering Cotton Candy

The game was a lot of fun although I’m not sure the granddaughters realized there was a baseball game going on. They reveled in the between innings entertainment and tried to chase down the various mascots the WooSox employ. Their stated goal was to reappear on the big scoreboard screen which they achieved with an enthusiastic dance number at their seats. They also sought to bankrupt their grandfather with repeated runs to the park snack bars. Anybody who’s ever bought food at a ballpark will understand. For the last three innings of the game, BR3 was in definite sleep mode, barely keeping her eyes open. The WooSox fireworks after the game more than woke her up. I’m always impressed with the length and quality of fireworks they provide.

Our View

FBR Decided I was a More Comfortable Seat

That Last Shoulder Ride

After the fireworks, we moved with the crowd exiting the park and I hoisted BR3 up onto my shoulders as she was struggling to stay awake. I told her that this was probably the last time I gave a shoulder ride to a granddaughter due to their growth and my advancing age. That kind of twinged at my heart. We had just about reached our car in the parking lot when I heard an anguished cry from my Favorite Panamanian. I thought she was having a medical emergency until she revealed that the outburst came as a result of realizing she had left her glasses case and glasses back in the stadium. They continued onto the car while I worked back through the crowd to the emptying stadium. I thought they were gone for good when I reached our seats and couldn’t find them, until I remembered she had put them in front of my seat and there they were. I returned to a hero’s welcome at the car where the granddaughters seemed very entertained by my extended hike.

BRS and FBR Have Similar Shopping Tastes

Abuela Teaching Clothes Washing

BR3 and I Watching Beetlejuice

Bedtime Conference Before Splitting to Own Rooms

My daughter showed up Saturday morning to begin the extraction campaign. She took the group down the hill to the playground despite warnings from both me and the FBR about the difficulty of the return trip. She said she needed the walk after the long drive from New Jersey. They admitted to multiple “shade breaks” on their return trip up the hill. The granddaughters once again seized control of my Man Cave to execute their video campaign, while I got to hang out with my daughter watching the Sox game in the kitchen.

Helping Tend to Abuela's Flowers

Swarming Grandpa in the Man Cave

BR3 Chosen to Carry the Book at Children's Mass This Morning

The New Jersey bunch left this morning and are safely home. My son showed up around lunch time with a serious hangover. With a childless house, he hosted his fantasy football league’s draft Saturday night. It seems that he’s learning the valuable lesson that partying into the wee hours of the morning in your forties is not as easy as it was twenty years before. Although the decibel level in the house is decidedly lower now, I’m relearning my annual lesson of how much I miss having the noise around. I must have done something special in a prior life to have been blessed with these grandkids and their parents. I don’t know how many more years they’re going to want to spend time with their grandparents but they breath needed energy and life into our summers that we didn’t realize we missed until they arrived.

I Already Miss the Pile of Shoes

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course