Circling Autumn

One of my most cherished traditions since I’ve moved back to New En gland was taking a full day driving around to enjoy the spectacular autumnal foliage. I hadn’t realized that, in my nearly three decade absence, it has become an entire industry, unfortunately labeled “leaf peeping” where hordes of the unwashed non-New Englanders descend on us. While hesitant to contribute to the masses, I’ve come to enjoy the day for an additional reason. It gives my Favorite Panamanian and I a day to spend with just each other. While, at times, that can be a recipe for conflagration, we usually figure out a way to enjoy each other’s company (almost as if we’ve been married for over four decades). We used to take the Columbus Day (yep, still going to call it that) holiday for our journey but since neither of us work anymore, it can be any day, hopefully a day like yesterday.

The Intrepid Travelers Setting Out

We’d missed out on the tradition last year because we were on that trip to Portugal/Spain/France. Since yesterday’s forecast was great, we hit the road and were immediately rewarded with some great color. Some of the best colors we saw were within twenty minutes of home. We took the usual back roads, eschewing the interstates, so we could also enjoy New England towns, which always serves as a welcome reminder that I’ve come home (that never gets old). Our wandering took us to our usual lunch place, the Golden Eagle, perched on a hairpin turn on Route 20 with remarkable views of the hills of Vermont, Massachusetts, and New York. They’ve instituted a buffet style meal which was awesome, allowing me to have steak tips, turkey, ribs, and chicken (all the basic food groups).

Crossing the Mighty Connecticut River

With My Date

Outside the Golden Eagle

The Golden Eagle

I told my wife that I had a surprise for her after lunch as we headed north into Vermont. Last weekend during the intense action surrounding my pub crawl recon, the Keene Friend’s lady mentioned that he had taken her to the Vermont Country Store and suggested my Favorite Panamanian would enjoy a trip there.  That was the surprise, a new shopping experience, I would max out on hero points. To get there we followed a picturesque road through Vermont, although it looked as though a lot of the leaves had already fallen. We stopped off at the Hogback Mountain overlook to say hi to Mom and for my wife to get her annual guilty pleasure of the fudge they serve there.

Stopped Off in Sherburn Falls
No Cosby Sightings

Wife Loves the Bridge of Flowers

This Town was Used for First Season of Dexter Resurrection
White House was his Store

From Other Side

Bridge of Flowers

She was dozing off a little as we made our way to the store, but was wide awake when we pulled into the parking lot (shopping does that for her). I could tell from the look on her face that I had scored the hoped-for hero points (you know I’m going to need them at some point). I gave full credit to Keene Friend’s lady. I brought my kindle out and parked in a rocker on the front porch and told her to take as long as she wanted while I read. When the sun sank below the mountain ridge it became a little too brisk, so I moved into the car for next hour. It was just getting dark when she finally emerged, tired but brimming with excitement at her purchases.

Saying hi to Mom at Hogback
Old Friend Mt Monadnock in the Distance

Surprise Spring

Happy Wife with Hero Husband

Our route home took us through Keene, which is the first time I can remember passing through the town without stopping (except for gas). Keene Friend was out with the hero lady and the Cantankerous Friend on his annual South Carolina sojourn, so therefore unavailable. I’d already imposed on others for the recon, so we just kept driving, completing a huge loop through Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire. A great day, spent with a very appreciative Favorite Panamanian.

Wife Took a Million Photos During Our Travels Yesterday
Here are Some of the Best, Enjoy

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 Pseudo Recon

We’re smack dab in the middle of my favorite time of year as the trees are in the midst of their annual descent into amazing colors New England is so justifiably famous for. Growing up here, I never realized what a special treat I was subjected to every year. I thought everybody had the colors we had. Spending most of my military career a long distance from home I came to appreciate it more when I retired and came home. Every year my Favorite Panamanian and I used the Columbus Day holiday to trek through the mountains of Western Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire to enjoy the scenery. Now that I’m retired, for good, we can choose other days for that trip, hopefully tomorrow.

Lunch at the Yard House

I finished another puzzle, a first for me. This marked the first time I ever attempted a 2000 piece puzzle. It will be the last. I had to bring in a special table in order to fit the damned thing, which compromised my view of football. So, you can see it was a serious issue. I thought for a while that I was putting a 1,999 piece puzzle together until I found the 2000th piece which had tried to escape by latching onto the bottom of my shoe. Balance has been restored to the Man Cave with the large table back in the garage.

Last 2000 Piece Puzzle I Ever Attempt

Speaking of the garage, my Favorite Panamanian’s return on Sunday was marred by a mistake in judgment by her husband. It wasn’t the first, and certainly will not the last. We had talked about changing positions of the cars in the garage with the arrival of the new, longer Highlander. She was opposed. In an attempt to show her the merits of my position I moved my GR86 into the Highlander’s traditional space ahead of her return. I wanted to show her the added space this would provide. I was met with stony silence and my internal spousal alarm was sounding with a large “Ruh Roh!”. Two days later she had calmed down enough to actually try it and in doing so, figured out this meant easier access for her to use my car, which has now become “our” car. So, the cars have been switched but not without casualties.

View from Lawyer's Office
We Live on Hill in Far Left Distance

We had our final meeting with the lawyer yesterday to complete all the “what happens when I die” paperwork. Since I was now back in her good graces, I invited her out for an extended date night by taking her to lunch before the movie. A new restaurant/bar called the Yard House opened this year and we took a shot there. It was a very expansive place with great burgers and superb service and did I mention all the sports TVs adorning the place. I really liked it. I was on weekday behavior, so no beer, but I noticed an impressive bank of beer taps that would make my favorite beer snobs, Wingman and my son, very happy. That led me to thinking (I know, dangerous, that) that there are now enough bars at the plaza to conduct a mini-pub crawl there. I’m still in recon mode from last weekend. In addition to the Yard House, there is Longhorn’s Steakhouse, Applebee’s, 110 Grill, TGI Friday’s, Red Robin, and Chatter’s Bar and Grill. Yes. A target rich environment.

Those Taps

Namesake Nephew's Daughter Helping Supervise
Great Aunt's Kitchen Renovation

We saw the movie Verity. I didn’t read the book, and I enjoyed the ride because I wasn’t encumbered by literary preconceptions. This is an excellent thriller/mystery, and I was impressed with Dakota Johnson who more than held her own with Ann Hathaway and Josh Hartnett. She plays a struggling writer offered an opportunity to ghost write books in a popular series for a famous author who’s become an invalid (Hathaway). She goes to live in their beautiful but creepy Vermont mansion and becomes embroiled in both tragedy and romance. I can’t say much about all that without giving away the interesting plot twists, but it was a very enjoyable, adult level plot that didn’t take a predictable way out. The film also features the bloodiest meet-cute moment in cinema history. A good watch that I thoroughly enjoyed.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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

Recon Report and Maine Escape

I was left to my own devices this weekend as my Favorite Panamanian attended a Musquetera birthday reunion in Northern Maine. Naturally that led to a thunder run north to my hometown for me. In my defense, I had a semi-sacred duty to perform. In a little over a month, I will take part in my annual birthday pub crawl and there was an absolute need to assess the ever changing downtown pub scene in Keene. That’s my story at least. The wife doesn’t buy it either but, as I said, she was in Northen Maine, trying, unsuccessfully to assigning me household chores to limit the damage. As the pub crawl has grown in attendance over the past few years due to the enthusiastic support of KHS Class of ’73, it’s important that I make the recon to warn the pub staff of the impending senior citizen onslaught.

Recon Stop 4, Kilkenny's
With Keene Friend and his Lady

I linked up with my crawl coordinator, Keene Friend, at his house where we first confirmed the pre-crawl meal site, 5 Guys (It’s got to be done). We then started at the Owl’s Nest, the former Penuche’s. The owner was the only other person in the place but seemed happy about their assumption, once again, as the prestigious start and initial assembly point for the crawl. We then ambled down to Main Street, ensuring enroute that both my kids were once again advised of the location where I attended kindergarten. We passed through the venerable Lab ‘n Lager, a mainstay of most thunder runs.

Obligatory Kindergarten Pic for my Kids

Our next stop was a new addition, the former Modestman which has re-opened as the Black Cloud Brewery. If a pub needs to be dropped, this will be my first choice. It’s a craft brewery which is the first strike against it, but the service was also poor. They only had one bartender even though it was fairly busy. The line stretched back to the door at times. We got to talk with the bartender who wasn’t a happy camper. She said she had married into the business and her husband was on a business trip to Germany which meant she unhappily had bartender duty. Hopefully more motivated staff will be on hand in November.

Some Funny Bathroom Signs on the Crawl

We moved out the back door to old standby, Kilkenny’s, the designated dive bar of the crawl. I love the atmosphere there and we were greeted by two friendly dogs as we entered, talk about a win! Keene Friend’s lady joined us there during a break from her security guard duties across Main Street. We continued to the Perch where she scored some needed sustenance before returning to securing the next performance of Fraggle Rock (I am not making that up). We eased around the corner to Madame Sherri’s, Keene’s LBGTQ bar which joined the crawl last year and distinguished itself. We spoke with the owner there who also informed us the Platz, a long-delayed beer garden on Court Street, had finally opened (Pub Crawl Stop #8 added!). We had a great time at Madame Sherri’s although I missed the legendary beer towers and the overwhelming sports coverage of the former occupant of that space, Scores.

Kindergarten Friend Joins Us

We achieved a significant win at our next stop, the Pour House, with the arrival of Kindergarten Friend, he of celebrated knowledge of Keene pub scene. The Pour House has expanded since our last foray there. They also had table service for the first time which directly addressed the biggest issue with this stop, getting beers when a big crowd is at the bar. The Pour House is officially relinquishing its title as the final stop for the crawl because of what we learned after leaving there and walking the short distance up Court Street to the former Methodist Church, now re-christened (😊) as the Platz Beer Garden.

The Platz

We were greeted as we entered by a guy we assumed was the owner and he gave us a quick tour. It was a great scene with a long bar and lots of tables, not to mention, free popcorn. They don’t accept cash or tips. The owner proudly stated he pays a living wage to all employees. It was a little weird because it still had the trappings of a church. I think my father’s parents were Methodists which meant this was their former church. The place has a great atmosphere and there were lots of families there, and did I mention, free popcorn!!!! So, the crawl, as of right now, has 8 stops which is ambitious but, nothing ventured, nothing gained. My thanks to the stalwart crew who assisted in this important task.

The Crew Inside the Platz

Another Funny Sign
I Think it Dates Back to Methodist Days

One of Those Household Chores
Sealing the Kitchen Counters

I returned home early this morning after breakfasting with Keene Friend. I had to return to accomplish a couple of those household chores I earlier claimed to have avoided. I figured a returning Favorite Panamanian would be more favorably inclined as to my excesses if she was greeted by these developments. We’ll have to see. She and the Virginia Musquetera had traveled to Northern Maine where friends of the Maine Musquetera had rented a large lakeside home to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Maine Musquetera. In the sketchy details I’ve received so far, they acquitted themselves with pride and honored the birthday girl as she so richly deserved. I’m interested in how my Favorite Panamanian will be since I’m sure her conversations with her two sisters (from another mother) continued into the early morning hours of each night she was up there.

The Birthday Girl's Special Shirt

Maine Musquetera with my Wife

And the Virginia Musquetera

The Three Musqueteras Together Again!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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