Back to Strafford

My most excellent weekend extended into Monday with a mini-reunion of Strafford Avenue friends from my college years. That included my fraternity brother and one of the gorgeous AZ girls from next door to our fraternity on Strafford Avenue. They were dating in college and, with my college sweetheart, we formed a close-knit group of friends. I screwed up that chemistry with an ill-fated letter when I was stationed in Germany in 1979. I stayed in loose contact with my friend and reunited with the lady soon after I retired from the Army at a UNH reunion. I hadn’t seen her in more than ten years, so this was a real treat.

Sitting Down with Great Friends Yesterday

I checked with prior blog posts, and I last sat down for lunch with my friend in early 2020. We made plans at that lunch to spend more time together but, again, look at that date. 2020 was the year that everyone wants to forget because of Covid but that was also the year I underwent cancer surgery, so any nascent plans we had didn’t survive the 2020 depredations. Life then got in the way with the arrival of grandkids and other assorted distractions, welcome and otherwise. We stayed in contact, usually at holiday times, always bemoaning the fact we hadn’t gotten back together. Last week a group chat between the three of us appeared proposing a get together. We compared schedules and, since retirement includes a maximum amount of calendar flexibility, it turned out yesterday was a good day for all of us.

I've Posted This Photo Before
The Same Friends in 1978 Along with The 4th Member

We selected Nashua as a good spot to meet for lunch. My fraternity brother lived the closest, so he was in charge of selecting the restaurant. It turns out he likes sushi, so a Japanese café was chosen. That will tell you how much I treasure these friends that I agreed to that and in a stroke of good luck, they also served dead animal flesh. I’ve written before how much personal and emotional history Nashua holds for me as this was the hometown of that college sweetheart as well as the place my son and the ABFA tied the knot.

A Photo of My Friend and I in 1977

We spent the time catching up with each other’s lives which is always entertaining. They both achieved impressive careers in the computer industry which we all could not have seen coming. There’s that shorthand in talking with old friends meant we covered a lot of ground in the all too short a time we were together yesterday. We played the game of the contact we had with friends from the splendid years we spent together on Strafford as well as well as our far flung families. We left with a firmer promise to not let years pass before we did this again, even a pub crawl was mentioned. So. Hoo-ahh in a very large manner.

Date night today had the Favorite Panamanian and I at the cinema. Masters of the Universe was a movie I was really looking forward to. It harkened back to memories of the 1990s when my, at the time, young son was a huge He-Man fan. I also liked the earlier film with Dolph Lungren as the big guy. My hopes for a little Eternian magic were dashed by this travesty. I know I’m not the most politically correct guy on the planet but still, He-Man as a metrosexual HR geek. C’mon. There were also almost constant lame attempts at humor, usually at the hero’s expense. Instead of embracing the mythology, the filmmakers made a movie-long attempt at making fun of it. This is a bad movie and I’m the kind of guy it should have been aimed at. Even the usually dependable Idris Elba can’t save it. Do not waste your money on this. Terrible.

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

Weekending

I believe I can say without chance of argument (except from the Cantankerous Friend, of course) that I had a completely superior weekend. It started out well with the First Friday of the Week Family Facetime call. There was a rare occurrence with both my “kids” and Great Aunt participating. Since we all leave fairly complicated lives (more so them, what with the small children), usually one or the other has to beg off. This was a real treat. At least until my son had to head out to deliver BR3 to a birthday party and then my daughter had to chase down the FBR. It was fun while it lasted.

Namesake Nephew's Daughter Conquering Me

The fun continued Saturday when we journeyed down to Rhode Island to officially christen Great Aunt’s new deck with a McShawn’s Night. The gathering had the requisite number of Soxfather’s incredible family as well as Namesake Nephew and his. Great Aunt’s youngest granddaughter was the star of the show. She spends most of the week with Great Aunt and we can clearly trace Great Aunt’s return to us, spirit wise, to her arrival on the scene. I can understand that now as Namesake Nephew’s daughter is a real charmer. Remy, Great Aunt’s gregarious (aren’t they all) lab was a particular target.

Remy Under Attack

I failed in my post-retirement mission in life to capture, with my unique photographic skills, the timeless presence of Soxfather’s sister, despite her objectionable opinions as to those skills. She departed soon after we arrived to attend her 50^th high school reunion. I was able to glean the required photo when she appeared on my Facebook feed with the attached photo, so mission complete. It was a very entertaining interlude on the amazing new deck, complete with a covered pergola which kept the sun and prying eyes of wandering Cranstonian teenagers off our gathering.

Obligatory Soxfather Sister Photo

Namesake Nephew did a credible job at the grill and there was way, way too much food in play. That included a well received, but certainly not needed, whoopie pie. I didn’t think I could manage that after all the barbecue and beer that had been sent down range, but we’re talking whoopie pies here, so you know I rose to the occasion. There may have also been some chocolate chip cookies placed too close to my seat but enough of that. In the win department, I was able, thanks to the whoopie pie, to decline that surpassing Rhode Island delicacy, a donut cake.

Saturday Gathering Under the Pergola

Namesake Nephew’s daughter also experienced her first baptism of fire that is my Favorite Panamanian’s signature move with youngsters. That includes the vigorous nuzzling at the back of the neck complete with continuous statements about how she is going to eat them. Both of my children and their children, as well as any toddle unwise enough to wander too close to her, have experienced this. This newest recipient was thoroughly pleased, which is the usual reaction. One of the funniest reactions ever though belongs (typically) to BR3 who, while undergoing the process, reached out for a green pepper and said, “No abuela, eat this instead!”.

Wife Prepping her Attack

It Begins

The Usual Reaction

From Both

Soxfather was certainly there with us. I felt his presence all day long, imbued with the special people gathered there. While the pain associated with missing him so much will never leave, it’s times like these, which he loved so much, that brings him closer to us. Great Aunt gifted me with a new T-shirt from the recently concluded golf tournament named after Soxfather which is an annual event aimed at replenishing the scholarship fund in his honor. It brought back those happier times when he attended in person.

FBR Ready to Rock

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the FBR was astonishing the crowd attending her dance recital. Her mom had expertly prepared her makeup and she looked like a polished professional dancer. My daughter also surreptitiously videoed the entire performance and I can state without fear of contradiction that the FBR was the best dancer in her troupe. I’m always amazed when she steps out of her “teenager in waiting” personae and wows this way. I may be a little biased but if you saw the video you would agree, she was amazing.

Amazing

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

And Then There Were None - Mission Complete

I’m finally at loose ends. My four-year A-Z march through my movie library concluded last night when I watched the last one – Zulu. I started on the quest to watch every movie I own and separate the wheat from the chaff on 1 July 2022. The four years is a bit deceiving since there were four three-month breaks from the watch for the time I spent each year on the beach in Panama. So really, it took me three years. Still, it became a major effort and a bit of a pain in the ass, because it kept me from doing other, possibly more productive pursuits (that would be my Favorite Panamanian’s heartfelt opinion at least).

Part of my Library Behind Me

I’m a self-confessed movie nut, hence the burgeoning library. It had gotten out of hand with no room on the shelves as I continued to add, almost maniacally to the number of movies I own. I realized two things in 2022: 1. At my age, time was slipping away see all the movies I own. 2. There were a lot of movies I owned that I didn’t like. That set me on the path I concluded last night. I’m more than a little obsessive when it comes to completing tasks once I start out on them (I blame the Army for that). It turned into a labor of love as I relived all the adventure, romance, and action from movies I was right in purchasing. I also upgraded some beloved movies from mere DVD to 4K nobility.

The Discards

There was the corollary pain of wondering why I found myself in possession of some. That included Keene Friend’s annual Christmas attempt to compromise my sanity by gifting me treacherously bad movies. I’ll never forgive him for War and Peace (eight friggin hours of listening to Russian with English subtitles – time I’ll never get back). There was also Mother, Juggs, and Speed, The Grousers, and the Black Six amongst others. You get the picture; he’s a closet sadist.

Exempt Shelves

I ended up removing 75 movies from the library. A smarter man than I would have kept track of this as I went through it. Yesterday I was forced to scan through four years of Frail Deeds posts to make the count (that was some sneaky fun as I wandered through the attendant family memories chronicled during those four years). The ejected movies rest in a stack of Coors Lite boxes (had a bunch of those – go figure) in a corner of the Man Cave. I’ll have to figure out what to do with them. There is now ample space on the shelves for new movies but this process has made me a more discerning customer when it comes to actually buying a movie. So, it should take more time than I have left to overburden the storage capacity again, depending on how my personal gremlin, Keene Friend, inflicts in future Christmases.

Rest of the Exempts and TV Series

Now that I’m freed from this march, I may actually be able to watch some of the shows and movies recommended by friends and family. As a cautionary note, this watch did not include all the movies I own. There are several shelves containing series of exempt movies that are beyond doubting their continued presence, they were not subjected to the winnowing. This includes the Marvel and DCU films, the Star Trek and Star Wars movies, as well all the James Bond flicks. Outside of movies, I have the HBO series, Game of Thrones and, Rome, which are staring me in the face. The entire Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Combat!, House, and Entourage are also there and I won’t begin to describe the content I have from the 2004 Red Sox. So, there is a good chance my time in the Man Cave is not over, it’s become something more than that during this process, but, it is over!!!!!

The A-Z watch concluded with one movie, a keeper: Zulu – groundbreaking 1964 epic about the defense of Rorke’s Drift by the 24^th Regiment of Foot, Michael Caine’s first role and one of the best movies ever, gives Zulus recognition for their courage and honor as well.

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

Winging It

Today’s an important one as we mark the day of birth of the redoubtable Wingman. According to his Facebook profile he’s 118 years old but I think that may be an exaggeration. If it isn’t, he and I need to have a talk about how he’s doing it. He’s just back from Great Britain for another reunion tour with his band. I know he’s happy to be back squiring my daughter about and trying to keep up with the hypersonic missile that is the FBR, his daughter. My Favorite Panamanian and I tried to Facetime him this morning, but I think he is wise to our game and rightly ignored the call so he wouldn’t have our singing of Happy Birthday inflicted upon him.

Birthday Boy

At his Happiest with These Two

He’s become an important piece of our family since he arrived, so many years ago, just after turning 100 I believe. He’s an indelible part of my IT squad and always patiently explains, in the nicest way possible, why I’m a complete idiot when it comes to the electro-magnetic spectrum. Despite being kind of a big deal, celebrity wise, he’s always been one of the nicest, most personable guys you’d ever want to meet. He’s now helming a successful games-oriented restaurant in New Jersey. We love having him as part of the family and not just because of his encyclopedic knowledge of games and his IT prowess. My daughter loves him and so do we.

On Stage

Performing his Patented Keyboard Hand Stand

I’m experiencing the arcane side of physical therapy for that balky shoulder. It is definitely getting better since I started with the therapy. After this morning’s session, I went to the pool and wondered why people were staring at me. Then I remembered the therapist had done some “cupping” on the shoulder this morning. I couldn’t see them without a mirror, but I had two very defined circular bruises on the arm just below the shoulder. This was the first time I ever had that done to me and I was amazed at how big a bruise it produces because it didn’t hurt at all. I don’t care, as long as the shoulder continues to heal.

My Now Weird Upper Arm

Date night yesterday saw me taking one for the team. I have a long history of trying to get my Favorite Panamanian to see movies that I love (think lots of explosions and hopefully plenty of physical romantic interactions😊). Keene Friend laughs at my attempts to describe movies as a love story for her. An example, The Ghosts of Mars (zombie action flick) was portrayed to her as a love story set on Mars. She has never bought my descriptions, probably why it is so tough to get her to trust me on movie selections. That’s a long way to go to explain why I chose to see The Breadwinner yesterday. There wasn’t anything else that fit into my preferred aisle, so I chose this flick, something my wife would love and she did. This movie is okay and has some real funny moments. It apparently mirrors a lot of the bits from Nate Bargatz’e comedy routine. It’s the typical husband/father who is totally lost when his wife is called away from home scenario. Bargatze is funny as the house literally starts falling apart around him. The kids were another story, serving as foils for their dad’s failings, they were more annoying than funny. I still enjoyed the time-tested formula showing how inept dads can be.

The A-Z watch continued with seven movies, six keepers: Yesterday – love this British rom-com which demonstrates how many amazing songs the Beatles produced; Young Frankenstein – may be the funniest movie ever made, Gene Wilder is transcendent; Your Highness – what was I thinking about when I bought this, terrible. McBride is a great supporting character but here he just doesn’t have it as the main focus, eject; You’ve Got Mail – Hanks and Ryan together, never misses, a great rom-com; Zathura – a follow up space adventure to the original Jumanji, really well done; Zombieland – incredibly funny zombie movie, Harrelson and Eisenberg are a great buddy pair and then there’s Bill Murray; Zombieland Double Tap – ten years later sequel and it works just as well as original.

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

Czeching In

My weekend of re-connecting with my Stateside friends continued yesterday when we journeyed to the wilds of Leicester for a very fun dinner with our Czech friends. We hadn’t seen them since their epic visit to join us for the equally epic 70th birthday party at the Panamanian condo in February. The Shadow continues to grow up which is scary enough in its own right. She’s now working and getting ready to obtain her driver’s license. That’s enough to rub salt in the wound of feeling old. She also created my personal kryptonite, those cursedly delicious chocolate chip cookies. I may have to double my workouts this week to deal with the aftermath of my uncontrolled consumption. They were so good.

The Great Crew Last Night

It was so good seeing these friends again. They prepared a fantastic meal and made sure they included enough dead animal flesh with the exotic Czech dishes they knew I wouldn’t attempt. My picky eating habits are always one of the first topics covering at one of these dinners. They are good sports about my finicky palate. We were joined by their neighbors, stalwart members of the Latina Mafia which always adds to the fun. We were treated to a photo show that included one of their trips home as well as the ones from their time in Panama. It felt like coming home, spending this evening with good friends. We left with yet another large bag of books that the Shadow routinely bequeaths to the FBR.

The A-Z watch continued with four movies, all keepers: X-Men The Last Stand – kind of dark ending to the original cast but great final battle scene; XXX – kind of goofy action flick but Diesel is perfect before he started taking himself so seriously; XXX The Return of Xander Cage – screwing up that original concept but still some fun action sequences; Yes Man – one of my favorite Jim Carrey films.

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

Neighborhood Conclaving

We had a very fun evening yesterday, which was appropriate given that it was the First Friday of the Week. This was our first opportunity to hang out with the Neighborhood Mafioso’s since our stateside return. Our dance card had been thoroughly engaged with granddaughter activities which is a strong trump card. Yesterday was also the 75^th birthday of the Mafioso husband which meant recognition had to be undertaken. He’s a dedicated homebody so that meant we were crossing the street to celebrate at his home. Some of the best times in recent years have been sitting around their kitchen island as the birthday boy is one of the funniest people I know.

Fun Night with this Bunch

She Does Smile

We ferried our traditional Friday pizza over with us as well as a “couple” adult beverages. We soon found ourselves laughing, which always seems to happen when the four of us get together. The birthday boy and I must refine our beer smuggling technique because my Favorite Panamanian was on top of all attempts at subterfuge. This even happened when she and her counterpart were shopping together online. I know this happened because I found a couple items emailed to me when I opened my phone today, fruits of their search.  The best part of the evening was reminiscing about how the world has changed in our time aboard. We remembered living with front and back doors left unlocked for weeks on end, not even knowing if there were keys. That type of stuff gets scoffed at when we’re with the younger crowd. Being able to remember the shared experiences of our youth is always fertile ground when we’re with a group of similar age. I know those scoffers will be doing the same thing in their seventies, it comes with the territory.

FBR With one of Her Best Buds
Ready for School Spirit Day

The FBR was costumed for school spirit day yesterday which she took full advantage of, as you can clearly see in the accompanying photo. During the Family Facetime call, the BRS showed us her school project. She was required to research and then present on a famous American. She chose Walt Disney and when we complimented her on the poster she created, she then launched on her entire presentation for us. It was more than cool. BR3 was trying to hide behind a teddy bear but did translate a photo the ABFA had posted on Instagram. It was one of her final projects as she winds down her kindergarten year. It was a poster where she proclaims she gets grouchy when her mother denies her candy. Truth there.   

The A-Z watch continued with five movies, all keepers: X-Men Days of Future Past – watching the movies in the mythologically correct order, possibly best in the entire series with both old and new playing same characters in film; X-Men Origins Wolverine – interesting origin story even with the historically bad Deadpool; X-Men Apocalypse – great action film fighting an ancient Egyptian mutant; X-Men – the original and still holds up well; X-2 – rushed sequel but good to see the evil colonel get his just desserts.

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

Doubled Up

My Favorite Panamanian and I thoroughly enjoyed a true rarity for date night yesterday – a double date. Keene Friend and his lady journeyed down to Worcester to join us for a movie and dinner. We went to see the Mandalorian and Grogu and followed that up with dinner at a nearby steakhouse. What was very cool about the evening was the new addition, Keene Friend’s lady, fit in perfectly. It might have daunted someone of less quality to join a group where everyone else has known each other as close friends for more than forty years. She and my wife immediately began comparing notes on gardening as soon as they arrived. They are both former Army wives, they had that to discuss as well.

The Very Fun Dinner
With our Dazzling Dates

I’m not saying date night was getting stale in any way shape or form (that way lies madness), but this was a very nice break in the tradition of just my wife and I. Keene Friend’s usual dry (bordering on desiccated) wit was in top form but my Favorite Panamanian said something to him that actually had him blushing (rare, that). I wasn’t ready for the night to end but they had the long drive home in front of them. Once again, time spent with friends – the definitive coin of the realm.

Her Grandkid had Sent her a Photo Like This
Proudly Proclaiming he had Seen the Movie
So This Was Return Fire to Him for Her

Not as much fun was to be had today but there was a rewarding aspect for me. We are blessed with extremely nice neighbors next-door. They’re an elderly couple, immigrants from Syria. A couple weeks ago he asked my Favorite Panamanian if I would be willing to help them out by applying sealant to their driveway. He has a bunch of health issues which made the effort too much for him. Yesterday I power washed their driveway and today, after my swim workout, I bought the buckets of sealant and began work. When I gave him the change from the Home Depot purchase, he tried to have me keep it (several hundred dollars) as a way to thank me. I told him that’s not what neighbors do and wouldn’t take the cash. We got the driveway all taken care of with the sole price being a sore back from all the squeegeeing. I know I am immensely frustrating for his wife because she loves to cook and would normally prepare something as a way of thanks. She specializes in ethnic dishes which, of course, given my restricted tastes, is not available to her. She has tried for the ten years we’ve lived here to get me to eat some of her delicacies. My streak remains intact.

I surprised the Favorite Panamanian yesterday when I revealed I had booked another European trip for later this year. After a ten-year relentless advertising campaign by the Viking Corporation, I finally decided to call them about one of those riverboat cruises which I receive brochures for every two months. With the skyrocketing cost of airline tickets, we had decided to forego a trip this year. We’ve heard good things about the river boat cruises from friends. The latest brochure proclaimed they would cover the roundtrip airfare for the cruise. Of course, they tried to give me the loose leg when I brought that up. At that point I told the agent to cancel the trip we were planning and he suddenly found the same trip on another date that offered the promised free air. I’m excited because I’ve always wanted to see Vienna and Budapest, two of the cities we’ll be cruising through.

I really liked this latest Star Wars entry. I watched all of the tv series so I was up on the mythology involved. The action was nearly non-stop as Mando and his little buddy help the New Republic scoop up regional imperial warlords trying to take advantage of the fall of the empire. The storm troopers still haven’t learned to shoot, something Mando has no problem with, but they provide the requisite fodder for the shootouts. They kept Grogu as a puppet instead of trying to CGI him which I think is the way to go. The plot gets a little silly at times, mainly when Grogu and the miniature mechanics are on their own, clearly aimed at the youngest demographic. The movie does a very effective job continuing the world building Disney has been involved in since taking over the franchise. Jabba the Hut’s kid has a major role which I never saw coming. A great summer escape movie, turns out, this is the way!

The A-Z watch continued with four movies, three keepers: Wrath of the Titans – not sure why I got this, don’t have the first one in the series and it is just dumb, eject; The X-Files Fight the Future – finally getting some clarity on exactly what the alien issue was after so many years wondering during the tv series; The X-Files I Want to Believe – back to concept of what the tv series so watchable and great to finally see Scully and Mulder together romantically; X-Men First Class – watching the movies in the mythologically correct order, really good action flick.

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