Fathering a Glider Demise

I’m gearing up for a very busy week, at least for a retired old fart such as I am. It all started yesterday with Father’s Day. Today I graduated from physical therapy with the shoulder in much better shape than when I started but still a little balky. Tomorrow, in addition to date night, I have my semi-annual dermatology screening (keeping fingers securely crossed that no biopsies are needed). Wednesday is my first WooSox game of the year with accompanying worthies. While Thursday is suspiciously open (I’m sure it’ll get filled), my daughter and the FBR show up on Friday. We’re going to see the Broadway play Mrs. Doubtfire which is playing that night in Worcester. It all culminates with all three granddaughters in residence on Saturday with accompanying barbecue and attending nobility.

Father's Day Feast

Yesterday was kind of a subdued Father’s Day. My Favorite Panamanian, to the point of annoyance, would not let me do anything. That meant she was charging around performing a lot of the daily chores I’m usually devoted to. She’s finally able to achieve a close approximation of my cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon breakfast which culminated with gifts. We journeyed up to New Hampshire later in the day to link up with my son and his family at the ABFA’s parents house which has become our traditional Father’s Day destination. The ABFA’s parents are the perfect hosts and make everybody that walks through their door feel welcome. The BRS and BR3 are approaching that age, already achieved by the FBR, where they start to practice being teenagers. Where our arrival used to be an event, now their parents must encourage them to welcome us.

Son Opening his Gifts Under BRS/BR3 Supervision

Once they’ve overcome their need to be “cool”, they revert to being the usual very fun bunch of energy. The BRS “forced” me to eat one of the ice cream sundaes she created which was a small price to pay for how good it was (additional PT this week, for sure). The ladies prepared a truly excellent feast; the kind where getting up from the table afterwards becomes actual exercise. We retired to the sunroom for some gift giving where I was surprised with a new iWatch. My wife and children have been conspiring over the past few weeks to replace the one that died in Panama earlier this year. So, it’s back to tracking my sleep and exercise daily, something I’d missed (a little). In a major surprise, I was able to activate the watch last night without help from my IT team (children and grandchildren) even when it called for manual pairing with my iPhone.

The Dads 

It was a very fun afternoon spent with some of the finest people in existence. It has been a true joy grandparenting with the ABFA’s parents and yesterday was yet another sterling example of that fundamental truth. Returning home to Worcester was less fun. My son did a map recon on his phone and assured me that I-495 was clear. Twenty minutes later I entered that benighted roadway which more closely resembled a parking lot. I only had eleven miles to traverse on it but that eleven miles took longer than the rest of the trip combined. Still, a very good day.

Finished Another 1000-Piecer

On Saturday, the day before I was forbidden to work, my wife informed me that the Deckzilla glider required a coup de grâce. We received this as a housewarming gift from Great Aunt and Soxfather for our house in Charlton, so it had seen more than twenty years of solar radiation which finally caused to to start dissolving in front of our eyes. Last year small pieces of plastic started falling off and we accused the back yard squirrels (villains that they are) of gnawing on it. This year the falling became a cascade as Deckzilla was liberally festooned with small pieces of white plastic. My mission (which I had no option to not accept) was to reduce it to manageable size to fit in city issued rubbish bags (okay that was my idea – she just told me to remove it).

Sad State of Glider

Brute force and ignorance are my strong suits when it comes to chores, so I actually enjoyed this task since it involved destroying something without taking too much care. I made the usual donation of blood which had my Favorite Panamanian just shaking her head at my acknowledged idiocy. I thought the thing was made of plastic, but it turned out to have some underlying metal tubing. I learned that when the circular saw I was using made some interesting noises. It cut through fairly easily but that’s probably where the leg wound came from. I eventually reduced the glider to a pile of refuse and getting into the bag was the hardest part. I made some liberal use of duct tape (which every house should have) to cover the protruding pipes. I was a little nervous the resulting bag wouldn’t meet whatever standards the city rubbish collectors have but it was gone this morning when I returned from my swim, so a win.

Initial Cuts - Discovering the Metal

The Final Debris Field

Just a Flesh Wound!

I ordered a new glider that will be delivered on Wednesday (so Thursday is no longer free since it will require assembly). My Favorite Panamanian was very put out that I did not bring her into the shopping process to approve the new glider. She felt I had not made use of her talents and self-styled status as a world class shopper. I assured her she would love it (which almost guarantees she won’t, at first) but that I couldn’t bring myself to spend the two and half hours online it would have taken her to make a decision. I reminded her it was Father’s Day so she couldn’t get mad, that will have to await its Wednesday arrival.

Got it All in One Bag!

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

Amigos

In danger of being labeled a broken record (an alliteration only someone of my generation will now understand), I am going to once again send genuine thanks to Whomever may be in charge upstairs. The reason for my gratitude, you might ask. That would be the friends I have been blessed with, through no genuine effort on my part. I was wondering when I left the Army (more than 20 years ago now!!!!) how I would adjust to returning to New England. It has been everything and more than I could have hoped for. A large percentage of the blame for that sentiment can be laid at the feet of those friends.

Classmate Luncheon

This past few days provides a sterling example. On Thursday we journeyed once more into the wilds of southwestern New Hampshire to link up with high school classmates for our monthly luncheon. A telling example of just what fine people I graduated with is the fact that my Favorite Panamanian loves these luncheons as much as I do. Most spouses would beg off, believing these are your friends, not mine. They have been so welcoming that I’m sure some are more excited to see her than me (that’s a situation I’ve come to expect in most social situations).

Cantankerous Friend's Table at the Lab

The luncheon was moved up this month so one of the classmates who recently underwent major heart surgery could attend and prove to us he was in full recovery. After lunch we made our way to Keene for an afternoon of shopping (the wife) and socializing (that would be me). Keene Friend 1 and I started out at Penuche’s, but they are digging up Marlboro Street outside which seemed to have added a significant gnat population within the bar. Before the recent renovation, this wouldn’t have been commented on, much less noticed, but there it was. Keene Friend 2 joined us just in time to walk up to Main Street and the Lab ‘n Lager. The Cantankerous Friend eventually arrived after blowing off the luncheon. That was explained by his guest. A lady friend from Arizona who he chose to ride bikes with instead. They were joined in turn by another classmate and her husband which set up a fairly lively crowd. We made the obligatory lubricated call to the PCR but it was so loud in the bar that it was hard to hear. I don’t think he minded when it was cut off short.

And Our Table

The local radio station also arrived and set up to do a Red Sox promotion in the bar which had the whole place going. Again, something I love about being back in New England, even when the Red Sox are atrocious (which they are this year) New Englanders still support them. For my generation this is nothing new, we grew up with atrocity, but these younger guys are now dealing with it with full aplomb. It was a great afternoon there before we pulled up stakes to move across the street for dinner with my Favorite Panamanian and Keene Friend’s lady friend. A great day.

At The Greek Festival
And Yes, The Mafioso is Once Again Smiling in a Photo
Who Knew that was Even Possible!!!

Back in Worcester on Friday, I was minding my own business in the Man Cave when my Favorite Panamanian returned very late from church. She had stopped off at the Neighborhood Mafioso and those two ladies decided we would attend the Greek Festival Friday afternoon. One of the great things about Worcester is the almost constant march of different ethnic festivals. Those who know me will understand just how excited I was to sample foreign cuisine but the opportunity to hang with friends overcame my culinary reticence. We were joined there by another couple who we hadn’t seen in a long time, which made the afternoon even more fun. We spent most of our time in the huge food tent. They had the US Men’s World Cup match playing on a huge screen, so that was a lot of fun. I sampled some Greek meatballs and chocolate cake so I can now officially be commended for my gastronomic adventurousness.

The Post Sangria Walk

My wife and the Mafioso decided to test the sangria being served. If you have read Frail Deeds in the past you will undoubtedly remember that my Favorite Panamanian has a very checkered history with that concoction. By the end of the game, she was even more talkative than usual (who knew that was even possible!). As we made our way out, the two ladies were offering each other moral and physical support. Another great day spent with another set of friends I am indeed blessed with.

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

FIFA Day

It’s been a day a few years in the making. My Favorite Panamanian has been looking forward to watching her native country’s soccer team in the World Cup ever since she learned they had qualified. When we were down there earlier this year, the entire country was excited with omnipresent banners festooning nearly every business. She has taken over the Man Cave and is loudly and passionately supporting her team as they play their initial game in the tournament, while I’m writing this. I still can’t get into the game with the nearly continuous flopping going on.

Today with her New Shirt

She had hoped to gather a bunch fellow Panamanians over to watch the game together but that couldn’t happen. She had me preparing to move a television out onto Deckzilla and testing out reception earlier this week. When the hoped for congregation fell through she declared the Man Cave would be ceded to her for the night. I surprised her yesterday when a Panama spirit shirt arrived so she could be adequately attired for the game. She has been proudly wearing it around the house all day long.

Mentoring Session

My Favorite Panamanian has also acquired a new acolyte. We’ve noticed the young daughter of our next door neighbors sitting on our side lawn over the past few weeks. She’s about the same age as the FBR. They’re a nice family from Ghana. She had to use our lawn because their lawnmower broke down a few weeks ago and their grass is approaching jungle status. My wife, being incurably social, went over a couple days ago to talk with her. They have since become good friends with my wife offering gardening and sewing lessons as well as long conversations on Deckzilla. As soon as she gets home from school each day, she appears at our back door to engage with her new mentor. I’m not complaining because it keeps my Favorite Panamanian’s focus off of me for a while. Oh, and the opponent in the game she’s watching – Ghana.

Date night on Tuesday had us at the movie theater, of all places. Disclosure Day is Steven Spielberg's latest foray into visiting extraterrestrials. I was a little concerned when it started out kind of slow and confusing, but the Spielberg magic was soon in evidence. The story revolved around two humans who start demonstrating remarkable abilities as the inevitable evil corporation tries to stop them from getting together. This all takes place as the world is on the verge of an Armageddon level military disaster. Emily Blunt is always good, but she elevates for this lead role and steals the entire movie. She’s that good. Early in the movie she’s visited by a cardinal flying into her home and suddenly she can read minds and speak foreign languages. This movie serves as a very nice companion piece to Encounters of the Third Kind. Spielberg expertly knits the different story lines into a fabulous conclusion, offering hope and reflecting his belief in humanity despite copious evidence to the contrary. I loved the movie and will never look at the cardinals at my back yard bird feeder the same way.

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

Weekend Culturale

As many of you no doubt realize, I am an ardent advocate for celebrating the First Friday of the Week, no matter when it falls. Another indication of what a fine country Panama is that they also have a saying about celebrating Fridays. Whenever I am engaged in my celebratory activities my Favorite Panamanian says I am enjoying yet another, “Viernes Culturale”, which literally means a “Cultural Friday”. That now that’s classy. I offer this cogent bit of information to report on another Viernes Cuturale that I was able to extend throughout the weekend, due to some truly outstanding friends and family.

The Friday Ladies on Deckzilla
The Mafioso With a Rare Almost Smile in a Photo

It all started on Friday when my Favorite Panamanian conspired with the Worcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia to have a get together. The stated reason was to make a Pesada de Nance. This is a traditional Panamanian dessert made by cooking the nance pulp with sugar and cornstarch. It has a custard-like consistency. Nance is a small yellow fruit native to Panama. I heard about this a month ago and figured I would not be involved and could count on some Man Cave time while the ladies indulged in nationalistic culinary pursuits. I was so wrong. By the time Friday rolled around, it had evolved into a full gathering, including the menfolk.

The Nance Fruit

The Pesada They Created

That meant my wife inflicted one of her weeklong house cleaning extravaganzas that I was inevitably sucked into. The attendance roster had expanded to include some Peruvians and the Czech Friends. Since the Czech Shadow is now a working gal, she could not attend. While we waited for the oppressive daytime humidity to wane, we entertained ourselves inside while the ladies went to work on the arcane nance recipe. The Neighborhood Mafioso was at my side so there was a significant amount of laughing going on. Eventually we all moved out onto Deckzilla for the remainder of our time in a semi-perfect early summer evening in the shade. We broke out the Left-Right-Center dice game where I kept my lifelong losing streak intact. It was a great evening with good friends, and I’m told the pesada de nance was excellent (it’s not as if I would ever try it).

Panamanians at Work

And Offering Their Opinion of the Photographer

Waiting out the Humidity

Deckzilla Time

Left-Right-Center Aftermath

I’ve written before about the great friends we met our trip last year to Portugal, Spain and France. We got together with them a couple times last year during trips to visit my son since they live in his area. My Favorite Panamanian (social director that she is) arranged a get together for last Saturday. I thought this would be my golden ticket to miss out on the granddaughters’ annual dance recital. We made our plans with the friends for an afternoon and dinner in Portsmouth and then I called my son about sleeping accommodation at his place. He said I was coming up anyways because that was the day of the dance recital. I excitedly explained that he had never told us about the date and thought I was home free.

Granddaughters Dance Recital

BR3 Third from R, BRS Second from R

Let me explain; I love watching the granddaughters dance but the past couple of years the recitals, outside of their performance, have been akin to the Bataan Death March. I would rather have root canal work done. To see the 2 minutes the granddaughters are on stage meant sitting through several dozen others, carefully packed into three hours of agony. You get the point. For some reason, the ladies love it, thinking all the acts are “cute”. Me, not so much. My hopes were dashed when my son (efforting a way to get himself out of trouble with the ABFA for not telling us about it) figured out there was a way for us to do both. God save me from raising offspring way too intelligent for my own good.

BR3

BRS 

The dance academy must have heard the grumbling from past year’s crowds because they seriously streamlined the event this year. With the exception of an overlong celebration of themselves, the show moved right along. We had to leave just before the end but had seen the BRS and BR3 dazzle on stage. This is the first year that BR3 seemed actually engaged in the performance while the BRS was her usual star in the making. Our early departure allowed us to beat the traffic and get to Portsmouth quickly. We parked in the huge city garage my son oversaw the construction of a few years ago. I was amazed at how much development had occurred since that time.

Cigar Bar

We linked up with our friends at Dwyer’s Pub, close to the garage. Portsmouth is a great town, with all the entertainment district within easy walking distance. It is a completely different place from when I went to college nearby, in a very good way. I agreed to the get together with the stipulation that I didn’t have to take part in the inevitable shopping. It was agreed that the ladies would shop while the guys amused themselves in the local pub scene. We started out in The Slow Burn Lounge, a cigar bar, which is a first for me. I know it must seem astounding that at my advanced age and lifelong, dedicated investigation of the pub scene, that I can achieve a first. One of the other guys was a member and while I’ve never smoked, I enjoyed the atmosphere and the conversation. It also had the nicest pub bathroom I’ve ever seen, including a table lamp and couch, but I digress.

Very Fun Table at The Library

After my friend finished his cigar, we wandered around central Portsmouth for a while until we landed at a bar much more in my wheelhouse, the Rusty Hammer. We caught the end to the Red Sox game there (a rare win) and eventually the ladies joined us.  We then had a short walk down the street to The Library Restaurant. We had eaten there before and what’s not to like, an upscale restaurant with overstocked bookshelves lining the place. We enjoyed the conversation and laughter as we got to know our friends better. Meeting them was one of the true highlights of that European tour. In what turned out to be a theme for the day I ran into another strange restroom there. There was an antique barber’s chair dominating the room. They would have been better off spending the money on an additional urinal but that’s just an opinion (from the guy dancing in line waiting his turn).

Abuela with her Star  Hojaldra Student

This evening was a lesson I learned early in life and it’s nice to see it validated as I move into a more auspicious accumulation of years. That being that time sitting around a table with friends is always a serious win for the soul. I owe a lot to my social director, the Favorite Panamanian, for putting this together. We ended up back at my son’s home around 10pm, thoroughly gassed, but in a very good way. We ran into one of the couples the next day in church and enjoyed spending some more time with them after mass.

Abuela Showing the BRS and BR3 the FBR's Latest Play

The highlight of any weekend involving granddaughters will be the time we get to spend with them and their parents which we accomplished on Sunday. They were their usual busy selves. The BRS cemented her reputation as an expert maker of hojaldras, when her abuela was late in arising. That abuela was very proud of her best pupil. Their next-door neighbor was having a high school graduation party which the granddaughters excitedly attended. My son, after an allergy inducing lawn mowing session, settled down with my expert assistance (honed endlessly in the Man Cave) for electronic entertainment. My wife (his mother) thought we were entirely too sedentary. We both agreed she was in error as we flipped between World Cup games and other offerings. I fell victim to my granddaughters’ latest pranks. They noticed me working at removing what I thought was a huge hunk of bubble gum from the bottom of my shoe. They gasped and admitted that I had sprung what they called their “glue trap”. They had set it out to catch anyone evil trying to enter their house (they may be watching too much TV). Their parents were not impressed with their ingenuity.

Son and I in Vegetative State

While Granddaughters Enjoy Graduation Pool Party

My son put me onto a new cable series which is hilarious. Widow’s Bay is a horror comedy which, I guess, is a thing. It was so much fun watching it with my son as we share similar senses of humor and we were both bursting out is laughter repeatedly to the consternation of my nearby Favorite Panamanian. She thinks the horror genre is akin to devil worship. The show is about an isolated island in Maine that is seriously haunted despite an unbelieving mayor who is the butt of so many jokes and hauntings. If you get a chance, check this out, I am binge watching it at home now so I can compare notes with my son this coming weekend.

In the much more mundane department, now that I’ve concluded the A-Z watch, I’ve turned my attention to the stack of jigsaw puzzles that have built up during that effort. On Wednesday I started the first 1000-piece puzzle in a while and by Friday had knocked it off, rediscovering how much time consumption it provides. It’s not that I have a lot of that to donate, but with the horrific Red Sox season it’s nice to have something to do other than burn with resentment of what they have become, a punchless shadow of what they used to be. Oh well, at least this is what I was used to growing up, it’ll be good to build up some more callouses on the soul. At least the Tartan Army that descended on Boston to support Scotland in the World Cup has provided some distraction. They are so fun to watch.

The Puzzle

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

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