Firsting Once Again

One of the more welcome results of last week’s retirement luncheon with my old office mates was a determination to revive the tradition I started there of celebrating the First Friday of Each Week. I made the tactical error of choosing Peppercorns which is a great bar but requires the transition on Park Avenue in the late afternoon which is not for the weak of heart. Rookie mistake. I allowed the half hour needed to make it and arrived on time to find my former work buddies already ensconced. We proceeded to renew the bond that First Fridays were created for, catching up on the goings on and telling new stories while embellishing former ones. It’s what we do. It was a great interlude with these great people and we committed to maintaining the tradition. I chastised the guy who replaced me when we left for not realizing that our former dedicated bar, Brew City, had closed over a year ago.

Bond Renewed

Meanwhile a massive Nor’easter is blowing into New England this weekend which put a serious strain on our planned celebration of my daughter’s birthday. She and the FBR journeyed through the teeth of the storm last night in order to be in place today to go to Hartford to see someone named Olivia Rodrigo. I guess that’s a big deal but I’m clueless when it comes to music. While they await that time we are going to celebrate. My Favorite Son and his bunch are enroute and we also have my daughter’s two cats, Walnut and Pistachio, in residence which is always entertaining. Well, at least after the point early this morning when the FBR charged into our bedroom with Walnut and dumped him on me. It brought back memories of Grandpa and Abuela’s summer camp. So, no more writing because, fun is to be had, one floor above me.

Intrepid Travelers

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Walnut Sets up Shop

Who You Looking At!!!

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

The Week That Is

It has been one of those weeks that defines retired life, which means it speeds by much more quickly than it ever seemed to while employed. As I’ve stated before, that probably occurs because I’m doing things I enjoy rather than am forced to by the inscrutable requirements of employment. Well, a couple of the requirements this week definitely do not fall into the enjoyable category. Both my Favorite Panamanian and I got both our flu and updated Covid shots earlier this week. We were assured that these were the updated versions. No aftereffects for either of us except for a mild case of dizziness for me while putting up the flags the next day. That definitely has improved.

Fun Times at the Lab with These Worthies

The second experience could be categorized as the payment of long overdue dues. In a statement that will surprise nobody who knows her, my wife has been a big fan of the online emporium known as Wayfair. Come to think of it, there isn’t an emporium she’s not a fan of. The overdue part comes in from her discovery, years ago, that Wayfair operates an outlet store not too far from us. She has periodically come up on the spousal net to request I take her there, usually because of some diabolical advertising campaign from Wayfair. Anyways. I finally succumbed, figuring I needed some hero points and off we went on Wednesday.

The Wayfair Outlet Exists!

I took along my trusty Kindle as I expected to be waiting in the parking lot for an extended period. I am not brave or foolish enough to think I should accompany her inside. I was therefore shocked when she emerged after a mere twenty minutes and sadly objected to the fact that they only had furniture in the store. I was smart enough to cut myself off from reminding her that is what Wayfair sells. Apparently, she had been lured there by the prospect of decorative plates. I was content, hero status confirmed, at a minor expenditure of time and effort. Feeling my oats, I gallantly suggested we stop by a steakhouse on our way home. My day turned catastrophic when we pulled into the parking lot and I saw the location also sported a Marshalls. Doomed.

My New Footwear

She knew we still had plenty of time unspent, so after lunch I trudged back to the car and my Kindle while she fairly skipped towards one of her favored hunting grounds. After a very serious steak and the accompanying treasures, I found reading an excellent sleep agent. I put my cap down over my eyes and with the glorious autumn day outside, quickly succumbed and had a very nice one hour nap. I woke up believing my time in purgatory was ending, however, Marshall’s had other ideas, since my Favorite Panamanian had found some long sought after jeans. A couple hours later she finally re-appeared and advised me I was joining the “clog” generation. Wingman and my daughter had long worn this hideous footwear and I had solemnly pledged to never wear them, for no other reason than being ornery. She had bought me a pair, suitability camouflaged, and I am surprisingly happy since it makes going on for flags and other assorted outside chores so much easier to just slip on; just don’t tell anyone. Okay?!

Our Table at the Luncheon

Yesterday had a decidedly more pleasant agenda, including the monthly luncheon of the incomparable KHS class of ’73. My Favorite Panamanian had a PT appointment in the morning which meant I had to drive her there and we would leave for the luncheon from there. So, back to reading my Kindle in the parking lot, no nap this time. We arrived at the luncheon only to receive a call from the Toyota dealership saying they had found the Highlander we were looking for and it would be ready by 4 October. It’s blue instead of black and has gray interior instead of black but has everything else we asked for. The luncheon was the usual assembly of fantastic people, including Keene Friend 2 and the Cantankerous Friend.

The Other Half

My Favorite Panamanian is more popular with my classmates than I am, so there was a groundswell of happiness that she had returned. We had a lively discussion at our table with a classmate who is dedicated hunter of salmon. We adjourned after a very fun lunch for the drive to Keene for the obligatory post-luncheon social hour(s).  We were blessed with the emerging autumnal foliage as we made our way to Keene. We assembled at Keene Friend’s house before my wife left for her usual perusal of tax-free shopping while the Cantankerous Friend, Keene Friend and I made our way to the Lab ‘n Lager. That prestigious location has become the dedicated post luncheon socialization location.

The Foliage in Front of Old Friend Mount Monadnock

The afternoon evolved into a truly special time as the Lab performed its usual role and we were joined by another classmate and her husband. The Kindergarten Friend also deigned to join us which always adds a significant amount of gravitas to an otherwise mundane encounter. The CRC also appeared as an unplanned addition as he had already set up a meeting at the Lab with some other friends. It was every bit as much fun as I hoped. We realized our time was coming to an end and we had yet to make our usual, well lubricated, conference call to the PCR. We hurriedly made that call while my Favorite Panamanian was already enroute to effect my extraction.

Finished Another Puzzle

The call was only mildly encouraging since the Lab decibel level increased. The PCR’s wife was blessedly forgiving of some of the salty language from our end before we realized she was listening as well. The call was just about over when I noticed my wife pulling up out front. I ended the call and rushed outside with the Kindergarten Friend who wanted to say hi to her. She had given up on us and drove on in search of parking. She found it nearly a quarter mile away near the head of the square, so the Kindergarten Friend and I parted while I set out in search of her. A great day ending with my Favorite Panamanian providing the requisite driving service back to Worcester.

School Photos are in
BR3 Looking Less Maniacal This Year

The Very Elegant BRS

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

Developments

It has been a busy couple of days in the casa. Before I get into that, I have to comment on the photo below. My daughter sent this and commented that the FBR calls this, “The Breakfast Bunch”. I’m sure it has something to do with her eating breakfast on the couch as both Pistachio and especially Walnut are renowned scavengers of food. As you can tell from the look on the FBR’s face, she enjoys these meetings immensely.

The Breakfast Bunch This Morning

Now, on to business. I heard from our contractor today and he provided the anticipated estimate for the addition of a small bathroom in the Man Cave. This is a big deal, as a senior citizen I know spends an inordinate amount of time in the Man Cave and this will save him the nearly constant need to mount the stairs to the nearest bathroom. As you can tell, a large amount of junk will have to be moved, mostly granddaughter toys. For that reason, it’s good that the work won’t start until November as I’ll need that interval to clear the space out and the corollary effort in other areas of the unfinished part of the basement where the junk will be moved to. My Favorite Panamanian lodged a complaint about the new bathroom, saying she’ll hardly ever see me since my regular trips up the stairs will no longer be needed. I’ll need to be a better husband. I also scored some hero points with the spouse for a surprise purchase of a cushion for the new pooch swing. I took a huge chance by not consulting with my inhouse shopping guru. She was, however, pleased that I chose the color red to match the other Deckzilla cushions. This is a rare win in the color department (see below) for me. 

Site of Future Basement Bathroom

New Cushion

The other major development is the hunt for a new Highlander. Our current Highlander is now six years old and while we love it, it’s time to get a replacement. I didn’t make the same mistake as last time and made sure my Favorite Panamanian accompanied me. She’s constantly complained about my choice of color (who knew that was important) for the current one. We linked up with same salesman that got us into the GR86 and he passed on the sad news that Toyota was transitioning out of gas-powered Highlanders and all new ones will be electric. He got us into a Grand Highlander (still gas powered) which we loved. Then the color discussion started. She wanted a bench seat in the second row instead of the captains chairs and wanted a different color. We signed an agreement to buy the car when they got the right color and everything else she wanted. It should happen over the next couple weeks.

Leaving the dealership we headed out for date night. Since the major openings this week were horror movies, I had to dig deep to find something mutually acceptable. We ended up watching The Uprising. This film chronicles, with a severe case of Hollywood re-imaging, the peasant’s revolt in England in the 14^th century. The Amazing Spiderman is called upon to lead the revolt against taxes and sports a Game of Thrones level of mud in the face throughout. I guess washcloths hadn’t been invented yet. Garfield is excellent as the conscience of the revolt as they march on London to confront the king over taxes. The film offers an interesting perspective of not being ready to get what you’re asking for from political leaders. I liked the film but found the camerawork a little disjointed and the dialogue sometimes hard to hear. A dour historical epic, saved by the superb acting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 Welcome

It’s been a busy couple days involving retirement dinners and mafioso happy hours. I’ll take things chronologically. Thursday night, my Favorito Panamanian and I returned to Joey’s restaurant for the first since the last retirement dinner we attended there over six years ago. Joey’s is a great place and the designated location for retirement dinners for my old job. I wrote in my last post about returning to my old office to bid farewell to the guest of honor for Thursday night’s dinner, my old maintenance director. An added treat to the evening was meeting his entire family for the first time. I’d met his wife a couple times but not his kids although I’d heard many stories from him over the many years we worked together. They were, as I expected, a fabulous family who obviously had been brought up right by their hard-working dad.

With the Guest of Honor

The night was also special due to meeting many of the managers that worked for me over the years. It was so nice to catch up with these special people who made a challenging work environment actually fun. There were also many who joined the company after I retired, but they mostly stuck to themselves (probably heard horror stories about me). The night belonged to the honoree though as the stories from his career were shared, with his family delighted to hear what he was like at work. I also got to spend some time with my former Assistant General Manager who replaced me when I moved up to VP. He’s still hilarious in this type situation and committed to a celebration of First Friday this coming week. Something that apparently has fallen to the wayside with my departure. They didn’t even know that Brew City closed more than a year ago. Egregious. A great night.

Our Fun Table

With his Great Family

With his Wife and Granddaughter

My great nights were not over though. Last evening we hosted a happy hour party on Deckzilla for the Panamanian Mafia and the Czech Friends. My Favorite Panamanian wasn’t her usual mildly psychotic self during party prep which was a nice departure. I still walked nimbly through any potential minefield and tried to help as much as possible. The stated reason (other than assembling these great people together to enjoy their company) was to welcome autumn, which officially doesn’t start until Tuesday. Mother Nature didn’t get the memo though as we had a delicious autumn day and evening with cool temperatures.

The Party Gets Started

All the Dishes Assembling

This had to predictable response from the Latinas as temperatures descended into the low sixties after the sun went down. Surprisingly, my wife declared that the cool temperatures were not bothering her. Update on that, she just spent the entire Patriots game encased in blankets and cuddled up to my side (for body heat, not romance). It was a great evening spent with these special friends. The Czech Shadow did not attend as she is now a working girl. She was upset with the late notice of the party, so she couldn’t arrange a night off. I tried, unsuccessfully, to get her parents in trouble during a phone call by claiming they had known about the party for weeks. The Shadow got her revenge by sending her diabolical chocolate chip cookies. They are so good that I am incapable of resisting them. My wife moved them away from me before dinner as I was nibbling on them during party preparations.

Dancing Breaks Out

I actively campaigned with other party goers to eat them to keep as many as possible off my waistline. Each guest brought a dish to share which led to a very eclectic table involving food from Panama, Peru, India, and the Czech Republic. The Czech entry included wiener schnitzel which saved me and my definitive non-exotic taste palate. After the sun set, the guys finished our repeated renditions of “Alouette, Gentille Alouette” which I’m sure the neighbors appreciated (our ladies certainly did not). This was followed by the usual dice game of right, left, and center. I continued my lifelong losing streak in this game as the Neighborhood Mafioso took home the honors amidst the usual nonstop laughter this game always engenders. The requisite interval of dancing followed where hopefully some of those cookies were worked off. As stated above, another great night spent with special friends.

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

Going Back Again

Yesterday was a very full day. It featured contacts from across the spectrum. It included, of course, the Favorite Panamanian who has been on one of her patented decorating booms. She mildly re-arranged the living room and then decided she needed a sewing room. Her sewing machine has been set up in the corner of our master bedroom for the last couple of years. Out of the blue, she decided the walk-in closet of one of our spare bedrooms would make an excellent location. That closet is large and has digested much of the spare blankets, quilts, sheets, and anything else that needs to be moved out of the mainstream. Come on, we all have a place like that, be honest. Anyways. She spent a couple days burrowing into that accumulation and I felt okay standing on the sidelines, one, because she never asked for help and, two, she’d put all that stuff in there to begin with. I was called upon to remove everything that didn’t make the cut, either to be donated or thrown away. She now has a sewing room, so there.

At The Game Last Night

Last night was a fun evening, laden with nostalgia, as I took in my last WooSox game of the year as their season winds down this week. I was joined by none other than, the Cantankerous Friend. He took time out of circling the globe on his bicycle long enough to join me for the game, that’s where the nostalgia came in, hanging with one of my best friends since the 3^rd grade. It had been a long time since it had just been him and I hanging out, so that made the conversation special as it offered a chance to catch up on each other’s lives without the usual attendant banter surrounding adult beverages. He also got a chance to ride in my sports car, something I don’t think he enjoyed as much as I. I may have showed off a bit when we hit the highway. A great evening, the WooSox won and he survived my driving.

The New Sewing Room

Earlier in the day, I swung by my old office as the guy who worked as my Maintenance Manager is retiring and they had a pizza lunch sendoff for him in the community room. He was one of my favorite people at work, and it was so good to see him for the first time in a few years. My Favorite Panamanian and I are attending his going away dinner tonight. As I walked up to the building I realized two things. I didn’t miss coming to work there at all, but I do miss most of the people I worked with there. I was only there for a few minutes, but I was able to catch up on some of the major events, including the high numbers of deaths that have occurred since, including the union business agent and a number of drivers. I was surprised at how much of an emotional impact that had. In the military, close working relationships usually only last a couple years but I’d worked with these guys for nearly twenty years.

Latest 1000 Piecer Finshed

Earlier in the week, on date night, my wife and I saw the movie, Runner. This features Alan Ritchson who seems to be everywhere nowadays, dominating as they finally got Reacher right. In this movie he plays a recovering alcoholic transporter in Australia who is charged with getting Owen Wilson (in full Wedding Crashers personality vibe) and a donated liver to a dying kid. The only problem being the head of a drug cartel needs the same, rare blood type liver for his mom. Setting off the predictable hijinks. The action is non-stop as the pair run through a gauntlet, not knowing who to trust. Ritchson is great as he Reachers his way through the bad guys. An underrated, but a very effective and enjoyable action flick with some unpredictable twists near the end.

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

Midnight Riding

This area is justifiably famous for one of the most chronicled late night rides in history. Mine, last night, was decidedly less noteworthy. It was the culmination of a long day featuring hosta assassination drills, implanting mums, some lawn work which laid the basis for a thunder run north to my hometown to continue the celebration of Keene Friend’s 71^st birthday. My Favorite Panamanian decided that her shopping forays earlier in the week had denuded her Keene hunting grounds, so she would stay at home. I’ve been married long enough to realize there would be a price to be paid if I ignored the garden work I had ill-advisedly promised to accomplish for her earlier in the week.

Yesterday at the Lab, Before CRC Arrival

Each fall the many hostas that liberally grace her vast garden complex start to die off with yellowing leaves. This means they have to be cut off and hauled up the back yard hill for composting. That’s usually a major pain in the butt because any self-respecting hosta has a lot of leaves hanging to the ground. My wife’s constant perusal of Pinterest produced a new technique where a rope is placed around all the stems and then tightened making it easy to cut them all at once. I grudgingly admitted it was a great idea. I improvised using some of the many bungee cords I had in the garage. Notice the use of the past tense there. My energetic cutting led to the demise of four of the bungee cords, but all the leaves got uphill. The green excised from the vast garden complex was replaced with the many mums she always imports for the harvest season. After those were dug in, she admitted I was cleared to head north (after mowing the lawn).

Birthday Boy and Lady

The birthday celebration was organized by another of our high school classmates who, for some unknown reason, decided the Lab ’n Lager would be an appropriate venue. I know. I know. She and her husband joined us there where we were joined in short order my Keene Friend’s lady, who stopped in before heading across Main Street for her security officer gig. Another classmate, the hilarious CRC, answered the siren call to the Lab and joined us for the second half of the celebration. Unexpectedly, the Lab was fairly quiet for an autumnal Saturday. We tried our best to add some decibels by laughing a lot. Keene Friend scored his free birthday pizza which he augmented with way too many chicken wings. We felt honor bound to insure all this food was appropriately addressed.

It was a very fun afternoon hanging with friends and celebrating one of the truly nicest guys in the world. Our only failure was to not place our usual well lubricated call to the PCR, but he was probably hanging out at his golf course, so there’s that. Keene Friend and I returned to his house after the Lab and prepared to watch a hyped college football game. I made the mistake of lying down to watch the game and promptly fell asleep for about twenty minutes (see above – a very long day). That proved problematic though when it came time to actually go to sleep for the night. I’m weird that way. If I get any extended “nap” time during the day, insomnia raises its ugly head at bedtime. Keene Friend had long since gone upstairs for bed (as he is not similarly cursed) while I sat, wide awake in his living room.

I tried every technique I knew to sleep but I knew it was pointless as I remained wide awake without an inkling of drooping eyes. I kept at it for a couple hours and then decided if I wasn’t asleep by 2am, that I would drive home, putting the insomnia to useful purpose. That worked out well as I pulled into the garage around 315am, still wide awake. I had been very law abiding in my passage over the deserted highways, not wanting to tempt any bored late night law enforcement types. My next challenge was entering the house without scaring my sleeping wife, since she had given me strict orders not to try anything dumb, like driving back at night after an afternoon at the Lab. I wouldn’t have done it if I wasn’t completely sober by that point, eight hours after my last adult beverage. The garage opening didn’t waken her so I decamped to the Man Cave to wait out the insomnia. I finally go to that point around 430am, and, in a huge surprise, my Favorite Panamanian treated me like a returning hero, actually happy to see me. Paul Revere never had to worry about these things.

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

Roothugger Rundown

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

Dinner Wednesday Night

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

Two Old Roothuggers

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

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

A More Descriptive Photo of our CGSC Experience

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course