April May

No that isn’t the name of some sultry Southern Belle; it’s an observation of what our May has been like so far. This is the weather I expected to find when we returned from Panama in mid-April, certainly not that we’ve allegedly reached Mid-May. I find it bordering on un-constitutional that I still have the central heat on in the house (of course I live with a Panamanian, so might be understandable). I’m ready for some more “typical” May temperatures, but this is, of course, New England, so, no guarantees. I remember fantasizing on the beach in Panama how great it would be to be back home and experiencing four seasons again. I wasn’t ready for an extended winter. I am glad to finally see leaves on the trees

Snuck a Photo of Wife Cake Making

So, enough bitching and moaning. It’s been a busy week around the household. My Favorite Panamanian is in the midst of creating one of her signature granddaughter birthday cakes. This one is for BR3 who turns six this year, semi-too fast (something all my granddaughters are afflicted with). They caught it from their parents who also grew up way too fast. I try to avoid the kitchen during these processes because she employs virtually the entire kitchen and doesn’t suffer my foolishness lightly when she is cake-focused. She is a true artist.

The Artiste at Work

We had the cable guy in today, during the heaviest of our “April” showers. The cable TV picture had deteriorated lately and after fighting my way through the less than helpful AI assistance online, I finally got them to agree to send a technician. He knew exactly what the problem was. The cable company made a system-wide upgrade. That resulted in the need to add a filter to the cable where it enters the house. We conversed about what an upgrade is supposed to accomplish. He was a good dude.

Hopefully tomorrow’s delivery of the new washing machine goes as smoothly. I disconnected the one its replacing earlier today and was lucky enough to get the flood it created cleaned up before my Favorite Panamanian returned from church and archly reminded today was a Catholic day of obligation. Yesterday, I had my first physical therapy appointment to address my balky left shoulder. It’s been on the fritz since I injured it carrying beer down the stairs for the February birthday party for my wife. My son did most of that work when the elevator inconveniently died for the day. The therapist was good and was able to diagnose where the problem existed. I am the proud owner of a rotator cuff impingement. She gave me a bunch of new exercises and said it should take about six weeks to resolve. This getting old is the gift that just keeps giving.

Date night this week had us back in the cinema to see Mortal Kombat II. I am blissfully unaware of the background lore surrounding this movie series. That being said, this was a very fun ride as a plucky group of semi-humans fight for earth’s future against an evil force composed of scary monsters and hot Asian ladies. Again, not sure about the attendant mythology, but this had great fight scenes and groan worthy dialogue between fights. Karl Urban continues creating memorable characters as the lead, a self-involved action movie star who is unwillingly forced to fight in the cosmic battle. There is some needed comic relief along the way. I’m sure while this was clearly made for those who understand the back stories, it weas still a lot of fun for a non-believer.

Finally, I must comment on a very funny movie my daughter convinced me to watch. Splitsville is hilarious. It revolves around two couples who are veering between open marriages and divorce. The two guys in this are classic idiots and stage one of the funniest movie fights I’ve ever seen. There are a series of extremely funny situations that are expertly milked for every possible potential, such as one guy inviting the series of his wife’s lovers to take up residence with them. Dakota Johnson, fully recovered from her Madam Webb debacle, is one of the best things in the movie as she is seemingly the only sane one of the four involved. My daughter’s recommendations usually run to the artsy fartsy kind of socially relevant type of movie I generally try to avoid (plague like) but this was a true pleasure. We must still be related.

The A-Z watch continued with five movies, all keepers: We’re the Millers – very funny R-rated comedy, Sudekis and Anniston have great chemistry and then there’s that dance; What About Bob – great character from Murray to explore his most annoying yet lovable side; What Dreams May Come – stunning visual effects while exploring the afterlife, Williams is so good in this; What Women Want – back when Gibson was acceptable, very funny; Where Eagles Dare – fantastic WW2 action drama with Richard Burton and Eastwood matching acting styles.

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

Four Moms

I think I achieved what I set out to do yesterday, which was to properly honor the moms in my life, starting with, of course, my Favorite Panamanian. We had four moms to celebrate yesterday. We hoped for a couple more, but New Jersey hockey practice prevented that. My wife’s celebratory week started earlier with the unexpected arrival of a friend from Panama. The Neighborhood Mafioso invited my Favorite Panamanian over for a surprise one evening which turned out to be the visiting friend. Needless to say, the Worcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia was activated and the ladies enjoyed a very lively lunch in one of the tallest buildings in Worcester the next day.

The 4 moms, the ABFA, my Wife, Great Aunt and ABFA's Mom

The Mafia Lunch

Saturday was a complete washout with almost constant rain although I accomplished a daring deception campaign to spoof the wife. I told her I had to go out for an errand and when she asked me for what, I replied, “don’t worry”. This was said to exacerbate her suspicions. My goal was to buy her a raised planting bed she had admired during our earlier flower shopping foray. I stopped off along the way to replenish the Man Cave cache of Coors Lite which hadn’t been renewed since Christmas. When I returned, I was met by my wife at the door as I innocently carried in the beer. “Oh”, she said, “that’s what’s so important” (very judgy). Obviously, it was, but, it also shielded the true intent. I knew she wouldn’t venture out into the rain so I just left the gift in the back of the car. Mission accomplished and she was genuinely stunned Sunday morning when it was revealed.

The BRS Showing her Mom how to Make Hojaldras

My son and his gang arrived late Saturday afternoon and the predictable rise in decibel level was achieved. My wife had prepped one of her signature dishes that her son loves and just when I was savoring the prospect of having a bunch of left over spaghetti for the rest of the week, she offered the leftovers to him. He quickly accepted, dashing my hopes (it’s really good). We adjourned to the Man Cave where my son employed some arcane screen sharing technology to show us the photos from their recent Disney adventure. It was hilarious, especially when viewing the BRS’ reaction to fast rides with that of BR3. BR3 is definitely not a fan of being scared (she is more of a donor in that category which my wife learned soon after).

Deckzilla Shaking off the Winter Blues

Wife's New Planter

The granddaughters were fighting sleep when my Favorite Panamanian stopped by the darkened kitchen, only to jump out of her socks when the supposedly sleeping BR3 emerged from darkness. She was having trouble falling asleep and sought out adult intervention. My wife escorted her back upstairs and, along with the BRS, performed some bedtime yoga to get them to sleep. Meanwhile, back in the Man Cave, my son and the ABFA joined me in more mundane pursuits. They have finally discovered the magic contained in the Ted Lasso show and I happily watched the next episode in their watch with them. When the ABFA left for the upper floors my son and I watched a semi-scary movie, Cold Storage, about an evil space fungus with Liam Neeson and that guy from Stranger Things. It was a great dramedy. That guy from Stranger Things (Joe Keery) is going to do big things, really talented.

Great Aunt Arrives to "Rescue" Riggins

I was an unintended benefit of Mother’s Day Sunday morning. Usually, the granddaughters invade our bedroom shortly after they awake (read that to mean oh dark thirty). My son had corralled them downstairs, forbidding them to waken either the ABFA or their abuela, being that it was Mother’s Day. Since I was safely ensconced next to said abuela, I slept blissfully on. The granddaughters were very confused when I hadn’t appeared because even when they don’t invade, I always make it a point to join them in the early morning hours to start rustling up breakfast. This breakfast marked the passing of the torch. Whenever granddaughters are in residence, hojaldras are required for breakfast. My son and I have tried on past Mothers Days (when the moms aren’t allowed to work) to create this delicacy but were always met with abject failure and judgmental stares from the audience. The BRS, known within the family as the “Hojaldra Queen”, for her ability to consume them, rose to the occasion. She showed the expert light touch her abuela taught her and made the hojaldras for the entire family.

ABFA and BRS

Joined by BR3 and Riggins

ABFA, Her Mom, and Great Aunt on Deckzilla

After church, my son and I went about setting Deckzilla up for her first performance of the year. It was so good to see this old friend emerging from her winter slumber with the addition of the flowers my wife had kept in the garage through the recent cold weather along with the chairs and tables. My wife had hoped we would have our dinner out there but, while the weather was nice, as soon as clouds passed in front of the son, the temps dropped about ten degrees. This meant we knew certain moms (like my wife) wound not appreciate that. I manned the kitchen while my son took on grilling responsibilities and Riggins whined. The whining was addressed with the arrival of Great Aunt, the family dog whisperer. As soon as Riggins heard her voice, he set up shop next to her to receive the requisite scratching behind the ears. The group was finally completed with the arrival of the ABFA’s fantastic parents. My counterpart, the ABFA’s dad, was soon abducted and placed in the customary servitude by his granddaughters. The dinner was a huge success and the ladies were left to themselves to converse at the table while my son and I cleaned up and the granddaughters were entertained by the other granddad.

Mother's Day Dinner

3 Gens of ABFA Family

Granddaughters Invading Mom Photo Shoot

This was followed by what was, for me, the highlight of the day. We set up in the chairs on Deckzilla and socialized for a long while, digesting the meal in order to address the more than generous desserts guests had contributed. It is so affirming when you get to sit around with people you love and just enjoy each other’s company. The granddaughters wouldn’t be tied down in such a mundane activity but they did release the other grandpa from bondage so her could join us. Unfortunately, left unsupervised, they decided to amuse themselves by raiding the contents of the garage. I learned this when they walked by enroute to scale my wife’s vast backyard garden complex and I noticed a couple mallets and a telltale box from my tool chest. I was a little nervous they were perusing that location because of some of the sharp implements within. That box though had contained the spools for the weed eater that I ordered online.  When I asked about the box, they assured me it was empty. It hadn’t been before their predation. The BRS turned out to be a hero before she left to find where they had dropped the spools.

That Special Social Time on Deckzilla

Meanwhile, in New Jersey - the FBR

Those Desserts

Rain started to fall which cut off this truly special interlude on Deckzilla. It only released us though, to turn our attentions to those desserts. A Death by Chocolate cake, a Chocolate pie, Chocolate Chip cookies (yes, there’s a theme here), and a fruit bowl (don’t know how that snuck in) were shortly under sustained attack. After this delicious engagement, the guests started making their way home. The rain turned serious, but only for the ten minutes everybody was loading their cars. In a very funny moment, my son, soaked to the skin, gave his mom (who hates to get wet) with a sustained hug. It was part joking but I know he truly treasures his mom. So, we had a great Mothers’ Day, absent only the presence of the New Jersey bunch (who were missed). As I’ve said so many times before here on Frail Deeds, there is a beneficial quality approaching medicinal levels when you get to spend time with some of the most important and loved people in your life. That was my weekend.

The A-Z watch continued with four movies, all keepers: The Waterboy – yeah, it’s sophomoric but damn, it’s still funny; Waterworld – this has aged better from its time as a box office bomb, very watchable sci fi action; Wedding Crashers – one of my favorite movies, great story about the bonds of friendship; and We Own the Night – at times pretentious but a well-acted crime tale in 1980s NYC, Eva Mendes was smoking hot (still is, now that I think about it).

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

That Time of Year Again, But Colder

Since there wasn’t anything worth seeing at the theater this week we decided date night would be alternated to plant buying. I don’t need to tell you whose idea that was. It’s okay since I love how annually my Favorite Panamanian transforms the exterior of the house into a beautiful landscape of flowers and plants. Getting there isn’t the easiest road to take but the destination is more than worth it. We rarely shop together, because of our diametrically opposed views on that benighted process. I tried mightily to suborn my bone deep frustration and impatience. We acquired a deck full of plants and flowers.

The Pots Gathered

I’m not allowed to do much of the actual planting. I’m employed in areas requiring brute force and ignorance. For that reason, I spent a lot of time gathering the flower pots and painstakingly removing the roots from last year’s plants so they’d be ready for my wife’s ministrations. That is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. We had everything set by Wednesday, but it rained all day. Thursday was proclaimed (by the planter in chief) as too cold for outdoor work (in the 60s and windy). I was getting a little nervous because our sizable investment in plants was sitting in the garage (again nighttime temps in the 50s). While I argued that there wasn’t a danger of frost, I was overruled (my 49% of the vote not carrying).

Last Year's Roots Removed

Some of the New Acquisitions

Meanwhile, In Rhode Island

Incredibly Cute Namesake Nephew's Daughter Supervising 
Great Aunt's Deck Renovation

Removing the Old Decking to Expose Some of the Work Soxfather and I did 40 Years Ago

Finally, today, she got out there. By out there, I mean she had me move the cars out and she set up shop in the garage (out of the wind at least) where she worked all day putting plants to pots. She says it’s still too cold for them to be outside at night. The plants look their customary fantastic thanks to the greenest thumb I know. They'll spend another night in the garage, so I'll take photos when they see the light of day. With all this going on, our washing machine decided to die. It was original to when the house was built making it at least 23 years old, so it died a hero’s death. This meant another shopping trip together, not for the weak of heart. The new washer shows up next Friday and my marriage just might survive, despite the pressure of shopping together (TWICE!!!).

The A-Z watch continued with five movies, three keepers: The Warriors – classic film that holds up well; The Warrior’s Way – a Korean western, who’d of thunk it, but it works, great action in classic kung fu style; The Watcher – Keanu as a bad guy just doesn’t work, too many gaping plot holes, eject; Watchmen – loved this stylistic alternate history superhero flick; Tales of the Black Freighter – a Watchmen add on, silly when it should be scary, eject.

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

I-Trek

I am performing my annual servitude under the direction of the greenest thumb I know, my Favorite Panamanian, at filling the massive number of flower pots she employs. We spent a couple hours at Home Depot today filling one of those hand truck things to the fullest possible (thank God for the military discount) with flowers. I’ll fill in more details in my next post, but I first must talk about what is making that backyard effort so much more pleasant for my wife. Her iPad completed its epic journey from Panama yesterday. We owe a mountain of thanks to our peerless Upstairs Neighbors for making that happen. As I reported earlier, my wife forgot her beloved iPad in our beach condo when we left for the year. We discovered that late the night before we were due to fly while staying at my mother in law’s home. My wife wanted to make a late night drive back to the condo to retrieve it, which was over the top on the silliness meter.

A Very Happy Panamanian, With her Recovered iPad

We called the Upstairs Neighbors who volunteered to pack it home with them and then mail it to us. Yep, they’re true heroes. While they left Panama a day after us, they took a quick side trip through Honduras before arriving in their Arizona home. The iPad had a truly epic journey which the Upstairs Neighbors, as they are wont to do, had some fun with it, taking photos of the iPad as it made its way home. Their effort was of such an classic quality that I feel it necessary to share those photos here on Frail Deeds. We received these as they happened which was hilarious. The reason this makes my Favorite Panamanian’s gardening more pleasant, it’s because she can now stream the Russian soap operas dubbed in Spanish that she’s addicted to. So, I get to listen to them as well, a small price to pay (sort of). So here they are, the heroic trek of the iPad, and again, our heartfelt thanks to our incredible friends for helping us (her) out.

Saying Goodbye from the Condo Balcony

Enjoying a Final Brunch at Naturalmente Before Leaving Las Lajas 

Checking in to Pre-Flight Hotel in David

Seizing Center of the Hotel Bed

Up Early at the David Airport for Flight

Back in the Middle of the Bed in Comayagua, Honduras

Joining her Hosts for Breakfast at the Hotel

Accompanied them on a Walk, Took up Position at the Base of the "Y"

See!

Who Knew?!, iPad loves Chocolate
Loved the Dark Chocolate at Atucun Chocolateria

Of Course My Wife's iPad Would End up in Church

At the Catedral de la Immaculata Concepcion
Home of Oldest Working Arabic Clock in the Americas

iPad Found the Labirinto de Cipreses
Largest Labyrinth in Central America

Wanted to Ride the Tractor after the Labyrinth

Followed the Upstairs Neighbors for their
Traditional Heading Home Massage

Walked Down Callejon de Murales
Several Beautiful Murals Viewed

Visiting the Museum of Colonial Religious Art

Ending the Night with Chocolate Flan at a Uruguayan Cuisine Restaurant

At the Tegucigalpa Airport for Flight Home

Back in the States - Excited to See a Dunk's

Securing her Seat for Flight to Tucson

iPad Checking out Tucson Metal Cactus Sculpture

One Last Hotel Stay, Center of Bed, Of Course

The Upstairs Neighbors Introducing iPad to their Daughter
Who Provided the Ride Back to Bisbee

Stopping off for Lunch at Indian Restaurant
iPad Sampled a Rupee Beer

Meeting the Grandpuppies Upon Arriving in Bisbee

Taking the 56 Steps up to the Bisbee Home

Completed the Climb to Their Home!

Watching the Red Sox with her Host

After the Game, Taking in a Sunset
they Are Better in Las Lajas

iPad Loved Watching the Humming Birds 

More Stairs to Take 
Visiting Bisbee's Award Winning Copper Queen Library

A Little Upsetting - Stopping for Lunch at a Vegetarian Restaurant

Then Stopping by the Upstairs Neighbor's Engineering Firm

Finally, with the Bisbee Postmaster

The A-Z watch continued with one movie, a keeper: War of the Worlds – Tom Cruise with Spielberg update, amazing special effects with the classic story.

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