Stratospheric Endeavors

The Truly Fantastic Four  (Actually 4.5) -
 Wingman, Cali-Daughter, ABFA & Favorite Son

I sit here at the dining room table as some desperately needed (but on a weekend!) rain falls outside and reflect back on a singular Saturday. Events conspired so a truly remarkable block of very important people assembled at my son and the ABFA’s new home. My sister and brother in law drove up from Rhode Island while Keene Friend journeyed east from his namesake. My wife and I with the newly acquired Cali-Daughter and Wingman drove up in two separate vehicles which is a story in and of itself (see below). I’m a little upset I didn’t get any photos of that assembly of excellence but when you’re enjoying company as much as I was yesterday sometimes the mundane need to capture the moment falls by the wayside in favor of savoring the moment itself.

The stated purpose of the trip was to reunite my son with his possessions which had been languishing in our basement for the past ten years as well as donate a couple mattresses to the new house. My wife also tearfully gave up three of her huge plants because the new house will not accommodate her vast indoor plant holdings. Giving up the plants was a lot harder than she imagined but she consoled herself that her “children” were placed in a loving home.

Son Opening the Truck After Prayer

To transport this vast array of items I’d reserved a U-Haul truck from nearby Southbridge. I reluctantly awoke Wingman from his left coast oriented slumbers to accompany me to pick up the truck. He knew something was afoot when he saw the scruffy U-Haul dude throw his hands up in the air and point at a departing truck. I learned after nearly fifteen minutes on hold with the U-Haul national office that they had switched my reservation to nearby Sturbridge. It would seem this is the kind of information that would have warranted an email or text message. The truck was waiting and after loading it up Wingman and I trailed the ladies with my wife driving and quickly pulling ahead in her less encumbered car. My daughter later related she introduced my wife to something called the Uptown Funk which tapped into my wife’s well-known proclivity to dance. This is of course problematic while also driving at seventy miles an hour. My daughter wisely chose to avoid future dance tunes while riding with her mother.

Brute Force and Ignorance in Action

One thing I noticed during the drive up to Stratham was every single bump in the road and there were numerous thanks to the summer construction season. While this was mildly uncomfortable I was more worried about my wife’s precious plants which had to be bouncing around in the back. When we arrived at my son’s house I wouldn’t let him open the back until I said a little prayer which was answered when we learned the plant had serenely survived the bumpy ride.

It was so cool walking into the new house filled with a collection of most of my favorite people. It immediately started an afternoon of camaraderie that cannot be adequately described (or photo’d).

Wife and ABFA in the Garden

My wife and the ABFA went outside to transplant some other plants she had uprooted from out house as well. I made the unwise decision to answer her summons shortly thereafter. The prior owners had let a couple of their front yard plants completely take over the garden which my wife decreed had to be reversed. Neither she nor the ABFA (despite her athletic prowess) had the strength to uproot the well-established plants so they tapped into their favorite source of brute force and ignorance, yours truly. An hour later the dry shirt I changed into after unloading the truck was sweat soaked and begrimed but the garden was prepped for my wife’s ministrations. I was released back to the herd to continue my efforts of reducing what my son thought was a very generous supply of Coors Lite.

My Wife Completing the Transplanting

My son demonstrated his well renowned grilling ability on two separate occasions and the day was a great way to christen a house that I’m convinced will be a central family location for years to come. He and the ABFA had done yeoman’s work in the short time they’ve been in the house which already looks like a home versus just a house. We each had to go our separate ways as night fell and the Red Sox continued to implode but the day was spent about as well as could be imagined (and I have quite an imagination). My wife was the designated driver and woke the entire car in the middle of our passage down interstate 495 when my daughter played Uptown Funk again (some lessons need to be relearned). As busy as my life has been over the past few months (with no sign of slowing down) it was essential to have a day like yesterday where I realize, in the flesh, just how blessed I am with the people I’m surrounded with (even at the unfortunate great distances involved).

Proud New Home Owners on Back Deck