Firsting Buzzard and Electronic Pizza

The Founding Members of the First Friday Society

Friday could not arrive quickly enough this week. As with all weeks thus attired the week seemed to drag interminably – nature of the beast I guess. I never really caught up with my sleep from the epic and thoroughly enjoyable romp to Pennsylvania. Some things are more than worth the price.

Therese with Our New Mascot

All this being understood, the ceremony marking the First Friday of the Week was more than welcome. The added benefit was the attendance of my first boss when I became a civilian. I’m now doing the job she held when I was hired following my retirement from the military. She along with my excellent boss form the founding membership of the Worcester Chapter of the First Friday Society. She journeyed up from Connecticut where she now works to join us.

Taking his Rightful Place for the Absent Vulture

Therese, the fabulous beermaid from Brew City also had a nice surprise for us. A running joke is the spotty attendance record of my operations manager at First Friday celebrations. He has a very large personality and styles himself as a proud eagle when he emails out his weekly excuses for not attending. My counterfire always refers to him as a vulture instead of the noble eagle. Therese was brought into the jousting because she usually bears the brunt of his “personality” when he does attend. We walked in yesterday and Therese gave us a pet vulture to stand in for the again missing vulture. It was too funny and he quickly became part of the crew. We’ll use him like a hunting decoy to see if we can attract attendance for the actual vulture.

Would this be Considered Cannibalism?

It was a lot of fun catching up with my former boss although high on the disconcerting scale when she says her son who as barely out of diapers when I was hired is now over six feet and in high school. That goes down firmly in the “Yikes” category.

I returned to the empty house (if any house with the Wonder Pooch can truly be considered empty) after the all too fun First Friday celebrations. I was in quandary for dinner plans. Friday pizza was beckoning but I wasn’t confident leaving the house at that point was a wise course of action. I noted last week when I picked up a pizza that you could order delivery via the internet from that place.

Buddy, At Least, Was Impressed

I’d never ordered food over the electromagnetic spectrum but decided it was time to crush that failure. It all worked out much too easily, like, what the hell took you so long. A lot like my experience with on line bill paying. I was completely proud of myself for this meager accomplishment but my daughter rightfully called me on it when my nightly call to the California ladies went through. The scorn she exhibited when I crowed about my accomplishment was eloquent. I guess this is a pretty routine activity, at least for her generation. What the hell, I’m still proud of myself – life and its small victories. I shouldn’t have eaten the whole thing in celebration though. That act definitely goes down I the loss column.

Dolphinic Beat Down and Ash Returns

Welcome to Reality Miami

In a show of complete disrespect to the stack of movies waiting to be watched building up in front of Couch Potato position #1 the NFL scheduled the Patriots to play on Thursday night. I consulted with my California ladies ahead of time as they prepared for the game as well. This left coast time zone is a lot more forgiving with the game playing from 5:30 to 8:30 out there.

A Reminder of the AFC East Food Chain and the Apex Predator of Same

Luckily the Patriots made the late night viewing here on the East Coast more than worth the lost sack time. There was no time lost in sacking the Dolphins who came into to town feeling fairly froggy after winning their two prior games in blow out fashion against two doormats. They quickly found out they weren’t in Houston any more. Everyone predicted a close game but the Patriots defense rose to the occasion while Brady continued to exact his pounds of flesh for the off season’s indignities inflicted upon him. It was fun and Buddy joined in the screaming whenever I shrieked in the empty house at a Patriots score. I’m a little hoarse today.

My Sister's Work Attire Yesterday

I’m playing my sister and brother in law’s team this week in fantasy football. They’re atop the league so it’ll be tough. My sister is obviously a little distracted by the severity of the challenge facing her since she went to work yesterday wearing two different color shoes. I could poke more effective fun at her if I hadn’t done the same thing on numerous occasions, including once in the Army when I wore two completely style of boots. What can I say – things look a lot different at 4am when you’re trying not to awake a feisty spouse.

Some of My Bus Drivers Today

Halloween descends tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it this year since we’ve moved out of the hinterlands. We will probably get loads of kids since we’re in one of the safest neighborhoods in Worcester. I’ve steeled myself for Buddy’s reaction to the constant doorbell ringing. Each time the doorbell rings he reacts as if the apocalypse is upon us. I think I’ll tie him up just out of reach of the front door so the visiting children can get the full Halloween experience. In an annual ritual here at work, a number of my drivers showed up today in full costume – funny as hell.

I’ve excited for Halloween this year for yet another reason – the return of Ash! Bruce Campbell is reviving his iconic character from the Evil Dead movies for a series on the Starz channel which premieres tomorrow. Color me psyched as my full geekhood is revealed. THIS IS MY BOOMSTICK!!!!!

Ash is Back!

Patricia Didn't Knock all the Leaves Down

Casual Firdays - Don't Ya Know

Feline Departure, Pre-Natal Progress Check and Rock Dud

R.I.P. Toby

A sad note to report from my phone conversation with the favorite son last night; the ABFA’s parents lost one of their two cats this week to a paralyzing blood clot. Toby was a great cat and entirely too young to depart from the realm. He was always greeted us when we arrived and monitored out behavior while there from his family room perch. I’ll always remember him from the rehearsal dinner last year. We were moving things to the basement to make room for the tables and he refused to leave the perch as it was moved – it was one of the signature moments from the Best Weekend #2.

That Moment From Last Year

I know the ABFA’s hurting right now and my son will certainly not burn through any more laser light batteries with Toby’s absence. I’m not a big cat advocate but I really enjoyed being around Toby. Losing a pet is never easy or something just you slough off. Non-pet owners will never understand as the beasts truly capture a part of your heart during their all too brief existence. Toby’s was briefer than it should have been and he’ll be missed and I’d like to apologize to him posthumously about the whole the Buddy visit.

Toby on Perch with his Partner in Crime

On a decidedly more positive note my two California ladies reported in after their latest pre-natal doctor’s visit. The First Blog Reader continues to develop healthily along with his/her mother. They re-calibrated the machine that estimates the baby’s current weight which provided some relief to the future mom. Last week’s measurement had the baby well over eight pounds already with three weeks till arrival (ouch). After recalibration this week had the baby back in the more reasonable seven pound district.

Progress Continues Apace

I braved Hurricane Patricia’s remnants last night to escape the empty house and see Bill Murray’s latest movie – Rock the Kasbah. I should have stayed home. I’m a huge Murray fan and he’s the only thing remotely watchable in this, well he and some of Kate Hudson’s hooker outfits (but I digress). Murray plays a has-been rock manager who takes one of his musical acts on a USO tour of Afghanistan where he’s promptly abandoned. He falls in with a bunch of scruffy ex-pats working the fringes of the war and hilarity ensues. At least it should have.

Some major stars populate the fringes of the plot but this is Murray’s movie and it’s just not funny. The jokes are flat and the situations a little too raw to joke about. Even when IEDs don’t kill anybody other than the odd goat and even a major Alamo style shootout is hinted at despite serving as the focal point of the plot line, Afghanistan is just not humorous. If this was billed as a story of courage of a young Afghan girl fighting her medieval culture’s ban against her singing, which is really what the movie’s about, then it might have worked. This doesn’t and isn’t worth the watch, despite Murray and those outfits.

I polished off the latest in my march through the Matthew Scudder novels with A Long Line of Dead Men by Lawrence Block. I’m starting to get that itchy feeling knowing that there’s only a few left, why do I do this to myself. Block has really found his stride with Scudder by this point. He’s married him off to his longtime girlfriend who provides a great foil for his musings. While Scudder remains the story teller and focal point Block has populated his life with recurring characters, like his faithful assistant, TJ, a street wise African-American kid as well as a crime lord best friend to truly flesh out Scudder’s existence.

Scudder is called upon by a men’s club that only meets once a year but whose membership has experiencing an increasing number of deaths. Scudder plows in with his usual dogged persistence and tracks down the mystery to its roots. When the source of the evil is contained they arrive at a truly elegant solution to the problem. As always New York City plays a central role as Scudder’s stalking grounds. I’m going to miss Matthew but I’ve still got a few to go, so I’m not going to dwell on it.  Here are some of Lawrence Block’s words from  A Long Line of Dead Men.  Scudder is explaining his methods, kind of:

I have been detecting one way or another for so long that certain parts of the process have become virtually automatic for me. Now and then in recent years I have looked around for some other way to make a living and invariably I have realized that this is what I do, that I am reasonably good at it, and that my experience and talent equip me for nothing else. And yet I don’t begin to understand it. Sometimes it’s reasonably straightforward. You go up one side of the street and down the other, you knock on every door, figuratively and literally, and each new piece of data clicks into place and points you toward a new street, with new doors to knock on. Finally you’ve walked down enough streets and knocked on enough doors, and the final door opens and there’s your answer. It’s not easy and it’s rarely simple, but there is a logic to the way it unfolds. But it’s not always like that. Sometimes it’s like a jigsaw puzzle. You separate all the straight edge pieces and get the outside hooked together, and then you sort by color, and you try that until you’ve made a little progress. And you’re looking for a certain piece, and it’s not here. It’s got to be missing, and you want to write to the manufacturer and complain, and then you pick up a piece you’ve already tried in that particular spot three or four times already, and you know it’s not the one you’re looking for, but this time it fits. It’s not always like that, either.

Today's Endeavor

Hunting Last

We’re now in the last few days of my favorite time of year. The autumn temperatures are heading south and it looks like windshield scarping will become a daily requirement soon. The remnants of Hurricane Patricia roll into town tonight with heavy rain and winds that has the potential to rob the trees of the truly spectacular colors they’ve managed this year. Funny thing about time – it doth march.

View Out Back This Morning - Soon to be Denuded

Yesterday was however a date that will continue to warm the hearts of Red Sox fans worldwide. Time is powerless to dampen the euphoria the 2004 team achieved with their first World Series championship since 1918. That lovable bunch of scruffy overachievers defines indelibility when it comes to memories. I clearly remember jumping up and down behind my couch down in Virginia screaming at the top of my lungs “They did it!” over and over again. That was so special and you’d have to be raised a Red Sox fan in New England to truly understand the generational impact of that memorable night. I‘m smiling as I write this.

Lots of Smiles Born That Night in 2004

I was without my date obviously last night but that’s never kept me away from a movie theater. I saw The Last Witch Hunter which should have been right up my alley and I guess it kind of was. Vin Diesel smirks his way through as an immortal hunter of magically endowed broom riders and is the only redeeming aspect to the film, well he and the odd Wilding, red headed witch. Michael Caine is only around for a couple scenes before sleeping off the rest of the plot (lot of that going around). There are some good action scenes but the director then slows the momentum to a virtual standstill, for no appreciable reason.

They obviously toned this down to achieve the PG rating. I think it would have made a kick ass R rated action movie, but we’ll never know. A great concept that wasn’t fully achieved; the over use of CGI made a lot of the fighting scenes incomprehensible; a lot of “what the hell just happened”. Frodo’s around looking decidedly less dangerous than the 90 year old Caine and Walter Mitty’s drunk helicopter pilot is appropriately scary. They were definitely aiming at a series of movies with this character – I think that hope died with the release of this. I should have loved this and definitely didn’t, ‘nuff said – pass on this.

Today's Fashion Effort - I am receiving Critiques from Left Coast

Catch Up

Wife With One of Her Creations

With my meanderings about the northeast United States over the past weekend I’ve neglected to report on other events in my far flung family. My wife continues to assist our Cali-Daughter in her nesting phase as the culminating event of her pregnancy rapidly approaches. My wife felt it was criminal that the child was going to arrive in the world without anything handcrafted by her maternal grandmother and got to work.

Some More - Note the Second From the Right
This Kid Will be a Patriots Fan!!!!!

I received several photos from the very impressed future mother praising the mad skills of her own mother. Together the two ladies created several hand painted garments, I think they’re called “onesies”, but I’m not read in to the current lexicon of post-natal fashion. It could just be me but I think my wife is more than a little excited about her impending grandmotherhood. I’m glad the two of them are together, especially since Wingman continues his trek across the USA, stopping in Chicago over the weekend.

Wingman in Chicago This Past Weekend

Meanwhile back on the right coast my favorite son was paying appropriate due to his lady – the ABFA. He squired her to Boston and treated her to dinner at the top of the Prudential Center to mark her recent birthday. That kid’s got a lot more game than I did at his age, not to mention a much higher paying job than his benighted father at the age of thirty (seemingly in a distant, different era).

Son and Birthday Girl On Top of Boston

Yesterday in Worcester I was strictly into recovery operations. Even though driving requires minimal physical effort it seems to drain all energy banks. I never go to bed before 11pm but Sunday night I was in the sack well before 10pm. This had the predictable result of waking up at 4am, wide awake but less than refreshed. I think my body assumes I only want my usual allotment of sleep. It must have assumed this was another trip such as experienced over the military years with attendant migrant time zones that required adjustment.

View from Back Deck - Autumn is Racing to Culmination

Despite the lack of rejuvenation work needed to be addressed although I spent a lot of the day regaling my co-workers with my feats of legerdemain accomplished over the weekend in Pennsylvania. I think it’s important for subordinates to question your sanity, at least a little bit. I’m questioning my own as I returned home to find that Buddy has re-doubled his efforts to shed enough fur to coat the entire first floor in basic black. I then vacuumed the entire downstairs without being prompted by my Favorite Panamanian. She’s ruined me! 

Today's Fashion Explosion

Contented Exhaustion

My Intrepid Co-Conspirator for the Epic Road Trip - Keene Friend

Well I’m back at my desk this morning after a weekend consumed with the epic road trip accompanied by stalwart companion – the Keene Friend. We confirmed something during our travels – Pittsburgh is a long way to travel by road for the weekend. Spending time with the college roommate more than redeemed the distance traversed though.

Friday Night Around the Fire Pit

Saturday was consumed with planning for the late afternoon 60^th birthday party. The lady of the house had all details firmly under control and we just tried to stay out of her way. She prepared a mountain of food and unveiled a couple of surprises for her husband along the way, including handmade party hats featuring childhood pictures of the birthday boy. We wore the hats for the maximum time allotted before blood flow was completely cut off by the under chin rubber band (how do kids do it?).

The Painful But Clever hats

The house soon filled with friends and co-workers of the birthday boy; an eclectic group age wise and a lot of fun. College football played in the background as Keene Friend and I hovered around the edge of the close knit group of Pittsburgh friends. The planned back yard fire and games had to be abandoned in the face of a semi-biblical deluge that was unsuccessful in quelling the party mood.

The Founder of the Feast and Lady of the House

We met a former Boston sports radio host who was a tad bitter about his time trying to civilize the sports mad puritan descendants of the region. He wisely relocated to the borders of the mid-west nice culture he was more suited for. I was also introduced to a very nice family complete with a son who graduated from my alma mater around the same time my own son did. They were both athletes but didn’t know each other, confirmed via text. The crowd of friends was very welcoming and both Keene Friend and I enjoyed the reflected camaraderie available.

The UNH Alumni Crew

Most of the college roommate’s co-workers are employed in the radio business and one particularly fetching young lady had even met and interviewed the Wingman at some point in the distant past. The only downer for the evening was when it was inevitably revealed that Keene Friend and I were Patriots fans. The Steelers fans immediately jumped on soap boxes to repeat the whining meditations of the Steeler coaches and players. It was sad to see the fans of such a proud franchise sunk to the level of Rex Ryan type ineptitude. Of course it was nice to experience how fully New England has permeated their existence.

The Birthday Boys With Second Gen Hats

The college roommate expertly wielded the sword I brought along to sever a very interesting birthday cake. His wife, with her trademark hospitality, had included Keene Friend and I in the birthday banner and yet another edition of birthdays hats that were every bit as painful as the first ones. It was a special night equal to the man who was honored.

College Roommate Still Got It

Sunday arrived way, way too early as Keene Friend and I faced the less anticipated return trip. Road trips are always more fun with the objective of a reunion with friends and parties. Returning in the early morning on rain soaked roads with the less than friendly after effects of a night spent trying to reach the bottom of an overstuffed cooler, well the less said, the better (you’re welcome). The sun eventually appeared and the autumnal landscape every bit as beautiful as our Friday travels.

Food Mountain

We made really good time coming back. For the record the trip took 556 miles, two tanks of gas, 9 hours, and viewing the remains of 16 dead roadside deer carcasses (had to do something to pass the time). Keene Friend and I switched off driving and just after crossing the Connecticut border found the Patriots broadcast on satellite radio. That made the onerous task of crossing the Nutmeg State a lot more palatable; especially since it was a close game against the hated New York Jets with the inevitable Patriots triumph. Thank you Mr. Brady, for giving some people I know in Pittsburgh yet another reason to bemoan your excellence.

Suave and De-Boner

We arrived at my sister’s house in time for the last five minutes of the game as the Patriots once again vanquished a pretender to the throne, although the Jets are a lot more disciplined and dangerous since the departure of their former head clown. Buddy was exceptionally pleased to see us since we were rescuing him from the ardent attentions of his cousin Remy. Remy resembles nothing if not the much younger version of the Wonder Pooch himself so this past weekend was a bit of revenge for all the older dogs Buddy tormented in his youth. He’s now the senior statespooch and was exhausted.

The Master at Work Yesterday

The length of the day and drive were beginning to tell so we departed Rhode Island right after the game for the short trip back to Worcester and commencement of recovery operations. Keene Friend spent the night before executing one of his patented early morning departures today. Reflecting back it was kind of a crazy thing to do, driving all the way to the border of Ohio for just a weekend but I’ve certainly done crazier things and honoring the college roommate more than meets the criteria for such an endeavor. In a larger sense as I run up to my own date with a 60^th birthday I’m glad I’m still silly enough to attempt something like this. Life’s all about the journey, not the inevitable destination.

Today's Sartorial Splendor

Epic Deception Plan Culmination

First of all, let me apologize to regular readers for your part in the deception plan authored by Keene Friend. In my last posting I wrote how disappointed I was not to be able to make the planned road trip to Pittsburgh to join in the celebration o\f my college roommate's birthday party. That was a bald faced (as opposed to hirsute) lie. I'm writing this from the living room of the college roommate as Keene Friend and I executed the planned road trip flawlessly yesterday driving from Worcester to Pittsburgh to surprise him. The deception was requires as he reads the blog and we didn't want him to suspect we were enroute.

First Rest Stop in New York

Keene Friend came down Thursday night and we ferried Buddy down to my sister's home in Rhode Island for the weekend. Buddy was in for a big surprise as his new cousin Remy was awaiting  him. Buddy has a well earned reputation for being the most energetic creature in any house. Remy is dashing his hopes of maintaining that title and immediately set about making Buddy the sole focus of his energy. I think Buddy is going to be very tired when I pick him up tomorrow.

Picture Doesn't do Justice to the Views Offered

We got an early start out of Worcester yesterday and the trip went even better than we could have hoped. Once the sun came up we were treated to a clear day with the fabulous color of peak foliage season. We survived the trip through Connecticut with only minor casualties. The weather got better as we headed west being chased by the sun. We passed no less than three massive, miles long traffic jams but they were all on the other side of the road.

Keene Friend at Diner

We made really good time and stopped for lunch at a diner in Loganton, Pennsylvania. It was a quaint place that even boasted the latest version of the Joe Paterno series of lager beer (who knew). We were definitely in Pennsylvania and the waitress kept our streak of land owners at four. Unfortunately the well intentioned diner staff were cursed with possibly the slowest kitchen in the western hemisphere and we lost nearly an hour waiting for two burgers.

Arrival in Punxatawney

During a map recon for the trip I noted we would be passing close to Punxatawney, Pennsylvania - the home of the annual groundhog day festival. There was no way I was going to pass up this chance at visiting this bastion of cornball Americana. The trip to Punxatawney was interesting as the roads became smaller and smaller and the area more remote. The actual town is completely different than in the movie Groundhog Day (which was shot in Illinois).

Keene Friend and our Guide

Finding Gobbler's Knob was a little more of a challenge than anticipated as it was well out of the center of town. I was about to give up when we came around a corner and saw the sign identifying our destination. It was almost deserted as we drove into the iconic location. As we were parking a guy walked up and offered us a guided tour. 

Where the Feb 2 Festival Happens

He turned out to be a member of the groundhog society, a retiree who just hangs around and offers free tours of the facility. He spent twenty minutes showing us around, telling the history of the tradition, and comparing reality to the movie. It was a lot of fun and we became honorary  members of the groundhog society complete with coin.

At Phil's Hangout

We then set off cross country through picturesque western Pennsylvania and a series of small coal towns. We were exchanging texts with target's wife to keep her advised of our impending arrival. When we entered his street Keene Friend had us don Jason masks (still not sure why). We rang the doorbell with the masks in place and brandishing the cake cutting sword. He was totally surprised and wondered why his wife sent him to answer the door while he was in the bathroom.

Pittsburgh Arrival

The rest of the evening was spent eating pizza, drinking the more than occasional beer and trying to convince a very reluctant log to burn. The true test of friendship is the ability to immediately feel at home with each other even if time and distance conspire against it. There wasn't a second thought when the plan was hatched - the college roommate is the kind of guy you want to do this kind of thing for. A true source of excellence.