Memory Lane and A Great Son

So, thirty four years ago today on a very hot (is there any other kind) Panamanian afternoon I walked down the aisle to get married. Actually my Favorite Panamanian did most of the walking as I was waiting at the altar for the predictably late Panamanian crowd to show up. I and five of my fellow lieutenants, in uniform, waited in the church for a ceremony that would transform my life. I didn’t harbor any of those type thoughts while waiting, I was too worried I was going to screw up the upcoming lines in my then nascent Spanish.

Thirty Four Years Ago Today

Although we’re far apart for this anniversary I don’t think I’ve ever felt closer to her. That’s what’s kind of cool about marriage after so many years. The first couple decades are a roller coaster ride but at this point there’s a level of understanding and closeness that could only rise from the shared experiences of such a long time. Did I say a “long time”? It feels like yesterday and I’d willingly do it all over again.

My Two Fellow Lieutenants Recently in Thailand
My Best Man on the Left

Same Guys 34 years ago today
Best Man Second From the Left and on the Far Right

It was a nice surprise and altogether fitting that I received an email from my long absent best man at that wedding yesterday. He retired from the Army and moved to Thailand fifteen years ago and doesn’t go into the whole social media thing. We reconnected a few years ago but I hadn’t heard anything more from him. I occasionally check the daily stats on the blog and have always noted that I have a dedicated and solitary reader from Thailand. I always hoped that it was him and yesterday’s email confirmed it. He sent along a picture of him and another one of those lieutenants who waited with me at the church. They got together recently and I’m sure reminisced about some of our pre-marital adventures as bachelor lieutenants.

Best Man 33 years Ago at my First Anniversary Party

I couldn’t think of a better gift than I received yesterday in the form of a visit from my Favorite Son. His firm had some training down in Foxboro and when that ended he showed up at my place for an afternoon/evening straight out of ten years ago. There was the obligatory horror movie that neither of our wives would tolerate followed by dinner and beers at Brew City. He proudly remembered this was the place he had his first “legal” beer on his 21^st birthday. It was so much fun hanging out with him and I got to show him off to the Brew City ladies. They stopped by to admonish me for not sitting in their assigned sectors, my only gaffe of the day.

Brew City Last Night

Although I saw him less than a month ago for our Panamanian adventure, it always feels like it’s been too long. He caught me up life with the ABFA and the impending arrival of a golden retriever puppy. For some reason this is a required step in the process of producing the next batch of grandchildren. He’s an engineer so there has to be a plan. I had the freezer well stocked with frozen devil dogs which took a severe beating last night.

Buddy Time

Buddy was of course apoplectic to have his favorite human in residence. It took me a while to get through the bouncing ball of black fur to give my son a welcome hug. After we returned home to watch the simultaneous Celtics and Bruins games Buddy refused to be ignored. He stole my son’s full coke bottle and required some wrestling to return it. That’s going to be one very lucky golden retriever. Interspersed throughout the day were FaceTime calls to both California and Panama. Just about the best day I could have hoped for; one of those days you just feel incredibly blessed.

And Wrestling

We went to see The Other Side of the Door which was a little different but at the same time a dyed in the wool ghost story. It was interestingly set in modern India and delved into some of the mysterious Indian religions. A young mother loses her son in a tragic accident and can’t deal with life. Their Indian house keeper tells her about a temple where she can spread her son’s ashes and then converse with him through a door. Of course she’s told to never open the door and of course she does. Spiritual hijinks ensue as the son follows mommy home and the siege commences. While highly predictable there were enough scary moments and creepy images to provide the sought after rush. It took until Brew City for my son and I to remember who the lead actress was – Rick’s confused wife from the Walking Dead. At least she’s consistent.