Frail Deeds Dancing: Garden State Delay and Serial Couching

The Now Absent Source of Inspiration

Well, I’m back after a few very draining days on the road to and fro. The journey to New Jersey went as planned all the way up to the closing. We loaded up the car after work on Thursday and made the drive down to Maplewood where we left my daughter and the First Blog Reader off at my daughter’s best friend’s house while Wingman and I spent the night in a nearby Newark hotel. My first clue we weren’t in the garden spot of that fair city (if those even exist) was a note in the hotel room info packet which strongly advised guests against leaving the hotel grounds without first consulting with the staff to insure it was safe. We decided to forego the planned cerveza after a long night on the road.

Victimized by this Beast

Granddaughter Hang Time

Showing her Artistic Side

Peek a Boo Never Gets Old

We were not without entertainment though as my daughter’s cat had accompanied us and Pee Wee was about to write his name into family legend. He’s normally a somnambulant lump of fur who only moves when forced to by a determined hug from my granddaughter. He showed an entirely different side overnight in that hotel room by keeping both Wingman and I awake for most of the night crying and crying to claw down the door. I asked Wingman in the dark at 4am if he was going to kill the cat or if he wanted me to. He replied to remember how much my daughter and granddaughter loved the cat. He was actually nervous to leave me alone with the foul beast the next morning.

Showing Wingman Her New Talent with Cars

Slightly exhausted from our feline nightmare we rejoined the Maplewood crowd where I was left in charge of my granddaughter while her parents headed out to buy their house. I had a singularly delightful time with her as she demonstrated some new moves including Lego stacking and playing catch with speeding miniature cars. She had just gone down for her morning nap with me on the carpet beside her crib when I got a text message form my daughter reporting problems with the closing.

C'Mon Grandpa You're Too Slow

Bathing With her Host

They later returned to tell me the seller’s lawyer had played loose with the laws surrounding title transfer and they couldn’t close until next Tuesday at the earliest. Both she and Wingman were distraught after entertaining so many plans and hopes for sleeping Friday night in their new house. It took them a few hours to overcome their disappointment and get everything planned for Friday shifted to Tuesday. Their friends really stepped up and offered them a place to stay overnight.

We Figure These'll Be a Great Source of Embarrassment in about 15 years

Friday Night with my Best Gal (at Least on this Continent)

Since my role in unloading pods and other sundry moving in talents were no longer required I decided to return home. I first took the soon to be homeowners to the local Home Depot where I bought them their housewarming gift from my wife and I – a new washer and dryer. My granddaughter loved roaming the aisles of the vast place. My daughter and Wingman were able to get me in to see the new house which will be perfect for their young family. My granddaughter and I walked around her soon to be room and I tried to imagine her growing up there. She’s so much fun to be around in her present state that I soon abandoned that thought process.

Family in front of their Soon to be New Home

First Blog Reader in her New Home

Exploring the Kitchen

The house shows some real promise as it was completely remodeled over the past year and boasts a large deck and backyard. I can tell both Wingman and my daughter are excited about the prospect of finally having a place they can call their own. I think they also knew the toll my night with their cat had cost me and they convinced me to stay the night instead of driving home. That turned out to be an excellent idea since it resulted in a night of pizza and beer with their good friends. Her friends also had what turned out to be a very comfortable couch which provided the Thursday’s long delayed night of sleep on Friday.

Momma Aerials

High Fiving in the New House

Saturday morning saw me transferring the load from the back of my car to Wingman’s rental car (provided by the offending attorney). My granddaughter got up to see me off and it was a tough call to leave after spending the past week and a half with these three. I almost turned around to catch a couple more hours with them. Unfortunately by that time I was already on the Garden State Parkway which doesn’t tolerate U-turns with a lot of patience. That route was a whole lot better than the earlier foray via the George Washington Bridge.

Sister and Namesake Nephew

I returned home to find Deckzilla Dude had completely finished re-plumbing the kitchen sink and had drafted the neighborhood Mafioso to help move the stove out so he could compete the floor project under there. I helped out for the rest of the day which saw the project thankfully nearing completion with only some finish work on the baseboards and two or three more boards remaining.

Soxafather and his Cousin

After getting cleaned up it was back in the car for the short drive down to Rhode island to re-unite with Buddy the Wonder Pooch, a truly appropriate pet, as opposed to nocturnally challenged felines but enough on that subject. My sister had prepared one of our mother’s signature dinner dishes, shepard’s pie which was fantastic. We had planned a gathering of Soxfather’s family at our favorite bar - McShawn’s but moved that to Soxfather’s brother’s house since their sister was recovering from receiving her latest bionic body parts. The house was very charming and the company was the usual extremely high caliber. My Namesake Nephew also joined us with his gal to ably represent the younger generation. Soxfather’s bionic sister was effusive in her praise of my inclusion of the morale pictures here on the blog. She said that she spends most of her days enthusiastically waiting to see what exotic locale I’ve found. I think I got that right, but I had a lot of beer. At any rate it was another fantastic night with this close knit clan.

Soxfather's Bionic Sister - Lover of Nature photos

I spent the night on my sister’s couch with Buddy only a few feet away and carefully monitoring my activities to insure I didn’t leave him behind again. I’m back home again and it somehow seems diminished, more empty without a certain one year old filling it up. However I do get to sleep in an actual bed tonight while she awaits her new home. Here are some more pictures which I’m re-naming in honor of their biggest fan.