Weekended to Separation

Birthday Boy in Action a few Years Ago

I find myself a geographic bachelor again as my wife was summoned to perform abuela duties in New Hampshire for the next few days. The ABFA is returning to work in Boston today after the conclusion of her maternity leave and the day care center isn’t available to them for the next couple weeks. Up til that time the two grandmothers will be tag teaming the day care for the BRS. My wife made noises about missing me but the allure of spending time with one of her granddaughters cannot be understated.

Leading up to that separation my wife and I had a couple of adventures but the big event of the weekend was the birthday of none other than that notable Frail Deeds character – Wingman! He’s truly been another son for me since he first arrived on the scene as a well tattooed rock musician squiring my daughter around. Despite his chosen career or maybe because of it he is one of the most grounded people I know. The past couple years have seen a sea change in his life with the arrival of the FBR, two bi-coastal moves, and discovering the joys of home ownership. It’s clear how well he’s done in the daddy arena as the FBR insists on snuggle time each day when he returns from work. He’s also given up the rock and roll life and manages a restaurant. It’s cool we can now commiserate about less than stellar employees, at least for me. He’s also become fully qualified on the operation of a shop vac to combat the basement floods. I know as he looks around he realizes just how lucky he is with the life he’s built with his family. I know we feel just as fortunate that he’s become such an important part of our family; so Happy Birthday Wingman!

A Bit Younger

Proudest Role - Daddy

Bit of a Star Wars Nerd
No Wonder We Get Along!

My daughter kidnapped her spouse on Saturday for an excursion into the big city to see a Broadway play. My Favorite Panamanian and I were involved in decidedly less pleasant fare. She’s been on me for several weeks to clean the first floor windows. Events, at least in my view, have mitigated against completing this task. She’s under strict prohibitions against attempting this herself because of a very troubled history with window treatments involving our many dwellings during our vagabond military lifestyle. Whenever she touched a window sash something would end up broken – it became something of a family legend.

BRS Happy her Abuela is on Station

The end result is that cleaning windows is strictly my purview. Her prohibitions do not prevent her from supervising me and this is where the fun usually starts as she has very defined opinions on my methods. She also decreed that we had to remove the screens which involve a lot of praying. I’m sure they worked like a dream ten years ago when they were new but like I said, that was ten years ago. I pulled the windows apart and got them cleaned while she played havoc with the garden hose from the outside.

FBR - Wonder Woman 

Pool Party Tme

Ice Cream!!!

We must have been successful because she ended up on the back deck with the Neighborhood Mafioso along with several glasses of sangria. Being the expert tactician I am – at this point I retreated to the Man Cave. It was then I noticed a texted photo from a very old friend, a fraternity brother who would have been my best man if I’d gotten married as planned in 1979. He was hanging out with none other than the Pittsburgh Roommate who had stealthily returned to New England with no notice. They were attending a college reunion for the 40^th anniversary of their graduating class while I was cleaning windows – something is definitely wrong with that equation.

Frat Bro and Pittsburgh Roommate on Saturday

Stylin

Literally

The FBR was a moving target all weekend. Her parents caught us up because the FBR is much too busy to talk with a mere grandparent anymore. She was Wonder Woman at a neighborhood pool party that also included ice cream. The high sugar intake probably explained why she was literally bouncing off the walls when we talked on Saturday. Sunday saw a big event though – her first ever haircut. We called them while they were at the kids’ beauty salon and she looked serenely complacent – truly owning the occasion. While most two years olds would have fidgeted uncontrollably, her parents reported she was extremely mature and very involved. I know it’s a stretch but I know she gets this from her Abuela’s lifelong worship of beauty shops across the world. At least the FBR comes by the ability honestly.

The New Haircut

Our Sunday was a bit melancholy as these separations do not get any easier. I think our post military time together has intertwined us a lot more than we realize until we’re pulled apart for any length of time. I took my bride out for lunch before she headed north to link up with the New Hampshire contingent. I used the time after she left to create the new garden she decreed in the back yard. It was a task best left to the point there were some miles between us as I work better unsupervised, although she would deny it. I was operating on some very strict guidance though. My wife reported arrival in New Hampshire at about the same time I was finishing up with the last of the flower planting and the inevitable mulch distribution.

Good Morning BRS

To escape the suddenly quiet home front I snuck out to movies last night to see Upgrade. This movie really surprised me because I hadn’t heard anything about it which I do not understand. The hero was a Tom Hardy look alike who’s paralyzed at the same time his wife is murdered. The story takes place in the near future with a lot of today’s technology extrapolated for future capabilities. The Hardy boy is given the opportunity to have a computer chip, named Stem, implanted that returns control of his body to him along with some superhuman capabilities. He and Stem get off to a great start together and are soon surreptitiously trying to track down his wife’s murderers. There’s a gaping plot hole with the final reveal but that doesn’t distract from the action and suspense which moves along at a frenetic pace. This reminded me of the Matrix and/or a Black Mirror episode – either of which is eminent praise. It’s nice to be surprised in a good way at the theater and Upgrade certainly did. Highly recommend a watch.