Bliss End

Tea Time With Abuela after Dinner is a New Tradition

I find it hard to credit that another September is upon us and with it comes the end of the weeklong visit of the FBR. While it can be exhausting for sixty year olds to keep pace with someone sixty years younger, that in no way dims the amount of joy my wife and I have drawn from having this little sprite flitting around the house. They’ve been a little more restricted to the house during this visit because my wife’s mother is not as mobile as needed for more adventuresome locales but I think the FBR has thoroughly enjoyed her time with us.

And Taken Very Seriously

We did get to see one of her “melt downs” yesterday just before nap time and I can now understand the awe these departures from her usual good humor can elicit. She did not want to go to take her nap and would not listen to either my wife or I. She awoke a couple hours later as her usual cheerful self and apologized when I returned home from work. She insisted on buying some fairly advanced puzzles (not for less than 3 year olds) and amazed all when she easily put all four together. She’s excited about her mom and dad’s arrival today and made us promise she could show them the completed puzzles.

Puzzle Master

I did re-learn the lesson about how difficult it can be to get ready for work with a two year old firmly attached to your hip. She’s an industrious little bugger and always volunteers to help. I was cleaning the downstairs bathroom this morning and she wanted to be part of the effort. I gave her a paper towel and she happily started wiping down the sink while I got the toilet (division of labor don’tcha know). I firmly locked the upstairs bathroom door while I was getting ready for work and when I came out I found the FBR modeling her abuela’s vast shoe collection. She would don a pair and then walk across the room to the mirror. Some of the high heels were hilarious with sadly no camera present to capture it. She was very serious about the whole effort and even put each pair back where she found them. Proper respect for footwear is apparently an inherited trait and we know where she got it from my Favorite Panamanian.

Deckzilla Craft Time

Helping Abuela with Laundry

Birthday Girl with BRS and Husband

Yesterday marked the birthday of one of my favorite people in the world – the ABFA’s mom. One of the true delights on bringing the ABFA into the family was the attendant arrival of her parents as part of the deal. I treasure each time we get to hang out together and I can see where the ABFA acquired her grace, intelligence, and determination. So Happy Birthday to a very special lady.

Going to Miss Having her Around.  So.  Much.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Immersion

Best Breakfast Company - Although it Does Require Sharing

I find it so much harder to go into work this week and it’s all because I have a certain 2 year old clinging to my leg and begging me to stay and play as I try to get out the door. I’ve taken to listening to the baby monitor during my solitary breakfasts because she normally wakes up before seven but dutifully remains in bed until her alarm clock lights up at 7:30. The early morning soliloquys are priceless as only a two year old’s stream of consciousness can be. She cycles through her favorite songs and then comments on missing her mom and dad as well as reviewing the big events of the prior day. This morning she sneezed and then blessed herself.

Helping Abuela out with her gardens

Lunch with New Friend

Yesterday saw me squeeze in a lunch with the FBR and the two Panamanians as my wife had taken the FBR shopping near my office. The result was a Peppa Pig figurine set and hat. Peppa Pig is the newest fascination following in Elmo’s and Daniel Tiger’s wake. My wife looked up apologetically when I walked into the restaurant because she knew I was on a time crunch and she had inadvertently invited (if that’s even possible) the next door neighbors and their granddaughter to dine with us. It turned out to be a good thing as the FBR and the newly 4 year old soon were chattering away on the importance of Mac and Cheese and comparing water bottles.

At the Bus Company

Pool Time with New Friend

Post Pool Popsicles

They followed me back to work where we took a moment for the FBR to climb into the driver’s seat of several buses in the garage and sound the horn (I warned the maintenance staff ahead of time). We have an ambulance bus for major emergencies and she was fascinated with the bunks installed in that one. Since construction was in full swing her subsequent nap had to be completed in the Man Cave as the garage roof was being sawed off on the other side of the wall to her bedroom. Kudos to Deckzilla Dude for working through the record heat and humidity yesterday.

BRS Also Checked In

I came home to find her well rested and ready for another pool session on the oppressively hot day. She was soon joined by her new friend and they splashed happily around the small pool. During one turn the FBR accidently turned over and fully immersed her face under water which had her leaping to her feet sputtering and crying, obviously very scared. Once she calmed down we were able to laugh about it and I told her the importance of closing her mouth when she went under water. After a few minutes of consideration she was back in the water as if nothing had passed, a true warrior. Part of this morning’s soliloquy involved telling herself that she was going to tell her dad that she put her whole face under water. There was a hint of pride in the statement.

De-Construction Progress

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Optimal Solutions

Best Way to End a Hot Day

I found possibly the best solution to a heavy summer day of oppressive humidity and heat. Shortly after I returned home yesterday I found myself immersed in a wading pool with the FBR. Although an incipient stomach cramp tried to interrupt the fun (part of the getting old sucks mantra) I was soon engaged with a series of games my granddaughter concocted to keep things interesting. Most of those games involved me serving as a target for various splash centric evolutions but as I said it was pretty damned hot outside.

My Favorite Panamanian and her mother sat on the opposite side of Deckzilla, well out of splashing range, and just shook their head in amusement at my seeming predicament. It was anything but that as we soon as a lively whirlpool circling and a multitude of bubbles descending from a strategically placed source. Date night was compromised by the need to monitor the FBR’s nocturnal ambitions so we settled for a trip to the local ice cream parlor where the FBR demolished a serving of ice cream. She fended off numerous attempts by her abuela to steal bites from her dish. It was a great spectator sport.

Ice Cream Adventures with Abuela

Disappearing Garage Roof

Deckzilla Dude continues to gnaw away at the garage roof despite the heat. Most of the back side has been excised and he assures me the rest will be gone today. He probably should have looked at the heat index before he made that assurance but we’ll see. In what is hopefully my last interaction with the dermatology department for a while my surgeon called yesterday and reported that everything they took out of my finger last week came back from the lab as benign – so good news.

The Great Smile She Sent me off to Work with Today

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Monday Mash

Jewel of my Eye - my Monday Miracle

I’ve decided I can actually tolerate Mondays if when I return home for lunch I have a granddaughter sprinting down the hallway to give me a hug. Maybe it’s just me, although I don’t think so, because the FBR has the innate ability to lift the mood of an entire household. I know I don’t get to see her very much when she’s in a mood and I’m sure her parents were immediately thinking to the times she is less than stellar when they read that last line. However yesterday as a uniformly outstanding day which is as rare an assessment I can ever imagine labeling a Monday with.

Running Laps Around First Floor

I'm Runnning With her but not even in Sight

As soon as I returned home from work we adjourned to the back deck for serial bubble blowing and swimming pool excursions. That was more for her since the water level was only mid-shin for me. I also learned why her parents always wait for the FBR to sit at dinner for our FaceTime calls. She is the epitome of a moving target and I found myself chasing her around the house trying to get her within camera range. My daughter and Wingman only nodded sagely at my ineptitude.

The Before Picture

Getting Gear Set Up

The construction project has commenced in earnest. My wife summoned me out of the shower this morning because there as a huge truck delivering building materials to the driveway and Deckzilla Dude hadn’t arrived yet. That was interesting. They’ve broken through the roof and I’m assured once they get the tresses out that it will go up quickly. Still, there is nothing fun about having normal routines disturbed, except when it involves a granddaughter, of course.

Progress Today

My Morning Wood Delivery

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Taking Breath

Serving as Landing Pad for FBR Launch

To say my life has been on a pair of rocket assisted roller skates over the past couple weeks would be a genuine understatement. It seems like all aspects of my life: personal, family, employment, and even health conspired to see just how much my schedule could hold. Before the Cantankerous One leaps to the attack rightfully labeling these thoughts as “pansy like” and telling me to “toughen up cupcake” I’d like to point out that I have emerged fairly upright.

The BRS - Another Very Happy Granddaughter

I haven’t written here in a while because there has simply been no time whatsoever. This past Friday I successfully concluded negotiations with my employee’s union on a new contract before I went in for hopefully the last surgical event of the year. It was a minor finger thing the dermatologists wanted to cut out and then send for testing. It was near the base of my right index fingernail. The same doctor who did the Mohs surgery last week handled it and it was over pretty quickly.

She Does Have a Devastating Smile

My wife received some kudos for the excellent job she’s been doing bandaging the earlier surgery’s result on my neck. The only thing that hurt during the operation was injecting the painkilling stuff. It turns out there's a fairly robust set of nerve ending near the tip of your right index finger. A cute doctor assisting the surgeon made any reaction to this impossible if I was going to maintain my man card. Why do dermatologists like to cut so much?

Post Surgery Recovery Efforts

We finished that little exercise in plenty of time for me to make my way from the surgical suite to Brew City for the proper celebration of the First Friday of the Week. I liberally interpreted the exit instructions about abstaining from alcohol for three days since it was such a small incision (only four stiches this time). I was doing this in part to establish the proper amount of dedication I’m trying to instill in my management team for First Friday and expected to grab one beer, take a photo to shame non-attendees and then head home. In this I was a “victim” of my own success because I found several of my managers already there.

FBR Greeting her Great-Grandmother on Saturday

My wife and her mother soon joined us as well since Brew City was on the way home from the mall. It turned out to be a lengthy and thoroughly enjoyable time and one that I needed after the past couple weeks. There is truly something medicinal about Friday beer after a tough work week and I should know due to the sheer breadth of my personal investigation into this issue.

Cornshucking Lessons from Grampa

Reading with Abuelas

First Ever Corn on the Cob Serving

My respite was marginal though because Saturday morning, after herding my Panamanian cats into the car and departing a couple hours later than intended, I was driving to New Jersey for the stated intent of acquiring control (such as she allows) of the FBR. My feline partners began to understand my desire to leave earlier than we did when we ran into the inevitable Connecticut slowdowns endemic to a summer Saturday. That was easily overlooked with the joy of arriving in Maplewood and receiving the first of my granddaughter hugs from the FBR.

Showing Abuela Around the Basement

Collectible Lineup

She’s done that whole growing thing since we last saw her and made a point of training us on all of her newest games. I was so glad that she finally paid a little attention to her abuela as well, although my status of rock star in the FBR’s eyes seems undimmed. I was really touched by how concerned she was by the two bandaged areas I was sporting. She was very concerned I couldn’t catch her jumping from the couch without hurting my hand. Each time (of the forty or so times) she’d ask me if I was okay. It was beyond charming.

My daughter and Wingman prepared a fabulous summer dinner out on the deck and I gave corn shucking lessons to the FBR. During dinner she had her first ever corn on the cob which she quickly mastered after some preliminary issues. We adjourned to the basement after dinner to see Wingman’s progress on finishing the room off. He’s installed some rubberized carpeting wall to wall and begun installation of wainscoting to cover the wall disturbed by the flood reduction construction.

Massachusetts Arrival and Swing test

Helping Grampa with the Laundry

The FBR is a big fan of the new room and Wingman plans to dedicate an entire wing of the basement to her as a playroom. Wingman has an extensive collection of collectibles which are worth thousands but he was incapable of resisting the FBR’s pleas to play with them when she discovered them while assisting Wingman with his construction efforts. She gave us the complete low down on all of them and lined the special ones up for us to view.

Booty from Visit with Friends

Since the FBR’s day care was closed for the week we were taking her back with us for the entire week. She now faces forward in her car seat and we had a lot of fun on the trip back home Sunday morning. I was even accused of being silly several times. My Panamanian companions took to heart the traffic instilled lessons of Saturday and were ready to leave promptly on time.

All Ears

So I get to hang out with the FBR all week which is probably exactly what a certain battered soul needed at this point. We walked down to the Neighborhood Mafioso’s house yesterday afternoon and the FBR disappeared with their two granddaughters shortly after we arrived. These two young ladies, both teenagers, bonded with the FBR during a recent visit and took her over to their nearby house to meet their dog. When she finally re-emerged she spouted a new suitcase, stuffed animal, and three decorative sets of ears. She has that way with people.

BRS the other Remedy

We’ve already engaged in serial games of hide and seek and her Deckzilla pool is poised to assist her in battling a late summer heat wave. Since the FBR is in residence it has become customary to have some sort of major house re-modeling project underway so it was appropriate Deckzilla Dude showed up this morning to start demo on our future second master bedroom. I guess life really isn’t slowing down that much but at least I have one  of the two best remedies for battered spirits in residence to help out and the other just a FaceTime call away.

Fun Week Inbound with this Character

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues