Ex-Futons and Best Weekend Ever Part 2 Remembered

Reason for the Weekend

My children and their respective spouses are uniformly excellent and went out of their way to schedule their lives so I’d only have to remember a couple days in August since they scheduled their weddings five years and one day apart. I was certain the emotions of the Best Weekend Ever Part 1 would never be equaled or even approached. My Favorite Son and the ABFA accomplished that with the memorable weekend when they tied the knot four years ago in Nashua. I shouldn’t have been surprised given the two young people involved and their legion of all too exceptional friends.

The Moment my Son saw the ABFA

The church ceremony was perfect and I was spared another walk down the aisle overcome with emotions since all I had to do was trail my wife and I guarantee all eyes were on her as she thoroughly dominated an exquisite gown. I was in perfect position to see my son when he first saw the ABFA in her wedding dress. It will be a moment I never forget as his eyes filled up and there was no doubt of the love he felt for his beautiful bride striding confidently down the aisle with her dad.

The Fam

We were having a lot of fun back at the hotel with a healthy proportion of the groom’s side of the guest list in residence. After the ceremony we returned there to catch a bus for the reception. Nashua will always be a repository for some very deep feelings as I almost married a gal from there and on the way to the reception we actually passed directly by the street she lived on. The reception was fantastic with a non-stop dance floor liberally spiced with the couple’s friends and a leavening of the Panamanian contingent. The highlight of the night for me was seeing my wife and son for the mother-son dance – another memory that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Getting the Party Started

Mother-Son Dance

The night ended all too soon, well the reception did at least. I was waiting to board the bus when one of the ABFA’s friends came up and gave me a huge hug saying I was lucky to have such a fantastic family. Luckily my wife didn’t see this beautiful young lady giving me the hug or she would have seen another side of the family. The bus ride back to the hotel was memorable as the Cantankerous Friend was married in a darkened ceremony on the bus to my wife’s cousin, one of the legendary PanaGals. The marriage lasted fifteen minutes after the bus ride ended. The after party in my cousin’s hotel room will be remembered for the arrival of hotel security looking for the Cantankerous Friend which caused the entire room to erupt in laughter since he had staggered out a half hour before (his car alarm was going off). As you can see, lots of really great memories from this best of all weekends part 2. Happiest of anniversaries to the ABFA and my Favorite Son – you have more than redeemed the promise that weekend generated. I hope the BRS allows you some time to celebrate.

The Ex-Futon

Yesterday was a truly eclectic day. I spent part of the day with Deckzilla Dude as we navigated the intricacies of obtaining a building permit from the city of Worcester for upcoming addition to the house. It turned out to be a lot easier than I thought. At least the application process was, fingers firmly crossed. I have to start clearing out space in the garage and my first target was the collection of wood I’d been saving up in anticipation of autumnal fires. Part of that collection was a frame for a futon bed that we bought from IKEA more than a quarter century ago and recently retired. I wrestled with the damned thing over many of our moves during my military career. I jury rigged it with duct tape and piano wire until its final incarnation as a frame for a queen sized bed. I finally got my revenge last night for all the busted fingers and frustrating times with it as I took first an axe and then a power saw to reduce it to pieces. Is it wrong that despite the sweat pouring off me by the time I was finished that I felt really good about it?

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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; 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