Muquetera Roadtrippin

The Two Musqueteras About to Hit the Road this Morning

I am once again a geographical bachelor as my Favorite Panamanian has united with the Maine Musquetera for a road trip to their old hunting grounds in Northern Virginia to help the Virginia Musquetera celebrate her birthday. I’m just guessing here but I think some late night into early morning conversations on their combined horizons. It’s how these sisters of the heart roll. The Maine Musquetera arrived late last night with her own sister and I was immediately dismissed in order for those conversations to commence. I was directed to create a turn by turn direction for their trip today that would take them by my preferred Pennsylvania route to Northern Virginia. GPS will invariably try to force you onto the I-95 corridor which is shorter in distance but invariably longer in time with all the traffic involved. When last heard from, after their early morning departure, they were passing through New York about to hit Pennsylvania.

I’ve come up with the next phase of my campaign against the fallen tree behind our house. I’m going to sever the remaining stump and then burn the part still above ground. I will then attack the still massive tree trunk leaning on another tree by cutting it section by section until it falls or no longer presents a clear and present danger. Yes, my well thought out plan will allow me to sue my new chain saw to maximum effect but that’s not why I’m doing it. Honest. J Maybe it’s the beard turning me into a nascent lumberjack, food for thought. When my wife reads this she’ll start praying I don’t kill myself at some point in the campaign now that she won’t be here to supervise.

The snow let up last night so my wife deigned to leave the house for a postponed date night and we saw Shazam. This movie is a lot of simple fun laced with a serious amount of heart. I hadn’t heard much from Zach Levi since his Chuck days and this movie adds to the mystery because he is fantastic as the superhero inhabited by a fourteen year old boy. That’s a funny premise on its own but the filmmakers don’t fall prey to the Hollywood need to mature the character for the climatic scenes. He fights the bad guys armed only with adolescent innocence and motivations, just a lot of fun. This is all a big tribute to Levi who blends the obvious humor the part calls for along with the needed physicality. Mark Strong is along to play the villain and is a DC suitable with all the required dourness. He’s also very good but needed to lighten up a bit to make some of the laughs work better. I really liked the message of the everyday heroism of foster parents. In all this was a very fun movie that I would defy anyone seeing not to laugh. If you can’t at least crack a smile at some of the antics, seek help. Loved it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (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 Latino 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; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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