Really Memorable Memorial

Together Again

I’ve been away from the internets since Friday and I can’t say that I really missed them all that much. That had everything to do with the outstanding people I got to hang out with over that period of time as well as some well-earned exhaustion. It started Friday night with arrival of my daughter and the FBR which was followed shortly thereafter by my Favorite Son, the ABFA, and the BRS. Having both my “kids” as well as both granddaughters under my roof was the perfect recipe for sustained happiness.

Very Happy Abuela

Son and the BRS

Both are Happy it Seems

Cousins!

It was during this arrival period that I also had to address the four yards of mulch that had to be delivered to cover my wife’s vast garden complex. This would not be my chosen activity after even an abbreviated First Friday celebration but it needed to be done to clear the driveway. My wife was an active participant as well helping me lift the wheelbarrow up the back hill thirty or forty times. The FBR tried to help but her contributions were mainly limited to throwing small shovel-fulls of mulch into the air, usually so they would cover the sweat soaked back of my shirt. When she wasn’t doing that she was moving pebble stone from the border areas and spreading it throughout the lawn. I was amazed when I loaded the large wheelbarrow load to clear the driveway just as the sun was setting and my son’s family arrived to have gotten it done.

FBR Pushing BRS on Deckzilla Swing

Hojaldras at Breakfast!

FBR Rock Painting Session

FBR Assisting Neighbor with Garden

Saturday was equally as busy as we prepared to host an afternoon party for friends and family. The two cousins immediately set about re-acquainting themselves and challenged each other in the cuteness department, almost non-stop. They both assisted grandpa making scrambled eggs while destroying record amounts of their abuela’s hojaldras. My son’s bunch took a quick day trip to Boston to the New England aquarium where the penguins were a huge hit with the BRS.

Penguins!

A record crowd showed up for the party. It should be noted Soxfather and Great Aunt were late again now that Great Aunt was part of the equation. Granted, it was only two minutes but time does count. J Nearly the entire Soxfather clan showed up as well my closest cousin from my father’s side and his very fun bunch. Needless to say there was also a representative faction of the Panamanian Mafia present which meant almost non-stop laughter and a constant flow of really good food. The biggest (and very best) surprise showing of the day happened early though when the doorbell rang and I opened the door to find Wingman on the front steps. It was a complete surprise to everyone, including my daughter and the FBR, that he got the night off from work and drove the 3+ hours to join us. I’d been talking with my daughter earlier in the day about how much I missed including Wingman in these gatherings.

Cosuin and His Fam at the Party

ABFA and Her Mom with some of the Mafia

BRS Motoring Between Groups

Wife with Mafia

Soxfather Fam - Great Aunt Covering Eyes of Camera Shy Soxfather Sister

Target Acquired

Great Aunt with the BRS

My son assumed his rightful role as grill master while I appointed myself as the grease fire containment crew. It was a magical afternoon as I got to talk with some of my favorite people in the world while granddaughters and Riggins flitted around and through the crowd. Deckzilla proved a perfect setting for the gathering and easily handled the forty or so people who attended. My most serious complaint concerned my favorite Hawaiian shirt which I donned for the party. Late in the day whenever I sat down the bottom three buttons would pop open, usually without my knowledge. I consider this a poor tailoring job and nothing, at all, to do with the massive amount of food and beer I had consumed. My daughter gleefully pointed out the infraction each time until I declared defeat and changed into a roomier t-shirt.

Sunday continued the fun with granddaughters in residence although the FBR, as a confirmed threenager, has decided she doesn’t need/want parental guidance anymore. This led to some spirited discussion on the matter. It was a nice leisurely morning, if hanging with two very energetic toddlers could ever be described as leisurely. Wingman had to leave early in the day to return to New Jersey which dampened the mood a little bit, especially for my daughter who returned to single parenting in the midst of the discussions mentioned above.

Wingman and I Watching Gals on Sunday Morning

BRS Ready to Garden

I ended up making two trips to the movie theater as well. My son and I saw Brightburn because I never go to see scary movies anymore unless he’s around to accompany. My wife refuses to see horror movies and I lack the courage to be scared without company (must be an Army thing). Later in the day I went to see Aladdin with my daughter and the FBR which was a whole other level of challenge. The FBR got bored with some of the talking parts and decided to go exploring. When denied this opportunity my daughter ended up with FBR’s red smoothie deposited in her lap, A whole new world, indeed.

Grandpa Getting Some Breakfast Help

Hojaldras!

We ended the day with a family dinner at the local 99 restaurant. We successfully penned the FBR into a well-guarded corner and she behaved for the most part. The BRS was very interesting at getting into that corner for cousin hangs. My son and his family were driving home after dinner which made for a melancholy dessert but I kept telling myself to appreciate the time we had together over the past two days. We posed for the family picture as we were leaving which was every bit the challenge you would expect.

Daughter Dealing with Cousins at Restaurant

Final Goodbyes

My daughter and I spent Sunday night wrestling with my Wi-Fi connection to binge watch the new season of Fleabag which had me in stitches for the entire time. This may be the funniest TV show I’ve seen in years. The best part was sharing it with my daughter. That is what I treasured most about the weekend. With the arrival of the FBR and the BRS most of the time I spend with my kids concerns their offspring. This weekend allowed me some alone time with both my son and daughter which reminded me how much I missed being around them.  

Brightburn has an interesting concept. What if the arrival of Kal-El didn’t result in Clark Kent but in a paragon of evil. I think the operative phrase would be – serious trouble. That’s why I was a little disappointed with the final product. It was a solid horror movie with Elizabeth Banks particularly good as the farmer’s wife yearning to be a mother only to find an alien crash landed in the back forty. Puberty can be tough, especially when you’re blessed with superhuman powers, and by that I mean on the other teenagers. I thought the movie spent too much time leading up to the implications instead of dealing with them. The most interesting part of the movie was the credits scene with news coverage of the emerging super villain.

Aladdin was always going to struggle trying to overcome the very long shadow of Robin Williams’ turn as the cartoon genie. Even someone with Will Smith’s undeniable charisma was bound to fall short and he does. That doesn’t mean this wasn’t worth the watch as the more sedate Smith does a commendable job which allows the two young leads the room to shine. Princess Jasmine is more than just a pretty face in this update which made me happy seeing this with my granddaughter. The special effects and action were up to Disney’s standards but the new songs fell really flat. I left with a new appreciation of just how deeply Robin Williams in ingrained into my perceptions.

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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 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