I was reminded very clearly last night
of my Army career, actually multiple episodes of that time. I grew up in New
England where tornadoes were something exotic and firmly assigned to the plains
of the mid-west. I know now that was not exactly accurate but after living several
years in that same mid-west I knew tornadoes were an annual and very serious threat
there. My Favorite Panamanian was/is terrified of severe weather and this
probably explains her antipathy towards the years we spent in the great state
of Kansas (which I loved).
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| Another view of the Weekend Party on Deckzilla |
This is a very roundabout route to
arrive at the events of last night. Our daughter called to report that she was
in the middle of a tornado warning in New Jersey and one had actually touched
down a couple towns over. I will digress here to recount that my daughter in firmly
in her mother’s school of thought when it comes to tornadoes. My wife always
tells the story of a much younger version of my daughter being very angry with
me because I was always deployed and away from home whenever a tornado warning
caused disruption in our Kansas home. Hopefully she outgrew that antipathy but
last night she performed like a champion.
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| FBR Sleeping through Storm in the Basement |
Somehow (and this we’re still trying
to figure out) she got the FBR out of bed, carried her down to basement, and
then back up to her bedroom after the storm passed with the FBR never waking
up. This is unheard of territory with the FBR, who fights sleep almost to the
same degree her mother did. Since Wingman was working last night my daughter
had to handle the situation alone so he should probably be ready for some of
the guilt I was assigned back in Kansas days. I’m proud of my tornado trained
daughter. In my own defense I was present for the only tornado that actually
came down in our vicinity; we were living in Tennessee at the time.
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| BRS Preparing the Head out Complete with Purse and Offspring |
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| Pied piper Working the Next Generation |
Yesterday’s post was so full of the
preceding weekend that I didn’t want to dilute my annual message to Soxfather
on the occasion of his birth. We tried to reach him last night to assault his
sanity with our usual singing rendition of happy birthday but he was predictably
on his way to Fenway Park where he did a particularly bad job of motivating his
beloved Red Sox. I grew up with three sisters so finding my long sought after
brother back in 1979 was a very big deal. He’s done everything over the
intervening years to cement my view on the intelligence of my sister in
choosing him. He is simply one of the very best people I’ve met in this journey
through life and I consider myself blessed to have him around. He’s already started
his designated role as the pied piper of toddlers with the next generation.
Happy Birthday Soxfather!
Weather was nasty around here last night
but with no tornadic activity I was able to coax the Favorite Panamanian out
for date night. We saw Booksmart which is a very funny film. It’s hard to
imagine finding new and fertile ground in the well-trod ground of high school
coming of age stories but here you go. This tells the story of two female high
school overachievers who reach graduation night to realize they never partied.
I have no basis to relate to that situation but the two young actresses do a superb
job of pulling the viewer in. There were some incredibly funny moments as they crisscross
L.A. trying to find an epic graduation party, ably assisted by the neighborhood
serial killer. I particularly liked that the stereotypical supporting characters
were not over the top and irredeemable. There was some real heart infused into the
script without sacrificing the laughs. I think the word I’m looking for is poignant;
one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.
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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 3rd 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
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