Yesterday was one of those days filled
with requirements that going into I figured success would measure at 75% if I
was lucky. The wayward lab tech returned to work so after another beloved fasting
day I knocked out the blood draw for next week’s physical. Is it me or do they
seem to take more blood as you get older? I had to get back to the house for a
return of the geek squad and saw the daily east bound traffic jam on I-290 as I
traveled to the doctor’s office. I therefore decided to cut cross country for
my return home. One huge benefit of my job is that I’ve been forced to learn
the streets of Worcester really well. As I bypassed the traffic I realized I
was going close to the seamstress shop I was tasked by my Favorite Panamanian
to visit. She’d left something there for repair and hadn’t had time to pick it
up prior to flying south ahead of the storm.
She’d employed her tried and true
method of flashing her eyes at me which meant I volunteered to do the pickup. With
that item in hand I circumvented the traffic and arrived home ahead of the geek
squad. While waiting for them I figured out a way to bypass the malfunctioning
thermostat in the Man Cave, so less blankets will be needed while hanging out
there. The Geek Squad had to finish up the new TV set up by attaching a cord so
the sound system and attendant speakers would work with the smart TV features.
I can now blast paint off the wall in all modes.
Back at work I finally solved a scheduling
conundrum that had bugged me for several days. Again, life’s small victories mean
so much. After work I knocked out a good measure of Christmas shopping online
consistent with my vow to make it three Christmases in a row without entering a
physical store.
I returned home feeling
semi-triumphant to find a mysterious mound of snow across my heretofore
pristine driveway. I take a weird sense of pride in clearing the snow so I was
mystified as to how this happened. I first thought one of my neighbors had
exacted revenge after my oh dark thirty snow blowing on Monday morning. I eventually
realized the snow had slid off the new solar panels. I’m glad no one was parked
in the driveway at the time which would have been damaging. I grew up in a house
with a slate roof so ice falling off a roof was nothing new. I’ll have to have
the kids park further back in the driveway after snow storms.
 |
| My Little Scholar |
Readers who roll their eyes in
frustration whenever I start bragging on my granddaughters might want to stop
reading at this point. Wingman attended a parent-teacher conference at the FBR’s
pre-school yesterday. The teacher reported that the FBR is very advanced, ahead
of the class with letters, creating full sentences, words, math, and following directions
(bit of a surprise there). The teacher said their goal was to insure the FBR
doesn’t get bored and are designing a specific curriculum for her. The only
thing that needs work is naps. Again, no surprise considering her maternal gene
donation. Her mother fought sleep like it was her worst enemy. Finally the FBR
is one of the only kids in the school who routinely chooses to go to the
library for playtime – both her mom and yours truly can attest to that being a
family trait dating back to her great grandmother. Color me extremely proud –
but not surprised.
 |
| Definitely a Character |
I was back haunting the movie theater
last night and took in Ford Versus Ferrari. I was surprised at the end to see
how long this movie had been because it flowed so well. That’s what happens
when two masters are at work on the screen. Matt Damon and Cristian Bale bring
the real life story about Ford’s decision to compete with Ferrari at the 24 hours
of Le Mans to the screen. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in car
racing which was always a bone of contention with my southern friends who pray
at the NASCAR altar but his film caught me up. That happened because it wasn’t
so much about the cars as it was about the people involved. Damon and Bale
fight the Ford corporate culture as two maverick racing gurus. They have real
chemistry which appeared effortless and convincing as high energy friends. The racing
scenes were well done and always played second fiddle to the people involved.
In the end I can’t believe I really enjoyed a car racing movie but I did, immensely.
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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; 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); 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; 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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