My Favorite Panamanian has safely returned to the land
of her birth for her annual winter sojourn in the tropics, making me a de facto
geographic bachelor. I kid with her about flying south for the winter each year
but in reality it’s a pledge I made when I retired from the military. I did it because
I retired from the Army two years after my mother passed away. I always told
myself there would be time to spend with her when I finished my time in uniform.
Fate had other ideas. My wife’s parents were still around and I had already
kept her away from them for all the years she was excelling as an Army wife. I
felt I owed her some time with them that I never got because of my father’s
untimely death and my mother’s passing before I could return home. It was part
guilt on for my own failures but also a recognition of the vagaries of life and
that if my own parents were still around I’d want to spend some of whatever
time they had left with them.
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| Son Came Through with a Bunch of BRS Photos |
I know my wife was very grateful that she was there
with her father prior to his passing and the time she has now with her mother.
A number of my wife’s friends questioned leaving me alone for these long
periods of time as if I pose a threat to seek out female companionship in her
absence. I have neither the inclination nor the energy for that pursuit
although I’m proud to think some people still suspect I do. While my wife indeed
is allergic to winter the real reason she’s flies south each year is for that
precious time with her mother now, something I rue each day that I was denied.
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| Winter Princess |
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| After Watching her Dad Make Christmas Cookies |
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| Has Engineer Genes |
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| And an Adventurer |
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| Where Can I put These Hands Now? |
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| This Will Help Me Climb the Kitchen Cabinets |
The granddaughters stepped up their game last night
in the morale assistance game. The FBR was very communicative which I’m sure
had nothing to do with the bribe of additional cartoon time if she was. She proudly
proclaimed that she had taken her nap that afternoon at day care. I asked her
if that wasn’t something she was supposed to do each day and her epic reply
was, “Well today I did!” The BRS was commanding the kitchen when we talked. Her
parents gave her a climbing tower which she uses now to move around the kitchen
counter to engage in mischief, especially with running water in the sink. Last night
she wasn’t giving me the time of day until I started playing games with the IPad,
turning it a bunch of different ways which had her giggling. It’s not just abuela
that can be entertaining.
One of my “go to” tactics while my Favorite Panamanian
is gone is to retreat to the movies which gets us to today’s title. I saw two
movies last night that could not be more different in style and tone. I watched
The Art of Racing in the Rain at home which is the ultimate tear jerker for a
dog lover. I loved the book which, as in most cases, is infinitely better than the
movie. The movie though grabs your heartstrings from the get go as it is told
through an elder golden retriever, voiced by Kevin Costner. The story follows
the travails of a young Seattle family and was made for the hidden romantic/dog
lover which I am not copping to but there were almost non-stop misty eyes for
long segments of the movie. Anybody who loves dogs should see this, with a lot
of tissues handy. My kids were a little concerned when I told them I was also
planning on going out to the movies after being up since 3:30am (trip to airport)
and then putting in a full day at work. I blithely informed them that was how I
rolled but if I had gone to bed early I would wake up at 3:30am again. (no
thank you)
We arrive at the title’s significance because Uncut
Gems could not be more dissimilar. I was tempted several times to walk out of
the movie because there was literally no one to root for in this movie. A NYC jeweler
is the despicable central character and is trying to balance loan shark enforcers, a
mistress, stolen jewels, a gambling addiction, and family life and spectacularly
failing at each endeavor. I’m glad I stayed because Adam Sandler is truly revelational
as this idiot. He can’t seem to buy a break and richly deserves each debacle he
encounters. It was akin to watching a very long train wreck as each time he stood
on the verge of success another aspect of his life caught up with him. You can
almost root for him even though he doesn’t deserve it and that’s tribute to Sandler’s
performance. I left the theater thinking I needed a shower though.
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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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