Cloudy and Proverbial

I’m walking on the proverbial Cloud 9 right now for reasons that will become evident in a couple days. As usual it remains the sad task of my granddaughters to keep morale up during these dark times and both have more than risen to the task. Cabin fever started making an appearance down in New Jersey yesterday with the FBR. She’s been a real trooper for most of the quarantine and social distancing but Wingman reported that started to fray over the past couple days. I saw firsthand evidence of this during last night’s call when she refused to eat her dinner even though it was something she liked.

FBR Last Night After She got back on Track

When it was evident she was starting to implode my daughter decided to end the call but the FBR vigorously objected to that at the same time she refused to speak with us. An interesting conundrum. We ended the call and got an email a short while later saying the FBR had calmed down, ate her dinner, and was back on track. The insidious slice of my mind thinks she was using us as a means to distract her parents. Ahh, the joy of administering a confined four year old.

After an Immense Amount of Effort, Including 40' Long Roots
Wingman Has His New Fence Installed

Cogitating on the efficacy of granddaughter morale support reminded me that I’ve aimed this blog at them, to be read when they’re old enough to understand; to know I wasn’t always that old guy drooling in the corner. In that regard I pass on the two guiding quotes I’ve found extremely useful in how I conduct my life. The first I got from my mother who used it liberally (especially when she talked about my father). “Illegitimi non carborundum” is a pseudo Latin phrase that mean – “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”.

I’ve found it extremely effective in dealing with life. There will always be the small minded people who only seek to define themselves by dragging down others – their betters. Life is too short to fall for their evil game which is only aimed at trying to subvert real people to their damaged way of thinking. If you look at it objectively a person who is always attacking others is probably doing the same to you when you’re out of sight. Don’t waste time or energy with these type people. Thankfully these petty individuals are in a distinct minority although they never cease in trying to swell their numbers by attacking others. Let these attacks bounce off your shoulder and realize they are simply impaired people. Don't even waste pity on them but live your life to the fullest.

The second saying I adopted early in my Army career when I was living in Friedrich Nietzsche’s hometown of Frankfurt, Germany. He is now very well known for the saying, “That What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger”. Actually, he said it much more eloquently: “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” This has become a lot better known since that time, appearing in movies, songs and a lot of popular media. It remains a good way to look at life, which will inevitably throw some obstacles at you. Experience is the very best, if sometimes severe educator. Grow from those lessons and don’t become a thrall to the fear life will sometimes, correctly, throw your way.  

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, 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 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn