Bike Carrying

We’re almost at the end of our visit to New Jersey with the FBR and her parental units. It has been everything and more than we could have hoped for. The soul truly feels replenished, something only extended time with close family is capable of. As you can see from the attached photo the FBR still enjoys decorating her grampa. She crowned me king of the couch for a game that involved throwing a clay rainbow at a slinky posed on top of a Lego box. I’m not exactly sure of the rules but just went with the flow. She has an amazing imagination which has to flow from wife’s or Wingman’s side of the family.

Couch King and my Scepter

My favorite Panamanian decided what this visit needed was an early morning walk with the FBR and her grandparents around the neighborhood. I’m not acquainted with her exact reasoning for this but was smart enough to keep my mouth shut (38 years of marriage and counting) although I did point out, several times, that she’d been complaining about her knee yesterday. The FBR wanted to show us her expertise on a balance bike which she has nearly outgrown. Don’t tell my wife, but I really enjoyed the walk, seeing the early morning denizens of my daughter’s New Jersey neighborhood and other wildlife. The FBR decided she’d had enough of the bike about halfway through the walk and I spent the rest of the experience carrying it. When we returned home, I told Wingman about this and he said the FBR had gamed me. She’d tried this with him in the past and was told she had to wheel the bike herself. Grandparents have different rules, of course, which the FBR is more than keyed into.

Stopping for a Photo Op This Morning
Unfortunately too Near a Dog Mess

Back on the Road

I finally got around to changing my employment status on Facebook to list my new job as Area Vice President and received a number of comments, brokering on incredulity. I thought I’d been up front about the news but apparently number of friends and family were caught off guard thinking I had fully retired. I had every intention of retiring just a few weeks ago but at the last minute my boss offered me his job, at least part of it. I end up supervising the other GMs that were my peers up until my semi-retirement. I’m still home, at least I will be next week, enough to concern my wife. This will work out well for September when various doctors start carving on me.  

Dazzling Abuela with her Moves

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – 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