First Fridaying & B-Day Boy

Yesterday was kind of a hectic day around the rancho. My Favorite Panamanian had three medical appointments and remembered two of them. After an early morning dentist followed by an optometrist appointment we were talking in the kitchen when she began wondering when her orthopedic appointment was. I’ve been trying to get her to use the very convenient online medical app so I took this opportunity to show her, once again, how to log in. I then told her to go to this section to see her appointments. When I looked at the list and then at the clock, I told her she was three minutes late to her ortho appointment. This was followed by a pell-mell rush across greater Worcester to get her to the office within the fifteen minutes allowed.

My Son and BR3

My own September medical odyssey continues. This morning I went for a mandatory Covid test prior to my Mohs surgery on Tuesday. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficient the process was but they have had a lot of practice over the past six months. I pulled up in the car, traded my license in for a small vial and was told to pull forward and to spit into the bottle until I reached a certain line drawn on the bottle. By the time I got to the turn station I was gamely trying to salivate but I was still just short of the line. The collector took pity and said I had given enough and returned my license. Great Aunt was a little upset that I didn’t have to go through the indignity of a long nasal swab which she’d undergone several times over the past few months.

Last Night's Call

Pee Wee Attempting to Infiltrate Wingman's Pizza Ops

She expressed those feelings in last night’s epic First Friday family Facetime call which was the usual definition of fun. The party sombrero made another appearance but my wife strictly forbade any beer bottle balancing efforts despite my willingness to engage in it. The granddaughters dominated the start of the call with the FBR breathlessly recounting her new encounters with wild animals at the nearby zoo. The sea lions were her favorites this time out but she also spent time with a bunch of peacocks. These exotic birds always seem attracted to the FBR and Great Aunt is convinced they are the FBR’s spirit animal.

FBR and her Spirit Animal

The BRS and BR3 were coming off their highly successful first week together at the day care facility. The BRS is in charge of a group of three boys which has my son in prep mode for her teenage years. BR3 is getting more belly time which she’s not entirely pleased with which my son opines is because she has a very large head. The FBR also had a large melon and my daughter related that she also fought belly time for that reason. BR3 did create some foot art at school this week, on her back, of course. We were also celebrating the finding of my wife’s missing earring which the ABFA located in the BRS play room.

The Artiste at Work

Great Footwork BR3!

Yikes! How did BRS Get the Sharp Scissors!

Happy Granddaughter

Belly Time

Yet Another Family Reader

2 Beautiful Ladies ABFA & BR3

The kids had to sign off fairly early to destroy some pizza and, in the FBR’s case, plunk down for movie night. The seniors were not so encumbered so my wife and I had a nice long chat with Great Aunt and Soxfather as the sun set. We were wearing warm clothes because summer finally seems in retreat and it was downright autumnal last night. I’ve come to truly treasure these follow on conversations with these two because they haven’t been available in person for so long. I could almost picture us sitting around their table after second Thanksgiving.

Old Picture I found of Keene Friend, Myself and Pittsburgh College Roommate

Today my Favorite Panamanian and I journey north to help celebrate the remarkable Keene Friend’s birthday. He’s one of the best people I’ve ever met in my wide wanderings and we couldn’t let this special day pass without celebrating. This would usually involve a mini-thunder run down some Main Street bars but I’m on my best behavior (or a reasonable facsimile) prior to my multiple surgeries this month. We’re just going to order some pizza and eat some cake, oh a maybe a few cervezas (who knows!). Yet another fun annual event Pandemia has modified but I’m dedicated to being recovered enough from my September nadir for the annual pub crawl in November.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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