Physical Frustration

I’ve always been a quick healer but this latest surgery is putting that theory to the test. While I generally feel better each day it is frustrating to not be able to do more physically. I’m reminded of this all the time, such as this morning, when my Favorite Panamanian had to carry the rubbish out to the curb. I think I could have done it but that same Panamanian is a strict adherent to following the doctor’s orders about lifting no more than ten pounds for six weeks. While the scabs and surgical glue strips are finally falling off, my body is telling me not to try and push the envelope.

FBR On a Play Date This Weekend

Yesterday my wife and I had a tiff because we had agreed to mow the lawn after the Patriots’ game. When I emerged from the Man Cave after that debacle, she was decisively engaged on the phone with one of the Musqueteras as daylight was fading. I went out and did the edges with a weedwhacker since I assured her it was less than ten pounds. I had only been doing that for about five minutes when I could tell I was operating at my limit physically, hence the frustration. My wife was equally frustrated when she emerged form the house in what I call her “mad as a wet cat” mode. Apparently the Musquetera had heard me talking about her promise to mow the lawn and ended their call. She accused me of ending her call early and I responded, “When have you ever gotten off the phone at my request?”. She then admitted it was her friend and begrudgingly mowed the lawn since I can’t. Yet.

All Masked With at Least Some Toys

I can do more mundane, less physically challenging (mowing the lawn = physically challenging – how low have I sunk?) tasks. I re-grouted the upstairs shower floor which became more of an adventure than it needed to be. I was using the vacuum to suck up the dust from where I scraped out the old grout when the vacuum sucked up a couple of the tiles. I was hurriedly taking the vacuum apart in search of the missing tiles before my in-house supervision showed up to comment on my technique. Luckily, all was in place when she showed up.

The Hanging Upside Down Portion of the Day

We had some very fun talks with granddaughters over the weekend. The BRS was in high form and voice wile BR3 turned on her megawatt smile for her grandparents. The FBR was a typically moving target throughout the weekend, although she did make time to call us three times each day, waking us up on both Saturday and Sunday. It is a very nice way to wake up. She had a couple pandemically influenced play dates. These are held masked and outside within their close circle of friends. During breakfast this morning I asked what the FBR missed most over the past few months and she said “playing with my friends’ toys”. I thought I had misheard and asked if she meant she missed her friends and she blithely answered no. My daughter explained that most of her friends’ toys are kept inside and since no one goes inside any more, etc, etc. Pandemia.

Pandemic No Match for True Friends

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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