Acid Tests and Romanian Deadlifts

We’ve really enjoyed having my daughter and her family in residence for the past week. It means a much more lively waking up experience every day when I descend the stairs to do my morning workout. I also no longer have to raise the flag along every day as the FBR has taken it upon herself to be my personal body guard during this activity. Our days are also marked with serial games of hide and seek in which the FBR has really upped her game. She crawls under furniture where she knows certain grandfathers will not make the effort to get down on his knees to look under. She is a constant source of joy around the house which 2020 has done it so much to make dour.

Wingman and My Daughter Doing Battle Last Night

Second Thoughts Abounded

The FBR’s parents are also a lot of fun to hang out with, something I knew well before they arrived. Last night my daughter and Wingman had an in-home version of Hot Ones. This is a tv show where celebrities consume ever increasingly volatile hot sauces. Wingman is something of an aficionado on these sauces and got several potent ones for Christmas. Last night they had a contest where they sampled three of the hottest. While Wingman laughed, albeit nervously, throughout, by the end of the contest my daughter’s gums were hurting. It turns out whoopie pies are a remedy from the worst effects of toxic level hot sauce. I always knew they were mystical.

FBR Invaded her Abuela's Closet Yesterday

Sampling Shoes was High on the Agenda

A Literal Fashion Explosion

FBR and Her Mom Time on a Solar System Project

I had my second appointment with the physical therapist today and I can already tell the difference it is making. She works a lot on my bad knee which she says is connected to my ability to strengthen the hip muscles I need to work on. She claims she will get me to the point where I can start running again. I love an optimist. She gives me homework each time – this time it consists of an exercise called the Romanian Deadlift. It’s basically just bending at the waist and not half as cool as the name sounds. As I said though, I can already tell the difference the exercises and procedures she’s been using with me have made. I wish I could have started a month ago.

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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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Fire Lit Fun

Isolation is so much more enjoyable when we have to share it with my daughter and her family. They’ll be with us until Wednesday and the house feels more like a real home with the constant meanderings of a certain five-year-old. She has taken after the female line of our family in being a real dynamo. I also enjoyed finally having someone to watch the Red Zone with yesterday as Wingman and I watched his fantasy football championship hopes go down the drain. The FBR decided to spend the afternoon with us down in the Man Cave.

Fireside Last Night

Daughter, Wingman and the FBR

Marshmallows on Roast

After an hour or so of playing with some of her Christmas gifts she decided she had much better things for her grandfather to do than stay ensconced on the couch watching football. She invented a new game where she would launch herself onto me and then wrestle with me in an attempt to cover up my view of the game. I was left with a definite impression of how strong she was, not to mention the expected relentlessness. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a Red Zone session more.

FBR Running Up Stairs to Find more Wood

One of the things I promised the FBR during her visit here was a backyard fire to roast marshmallows. I’ve discovered that this young lady forgets nothing. I delved into my wood stash which consists of the cannibalized remains of an old futon frame and my son’s first ever bed.  The wood from both was over thirty years old and I figured it would burn even after spending the better part of a year under a tarp back in our wood line.

Mingling with Decorations

Wife and I

After dinner last night we assembled outside as the fire flared and enjoyed some hot chocolate while trying to keep the FBR from self-immolating. I made the mistake of letting her know I had a flashlight and she wanted to spend most of the time back in the trees trying to find more wood to throw on the fire. She seems to have inherited the family pyro-genes. My Favorite Panamanian assumed the marshmallow toasting while the FBR contented herself in the consumption role. My wife and I stayed outside to tend the fire after my daughter’s family went inside and were treated to the FBR frantically waving from the upstairs bathroom window where her mother was trying to coax her into the bathtub.

My daughter and Wingman have brought with them their usual technological advances for our entertainment systems. They have something called a Roku stick which allows us to watch Apple TV for the first time. We binge watched a very, very funny comedy series called Ted Lasso which I highly recommend. It’s a very funny look at interactions between Americans and British, still separated by a common language. I am looking into ways of stopping time because it is too much fun having this bunch in residence. My wife shard these photos from Christmas day that I didn’t have for yesterday’s post:

Wife and FBR Christmas Day

Photogenic!

And Then Some

We'll Have to Overcome her Camera Shyness

So. Much. Fun.

Christmas Zoom Call with Wife's Family

The Artiste at Work

Pee Wee Snoozing

Me, as well, After Christmas Breakfast
Another Holiday Tradition

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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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Navidad and Then Some

I haven’t been posting over the past couple days because, frankly, my granddaughter demands a certain amount of vassalage during her presence. I snuck downstairs for this short respite while she is being entertained by the Disney corporation. Christmas was every bit as much fun as hoped thanks to the presence of my daughter and her family. My son’s family was sorely missed though and the day only cemented my determination to make Christmas 2021 more inclusive of people I love. Pandemia demanded the cautions we took and we get a second, bonus Christmas later this week up in New Hampshire with his family.

FBR's Reaction to Christmas Morning Finds

What She Saw

Christmas Eve was fun as we indulged in the season’s traditions which the FBR takes very seriously. She supervised the preparation for Santa’s snacks and dictated a message to St Nick that her mother wrote and then the FBR signed with some yuletide flourish. Once she departed for dreamland the adults arranged the Christmas morning surprise and then descended to the Man Cave to watch Love Actually, a family Christmas Eve tradition. Pee Wee the cat sniffed out his present under the tree assisted by the resident cat nip within.

Signing her Message to Santa

The Message

Pee Wee The Christmas Cat

I was the early one up Christmas morn and had all the lights on and music playing when the FBR appeared at the top of the stairs nearly quivering with excitement to learn if Santa had stopped by. Some of her recent behavior had caused some concern about landing on the naughty list and she was intensely relieved to see the stockings full and a literal mountain of presents awaiting her. Some seriously warm weather combined with torrential rain robbed us of the seeming certain White Christmas but nothing could dismantle the feeling of the holiday as we watched the FBR tear into her gifts. She was amazed that so many of the toys she asked for had appeared. Grandparents do listen occasionally. She’s moved beyond the stage of wanting to stop and play with each gift and I had a hard time keeping up with her while I distributed presents.

With Abuela After Waking up Christmas Morn

Awaiting Clearance to Come Down with her Mom

During Gift Opening Frenzy

Favorite Panamanian With her Haul

Gifting was followed by mimosas and fried dough/hojaldras while the FBR dove into her newly acquired toys while the smell of roasting turkey wafted through the house. We soon had miniature plastic ponies and other figurines liberally dotting the landscape. After breakfast and the mid-day lull got the rest of Christmas dinner configured. The meal as ready on time and received rave reviews. It had gotten so hot during the day that we actually had the dining room window open while we ate.

Wife and I Prepping Breakfast

Christmas Dinner, Note Open Window

Daughter's Family

FBR 

Wingman and Myself

Throughout the day we tried to connect with as many of the people who should have been sharing the day with us in person, including several with my son and his family The calls included Soxfather and Great Aunt who were their usual overly generous in the gift department. We also solved the mystery of the yellow disks. All of the gifts we received from Keene Friend had yellow disks attached to the outside. Wingman correctly identified them as the spacers that used to be used for 45 records to play on a stereo. When we got Keene Friend on the phone he verified our guess that he did this simply to provoke the question to be asked in the first place. We also talked with my younger sister and husband although that was during the chaotic turkey carving time so words were lost. I can’t wait to be together again with all these people in person. We ended the day with a long zoom call to my wife’s family down in Panama which was filled with its usual collection of laughter and love.

BRS and BR3 with Their Own Christmas Haul

FBR & Abuela Operating on Oogie Boogie

The Mystery Disks

The time since Christmas has been spent together, isolated due to the pandemic, but still enjoying the time with each other. The FBR displays endless enthusiasm for each new toy she opens. We now have a drone flying around the living room with one of the games she acquired as well as an updated version of the vintage game Operation with the FBR’s favorite character, Oogie Boogie. I’ve also bonded with Pee Wee and no one saw that coming based on our history together. While this Christmas certainly has had its downer of not being able to have as many people around, I’ve truly treasured the time spent with my daughter and her family.

A Christmas Miracle, Pee Wee and I

Birdwatching Buddies

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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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

It is Upon Us!

First of all, a very merry Christmas to all my far flung family and friends. I wish we could have gotten together this year but 2020 had other plans. We’re going to be able to enjoy at least a semblance of our usual raucous Christmas because of the presence of my daughter, Wingman, and of course, the FBR. My thoughts keep sneaking back however to the people who will be missing the day with us - my son’s family, Great Aunt, Soxfather, Namesake Nephew, and of course Keene Friend (even though he is habitually very late). Again, a very Merry Christmas – I hope you are as blessed as I have been with family and friends. 2021 will rock!

Gingerbread House Engineers

We were back on the sliding hill yesterday as the snow continues to melt. The FBR has become a true expert on the hill and revels in the wind in her hair. I took a video (below) of one of her epic spin runs where she crashes and burns at the end – she got up laughing at the chaos. Both Wingman and I took runs down the hill with her and cannot for the life of us understand how her butt is not incredibly sore. Oh, to be young again.

It is a Process

Finished House Complete with Stored Sugar Cache 

Yesterday also saw the creation of a gingerbread house by the FBR and her abuela. It was fun watching these two very strong personalities operating together. Shortly after the house was completed my Favorite Panamanian was asking what happened to her jars of colored sugars. She couldn’t remember where she had stored them. I told her the last time I had seen them was when she was using them to brace the inner walls of the gingerbread house. A lightbulb flashed over her head as she realized he had entombed the jars inside the house. Luckily the freeing process has begun with the FBR making serious inroads into the superstructure today. Her grandfather may be helping in the effort.

Down the Hill with Wingman

Last night I made another gift swapping road trip. Earlier in the week I’d gone up to New Hampshire to gather my son’s family’s presents for his sister’s family. Last night my wife and the FBR joined me in a trip down to Rhode Island for a similar mission to Great Aunt and Soxfather’s house. We had a late start as the final gift for them was late in arriving and quickly wrapped so we could head out. We arrived to find Great Aunt similarly engaged in wrapping a present that had just been delivered to their door. Ahh, 2020 – the gift that keeps on giving. I was ten minutes out on the return trip when I received a call from Great Aunt telling me I had brought down and left presents both for myself and, more importantly, the BRS so we turned around and righted that wrong. We were entertained throughout the trip as the FBR sang along with a program on her iPad.

Out Delivering Christmas Cookies Today

I had my first appointment with the physical therapist today as part of my recovery from prostate surgery. She was a revelation. She’ll be working on pelvic muscle strengthening and said I was ahead of most people she’s seen at this stage. She spent more time talking about my bad right knee and said this contributed to hip problems that were likely not helping in my recovery. I’ll be working with her twice a week over the next month and as I said I was totally impressed. Every other time I’d been to see a physical therapist was after knee surgery and the sessions were always torture. This really lifted my spirits in the recovery effort.

Grandpa Getting Schooled today

The FBR has been literally begging her dad to let her show me how to play video games since I confessed I am hopeless in that area, never having indulged. Wingman got a PlayStation Five and the FBR has quickly shown promise there. She was very concerned and wanted to be a proper teacher as she walked me through a session this afternoon. I am still hopeless but much richer from the experience shared with my granddaughter. I’ll cut off now so I can go spend some more time with her and the rest of the family. Again, I hope you have the very merriest of Christmases.

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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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Snow Zoom

This will be another granddaughter limited post as the FBR is in residence and requires my presence to supervise. Just to be clear, she is the one doing the supervising. We escaped from the ether sphere of zoom calls yesterday to engage in some actual zooming down the back hill. I hadn’t been snow saucering since the FBR’s mother was of a similar age but it was akin to the proverbial bicycle riding. The FBR seemed a bit apprehensive when we first climbed the hill but after her first ride down the hill she was excited and her first words were, “Let’s do that again!”. We had to adjust our run after one of her initial slides saw her ending up in my Favorite Panamanian’s rose bushes and as she struggled to escape the resulting decapitation of the cement Virgin Mary statue.

FBR on the Slide

A Natural

Grassy Landing Area

Starting Down the Hill with Abuela

This could have been catastrophic for certain grandfathers as my wife emerged to join us. While getting my Favorite Panamanian outside while snow is on the ground is noteworthy in and of itself, the fact that she forgave the damage quickly is even more so. I ascribe this to the fact this is not the first time this statue has been decapitated and that the FBR was the perpetrator this time. After adjusting the run, we made the hill climb sixty or seventy more times. The FBR is nothing if not relentless. She even convinced both my wife and myself to take runs down the hill with her. It was some of the most fun I’ve had in months. After concluding our sliding, the wife and FBR decided the snow was perfect for a snowman which rapidly assumed shape in the front yard. Again, this was my wife, she of the dedicated tropical blood, out in the snow for well over two hours. Noteworthy, undeniably.

And Grandpa

We kind of Got Turned Around

Snow Man Construction

Final Result

Favorite Panamanian and FBR

Earlier the FBR had assisted me with the raising of the flags which wasn’t as easy as it sounds as I tried to balance the FBR on one hip while keeping the flags from plunging to the ground, still, loads of fun. The FBR invented a couple of new games for us to pursue after another afternoon sliding session, this time with Wingman as bottom of hill catcher. We built some towers which she didn’t immediately consign for destruction, another first. Just before bedtime she had the entire family cheering on which ball would reach the end of the towers path first. There was also the occasional tea party which involved the theatrical addition of soup and hot sauce to the tea, thank God it was all make believe. I was exhausted by the end of the day but it was one of those well-earned, and joyously embraced levels of fatigue. Granddaughters are simply the best medicine for pandemic funk. Merry Christmas. Indeed.

Early Morning Flag Detail

Balancing Act

FBR Next to Towers with her Tea Party Treasure Chest

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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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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