38 Years Ago

I always remember January 14th as a key date. Not only was it the first day I could apply for family housing in the military but the reason for that eligibility took place on that date. Thirty-eight years ago my Favorite Panamanian and I were married in a civil ceremony. We don’t recognize this as our official anniversary because the church wedding didn’t happen until the 6th of March. Once I received approval from military authorities (required back in the day) we decided to do the civil ceremony precisely in order to get on that housing list. I guess you could still consider this a fast track wedding since I’d met her in November of the prior year, proposed three days later, and here we were, married less than two months later.  I forwarded what I thought were some very cogent arguments that this meant we were officially married in all aspects but my wife disabused me of that notion. In her eyes we weren’t married, with all that entails, until she walked down the church aisle. Just the first in thousands of arguments I’ve lost over the years. 

38 Years Ago

Wife's Family Toasting the Semi-Newlyweds

Newly Acquired Mother in Law

The Flashing Eyes

I had another physical therapy session this morning and received my first ever massage. My Favorite Son swears massages are the best thing ever but I’ve never indulged. This was just for the knee so I’m not sure it even qualifies but it helped a lot. This therapist is almost a magician. When I reported my bad knee was barking a little after the exercise regime she had me on, she put two small bands of tape on the knee that elevated the knee cap just a little and it made all the difference in the world. I’ve tried every kind of knee brace existent and these two pieces of tape were better, by far, than all of them. As I said, a magician.

The granddaughters continue to amaze on every level. BR3 is sleeping almost through the night now that she doesn’t wake up with parents in visual range. She’s also very vocal and calls out whenever her dad moves out of eyesight during our call. Meanwhile in New Jersey the FBR has become a bubble catcher! One of her Christmas gifts was a play set that has a special pair of bubble catching gloves (miracles of modern science). During our call yesterday she commanded my daughter to continuously blow bubbles so the FBR could show her grandparents the miracle gloves. I’m not sure I could have dealt with the isolation of the pandemic without the daily doses of joy provided by these calls. What did grandparents do before Facetime!

Bubble Catcher Extraordinaire

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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 3rd 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