Blessed Normalcy

Yesterday was such a fun day and not just because we got to celebrate Soxfather’s birthday, although that was the main reason. It also marked a return to semi-normalcy as we gathered in Rhode Island with my sister and Soxfather’s family in much the way we’ve done for years, up until 2020, of course. Since everyone except my Namesake Nephew was vaccinated it signified a safe return to an aspect of life that’s been all too absent for the past year: a bona fide family gathering. As with so many other aspects we are rediscovering, post vaccinations, it was a time to relish what had been missing for so long. I know the rest of the cherished people I was lucky enough to share the evening with also took time to savor the rekindling of a normal act denied to us by the curse of Covid.

With the Birthday Boy and Bonecrusher

Soxfather and Great Aunt bought the table we gathered around for precisely this type of event a couple years ago. Its predecessor was the target of many jokes over the years as being inadequate for the task. We only had a single party under its belt before the virus descended. I am a firm believer, based on the emotions present last night, that this table will be getting a well-deserved workout over the coming years. Kudos to the table’s owners for putting together a magical night where the long delayed conversations and laughter spilled continuously for the entire time. Remy the dog ceased to be an issue when he figured out Namesake Nephew would be his sole source of under table food treats. He camped at that location and I advised Soxfather and Great Aunt they should probably open a window over night as this type of banquet for a Lab usually results in epic sessions of flatulence.

The Party Table

I got in trouble with my Favorite Panamanian (a not unheard-of experience) during our drive down. We had a target time to arrive but I also promised a visit to a garden statue store in our quest to replace the decapitated Virgin Mary statue. So, I had to plan on a shopping session for my wife, (a time period virtually impossible to calculate) as well as Friday afternoon traffic ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. In a major departure from her usual modus operandi, my wife didn’t feel the need to linger over the unsuccessful shopping venture. My circular route had avoided all traffic and as we bore down on the party location, my wife was freaking out, saying we were going to catch our hosts at the worst possible time and my sister would probably be in the shower. I assured her it would be fine as we pulled up to the house. My sister was in the shower (how do they know these things!?) but Soxfather was available to get the party started. Again, a night I will cherish for the ability to talk with these people and, ye gods, even hug.

Bonecrusher Wielded

To Effect

Thursday eve my Favorite Panamanian and I caught up with another movie, Chaos Walking. Tom Holland, of the latest incarnation of Spiderman fame, plays a smallish young man in a male only society on a newly settled world. The women were supposedly killed off in a war with hostile natives. In addition, everyone’s thoughts are immediately broadcast in a cloud over the thinker’s head which, of course, can be problematic in many situations. Holland’s whole world is turned over when he meets Daisy Ridley, the only survivor of a follow on scout ship. Hijinks ensue as Holland gradually learns the truth about his life while unsuccessfully trying to keep his obvious attraction to the first girl he’s ever seen under wraps. Those moments are the few light touches in what is a pretty dour tale. I’m thinking there was a lot of depth left of the editing room floor where some of the story could have been fleshed out. It remained a watchable movie because of the cast, the obvious chemistry between the two leads and the always memorable Mads Mikkelsen as the heavy.

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

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