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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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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
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