First BR3 Year Downrange

Today is a very important date as it marks the first birthday of the delightful BR3. As slow as the pandemic has made life, it seems somehow impossible that she has snuck a whole year in on us but today is the day. We will properly celebrate that event tomorrow at her how where she gets to meet a lot of her extended family for the very first time. I have it on good authority a sword named Bonecrusher will also be involved. Her abuela worked late into the night yesterday and continues today to prepare a special birthday cake. All I now is that the house has seldom smelled better, because she was also baking sugar cookies at the same time. I think I put on three pounds just breathing the air. Totally worth it.

Birthday Girl and I This Past Weekend - Good Buds  

Her Dad Though Remains the Biggest Hero

BR3 has been a revelation since her arrival. Although she is officially the family vampire as she awaits some upper teeth other than her two eye teeth to come in, she remains a devastating beauty. She has possessed a very discerning eye ever since her arrival. Whenever I am in her presence, I feel I am being coolly assessed by those deep, blue eyes. We’ve become good friends despite that assessment and our limited ability to interact over the past year. Last weekend she was asking to be held by her grandpa which caused my wife to claim BR3 is going down the same path as the FBR as far as grandpa appreciation. I am not opposed to that eventuality.

She’s going to be a strong willed young lass which she’ll need with her equally impressive big sister, the BRS. Her dad has a lot of experience in this arena and should be able to offer sage advice. As part of the gathering my daughter and the FBR are driving up tomorrow to take part in the festivities so count on me being even more than a little excited than usual that today is, in fact, the First Friday of the Week!

BRS This Past Weekend

Helping Abuela Out

Birthday Girl!!!!

I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to dampen that excitement by continuing the work outside. Yesterday I removed a section of the wall to open up a back pathway. Today I bought some grass which I’ll cut to fit the bare spot that was left. I may seek embroidery advice from my Favorite Panamanian but that course of action is fraught with unseen danger/supervision. I pried her away from cake/cookie preparation yesterday to return to the movies again. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be once I mentioned her favorite actor, Jason Statham was starring. You, see, I do have competition.

Where the Wall was Removed and the soon to be Carved Grass

Wrath of Man features a constantly scowling Statham without his usual sneaky fun personae leaking through. You gradually learned the source of the scowl which causes him to take a job as an armored car guard where he quickly demonstrates other worldly/Stathamesque  capabilities. This doesn’t have the director’s, Guy Ritchie, usual sense of whimsy as he seems to be emulating Michael Mann’s Heat. You slowly learn the backstory of the revenge quest through some fairly elaborate editing. If you’re not paying attention that could be confusing but the first third and the final act are crackling good action scenes with Statham being, well, Statham. The middle third wanders a bit but overall I really enjoyed another escape form reality thanks to Hollywood. It reminds me how much I’ve missed it over the past year.

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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