2021 keeps piling up wins, making her benighted older sister, 2020, look more and more like the damnable beast she was. The latest victory was the return of a beloved tradition that 2020 would not allow, the thunder run back to my hometown. It’s a win win situation for my Favorite Panamanian and I. She drops me off with Keene Friend and then heads out for some tax free shopping. Keene Friend and I muster as many fellow high school classmates as possible while inhabiting a local pub. That is a thunder run.
Saturday went like clockwork, or as close to possible when dealing with a Latin
American woman, but I digress. Keene Friend and I set up shop in the Cobblestone
Pub because the usual launching point, Penuche’s, still hasn’t recovered enough
from 2020 to open before 4pm. We were joined in short order by the Cantankerous
Friend and my Kindergarten Friend. The best thing about these gatherings is not
the beer drinking, although there is that, it’s the reconnecting with lifelong friends
which there has been entirely too little of over the past year. In short order the
four of us had solved all the world’s problems and crossed the street to patronize
the Lab ‘n Lager Pub.
The Gang at the Lab 'n Lager
The
group almost doubled in short order with the arrival of two more classmates and
a gal with the unique claim to have once dated the Pittsburgh College Roommate.
This necessitated a call to that worthy to test his memory. His wife perked up considerably
when I declared the purpose of the call. A semi-soused call to the Pittsburgh
College Roommate has become ritualistic during a Thunder Run because we all
know he wishes he could be sitting next to us. The old flames politely admitted
they kind of remembered each other and it was on to exploring other memories, fractured
though they might be. The Cantankerous One managed to insult everyone to fulfil
his usual quota. The crowd ebbed and flowed all day with several acquaintances peripherally
connected to us wandered by to be regaled and partake in the comradery. It was
a great afternoon. After
four hours of this sublimity, I was under orders to break contact and move to a
rally point to link up with my Favorite Panamanian. In civilian speak, we were
supposed to move up the street to Margarita’s to meet my wife for dinner. I was
accompanied by Keene Friend, the Cantankerous Friend, and another high school
classmate while the rest of the group continued to reign supreme at the Lab ‘n
Lager. We were seated at the appointed time at Margarita’s only to learn the
least surprising news of the day, my Favorite Panamanian wasn’t ready to leave
her shopping grounds yet. She was eventually convinced to join us and we had a
great time over dinner with the additional benefit of the company of Keene Friend
2 who finally finished umpiring baseball games long enough to join in.
Cantankerous One Arrives at Cobblestone
Much to Keene Friend's Joy
My
wife plays a critical role in the Thunder Run because, after running down the thunder,
we are in desperate need of a designated driver. Those drives home are some of the
funniest moments of the day as she drops off friends around the old familiar
(to me) neighborhoods while being forced to endure some well lubricated male
humor. It seems we get much funnier after a few beers, who knew?! After
dropping off Keene Friend at the last stop I was given strict orders to stay
awake while she drove home to Worcester. I may not have accomplished full
compliance with that directive but I was alert enough to provide navigational
aid when called upon. Clearly another win for 2021 and I can’t wait for the next
opportunity to hang with these great people amidst the hometown literally saturated
with so many memories.
Margarita's, Joined by Wife and Keene Friend 2
FBR in her New pool
Speaking
of saturated the FBR finally got into her new driveway pool over the weekend. Her
parents reported she spent a full five hours in the pool on Sunday which was a
scorcher in New Jersey. The FBR proudly showed a photo of how waterlogged her
feet and toes were after their long submersion. She has apparently inherited
the family water bug gene. She also attended a birthday party on Saturday which
she excitedly reported included a piñata. While the other kids took timid
swings the FBR knew what to do and delivered some devastating strikes. She proudly
informed me of her demonstrated prowess.
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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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