Island Getaway

Alright, where the hell did the past weekend go?! I was looking around and it was just gone. That’s the problem when you’re having more fun than is probably legal. The highlight of the weekend was Saturday night’s time with Soxfather’s more than excellent family at one of our McShawn’s Nights. The host was Soxfather’s cousin who owns a fabulous house on the island of Jamestown in Rhode Island. We decided to make it a true getaway by booking a room for my Favororite Panamanian and I at a local hotel. Okay, it’s not as if I suddenly turned into a hopeless romantic or anything. My designated driver, the aforementioned Panamanian, balked at driving home late night from this more distant location.

The Back Patio Gathering

The hotel turned out to be a bit of a disaster. There was a police cruiser patrolling the parking lot for a long time while we were checking on. When we got to the room, the maid had left a large bag of soiled towels on one of the beds. My roommate didn’t appreciate, for some reason, my attempts at humor about the room reeking with atmosphere, pointing out the hole in the wall. Her counter that the smell was cigarette snoke despite being a nonsmoking room. I assured her that after the party we would have no trouble sleeping. That turned out to be true because we overdosed on fresh air and comradery for the rest of the evening (I also may have had several beers).

The Front Deck Fire Table

Soxfather and Great Aunt

Great Aunt and Soxfather picked us up at the hotel for the drive to Jamestown. That trip was semi-nostalgic as it followed the same route we always took to the navy base when we lived in Cranston in the early 1990s. Soxfather’s cousin’s house was sublime. It featured both a back patio and a front deck. We took advantage of both. The rest of the crew arrived shortly after we did and we set up shop on the back patio for extremely well received snacks. Of particular importance was a heaping plate of chicken wings that were some of the best I had ever tasted. That of course required serial experimentation to confirm.

Beautiful Sky from Front Deck

Truly Special People

My Photographic Critic and her Husband

As the sun started to set, we moved to the front deck and took our places around a gas fireplace/table which was perfect on the chilly evening. Both the patio and the fire definitely gave me some ideas I want to pursue in our own back yard. The rest of the evening was spent as most McShawns’s night are – almost non-stop laughter. Soxfather’s sister continued to heap calumny about my photographic ineptitude which I wore as a badge of honor. She claims I take the worst pictures in the history of civilization. In response I, of course, took her picture for the blog. I treasure these nights with Soxfather’s family and, despite my photographic shortcomings, for allowing me and my wife to be part of their gatherings. It means so much. Neither my wife nor I experienced any problems sleeping through the night upon our return to the hotel. If you saw the room you would understand just how tired we must have been. We did beat a hasty retreat at first light on Sunday to shower at home instead though.

Finally, and very importantly I want to wish a very happy birthday to the United States Army. It is 246 years young today and I feel more than honored that it allowed me to spend twenty-seven years enfolded within its ranks. The Army isn't the rifles, tanks, and explosions associated with it, it is the people. I felt a real connection to the Soldiers who had preceded me in the ranks and an obligation to those who followed. It was from that connection I still derive the sense of honor that made serving in my country's uniform such a fundamental part of who I became. Duty, Honor, Country.

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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