Driveway Abduction

I remember a little over a year ago waxing philosophic as I watched my new driveway being installed. I wondered how many years it would be until someone saw the underlayment as the asphalt was laid over it. I figured it had to be at least twenty years and that I wouldn’t be the one watching it unveiled. Those thoughts were soundly dashed yesterday as I walked outside in the morning to find a nice young man cutting through my year old driveway with a diamond saw.

The Unkindest Cut

And Then it Was Gone

I knew the city was planning on re-doing the street but I was truly mystified why this cut was being made, a full third up my driveway, well onto my property. I wandered outside and asked him “WTF!” in much nicer fashion. He explained that the entire sidewalk and this far onto the driveways was being done as part of the project. He promised a “good job” would be done in replacing it. It’s not that I don’t trust our city government and their lowest bid contractor but I know the driveway was installed a little thicker because of the clay underlayment on the top of this hill and I’m envisioning the city replacement not lasting nearly as long. It’s not as if I could do anything about it, I’m not one of those guys.

My Truncated Driveway

Sidewalk is Gone

I was impressed with the machinery being used. The entire sidewalk in front of my house as well as the grass border and my driveway were removed in less than fifteen minutes. I was secretly trying to figure out a way to hijack the excavator for ten minutes. I have a project planned for the back yard that will involve a solid two days of digging with a shovel and I know this machine could do it in less than two minutes. I figured they wouldn’t be up for a sub-contracting offer as they made their way down the street.  Now I’m left to wonder how long it will be before they get around to repairing all the damage done.

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Weekend Wonders

As is usually the case, time spent with granddaughters severely impacted my ability and/or desire to write on Frail Deeds. You tortured readers may thank both the BRS and BR3, as well as my Favorite Son for the delightful distraction that kept me from continuing to abuse the English language here. That wait is sadly over now as I am returned to confinement in the Man Cave following a delightful three day weekend in New Hampshire. The ABFA was called for a lady’s weekend in the Hamptons of New York so we were summoned to provide assistance during her absence.

Favorite Son with his Two Ladies

My son took Friday off from work so he and I could continue construction on the theater and Man Cave he is creating in his basement. The granddaughters were very happy to see us and I don’t think it was solely for the breakfast hojaldras they knew our visit meant. BR3 is no longer just walking, she runs, everywhere. She and Riggins are forming a very strong bond and she cannot walk past him without stopping for a hug. Riggins bears the attention with the stoic grace he has with both girls but I think he senses BR3 will be a special buddy.

BRS and Her Abuela 

BR3 On the Move, As Usual

We could only work on Friday while the girls were at Day Care because the sound of the nail gun freaks out BR3. While my son was delivering the girls to that location I spent the very hottest part of our time there lugging all the remaining timber down into the basement. This was not a lot of fun but sufficed for the workout I had to forego for the trip. I felt a little sneaky pride that I can still do this type of physical work despite the number of years appearing on my scorecard. My son and I tackled a couple of the toughest challenges in the construction, framing the doorway into the home theater and the connection between the theater and the Man Cave.

Hojaldra Breakfast Son Saddled with Noted Food Thief BR3

BRS Wearing the Brownie Batter

BR3 Goofing with Abuela

Son Getting his Nails Painted

Our measurements attempted the preciseness required but we still had to back off a couple times when the space seemed to have shrunk since we measured and then cut. I was used for my usual role of brute force and ignorance while my Favorite Son provided the much needed engineering skills. Amazon was late with a delivery of ammo for the nail gun but we were able to wrestle the last section of wall frame into place just as the nails ran out.

Completed Connection to Cave

Doorway into Theater

The rest of the weekend was spent in child care 101 as the BRS and BR3 continued to delight and confound as only a 1 and 3 year old can do. The BRS strengthened her bond with her abuela throughout the weekend, although she also chose her father for fingernail panting along with her abuela. My son faced this fate with the tragic resignation only a father of two girls could muster.

BR3 Breakfast Time

Mugging for Camera

I faced my own challenges. My Favorite Panamanian thought it would be a good idea to take the ladies out for a walk around the neighborhood. It wasn’t until I arrived in the garage that I learned that she would be pushing BR3 in a her stroller while I was charged with riding herd on the BRS in her Barbie electric car. While I understand that sounds fairly simple, I’m here to tell you it was anything but. The BRS is a lot more confident than when she first acquired the vehicle but that brought with it some real danger for anyone charged with monitoring her, namely me as well as anyone in her path. She had only one speed, as fast as it would go. Woe be unto anyone in that aforementioned path, namely my Favorite Panamanian and BR3. I quickly learned I could alter her chosen path of destruction by grabbing the roll bar. The only problem with that was that I had to be beside her to do that. Did I tell you how fast she as going?

Trying to Catch up to BRS

Trying Not to Get Run Over

I’m sure we made a comical couple, okay, that was mostly me, as I charged in my sandals after my speedy granddaughter in her pink car careening around the neighborhood. I think this was even a better workout than moving the lumber pile. The BRs as oblivious to my pell-mell pursuit and assumed I would be in position to keep her, and anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves in her sights, out of danger. I will admit to a modicum of pride as I watched her speed around the neighborhood streets. I definitely needed a break when it was over.

Riggins with his New Best Buddie

BR3 seems to have adopted me as her favorite pet, much to the consternation of my Favorite Panamanian who sees a repeat of the history I have with the FBR. Throughout the weekend BR3 would only reach out for either her father or me, even when my wife had food which usually serves as coin of the realm for BR3. We weren’t the only ones bonding though. Riggins invariably chose to locate himself next to my mother-in-law. Wherever she sat Riggins was soon wrapped around her feet. This was appreciated as she is still adjusting to the cooler temps she faces here instead of Panama and Riggins is nothing if not a reliable source of heat. I think Riggins just treasured finally having a lady in the house who seemed satisfied to just sit and relax, his favorite pastime

Infectious Laughter Abounded

BRS with a Good Morning Smile

As usual, one of the brightest parts of the our visit was the quiet time after all the ladies had retired for the night when I got to hang out with my Favorite Son either watching baseball or a movie together. We’ve already planned a full day movie watch when his home theater is complete. Sunday morning found he and I, along with his daughters, at one of the town’s playgrounds. The BRS is quite the daredevil/climber. It was good to have two adults monitoring these two ladies as they attacked each challenge with a will that far exceeded their physical strength. These are going to be two formidable ladies. We just beat some heavy rain that came in for the middle part of the day but the BRS would not forget she was promised some post nap ice cream. We had a two vehicle convoy to the ice cream parlor due to child car seat requirements. The rain stopped long enough to enjoy our delicacies and BR3 proved to be an excellent thief, commandeering healthy portions of both my and her father’s ice cream. The BRS had some cotton candy flavored ice cream that had her bouncing off the walls upon our return.

Playground Action

I got to drive my son’s new car a couple times over the weekend and I can understand his excitement about his new ride. It even had a heads-up display on the windshield, just like fighter pilot. I mention this because when we got back from the ice cream foray he found the BRS had used her sand laden shoes to mark her territory on the back on his car seat. This was not a good moment. They both soon recovered from their consternation as the cotton candy ice cream effect kicked in. We were packed up to leave as the BRS ran literal circles around the house clad only in her underwear. While we made a lot better time on the trip home than the drive up, time seemed to drag unconscionably. An unavoidable reaction to leaving the company of my son and his family.

Ice Cream Ladies

BR3 on the Hunt for Dad's Ice Cream

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Once More into the Breach

I made my second trip inside a week to Terminal E of Logan International Airport on as our resident PanaGal returned home after her stay with us. I figured there was no chance I would achieve the same level of success, i.e., no traffic than I did during my trip to pick up my mother-in-law. Once I got on the Pike, my calculations looked pristine as traffic slowed to a virtual halt as soon as I passed into Framingham. I confidently explained to my passenger that this was why we left with an extra half hour to spare and that this would be the easy part since driving into Boston at the height of the rush hour was not for the meek of heart. As soon as we passed I-95 I confidently stated we would be in a parking lot. My assurances looked mighty hollow when we passed I-95 and pulled into the airport a mere fifteen minutes later. There was no traffic whatsoever, in Boston, during the morning rush hour, it was almost spooky, but I’m not complaining.

So, the odds at home are a little closer now as I have only two Panamanian women in residence versus the prior three. Still, two is more than enough to lace my life with an appropriate amount of tropical spice, hell, one is more than adequate, if it is my Favorite Panamanian. I’ve spent the past couple days retiring all the objects that were secured prior to our “hurricane” back to their normal spots. I also scaled a really tall ladder to address some green spots near the peak of the house caused by this year’s excessive moisture with the power washer. The heat has been truly tropical since the storm which made all these activities even more enjoyable. Luckily the Man Cave has been available to wait for the sweating to die down. We had a funny moment with my mother-in-law yesterday. She opened the door to the granddaughter’s bedroom which set off all the carbon dioxide alarms throughout the house. Apparently, the room had been closed since the FBR’s departure more than a month ago and had cooked without any AC on. There was a detector right outside the room and when she opened the door it went off and the rest of the house alarms are linked to it. Needless to say, this was a startling experience for my elderly mother-in-law.

I’ve completed my serial watch of the entire Sopranos series. It was a great return to these indelible characters but I definitely have changed my opinions in several regards. I had some sneaky admiration for Tony, a true antihero, and other people in the show when I watched as it first aired. These people were monsters, unworthy of even a speak of admiration which made the journey with them over the past few weeks even more searing. I also benefited greatly with the book my daughter lent me which allowed an episode-by-episode discussion of what was going on.

I knocked out a couple movies this week. I was really disappointed with Reminiscence. This was a plot in search of a meaning despite an interesting theme and some fantastic actors. This is the type of fare where I leave the movie thinking some filmmaker tried to be a little too clever. Hugh Jackman portrays a world-weary veteran in a futuristic Miami that is now flooded due to global warming. He operates a service that allows customers to relive memories in startling detail. He meets Rebecca Ferguson and falls in love, because, well, who wouldn’t. Again, sounds like a great premise but someone really dropped here ball because it took real effort to remain engaged as a viewer. There are the inevitable plot twists but everything seemed too convenient and depending too much on Deus Ex Machina to resolve. A real disappointment given the actors involved.

I really enjoyed the Protégé featuring Samuel L. Jackson as a world class assassin and Maggie Q as his devoted apprentice/partner. This is Q’s movie and she’s more than capable of carrying the action. She is trying to find the people responsible for a personal tragedy and woe be unto those who stand in her way. There is a very interesting dynamic with Michael Keaton as an admiring adversary. The action is well executed and the characters fully fleshed out. I was happy to see Q get a chance to really star in her own movie versus her usual supporting role. She was more than up to the task. A great summer action flick, go see it.

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Forecast Fail

I’m still waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Henri because what we went through yesterday didn’t qualify as a significant rain storm, much less a full-fledged hurricane. It was a popcorn fart of a tempest. I guess it did have some impact along the shore but we didn’t even get minor winds, much less the forecast gales. I was a little pissed at all the time I spent moving flower pots and other Deckzilla accoutrement to save it from the absent winds. I don’t know how the forecasters could get it this wrong, but here were no apologies this morning as they focused on the small damage along the coast. I had warned the resident Panamanians that we had this massive storm bearing down upon us only to look like Chicken Little at his most hyperbolic.

The Fun Group Last Night

My disappointment at the lack of low pressure was more than rescued with a sudden invite form the Neighborhood Mafioso to join them for dinner. It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable nights I’ve had in recent memory. I can’t remember laughing as much in one sitting as the conversation veered through a wide variety of subjects ranging from the Beatles to 1960s television shows and 1960s music. I made a couple of huge faux pas, claiming George Harrison wrote Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven’s Door, confusing it with My Sweet Lord. This was especially grievous since I was a huge fan of Bob Dylan. I rescued my wounded pride by leading a rendition of Lay Lady Lay.  

Late Arriving Photo from Saturday

My second social blunder involved my use of Spanish profanity. One of the fellow guests is a well-known jokester and was famous within the group for discovering a Spanish wine named after posteriors. With the intake of beer, my confidence in Spanish soars, sometimes beyond the bounds of common sense and I used the wrong word to describe the wine. Unfortunately there was only one other person in the group who didn’t understand Spanish. My mother-in-law seemed especially shocked to hear my description. I entered into a beer laden conspiracy with the husband of the Neighborhood Mafioso. My Favorite Panamanian keeps a close eye on my beer consumption during our visits there and my host decided we needed to smuggle a couple extra by the intense scrutiny. It turned into a fun game with the other guests watching amusedly as empties were surreptitiously replaced with full ones. I don’t think my wife was fooled that much but it was fun game while it lasted. The same could be said spending time with these more than excellent people.

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Hurricane Stations

The first hurricane to hit this area in 30 years is bearing down on us now. This is weird because I lived in New England for Hurricane Bob, the aforementioned predecessor to today’s, Henri. We were living in Rhode Island where I was serving as an ROTC instructor and Bob blew through and knocked out power for a day or so. I remember it clearly because it was an eye opening comment on my neighborhood. I’d lived there for more than two years and this was the first time I’d met many of the neighbors because we all ended up out on the street when the eye came through and power was out. I think the word I’m looking for is insular. We did, however, know all the cool people. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Wife and Her Mom Sitting Around Pool Yesterday

This has been a strangely behaving hurricane as it was forecast to hit us directly earlier in the week but as of yesterday had veered west and was supposed to impact Connecticut directly (I’m sure that will help with traffic). However, I woke up this morning to find it had changed its mind yet again and we were back in the direct path. So far, just a lot of rain but the winds are picking up. I was out on Deckzilla this morning securing all the hanging plants and other things that might blow away in the storm. That included the sun screen which was surprisingly easy to remove. My Panamanian residents are a little freaked out because they don’t really get hurricanes down there. I’ve told them not to worry, the rains will be like a typical rainy season day in Panama with the winds just amped up significantly.

My Kryptonite - Gingerbread Squares

Photo in the Paper This Week
Flooding as Seen from my Old Office

My mother-in-law has once again taken upon herself to destroy my best intentions of staying on the keto diet religiously. She traveled with one of my kryptonites (in addition to brownies and marble cake), the gingerbread squares that I love. My wife’s family had despaired of ever finding a desert that I would eat due to my extreme pickiness when it comes to food. Most of their normal desserts are pretty exotic and I don’t do well with “exotic” when it comes to food. She knows about my love of the gingerbread squares because whenever I visit her house, I walk down to the neighborhood store and empty their supply of them. They remind me very clearly of “spice cakes” which my father’s mother was justifiably famous for. I remember every time we went to visit my grandparents’ house in Keene, the grandkids would always go in search of the dark blue, covered pot she kept the delicacies in. Spice cakes were the absolute best.

Linking up with our Czech Buddies

Party Time

We had a very fun day yesterday preparing for the storm as we attended a birthday party for the Latin Mafia member who recently hosted the frigid 4^th of July party. The weather was spectacular, especially in contrast to the last time we were there and what we’re facing today. I even ended up in the pool teaching my former Czech shadow how to do a half twist of the diving board, baby steps needed there. It was a magnificent day spent in the company of really good friends. There was also the yellow lab with the same name as the FBR which was disconcerting as whenever they yelled his name I turned around expecting to see my granddaughter running around a corner. Unfortunately that will have to wait.

Hostess/Birthday Girl Singing Peruvian Ballads

The Dahlia Distribution Effort

I was trying to behave, keto wise, and then they hit me with a marble birthday cake so all bets were off there. We stayed much later than we usually do as we savored the weather and the friends. As we were preparing to leave, we volunteered to help prep their party area for the coming storm. It was nice to be able to repay them for the kindness they always show in hosting these parties. Part of that prep was cutting off the tops of blooming dahlias before the storm could blow them over. This delayed out departure for a full twenty minutes as the ladies trailed our hostess around her own vast garden complex distributing the cut flowers. My Favorite Panamanian was first in line, as could be expected. Now I should get around to posting this before the power goes out.  

Happy Ladies

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Beantown Curveballs

Yesterday was our annual trek to Logan International Airport to pick up my mother-in-law who will be staying with us for the next two months. I always anticipate issues with traffic and the airport but yesterday was a little extreme with three curveballs that were better than anything Red Sox relivers have been throwing lately. The first curveball was most welcome, despite driving through Boston at the height of the rush hour, there was virtually no traffic, not even in the tunnel approaching the airport. This is unprecedented for that time of day on a weekday and, again, most welcome. The next two, not so much.

Favorite Panamanian and her Mom at Airport

We arrived at the airport well ahead of schedule due to the lack of traffic. I was about to pull into the usual parking area directly in front of terminal E when I noticed concrete bollards were in place, semi-effectively closing the place. I was about to drive on when I noticed that there was space between the bollards and there were people parked in the lot. I puled up to where I usually got the ticket to enter the parking lot and found an airport employee who explained the lot had been converted to a cell phone lot which meant someone had to be in the car at all times or it would be towed. To emphasize their point there was a tow truck prominently parked right behind the guy. This worked for us since there were two of us and my Favorite Panamanian could go into the terminal to link up with her mom while I sat in the car. She located her mom and we were good to go, after about an hour’s wait. That would have meant about $20 in parking fees under the old system but now it was free. I still had to negotiate the exit which meant driving in front of the terminal where two of the three lanes were blocked by people waiting to pick up people, with the huge, fairly empty lot I just left, immediately to their left. There was a state trooper who should have been addressing the blocked road. He felt it more important to commune with some of the people stuck in the traffic he should have been trying to alleviate. It might have been just me, but everyone he talked to seemed to be young, female and attractive.

Notice the Two Blocked Lanes Behind Them

The final curveball fell just outside Boston. Our standard practice for picking up people from this flight was to stop in Framingham at the TGIF restaurant for a late dinner on our way home. Since we had been equally lucky with traffic on our exit, I asked my Favorite Panamanian if she still wanted to do this or keep motoring towards Worcester. I was nervous because I had seen some construction trucks massing as we drove and I envisioned closed lanes in the very foreseeable future. She opined that she should still do it and I immediately began conjuring possible alternative routes home. We were saved from this eventuality when we pulled into the TGIF parking lot only to find the place permanently closed, another pandemic victim. I was surprised because I had never been to this place without finding it packed. We were back on the pike and home less than thirty minutes later and stole a march on the construction closings. So, three curveballs but, in the end, nothing that wasn’t either welcome or hittable. Again, something like Red Sox relivers of late.

My New "System"

I’ve made a minor improvement to the Man Cave that was long overdue. My cave is in the basement and all that means in terms of air circulation. The heating system throughout the house is forced hot water so there’s no air circulation effect from that. I’ve employed a variety of techniques to freshen the air, using a dehumidifier as well as air fresheners but nothing seemed to completely handle the dead air issue. Since over the past year I’ve spent more time down here than I ever envisioned, I wanted to fix it. This week I installed a small fan in the only window and pointed it outside. I was pleasantly surprised when this turned out to be a very effective and cheap way to address the issue. It pulls air down from the inhabited regions upstairs and I noticed the difference immediately. I think this falls squarely into the blind squirrel finding a nut category.

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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

Unheard of Activities

It’s been a fairly quiet week, outside of what’s happening outside Kabul, here at the ole homestead. That explains the lack of activity here on Frail Deeds (you are welcome). I’ve been left pretty much to my own devices because my Favorite Panamanian is in final prep for the arrival of her mother tonight for a two month stay with us. I love her mom and as the years have advanced, I’ve really looked forward to her visits and not only for the attendant effect on my wife’s moods. Over the years, during my military career we always tried to find a way for her to come visit us, usually while I was gone on some long deployment to help out with the kids. Her visits have become part of the family traditions, another which was sacrificed last year.

Soaked Favorite Panamanian

We’re in the middle of a real gutter washer of a rainstorm, the remnants of a hurricane that’s suppose to dump a few inches of rain upon us today. It was therefore with unbridled amazement early today when I emerged from the Man Cave and asked the resident PanaGal where my Favorite Panamanian was. She pointed outside and herein lies the amazement. I’ve written before that my wife, despite coming from one of the rainiest countries on earth, absolutely refuses to expose herself to the least bit of falling moisture. It’s actually become part of family lore; she will not allow herself to get wet. Yet there she was, out in the middle of a deluge picking plants out of her herb garden. I rushed to get a camera to capture this all too rare moment only to find her running for the garage to escape the rain. When I, dumbfounded, asked how she survived, she blithely responded that she needed some herbs for the soup she was preparing for her mom. She looked like she had jumped into a pool in her clothes. I’m going to have to tell her mom about this episode so she’ll realize the full depth of my wife’s devotion to her.

We stepped out to the cinema earlier this week and saw Free Guy which was partially shot in Worcester. I’m not a gamer by any stretch of anyone’s imagination so I wasn’t sure I would get all the inside jokes in this flick about a game character that achieves self-awareness. I shouldn’t have worried because Ryan Reynolds is perfect for the part of making us first like the guy and then root for him in his hopeless quest. He’s ably supported by a fun cast of supporting actors, especially Jodie Comer as the female lead. It’s an entertaining ride with some really sweet characters and I found myself laughing almost constantly. It was also a funny jab at gaming and gamers in general, encouraging us to find the joy in real life, because we have it. This was well worth the watch, Reynolds’ winning streak continues.

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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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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