First Friday Return

The title is misleading because First Friday never went anywhere. It has remained a staple of civilized life, though it was forced to evolve during the pandemic when all the bars closed down. Long time readers of Frail Deeds know that Brew City in Worcester was the sun center of our weekly celebrations for many years before the pandemic closed it down. Since it reopened, its hours were curtailed to later than when most of our celebrations took place. However, earlier this week my former most excellent boss reached out to beckon the charter members of our First Friday club to assemble at Brew City. I was powerless to resist this summons and looked forward to it all week.

The Gang Back in Brew City Yesterday

My Favorite Panamanian was equally excited about seeing these old friends and joined me on the quest. This marked the first time we walked into Brew City in over eighteen months and while it was outstanding to see the assembled friends, I was a little saddened to see how desolate the bar has become. It used to be a vibrant gathering place on Friday afternoons but post-pandemic it was cavernously quiet. There was only one other set of patrons and our talk and laughter echoed off the walls. It was still a cracking good time with friends I hadn’t seen in way too long.

We had to end after an hour in order to properly address the evolution I mentioned earlier – the First Friday Family FaceTime call. It started a bit late but after a few minutes we had the entire gang on line including all three granddaughters. As usual toddler attention requirements kept my kids’ time with us shorter but we ended up talking with Great Aunt and Soxfather well into the evening. It’s not as good as in person but it offers a rough approximation of hanging out together and even a fraction of that pleasure is more than welcome.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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