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.
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.
The Gang Back in Brew City Yesterday
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.
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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 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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