Halloween Queens

Not a lot to write about today but I had to take this opportunity to share a couple photos of the family Halloween queens. Both the FBR and BRS chose to be princesses this year. This is a tribute to the enduring influence of Mr. Disney which is, of course, not a bad thing. My Favorite Panamanian was particularly pleased that the BRS chose to be Princess Elena who is a Latina princess. We’re waiting to see if we get any trick or treaters here today. It will compete with the Patriots game so my wife may be handling most of the door answering.  

Princess Elena AKA the BRS

Not to be Outdone - The FBR

Too Cute

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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

Panamanian Quota and Desert Classic

My Favorite Panamanian is a little sad today because it marks the first day we are back down to our authorized levels of Panamanians in the house – one. She’s enjoyed having a female Panamanian in the house since early July first with a visiting friend and then her mother since August. That all came to an end yesterday with the return of her mother to Panama. It was not without the customary dramatics though. Anyone who’s read Frail Deeds knows that my wife takes an inordinate amount of pride and time when it comes to packing suitcases. Getting all her mother’s acquisitions during her nearly three month stay was as close to an acid test for her process that she’s ever faced.

Our Departed House Guest

In a truly memorable moment Thursday night, I was summoned to perform my usual and only contribution to the process – lifting the bags up to be weighed. My wife’s sister, Tia Loca, was watching via Facetime as we reached this critical point in the luggage prep ceremony. Predictably one of her bags was way over weight. Uncharacteristically my wife didn’t want to shift things around but simply remove items. It was at this point I got very brave and told her I could fix it. Before you go laying all kinds of altruistic intentions at my feet, I knew whatever was removed was still going to be transported to Panama in January when my wife and I go down. I knew there wouldn’t be any room in my wife’s bags, so there you go, some foresight and enlightened self-interest.

Welcomed to Panama by Grandson

The major departure was my Favorite Panamanian actually allowing me to try. I assign this to the exhaustion and heartache she was feeling at the time. I shared an amazed expression with Tia Loca and got to work. I shifted things around and employed the sole advantage I have over my wife, physical strength. She claimed I would never be able to close the bags while I tried not to look too challenged as I inexorably drew the zipper closed. She was amazed, I was a hero, and I might actually have some of my own things in my suitcase in January. I said a silent prayer of thanks that my mother in law had purchased some fluorescent binding belts to go around the suitcases so they wouldn’t pop open due to stressed zippers.

Repurposing Zipper Saving Belt

The drama continued the next morning as we prepared for an early morning departure through Boston rush hour traffic to the airport. My mother in law’s printed itinerary showed a 10:30am departure. As a conscientious son in law, I checked the flight status online Friday morning and found the flight was actually leaving at 930am. A scene straight out of Home Alone followed as we charged around the house to get on the road. I was fearful of what Boston had in store for us and the traffic was extremely heavy. However, it was all traveling at 80 MPH. I made it to the airport in less than an hour from Worcester. After dropping of the Panamanians off I took nearly an hour finding a parking spot since Logan had closed all the E terminal parking lots and cleverly disguised the entrance to Central Parking Garage. I did get to spend some time in beautiful downtown Revere as the highway signs incorrectly pointed me that way. This which was only the start of the hunt as I tried to find the right terminal entrance from inside that cavernous structure. I was able to catch my mother-in-law as she headed to the security check point as my disapproving wife wondered where the hell I had been for the past hour. My mother-in-law safely returned home, or at least to Panama City, where she’ll stay with Tia Loca and her son for the next few days. Our loss is definitely their gain.

Before she left we all went to see the latest incarnation of Dune. I have to admit I may be the one guy who actually enjoyed the 1984 David Lynch version of Dune. I know it was extremely weird and I took real exception to his depiction of some of the elements, especially the Sardaukar warriors and Guild navigators. Those problems and so much more are fixed in this new movie. The sweeping story of galactic politics and power endures with a fabulous cast. Denis Villeneuve brings the story to the screen with an epic scale and power previous incarnations could only have hoped for. Timothée Chalamet wouldn’t have been my first choice in the central role of Paul Atriedes but he delivers despite my misgivings. I was also impressed with Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho who lends some physicality and humor when needed. I loved this movie, most of all, though because it brings the lethality and grit of the Fremen into clear focus. I was skeptical going in but this movie completely won me over, I could almost feel the dust of Arrakis on my shoes as I was leaving the theater. This from someone who has ready all the original Herbert Dune books as well as the well written sequels by his son.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                            

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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

Panama Dancing Queens

I regularly receive ads from the Hanover Theater regarding upcoming shows. This is a result of attending a couple events there in the past. I usually glance at them and head for the recycling bin. A couple months ago I noticed an upcoming show featuring an ABBA tribute group. I was torn at this point because while I enjoy their music, I wasn’t ready to fork over the king’s ransom the show required. It was at this point that I realized I had to step up and be a good husband because I knew how my Favorite Panamanian would react. She is a huge fan of the group which was only enhanced when the Mamma Mia craze started a few years ago. I call her the Dancing Queen, because, well, she is. Predictably she boiled over in excitement at the news and the die was cast, I was going to the concert, escorting the two resident Panamanians.

My Dates Last Night

In Their Seats at the Hanover

We Were Pretty Close to Stage

That concert took place last night and I have to admit I had a begrudgingly good time, mostly from watching my wife and mother-in-law immerse themselves in the show. ABBA the Concert is composed of Swedish singers who mimic the real ABBA and pay all of their hits, including the recently released songs, which I wasn’t even aware of. I was surprised at the lack of props as I got the impression this group was used to playing to much smaller crowds. There were no special effects and they had a distracting screen behind them for the whole show. The voices made all the difference though. These gals could really sing, remarkably so. While not a carbon copy of the originals they brought their own tilt and I found it hugely entertaining.

Abba the Concert Lead Singers

Our View Last Night - Base Player to right of Drummer

Hard to Confirm it was Same Guy

The crowd was an interesting mix. I surveyed the assemblage before the show started and remarked to my wife that there was a lot of gray hair in the audience. This tracks for survivors of the 1970s, yours truly certainly included. There was a later arriving section that included a healthy amount of 30-50 year old women who spent the entire show singing along and dancing to the music. I’m guessing this younger bunch came to ABBA though the Momma Mia stage shows and movies. While eclectic the crowd turned out to be a lot of fun and spent the last fifteen minutes on our feet singing along with the pros. There was an interesting connection to the real ABBA as they had the base player from the original group playing with them. He also posed as Napoleon on their Waterloo album cover (you see the things you learn). He looked as aged as the majority of the audience but was still sprightly and engaging. All in all, a very fun night despite by initial trepidations.

FBR and her Pumpkins

The trip to the theater was enhanced by having to navigate through a healthy Nor’easter. I paid for a parking spot across the street so the walk in wasn’t tough. Everyone had to show a vaccination card before entering and wear masks throughout. Still it seemed like a welcome return to something almost normal, or as normal as going to an ABBA tribute band can be. The departure took about 45 minutes since everyone else who went to the show also parked in the same garage. Despite that frustration (and you know how well I handle that) I still counted he night as a win and scored incredible points on the good husband scale with a certain Panamanian.

The Artiste at Work

The FBR finally deigned to speak with us again last night, shortly before we departed for the show. She was fresh off a decorating coup with her dad. She drew all the designs on their Halloween pumpkins and Wingman then carved them. I was impressed; although I shouldn’t be. I mean, we’re talking about my granddaughter after all.

RIP Uncle Gus

Yesterday wasn’t all good news though. I made my daily swing through the online version of my hometown newspaper and a name in the obituaries leapt out at me. Uncle Gus was the husband of one of my mother’s absolute best friends. The first house I remember living in was only a stone’s throw from theirs and, as you can tell from the honorific “uncle” they were very close friends. As I got older I came to love talking with Uncle Gus during our visits home about the Bruins and the antique cars he loved to rebuild. He was a very good man.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                            

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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

Birthday Run

Yesterday saw the completion of my second run up to New Hampshire although this one was on the eastern frontier. We traveled up to my native state to celebrate the birthday of the ABFA which occurred this past week. We were joined by the ABFA’s parents for a truly enjoyable family day at my Favorite Son’s home. The BRS was fighting off her first ever ear infection but was otherwise in fine spirits. We discovered she loves shoulder rides, but then again, who doesn’t. BR3 was also fighting off some sort of malady which seems inevitable with day care attendance. She was still a lot of fun and really revved up when we cordoned off the couch (her favorite playground) so she could jump with abandon. My wife’s mom, out an abundance of caution, wore a face mask when interacting with her great granddaughters.

My Mother in Law, Son and BR3
With Christening Gift from Bis-Abuela

BR3 in the Pit

Now Grandpa

ABFA aka Birthday Girl With BRS and Cake

The girls’ strategically planned naps occurred just as the Patriots were about to kick off so we enjoyed a half game’s worth of peace and quiet. The same could not be said of the New York Jets whom the Patriots took to the wood shed for an old-fashioned thrashing. The girls slept late because they had been giving their parents some rough nights and very early mornings with their assorted maladies. It was fun watching the game next to my son as well as comparing notes with him on what I should be watching next on Netflix.

Bonecrusher Deployed

Cake Hovering

BR3 Conferring with Grandpa

The moms created a fantastic meal which went really well with the football game. The little ladies eventually arose to once again sow chaos in their wake. The next event was the birthday cake ceremony featuring the unsheathing of Bonecrusher. The ABFA handled the cake and brownie severing with complete aplomb. In maybe the funniest moment of the day my son released BR3 from her brownie eating perch and remarked, “I guess we’ll see the effect of the sugar intake now.” As if on cue, BR3 took off at a dead run while continuously emoting. The entire room erupted in laughter as BR3 began a series of laps around the first floor.

Help! The Monster Caught Me!

Also Conferring with Great Grandma

Chaos is Imminent

I didn’t mind the drive home even with the dense traffic because 1. It wasn’t Connecticut so the traffic though heavy moved and 2. Any time spent with granddaughters and their parents is worth a healthy dose of aggravation to facilitate. We also had the foliage and a spectacular sunset to accompany us.

Couch Playground

Drive Home Scenery

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate and truly savor these times with family. There’s an ease and comfort that can only be attributed to familial bonds. One of my biggest regrets of my earlier days is the failure to completely recognize and enjoy those moments. I was too busy charging around the world with well-armed friends working on a military career to fully realize what a treasure I had waiting for me at home. It’s for this reason I encourage my granddaughters’ parents to immerse themselves in these sometimes trying times with their kids. While these precocious young ladies may present some truly mind bending challenges at times, you don’t want to miss the sublime moments they also provide in much greater quantities. These moments are fleeting and will be mourned for their passage in retrospect.

Meanwhile, In New Jersey

The FBR is getting into the Halloween Season

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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

Mini-Thunder

A great idea sprung out of our customarily awesome First Friday Family Facetime call. When asked what I was doing Saturday and answering that I didn’t have any definite plans, someone (again this was First Friday, so memory is lagging) suggested I take a run up to my hometown to drop in on Keene Friend. I thought this was a singularly outstanding suggestion and planned accordingly. Unfortunately, my designated driver, the redoubtable Favorite Panamanian, begged out of participation due to bum knee which she claimed would hamper her ability to shop all afternoon. Understanding how important shopping is to her I understood she was not joking. I modified the plan then to reduce alcohol consumption and added in a movie. Keene Friend and I are both horror movie fans and there just so happened to be a Halloween movie showing in town.

Keene Friend and I at the Kilkenny Yesterday

I, of course, did not completely dismiss beer from the plan. My pub crawl planning took a major hit when I discovered Penuche’s Ale house doesn’t open until 4PM. Now. I was in there a couple weeks ago and it was open earlier but I guess it still reeling from the pandemic. We then moved to the Kilkenny Pub which was appropriate since it was the only pub crawl destination that I hadn’t reconned lately. Keene Friend and I enjoyed an hour or so of college football and story telling before leaving for the movie. It was there I re-learned the important lesson that beer drinking before a movie is not the smartest tactic, especially at my age. At least the bathroom was close. After the movie we planned on a steak dinner but after stopping by literally every restaurant in Keene we found nearly hour long waits at each. I declared defeat and dropped Keene Friend off on my way back to Worcester. It was still a great day and I’ll have to thank whoever suggested it.

The move was saw was Halloween Kills. A direct sequel to the recent addition to the Michael Myers universe (is that a thing?) which saw the welcome return of Jamie Lee Curtis as a crazed, middle aged Laurie Strode. She was pretty banged up in the earlier movie and spends all of this movie in the hospital which reduces the force. Even though they bring the crazed mob to the hospital it’s not very effective (longest set of three floor stairs in movie history). Anthony Michael Hall is particularly bad, over acting to the point I actually felt sorry for him. The film does maintain the tradition that you do not want to be a Haddonfield first responder. This movie was more a set up for what I assume will be another sequel. I’m hearing this is supposed to be a re-booted trilogy featuring Jamie Lee. If so then it suffered from what a lot of middle films fail. It’s kind of a mess without any true development other than to move the set pieces into place for the final movie. It did take the gore to a new level for a Halloween movie and who thought that was even possible?

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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

ABFA Celebration and Oldism

I didn’t post yesterday (you are welcome) but I can’t let the momentous nature of that day go by without comment. Yesterday was the day of birth of the young lady who grew up to be the Absolute Best Family Athlete or ABFA to readers of Frail Deeds. She not only grew into a fantastic young lady but she picked up the tags of superb wife and wonderful mother as well. We all know she conquered the title of my Favorite Daughter in Law on an August afternoon in Nashua a few years ago. The BRS and my son created a birthday cake for her yesterday which, while not an artistic success, made up for that in heart. The BRS had to be bribed with a plateful of goldfish crackers to keep her at bay until the cake was ready for serving. We’ll be gathering on Sunday to celebrate as a family and hopefully there’ll be another cake which will fall under the severing stroke of Bonecrusher.

Birthday Girl and her Cake

Giggling with BR3

I’ve written before about how strange it feels to be this old. I mean, it sure as hell beats the alternative, but it’s been a revelation to be this old and realize how different it is compared to expectations. Maybe I’m weird (shut up Cantankerous Friend) but I still have the same impulses and desires as a much younger version of myself. I always thought I would descend into some sort of wise senior status, taking life as it came but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, I’m more ambitious with what I want to get done. Of course, that could be a realization of the reduced time ahead but I’m not sure. I find it startling to think those cherished old aunts and uncles still thought like the young men and women who fought World War 2 when I knew them. I know it’s the First Friday of the week and maybe I’m waxing too philosophic but there it is. For those of you approaching your senior years, fight to keep the youthful sprit, even if, as in my case, the body isn’t totally prepared to back whatever play you have in mind. Go down fighting. As the poem I stole the title of this blog from states, “Do not go gentle into that good night.  Old age should burn and rave at close of day”.

Speaking of going down fighting, I binge watched the last few episode s of Season 3 of the Netflix series You last night. I’ll warn you ahead of time if you’re a fan of the series, don’t watch the third from the last episode if you don’t have time to watch all three because it is a rollicking road to the finale. The two psychopaths settle down for parenthood and married life in an oppressive Californian suburb. You know this isn’t going to end well especially after the first episode’s bloodletting. It’s weird to have two very dangerous anti-heroes as the lead characters but it works in a very bizarre way. Especially with the female lead, who goes from bubbly to homicidal in a snap. Her deadpan stare is the stuff of nightmares. It also offers a withering send up of California new agism which is always a delight. I won’t ruin the ending for you, only to say it’s amazing.

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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

Baseball Cruelty & Medieval Misogyny

The baseball gods finally woke up and decided we were having entirely too much fun in New England. The Red Sox have no one to blame but themselves for last night’s implosion. Leading 2-1 late, their gifted young reliever grooves a hittable fastball to the notorious first ball hitting Altuve who didn’t need a trash can to tell him to swing and the game was suddenly tied. A lot of people will blame the home plate umpire who did have a horrendous night behind the plate including a missed third strike on a batter who would later drive in the winning run in the same at at bat. That umpire was bad all night long though and the Astros were the only ones who seemed to take advantage of it. When they figured he was calling strikes on pitches off the plate, that’s where they threw it while the Sox did not. It was a definite reality check for the over achieving Sox and it will be interesting to see how they respond today. If recent history is any guide they’ll respond well. Hopefully Houston burned out their “good” bullpen over the past few games.

The Missed Call

Ouch

I missed Facetime calls from both of my “kids” last night because I was in a movie marathon, actually it was only one movie but it felt like three. The Last Duel is based on a true story and tells that story three times through the viewpoints of the main characters. Matt Damon plays a grizzled French knight at odds with his former best friend Adam Driver who attacks Damon’s wife, Jodie Comer, while her husband is away from the castle. While I understand the intent and the interesting choice to tell the story this way, the movie became a bit of a slog by the time the woman’s point of view finally rolled around. It was a searing comment on the misogyny of the time. The most telling response is that women face a lot of the same challenges 800 years later. As long as the movie is, it brings you in, to be enfolded in the ancient times with Ridley’s Scott’s deft epic touches as well as the acting, most notably Comer. It would be easy to get caught up in the rivalry between Damon and Driver but this truly is Comer’s movie and she dazzles. Ben Affleck plays the liege lord and object of Driver’s sycophancy and does so with a degree of nuance I didn’t think he was capable of as his part changes during the three points of view. The climatic duel is every bit as brutal as promised as both characters pound the hell out of each other as Damon’s characters acquires even more scars which he seems to collect. A great movie and eloquent comment on the human condition and how little progress has been made in some areas over the last 800 years.

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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

Generational IT, Gravy Train & the Crawl

One of the cutest things I’ve seen in a long time is my Favorite Panamanian trying to teach her mother how to operate an iPad. We bought my mother-in-law the iPad a couple weeks ago and after I connected it to the internet and did the basic setup, I told my wife it was on her to take it further. Both of my “kids” are laughing right now because they know how technologically challenged I am. At the same time I am head and shoulders above my Favorite Panamanian, so having her as an IT instructor is grounds for high comedy. It’s lucky their interests coincide as they search out the latest Catholic masses in Spanish as well as the latest Turkish soap opera dubbed into Spanish. It’s kind of a thing right now in telenovelas. I can’t believe I know that.

Soxfather recently opined that everything the Red Sox accomplished this post season after knocking off the hated Yankees was gravy. That comes from low expectations based on an erratic regular season. The last two games the Sox have looked like an offensive juggernaut hitting as many grand slams in those two games as they hit all year long. They now lead the heavily favored Astros and the next two games are at Fenway where the crowd has taken it to another level. Wingman had the game on in the driveway along with his usual Monday Night Football crew. I’m sure the neighbors (Yankee fans I’m sure) were stewing a bit as the Red Sox homers kept clearing the green monster.

Wingman's Setup

I finally got a date for the FBR’s birthday celebration, so yesterday I was able to finally put out the warning order for this year’s birthday pub crawl back in my hometown. I had to wait because the FBR had the temerity to schedule her birth a mere four days before my birthday which resulted in the necessary coordination. The crawl is an event I look forward to all year long (hence all the requisite practice ahead of time) and had to scale way, way back last year (thank you 2020). I love the cool mix of high school classmates and friends that assemble to wander the streets of Keene together. Judging from some of the responses I’ve been getting I think a lot of people missed it.

Crawl from a Couple Years Ago

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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