2021 in Movies

I am an unashamed movie nut.  For the last post of the year I pontificate on the best and worst from only the movies I went to see. I’ve also included what I considered to be the worst movies of the year, because that’s almost more fun. It was a fairly good year for movies although I never see as many as I would have liked. You won’t find my movies on many critics top ten for the year because we go to the movies for different reasons. I go to be entertained not to judge. I’ve also chosen a quote from each of the top ten movies. As you can see I lean heavily towards action (and science fiction) but I think these films are a lot more mainstream than the out of touch film critics whose top tens are usually incomprehensible and barely entertaining. If nothing else the films below (except for the bottom two) were hugely enjoyable. Again this is only one man’s opinion and reflects only the movies I saw this year.

Best Movies of the Year 

#1 – Nobody – My favorite movie of the year was such a huge surprise. Who knew Saul cold be a bona fide action star? I loved the plot of a nebbish underachiever whose quiet demeanor covers a deadly amount of mayhem. When a random act of violence calls forth the sleeping shark it’s a wild ride with an extremely likable cast and John Wickian levels of body counts.

 Veteran: Your ID is a badge, expired by about 20 years.

Tattoo Shop Owner: Yeah, I'm pretty sure that ain't you in the photo. So...[slams fist on the table] Who are you?

Hutch Mansell: I'm just a man who's looking for someone.

Tattoo Shop Owner: Yeah, well you probably shouldn't flash cheese like that around here, bro.

Hutch Mansell: There are three types of people who as you say, flash cheese: people who don't know any better, people who are seeking to intimidate, and people like me who wish with every fiber of their being that someone would try and take it from them.

Veteran: [Noticing a special tattoo on Hutch's wrist] Uh, thank you for your service.

 

#2 - Dune – Another surprise as another director takes on this sci fi classic and finally does it true justice, especially for the Fremen. The casting for the iconic characters was also pitch perfect with Timothy Chalamet surprising me as a perfect Paul Atriedes. The planet Arrakis was brought to startling life by amazing special effects.

Duncan Idaho: Look at you. You put on some muscles.

Paul Atreides: I did?

Duncan Idaho: No.

#3 - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – There will always be a Marvel movie on the list and this was the surprisingly best one of a very strong year from the studio. The very engaging lead actor along with the amazing Akwafina made this a truly fun ride along with the usual Marvel levels of action and special effects.

Katy: I know you don't like to talk about your life, but a guy with a freaking MACHETE FOR AN ARM just chopped our bus in half!

#4 – Pig – Here’s a movie that you might find strange to be on my list but Nicholas Cage shines in this as a reclusive former chef trying to find his missing truffle sniffing pig. I know that last sentence sounds weird but this movie works on so many levels of redemption seeking and the importance of the human connection. Cage makes so many movies, many of them disaster, but this is one of his best roles ever.

Rob: We don't get a lot of things to really care about.

#5 – Cry Macho – I was reminded of the Shootist as I watched this. Like John Wayne, this might be Clint Eastwood’s last ride as a cowboy character and it was memorable in a very understated way. Clint is traveling through Mexico with a young boy who learns about being a man during the trip. The scene of Clint dancing in a cantina should be required viewing for all future filmmakers.

Miko: This macho thing is overrated. Just people trying to show that they've got grit. That's about all they end up with. It's like anything else in life: you think you got all the answers, then you realize, as you get older, you don't have any of them.

#6 – Land – You’ll see a lot of movies on this list that surprised me and this certainly qualifies. Robin Wright shines as a damaged woman looking to cut herself off from the world and maybe life by retreating into the mountains. She’s saved by an equally damaged character in a very poignant manner.

Edee: Why are you helping me?

Miguel: You were in my path.

#7 - No Time to Die – Daniel Craig’s swan song as 007 might have been the best of all. Bond comes out of retirement for one last adventure tiing up all he loose ends from his personal and professional life during the arc of Craig’s Bond. It’s a memorable send off in so many ways.

James Bond: I don't know if you wanted me to come here, or why you tried to kill Blofled, or who gave you the poison to do it, or how long you've been working for them, but I do know that for what felt like five minutes of my life, I wanted everything with you. And it's not because I didn't trust. It was just that feeling. I know I've come here to find out who gave you the poison but I'm not going to leave here without you knowing that I have loved you, and I will love you, and I do not regret a single moment of my life that led me to you. Except when I put you on that train.

#8 - The Protégé – Maggie Q has always over achieved as a supporting character and I was so pleased to see her finally get a chance to lead and she carries this action flick with aplomb. She plays a world class assassin looking for vengeance who is drawn back to her Vietnamese roots. Great action as well as plot and Michael Keaton playing a devilish bad guy is always worth the price of admission.

Moody: Our Past is never where we left it, we all have scars. If you stare at them long enough you will remember how you got them.

#9 – Spiderman: No Way Home – A thrilling conclusion to this trilogy of Spiderman flicks that will go into record books for having the most crossover roles ever. Seamlessly weaved into a dynamite story featuring love, loss, and redemption.

Doctor Strange: So, Peter... To what do I owe the pleasure?

Peter Parker: Right. Umm... I'm really sorry to bother you, sir, but...

Doctor Strange: Please. We saved half the universe together. I think we're beyond calling me sir.

Peter Parker: Okay, uhh... Stephen.

Doctor Strange: That feels weird, but I'll allow it..

#10 – Ghostbusters: Afterlife – The guilty pleasure selection for the list as this movie brought back so many good memories from the original movie. Egon’s grandchildren are facing the granddad’s old nemesis from his mid-western farm. A great supporting cast and remarkable newcomers made this so much fun.

Dr. Raymond Stantz: Gozer the Gozerian! In the name of the county of Summerville, state of Oklahoma, The US Fish and Wildlife Service, all the members of Ducks Unlimited, The Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons. I command you under the National Invasive Species Act to depart this world immediately.

Dr. Peter Venkman: Bravo.

Honorable Mention:

The Matrix Resurrections – A welcome return changing the machines versus humans to a love story.

West Side Story – Remarkable Spielberg could inject fresh life into this time honored classic, great assist to lead female vocals

Encanto – So much heart in this animated movie about the importance of family

Copshop – gritty action flick with Gerard Butler matching wits with cops and criminals alike

In the Heights – What! Another musical but this one grabs your heart from the beginning and doesn’t let go

The Last Duel – Historically based melodrama surrounding he last dule between mounted knights, interesting story told from three viewpoints with loads of tension.

Worst Movies:

The Green Knight -  The very worst movie I saw this year and I saw some stinkers. I would usually forgive a lot for anything Arthurian but this was beyond the pale. There wasn’t anything remotely redeeming about this disaster. Poorly written and acted; I get angry just thinking I spent money to watch it.

Reminiscence – How do you screw up a sci fi movie with Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson? I mean you have to go out of your way to be bad but these filmmakers somehow achieved it with the second worst movie of the year.

2021 Superlatives:

Best Comedy:  Ghostbusters: Afterlife

Best Horror Movie:  Venom: Let There Be Carnage

Best Drama:  Pig

Best Romance:  The Matrix Resurrections

Best Action:  Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Best Special Effects:   Dune

Best Scene of the Year:  The bus scene in Nobody when Hutch reveals he’s not a wimp and wipes the floor with a bunch of Russian gangsters

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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

Picking and Setting Up

Today’s post was gong to be have me waxing eloquently and profoundly on reaching my retirement day tomorrow but the more I thought about it, the more I realized the world has more than enough pomposity. I’ll simply remark that it does feel weird not to have any employment plans after working steadily for the last fifty years. A good weird though. I sent out a bunch of farewell emails to the people I have been working with and said what needed to be said to them. They’re the ones that needed to hear it. Here would just be yet another case of my ability to self-aggrandize getting out of control.

The Bulkhead Pile

Now, as to the above title; picking up involved getting outside to retrieve all the Christmas decorations. I shouldn’t complain because I got a warm if moist day to accomplish this. In prior years I would find objects frozen in the ground or buried under snow; so global warming provides a small benefit. I worked methodically from one side of the house around to the back, placing everything next to bulkhead for movement to the basement for storage until next year. By the time I was finished I had a veritable mountain of accoutrement that will be a challenge to store efficiently once it all dries out. Luckily the cursed deer figures have spent their last Christmas falling down if even a minor breeze blows. I am going to take no small amount of pleasure at the dismemberment ceremony that is in their immediate future. The storage will involve guidance from my Favorite Panamanian. She is currently hors de combat, having thrown out her back a couple days ago. She tried to ranger her way through the pain but this morning I took her in to see the doctor who prescribed some highspeed painkiller which immediately put her to sleep.

My New Machine

The setting up was by far the most frustrating experience of the day. Keene Friend, my son, and the Rhode Island bunch bought me a popcorn machine for Christmas. It is awesome and, well, we all know what popcorn means to me. The frustrating part came to the simple instructions for setting the machine up. My old nemesis, Chinese instruction writers, were haunting me again. I was getting ready to blow the damned thing up when I realized the writer did not understand what counterclockwise meant. After that it went fairly smoothly until the glass door installation which wouldn’t fit. Since it was glass, my default setting of brute force and ignorance should not be used. I tinkered with it for nearly a half hour until something broke off inside the tube and the door slid smoothly into place, just as the instructions said it would. Predictably I shed some blood during the exercise and I didn’t know how I did it. My wife always says she expects me to be bleeding whenever I work with my hands. It’s my lot in life, but in the immortal words of the black knight, “It’s just a flesh wound!”.

Today's Flesh Wound

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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

Climbing Back

I’m not sure if the title refers to climbing back out of the emotional hole created by finishing my favorite span of weeks of the year or trying to start the arduous working off of the accumulated weight of, let’s be honest, massive overindulgence during the past week. I personally blame Christmas cookies for the latter situation. Well, that and a prodigious amount of Coors Lite, but I digress. I have a lot of experience with the emotional hole situation. I have to do it each year around this same time. I completely submerge myself in the holiday season and the preceding weeks (pub crawl, Thanksgiving, etc. etc.) that when I’m thrust out the other side I find myself in desolate territory indeed. I guess if I was prone to depression this would be problematic but I’m always looking at the next “project”. This year it is twofold, retiring for good and deploying for four months to Panama.

FBR Also Climbing Back, Her Room Yesterday
All Toys Put and Away!!

I finished one of the last events of my employed life yesterday with a farewell lunch with my boss. I briefed him on the situation in each of the properties I manage. He had some very nice things to say about my tenure as vice president which did wonders for my already over-indulged ego. Friday will be my last official day which marks the end of my employed life and the first time I won’t have a job since May 1977; so a pretty good run. I also got a free ribeye steak out of the lunch, so win win. I’ve also gotten off to a good start on knocking off the acquired weight from all those Christmas cookies. I’m back in the pool and on the bike. I’ve dropped seven of the thirteen pounds I put on over the last week. Yep. I know. That was a lot of cookies.

I saw a couple movies over the past week as well. The Matrix Resurrections is aptly titled, especially if you saw the original trilogy which ended with Neo dying rather spectacularly. Neo is back and he seems as confused about it as we are but the film does a fairly good job of explaining how that transpired. It also resurrects many of the other characters although most with new faces. While the original trilogy was a fight for humanity’s future this one is a love story as Neo is forcibly reawakened to pursue his lady love, Trinity. She doesn’t remember him and apparently is happily married with a family thriving in the reconstituted Matrix. Agent Smith is also back in a new body but still a complete a-hole. The movie does a superb job of taking the mythology of the original film and moving it forward sixty years but also giving some closure to that story. It had the usual Matrix special effect combat which were so groundbreaking at the time but it’s become fairly common over the years. It’s a still a good adventure yarn carried by the enduring chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss.

I loved the first two Kingsman movies and all of Mathew Vaughn’s movies so far. That streak came to an end with this Kingsman prequel set during the First World War. It didn’t have the trademark whimsical fun of the first movies until the climactic battle which was pure Kingsman. Everything leading up to that was okay but I was expecting so much more. Ralph Fiennes does an admirable job of trying to lift the material out of the doldrums but is weighed down by a truly ponderous script that jumps all over the place recreating history. I’m still trying to figure out what the hell was going on with the Rasputin section which wandered all over the place. More screen time for Gemma Atterton would have been a plus but she’s mostly wasted until that final confrontation. I didn’t love it but my expectations might have been too lofty. Still worth a watch.

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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

Alrighty Then!

So, words just won’t do it; more correctly, my limited ability to convey how much joy this past few days brought me is an impossible task. I’ve been away from the computer for the past four days and I didn’t miss it, even a little bit. Granted my Man Cave haunt was converted into a spare bedroom for Wingmom but even absent that situation I wouldn’t have gone near the ethernet. It wasn’t just that I was having too much fun (I was) but when I wasn’t, I was exhausted from that situation.

Early Christmas Morning

It all started Thursday afternoon when my daughter’s family pulled into town. Except for an unfortunate feline urinary incident during the trip, they made great time driving up from New Jersey. My Favorite Panamanian and I were escorted upstairs to have rapid Covid tests administered. Once we emerged negative we were finally able to get around to all the hugging the season (well any time we get together) requires. The FBR was fascinated with all the Christmas decorations as my wife had turned the house into an experience to rival the Hallmark movies she always watches while baking Christmas cookies. She also had a hop scotch game stuck to the floor and a felt Christmas tree set up for the granddaughters to have fun with.

The Hopscotch Game

Felt Christmas Tree

FBR's Effort

The FBR immediately required another “adventure” into the woods behind the house. We gathered firewood for a fire that never took place but the gathering was a lot of fun. The best part was having these great people plus a dog and a cat literally filling up the house. We received a minor snow storm overnight which was all the FBR needed to require a snowball fight which was more like target practice for the FBR than a real fight. I played the part of the target. She also raced up the hill to slide down on her saucer a few dozen times. It was so different than last year when I had to walk her up each time. I prudently stationed myself, at her urging, in the vicinity of my Favorite Panamanian’s restored Virgin Mary statue to prevent a repeat of last year’s unfortunate decapitation event.

Sliding is Back

Taking Aim at Grandpa

This all evolved into Christmas Eve dinner and the arrival of my Favorite Son and his family to complete the Christmas crowd. The cousins immediately returned to their house on fire comradery whilst the adults, as well as BR3, enjoyed a prime rib dinner. This was my wife’s first effort with prime rib and it was more than a complete success. This was followed by the usual Christmas Eve activities, including the opening of one present by the granddaughters. This became problematic when the FBR chose a present that turned out to be dreaded clothes instead of a toy. We successfully distracted her by telling her it was time to lay out the cookies, milk, and note for Santa. She actually wrote the note herself this year. The FBR instructed the BRS that Grandpa blanket rides up the stairs were the bomb. This might be the last year I can offer them to the FBR due to her increasing size combined with my equally cumulative age. I was trailed up the stairs by concerned parents. I’m not sure they were anxious more about my physical strength or the amount of beer sent downrange ahead of the rides.

Daughter, FBR and Abuela on Gingerbread House Build

Artiste at Work

Not to be Disturbed

Finished Product

Son, ABFA, & BR3

Getting the FBR and BRS to sleep became a team effort that stretched over three hours. Even the threat of Santa avoiding the house if they were still awake did little to quench their determination to fight sleep. Every single adult journeyed up the stairs to try and induce and/or threaten dire consequences to little or no effect. Eventually my Favorite Panamanian’s turn came up and she was gone for nearly an hour and a half. She achieved success although she literally spent most of the time in bed with the girls. Love Actually, another family Christmas tradition, followed in the Man Cave. A little after midnight, after the movie, I found myself in the kitchen preparing the Christmas turkey for its early morning rendezvous with the oven.

Cousin Time

Princess BRS

Decorating Abuela's Hair

Daughter and BR3

The agreement the gals would stay in bed until seven Christmas morning was shattered as apparently they never got the memo. We could hear the patter of small feet around 5am. To rescue beleaguered parents, I gathered all three granddaughters into our bedroom to wait out the appointed hour. This was an interesting interlude involving a mass frog migration acted out. The two older cousins raided my wife’s vast shoe collection and an extended fashion show ensued. It was a great way to kick off Christmas morning.

Christmas Morning Frog Race

BR3 Peek a Boo with Grandpa

"There he Is!"

Shoe Show

We all eventually made it downstairs to the well laden Christmas tree and the explosions of delight that Santa Claus had in fact slipped in during their brief interludes of sleep. The FBR wanted to distribute presents because she could now read the tags. The place was soon a maelstrom of wrapping paper, toys, and dolls. BR3 waded through the morning not really understanding everything that was going on but she made the rounds to all participants. I just sat back and reveled in the chaos.

Christmas Morning Chaos

This was followed by mimosas, hojaldras, and Christmas cookies (okay the cookies was mostly me). I snuck down early in the morning to start up to turkey and it was just starting to emit the trademark smell as breakfast went down. Shortly before Christmas dinner Great Aunt and Soxfather joined us for the rest of the day. My Favorite Panamanian had gone to great lengths decorating the table and the guys once again met the dinner time with a tasty meal. The men have been in charge of the Christmas meal prep in our family for over thirty years now. It’s nice having adult men to help carry the load now, especially my Favorite Son, who should be taking over primacy in a few short years.

Dinner Table

Where do the Batteries go?

BR3 Dominating a Hat

Dinner was followed by my favorite time of the holiday, a night of extended conversation in the living room while the granddaughters flitted around playing with newly acquired toys. Since there was an ice storm brewing up north, Keene Friend couldn’t make it down but that was the only downer of a really enjoyable evening of sharing conversations and lots of laughs with a very special group of humans. Soxfather became a focal point for the FBR and BRS as he continued his legendary ways with silly games. Eventually bed time rolled around for the granddaughters and the obligatory blanket rides from grandpa, again with the worried parents trailing me upstairs. The ladies once again did their very best to fight off the challenge of actually falling asleep while I’m sure they could hear the extended laughter coming from downstairs. Just about a perfect day.

FBR & BRS in Abuela Boots

Meanwhile BR3 Gets a Ride

The granddaughters were up early again the day after Christmas. Holjadras were consumed and wounds from a night of mild over indulgence were addressed. My Favorite Son’s departure was inevitable and lamented. The BRS and BR3 almost immediately went to sleep upon leaving which was hilarious considering they did their very best not to sleep while here. The remaining group settled in to watch a very disappointing Patriots’ game. They may have raised our expectations a bit too much in this rebuilding year.

Favorite Panamanian with Technicolor Hair

Great Aunt Looking so much Like Our Mom

Soxfather Holding Court

Immediately following the game, we packed up for the annual trip to NH and Keene Friend’s house for the traditional day after Christmas gathering. We’ve been doing this ever since my mother passed away since the gathering had been at her house prior. With Covid concerns still fairly abundant the group was small but what it lacked in size it made up for with comradery. The Cantankerous Friend and Keene Friend 2 joined us for a detailed discussion on the state of the world as well as pizza. In a scene repeated from two years ago, the FBR was singularly fascinated with the Cantankerous One. Some things are just inexplainable.

The Boys

Monday brought all the celebrating to a screeching halt with the departure of the New Jersey bunch. We packed up the car which my daughter was driving back to New Jersey with along with the FBR, Wingmom, as well as a cat and dog. As soon as they pulled away, I drove Wingman to Boston to catch a flight to his upcoming reunion tour with his band. I returned to a very quiet home where my Favorite Panamanian was addressing the accumulated debris from a weekend spent entirely too well. I was charged with ripping up the hopscotch decals and preserving them for future iterations. This was not fun. My wife disappeared upstairs to being the process of packing for Panama which is bearing down upon us now that we have adequately enjoyed Christmas. For those that know me, the fact that we reached “adequate” means we had more fun than is probably strictly legal.

Five Minutes After they Left

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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