Young Shy

I have nothing of penetrating social relevance to write about today, because, you know, that’s all I ever do here. Okay, that might have been an exaggeration. At any rate there’s something I’ve noticed in the locker room at the Y where I go to swim. There is a marked difference in nudity between the young and the old. Most of the elderly guys (including certain blog writers) shower nude and walk to and from lockers in all their natural glory (although to be perfectly honest most if not all glory years are decades in the past). In contrast, the young guys are very careful about having at least underwear on at all times, even when they shower, which is kind of crazy.

It's crazy because the young guys are in their prime compared to us seniors, well, better left unsaid before exploring that rabbit hole. I’m guessing it has something to do with school years and the decline of physical training therein. I remember gym in the 6^th grade where we were required to shower, naked, no exceptions, until it became routine. I grew up in the Y on the swim team where again we didn’t think twice about shucking suits as soon as the locker room door closed. The Army followed with its categoric disdain for privacy on any level. Again, I don’t think there’s anything socially relevant about this, it’s just weird. At a time when they should be proudest of their physical form they’re covering up. Of course, it’s probably they’re just disgusted with the way we seniors look and transpose that onto themselves. Their loss. I have no empirical data on what its like in the women’s locker room, at least within the last fifty years. Happy First Friday y’all!!!

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Return to Basics

I always wondered why my mom and dad thought parents night at school was a big deal, but they did. With four school age children at one point, that was not an easy thing to coordinate. Again, I wondered about this, until I had kids of my own which brought all kinds of understanding. I relished the opportunity to see where my children were bundled off to each day. This was important in a military family as each school year potentially brought yet another school to acclimate to. That’s what makes Army brats so special, adaptability. So why am I waxing, with very little eloquence, about this seemingly mundane activity? My eldest granddaughter, the buoyant FBR, is my first granddaughter in “official” school and is winding up her kindergarten year.

FBR and Some of her Artwork

Thanks to the seemingly endless Covid epidemic, parents’ night at school hadn’t been held all year, until last night. It brought back so many memories of the wide range of schools my Favorite Panamanian and I visited over those Army years. The pictures my daughter sent also made me feel really old but that happens on a daily, if not hourly basis, anyways. The FBR proudly displayed her art work and showed both her parents around her daily haunts. It also brought home the importance of these “mundane” activities; so many of which have been sacrificed on the altar of Covid 19.

Her Cubby

We’ve had yet another mass shooting, this one in Texas where an 18-year-old shot his grandmother and then over twenty people in a local elementary school. Nineteen of the ten-year-old kids were killed along with the cowardly gunman. I know there’s a special place in hell for the purveyor of this despicable act. Both sides of the gun debate rushed to politicize the event. I don’t think any gun control measure will end these events but a beefed-up mental health system just might, especially if it is tied to gun registration. A half century ago, it was much easier to send someone away, to “commit” them. I remember it being a joke with other kids as someone was being sent to the “funny farm”.

Showing Mom and Dad Around

That system was abused, of course, which meant the system and facilities were largely dismantled on the grounds of personal freedom. We are now paying the price. Push some of that DC money into creating a viable residential mental health program in each state. Give judges and police departments the power to commit people who need the help and conjunctly, take away any weapons they own or might have access to. Someone asked me how an 18-year-old could buy two assault weapons. I reminded him it was Texas and that just another Tuesday.

Finally, referring to yesterday’s post about the evil of whoopie pies. I learned last night that my Favorite Panamanian, who has always scoffed at my addiction to these sweet delicacies, is similarly afflicted. I noticed two of the pies were outside the box in the freezer and since she was the only viable suspect, I asked about it. She revealed she had been looking for something to snack on and had tried one. She said she couldn’t believe how good it was. I only nodded sagely at the tale of yet another to fall under the spell of this ultimate treat. She had taken the two out to take down to Man Cave as we planned to watch the Sox game together. During the game, she had to go upstairs for something and I wondered what took her so long. As she was sitting down I told her she’d had another whoopie pie while upstairs. She looked shocked and admitted to the act. When she asked how I knew I told her she was treading on a well-trod path.    

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Beware of Panamanians Bearing

So, there I was, feeling moderately good about myself after returning from this morning’s swim workout. Over the past couple weeks I have been slowly shaving off the extra poundage overly hedonistic retired life partying had inflicted on me. There was also yesterday's pending annual physical which includes a weigh in. Part of that extra poundage could be directly linked to my complete inability to resist whoopie pies (in all their glory). So, again, there I was as I checked in with my Favorite Panamanian who was administering to one of her thousands of plants on Deckzilla. She mentioned that the Neighborhood Mafioso had dropped off something for me.

Evil Incarnate

I walked into the kitchen to be confronted by that ultimate evil, at least when trying to control weight, a large package of mini (yep, you guessed it) whoopie pies. I wrote a couple weeks ago about being over at the Mafioso’s home where they had these treats and where I demonstrated my helplessness to resist. I had taken up residence in vicinity of the box and proceeded to demolish as many as I could, which was not a small amount. I’m guessing that demonstration made an impact on the Mafioso who is a very nice person and decided to resupply me with a personal supply of my very own kryptonite.

New Puzzles

I’ll just have to up my workouts to account for the additional caloric intake because there is no way those evil bits of ultimate deliciousness will survive long in my direct vicinity. At the same party a couple of the Mafioso’s friends learned I dabbled with jigsaw puzzles and they had her drop off four 1000-piece puzzles to add to my collection of pending puzzles. That could be delayed though as I’ll probably be working out during the time I would have spent on a puzzle. Now where did I put those evil little things?

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Checking In and Up

In accordance with a verbal agreement I reached with Great Aunt a few years ago, I have to reveal what the doctor told me today during my annual physical. I learned he and his wife enjoy ballroom dancing and he is an avid birdwatcher. That was the most exciting thing that transpired, well, that and an upcoming colonoscopy. It turns out he thinks I’m remarkably healthy for a sixty-six year old except for all the cancer scares, that is. I aced the exam on all the other particulars and he didn’t even want the usual six month follow up. So there Great Aunt, I have fulfilled my promise – very healthy, all lab results well within limits and in a major improvement, no new cancer diagnosis.

I was bragging about not needing the usual six month follow up but that was probably because our doctor is retiring in November. We’ve been with him as our primary care doc since 2005 so this will be a major change for both my Favorite Panamanian and I. I was given a list of available new docs and all the ones in Worcester sounded like a United Nations class. That’s kind of cool though as they always seem to be at the top of the class and in a plus for the bending over portion of exams, smaller fingers.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Heated Up

I’m not talking about the microwave fate of my usual dinner fare in the title either. After having the heat on in the house a couple weeks ago, we turned on the AC over the weekend as temperatures truly soared (I’ve always wondered about the saying “soared”, seems counterintuitive). Fortunately, the subterranean Man Cave remained pleasantly cool, without the need for AC. I was even using blankets down there when it was truly sweltering (another strange word) outside. I seem to be tangentially inclined this morning. Not focusing tangentially but letting the mind wander at individual words I’m writing. You are welcome to my incoherence. I blame the Game of Thrones which I am binge watching for the first time since I saw it as it was broadcast. I’m not sure why I’m assigning blame there but it was the most obvious target. I’m through season four where the Prince of Dorne just suffered his mountainous splitting headache, but I digress (which is kind of the point).

BR3 at the Great Aunt Supplied Water Table

The granddaughters were moving targets this past weekend. We had no contact with the FBR but she was busy indeed, dealing with a humid 99-degree temperature. That probably made the decision to finally get a hair cut easier to make; she looks awesome. She spent part of pre-haircut Saturday at a local park with her neighborhood running buddy. Popsicles were involved. She also managed to finagle a shopping trip out of her parents. She truly has her abuela’s shopping genes although more inclined to stuffed animals than my Favorite Panamanian.

Saturday Hangs in the Park with her Buddy

Cooling Off

Shopping!!!

Haircut Sunday

Beyond Cute

Meanwhile, up in New Hampshire, the BRS and BR3 started swimming lessons; a first for BR3. My Favorite Son reported it took a while for BR3 to accept immersion while the BRS was more than ready to submerge. They dealt with the heat with a Great Aunt supplied water table which I’m sure had both kids and their parents soaked by the end. I was outside, sitting on the steps, talking with my Favorite Panamanian as she trimmed shrubs in her vast garden complex in the cooler evening when my son called at the request of BR3. Although she was obviously tired from a long day in the heat she was incredibly charming and immediately lifted spirits in what had been a fairly quiet and moderately lonely weekend.

BRS at the Table

We’ve got a quiet week lined up but events should inevitably spiral deliciously out of control this weekend with the celebration of BR3’s birthday and a run up to the habitat of the Maine Musquetera (a trip that is moderately overdue, at least according to my Favorite Panamanian). This will involve my first ever trip to the Acadia National Park which my wife, with her Musquetera trips, has seen many times. She says we need to start doing more traveling. Her rationale is we’re getting old and don’t want to get too sedentary. I couldn’t agree more about the getting old part but gas prices may put off my Covid delayed cross country jaunt for another year.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Friday Thrice

I have a well earned and long sought-after reputation for appropriately celebrating the first Friday that rolls around during the week. I may have overdone it a bit yesterday but that’s how traditions are forged and then enhanced. I ran into my old operations manager a couple weeks ago and he suggested we get together to celebrate a Friday. I contacted him earlier this week and said I would host the event on Deckzilla. He was appropriately excited although I did maintain our long-standing joke that he would probably miss it. His job was to rally the troops at my old company while I was in charge of getting Keene Friend down for the event.

First Friday #1

During Thursday’s rain soaked passage I gave Deckzilla its annual power washing which was about as much fun as it sounds. Yesterday after the morning swim I stopped off at Home Depot and secured some stain/sealant to touch up Deckzilla’s rough spots. After that, the lawn was mowed and I was more than ready for my first beer. My Favorite Panamanian was equally excited to see some of our old work friends for the first time in years. As we approached game time Keene Friend dutifully showed up while I started receiving alarming texts from my former Ops Manager. Of all things, he was claiming he might not come because work had intruded its ugly countenance into his plans to escape. He attained the nickname of “pigeon” for his repeated failures to come to First Friday celebrations during my tenure as GM and apparently nothing has changed. The nicest part of the assembly yesterday was the arrival of my former excellent boss who found us after stopping at our old home across the street (he hadn’t updated my info). The only other people to show up were my former CFO and her sister but we had a quorum and with my Favorite Panamanian’s lively presence the party was on. Most of it was consumed with pointing out the shortcomings of the former Ops Manager for not appropriately revering First Friday protocols but it was a lot of fun hanging with old friends. The CFO revealed the celebration of First Friday had died with my departure, sadness; but the old horse and water saying suffices. Thus passed First Friday celebration #1.

#2 was the weekly family First Friday call. That started just as the first party was packing up for their respective drives home. The FBR demanded a short call as she was looking forward to her weekly movie night. After they bowed out, the BRS and BR3 entertained us with their mad dashes around the house with my son in semi-hot pursuit. We were able to get a few pieces of adult conversation with Great Aunt between all the careening. Thus passed First Friday celebration #2.

First Friday #3

When that call ended, my Favorite Panamanian had already departed for the Neighborhood Mafioso’s house where the next celebration was taking place. Keene Friend and I escorted our beer filled cooler across the street to join in. We were celebrating the birthday of one of the adjunct members of the Panamanian Mafia, an Ecuadoran married to a Panamanian gal. He has a well-earned title as a dedicated jokester which he did everything to maintain last night. After a beautiful summerlike day, the temperatures dove into the sixties in the early evening which had the Latinos and certain beachified gringos donning snivel gear to deal with the cold. I don’t think we stopped laughing the entire time we were there. Thus passed First Friday celebration #3.

Birthday Boy in his Snivel Gear

Keene Friend and I retired to the Man Cave upon our return home to catch the end of the Red Sox game and start watching a movie. Apparently, both of us were asleep later in the evening when it started raining outside. My Favorite Panamanian came down stairs and was repeatedly jumping on the overheard kitchen floor to get my attention (our informal alert system) and then yelled down the staircase with no response. She eventually donned one of my coats and rescued all the cushions on Deckzilla from the rain. I don’t think she was pleased with my lack of response but I declared unconsciousness was a valid excuse. It had been a long day and even longer evening. Victory!

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Plotting

I’m back after a sojourn away from Frail Deeds while enjoyed some spectacular, if breezy, spring weather. That meant some outdoor chores and at this time of year that means work to reestablish my Favorite Panamanian’s vast garden complex; rescuing it from the ravages of winter. She’s actually run out of space in her existing gardens so she has been casting about for additional space, usually at the expense of my lawn. She also bemoans the fact that most of her gardens are in the shade for part of the day. The only place on our property that stays in the sun all day is the lawn between our downhill neighbor and us.

BR3 & her Rudolf Nose

She decided I needed to create a garden box for her to grow herbs in. I place the blame for this squarely on Wingman who created a couple beautiful garden boxes for Wingmom in New Jersey. She assured me it didn’t have to be large but I immediately was taken back to the moment she said the deck we were going to build didn’t have to be that big. The result was of course, Deckzilla. Since yesterday was a perfect day outside, I told her I was headed to Home Depot to pick up the needed materials. Big mistake. I waited an hour for my newly appointed co-pilot to prepare herself for the trip to Home Depot. I wisely refrained from commenting on the fact we were going to Home Depot and not a date. You see, I can learn, only took forty years.

The Future Garden Box and my Un-retired Hand Saw

I set up shop on Deckzilla and went looking for my table saw. It wasn’t where it was supposed to be and I then remembered I had leant it to my Favorite Son with whom I started a basement renovation project back in July. I confirmed it through a text and then hunted down my old hand saw and prepared for an unplanned arm workout. That didn’t turn out so bad but I’m here to tell you that sawing treated lumber is not for the faint of heart compared to regular wood.

Created

I quickly created the garden box under the suspicious but supportive eye of my Favorite Panamanian who was working in her garden complex. I was sneakily proud of how it went, I even measured for the slope of the hill and it came out perfectly level. My only amateur mistake was not reinforcing the downhill side. I was loading dirt into the box when I, or more correctly my supervisor, noticed the boards were separating due to the additional weight of the soil. My wife told me I would have to empty it of all the dirt before I could reinforce it. I was extremely pissed at this point and told her I would handle it without any real plan in mind.

In Its Final Place

I ended up using an old two by four and some garden bricks to create lever which I used to lift the sagging board into place where I then inserted a lot of screws. It should take a small tactical nuclear device to unseat the thing now. My wife was begrudgingly impressed at my solution. While were out there for the final inspection the FBR called in, or more correctly, my daughter called in. The FBR was busy writing thank you letters for her teachers as the school year is somehow winding down. Time has certainly flown as she finishes up her kindergarten year. Meanwhile in New Hampshire BR3 found a Christmas gift, a Rudolf nose that lights up, and was fascinated by it. She required the ABFA to wear it and then donned it herself to impress us on a call. She’s too funny.

FBR Laughing During Our Call

Finished Another Puzzle

No date night this week as none of the movies were enticing enough to pull us out of the man cave. That didn’t stop us though as I acquired a new movie that we enjoyed down there last night. Infinite has a terrible reputation, its release a victim of the covid epidemic. It never made it to the theaters here in the US. I hadn’t heard anything about it until it appeared on a list of recent releases on Blu-ray. I really enjoyed the film which kept it’s high priced CGI effects intact. Mark Wahlberg was very effective as the central character being sought by two groups of competing immortals. They are immortal only because they retain perfect memories of prior lives. It was an interesting concept that  could have been fleshed out more but this was a nicely paced action movie that moved around the globe with interesting confrontations and action sequences. I heard it was nominated for a bunch of raspberries but this will go down as one of the movies critics dismiss but can be enjoyed by garden variety movie goers. Guilty. Good flick.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

It Begins

Yesterday was spent out on Deckzilla and the surrounding environs as my Favorite Panamanian dragooned me into garden work (actually I volunteered but don’t tell anyone). Most of the effort was planting her purchases from the mid-week thunder run up to Keene. She made quite a haul and since yesterday was one of the best days of 2022 so far, we were outside. However the big news rests with the granddaughters.

Birthday Girl Representing Yesterday

Yesterday was BR3’s second birthday and my Favorite Son and the ABFA celebrated with just the themselves, saving the big party for a couple weeks down the road. The second birthday is probably the last they’ll be able to get away with for that. It looks like they had a fabulous time with the BRS and the birthday girl with some beach time. They participated in the family Frist Friday call and every time we tried to congratulate BR3 she would take off on a dead run followed by her dad. The same thing happened yesterday morning when we called to sing happy birthday to her. That was more understandable for anyone who’s heard my singing voice.

Birthday Beach Time

Birthday Breakfast with her Siblings

Delving into Things Electronic

The FBR and her familial unit are also adventuring. Following up on last year’s very successful weekend trip to a cabin with her friends and their parents, Friday night my daughter, Wingman and the FBR journeyed to the Catskills for another cabin and the FBR was in the pool within minutes of arrival. It’s so cool that she has these friends living on the same street in Maplewood and the parents all get along really well together. It looks like they’re having a special time. We were especially touched with the photo of all the kids at bedtime with the FBR doing the honor of reading the bedtime story. Time is certainly flying.

FBR Poolside Upon Arrival

With her Mom Shortly thereafter

Greeted by a Rainbow

FBR Reading Bedtime Story

FBR Looking like a Teenager Floating in Pool

As stated above, entirely less exciting back on the home front. My Favorite Panamanian has definite opinions on my suitability for any task requiring a light touch. I was therefore assigned to removing the roots from all the flower pots from last year’s flower display. For those of you who think that was a small task, you do not know my wife and her love of flowers. We can never have too many. This was fairly dirty work as I had to burrow down to the bottom of the pots to extricate the old roots and you had to know there would be an inspection and critique at the end of the effort. We came inside for lunch and my wife was on the phone with Tia Loca when I walked by and they both burst into laughter. My dirt work had left a definite residue covering my face and they nicknamed me “Pigpen” on the spot. There are worse names for an out to pasture infantryman.

Wife's Thunder Run Haul

The Master at Work

Being so dirty did bring back some Army memories in the shower though. There’s just something special when you’re exceptionally dirty, as I was yesterday. That was the normal state of affairs during my years in the infantry when we’d come in from the field having lived in the woods for weeks on end with no showers and liberal applications of bug spray and face camouflage. My Favorite Panamanian would occasionally require me to wait out in the driveway to hose me down before she’d let me enter the house. That didn’t happen yesterday but that was a special shower.

My Apparently Hysterically Funny Dirty Face

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Mid-Week Thunder

My redemption tour headed north yesterday to allow me some time with friends while my Favorite Panamanian feasted on the tax-free shopping available in my hometown. My wife didn’t seem all that excited until we arrived and then she was off like a shot without even asking for directions because TJ Maxx was sending its siren call to one of its favorite daughters and that’s the type of place she remembers how to get to. She dropped Keene Friend and I off on Main Street which led to, you guessed it, a couple pubs. I stared across the street at the former site of the Cobblestone which now just held a pile of rubble form the post-fire demolition. Based on earlier consult with my Kindergarten Friend I had to commence reconnaissance for a replacement bar for the Cobblestone for the November birthday pub crawl.

Wife Finally Showed up at Margarita's

He and Cantankerous Friend suggested I try Modestman Brewery which set up in a former bank on Main Street a few years ago. I’ve avoided it because the beer is expensive and craft beers are not my forte. Why pay more for something I wouldn’t enjoy as much as a Coors Lite? I bit the bullet and we walked into Modestman which looks nothing like a pub. It more closely resembled an auto parts store but we ordered a couple overpriced beer and sat down to assess the locale. We decided it would fit nicely in the crawl, if only for one beer. It sits between two real bars, the Lab ‘n Lager and Kilkenny’s. It was a weekday afternoon so there were hardly any other people there but I know a hipster location when I see it. It was probably the middle age guy with a purple mohawk and a t-shirt proclaiming F- - k the Police and Everyone Else as well.

After our one beer we retreated back to the more mundane and definitely more welcoming Lab ‘n Lager. There were sports on multiple screens, a real bar, and people who didn’t seem to question the concept of reality. We had a very nice stay and the Cantankerous Friend stopped by to show us his “not pink!” bike. He had shown a picture to my Favorite Panamanian of the bike who complimented him on his pink bike. He’s been trying to overcome that title ever since. We admitted it wasn’t a bubblegum pink but more of a magenta. I told him he should be proud of his bike no matter what color people thought it was. Shortly thereafter we were joined by the aforementioned worthy, Kindergarten Friend. He still works and noted I was thunder running and joined us for a few libations. Exactly the kind of day I was hoping for when we set out from Worcester. Great people, great location, and beer.

Keene Friend at Modestman

Keene Friend and I eventually got hungry and wandered across the street to Margarita’s hoping the Favorite Panamanian was getting hungry. She was but also was not about to abandon the hunting grounds yet. We set up at the front window and watched Keene walk by for a couple hours. Around 8:30pm I finally sent her a text saying we were going to start ordering food and if she didn’t get there soon the kitchen would be closed. She and the food arrived at just about the same time as she regaled us with stories of the bargains she found. At least I think that’s what she said, a lot of beer had been sent downrange by that point. As we were leaving, we saw a fellow high school classmate who rides bikes with the Cantankerous One at the bar. She said she had just seen him at another bar trying to convince people there that his bike was not pink.

Lab 'n Lager

We declared victory and returned to Kene Friend’s house to drop him off. He asked us to come in and produced a birthday cake for my Favorite Panamanian. That’s the kind of guy he is. She was down in Panama for the actual date but he wanted to insure we got a chance to celebrate it together. I once again confirmed my long held belief that cake and beer are truly the food of the gods when consumed together.

Birthday Girl

Speaking of birthdays, tomorrow, BR3, the youngest granddaughter, turns two. I can’t believe that’s already rolled around but she’s shown recent signs of truly embracing her role as a two year old. She has more personality than is probably legal and can suffuse a room with light just be smiling, which she does a lot. Happy birthday wild one, I can’t wait to celebrate with you!

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                        

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course