We
achieved additional familial presence on Wednesday when my mother-in-law flew
in from Panama for a two month stay. That means we now have a four-generation span
residing in the house with my mother-in-law and the FBR. The FBR took the drive
to the airport in stride, mainly because we used her parents’ technique of allowing
her to use her iPad while we were on the trip. We didn’t hear a single peep
from her for nearly two hours but I did miss her GPS imitation jokes. There is no short-term parking at the international
terminal at Logan anymore, someone must remain in the car while there. I was,
of course, nominated for this auspicious position of trust.
 |
| More Ice Cream with Grandpa |
Fortunately,
I brought along my kindle to read because there was nothing but silence or an
excited squeal emanating from the back seat as the FBR wound her way through Disney’s
many offerings. Before leaving home, my Favorite Panamanian had demonstrated
her peerless time management skills by deciding to go to the grocery store a
half hour before we were supposed to leave for the airport. While she was away,
I checked on her mother’s flight and discovered it was going to land 30 minutes
early. Some frantic calls to my wife went typically unanswered. A similarly frantic
drive to the airport ensued as I assured her we would get there in time as there
were bound to be delays on getting through customs and baggage claim. The only
time in my life I prayed for those type delays.
 |
| Mother in Law Arrives! |
We
ended up waiting over an hour in the parking lot before they emerged from the
terminal with tales of a surly wheelchair attendant wanting more than a twenty-dollar
tip. Those complaints ended when my wife offered to go to the flight operations
desk and ask what was appropriate. The drive back home was a lot nosier with
two adult Panamanian ladies in the car but the FBR never emerged from her iPad thralldom.
 |
| FBR at the Bookstore |
We’ve
had a much more sedate week with the FBR following our Tuesday mountain ascent.
One of my favorite times was a trip to
the book store with the FBR. Her mother, who inherited a love of reading from
me, has passed that on to the FBR. Now that she’s actually reading, this has
taken on an entirely new dimension. It was so cool to see her perusing the
shelves and then deciding she had to sit down and see how a book started before
she would consider allowing me to buy it for her. She also flashed her abuela’s
shopping skills as she demanded we check out the entire store versus only the
children’s section.
 |
| Garden Inspection Duties |
The
temperatures have nosed into the autumnal range over the last couple nights and
I just noticed that we’re in September, somehow. I love it when we can turn off
the A/C and open the windows at night. The FBR has apparently inherited another
aspect from both her mother and abuela. She is something called, “friolenta” in
Spanish, which means she’s a real wimp when it comes to cooler temperatures. Neither
my daughter or wife are fans of cold weather and the FBR claimed she was
freezing this morning when the temperatures dipped into the low 60’s. This didn’t
prevent her from taking me up on an offer to run down to Meola’s for some more
ice cream though. Today was spent painting garden rocks with her abuela and
bis-abuela. Once it warmed up, of course.
 |
| Painting Rocks with Bis |
Three
movies fell in my A-Z effort, all keepers as I launch into the B’s, Babel (one
of those movies that sticks with you), Baby Driver (I fall in love with Lily
James every time I see her), and Babylon A.D. (silly but entertaining).
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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 3rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and
Soxfather named after me; 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
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