Apple Time and Farewell to Friend

I was fortunate enough this past weekend to spend time with my son and his “energetic” family. Needless to say, most of that energy was supplied by the BRS and BR3. The time also rejuvenated some serious memories from my youth. Every year, before my parents divorced, we always spent a September Sunday driving to Vermont to do some apple picking. My son and the ABFA always schedule their kids for interesting family events which is where our good fortune asserted itself since they had planned an apple picking session. That took place on Sunday after our Friday night arrival. That meant we had to get through a Saturday which is always a lot of fun since these four people are incredibly fun to hang out with.

Son and his Family at the Orchard

We arrived Friday night after the granddaughters were safely past bedtimes. This allowed us to sit around the kitchen table and have an adult conversation with my son and the ABFA. This isn’t always possible when the BRS and BR3 are careening around. Saturday morning meant an hojaldra breakfast featuring the established family hojaldra queen, the BRS. Following this, the ABFA herded her young charges out the door for dual dance classes. They are adding tap dancing to their repertoire this year, which means two recitals each this coming June. Be still my heart. While they were out, my son and I accomplished another stated reason for our trip north, buying a new home computer for me.

Wife Decorated the Front Porch Before we Left

Mums the Word

BRS and BR3 Welcoming Crew

This is where we arrive at the friend farewell in the title. I spend a lot of time on the computer as evolving to at least a couple hours a day, so, we’re buddies. I believe this is a habit I acquired at work where all the work flowed through the electromagnetic spectrum for at least the past twenty years. I also blog occasionally (you may have heard about that). So, why do I need a new computer? Since it travels everywhere with me, it was bound to encounter danger. Two years ago, I traveled back from Panama for Soxfather’s funeral and thought it would be a good idea to bounce the computer off my driveway (side note – this is not a good idea). In my defense, I was not in a good frame of mind at the time. To my intense relief, the computer still worked, although, as the photo shows, the upper right conner was shattered and the screen cracked. I’m not all that devoted to the aesthetics, the computer still worked fine although I was also a bit nervous because it performs so many important tasks, especially when we’re down in Panama. My two kids were shocked I would continue to work with it and only shook their heads in disbelief when the see me seated behind it. A couple months ago it started to turn off by itself so I decided my tempting of fate was coming due. My son and I headed to Best Buy since it would be tax free in New Hampshire and I needed a member of my IT advisory council (consisting of my son, daughter, and their spouses) to accompany me.  I learned I had thwarted a conspiracy amongst my kids and my Favorite Panamanian. They had decided to take action into their own hands and planned on getting me a computer for my birthday in November.

My Old Friend

I’m so glad he was with me at the store as I walked into a vast array of choices. He was able to guide me to the table that held the latest versions of my current “friend”. When the salesman arrived, my son had already made me comfortable with a choice. It turned out to be the cheapest one on the table but he agreed that I didn’t need all the bells and whistles that the expensive ones had since my use is, well, fairly normal for a guy approaching 70. In a very funny moment, the salesman demonstrated one of the new features, a virtually shatterproof screen. He scraped a key across the screen without doing any damage. My son and I burst into laughter and explained why I needed a new computer. I now face the daunting task of transferring all my apps, protections, and other requisite software to the new computer. My son offered to help me but, in a moment of either sheer bravery or intense idiocy, I told him I want to do it myself. Hopefully this is the last blog post from the cracked screen computer. Luckily, I have all members of my IT council on speed dial. We shall see, keep me in your prayers.

The Dancing Girls

Albondigas Prep

The Team

Yep, I'm in Trouble

Hojaldra Breakfast

While my son was guiding me through this purchase, my Favorite Panamanian remained back at their house preparing one of my son’s favorite meals, Panamanian meatballs. The Spanish word for meatballs, “albondigas”, is one of my favorite words, just sounds great. It became a family tradition when the kids were growing up that I would start bellowing “albondigas” whenever she was making them. The grandkids have picked up on this which made the house a fun place to be. BR3 had volunteered to help her abuela with the prep. It was cute watching them work together, although I will be in trouble when she sees I posted a photo of her with curlers in her hair. Nothing ventured, etc. etc. They apparently bonded in the effort because BR3 accompanied her abuela to mass while the BRS was attending another of the seemingly endless birthday parties.

FBR in Cheerleader Mode

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, another big event, as the FBR made her debut as a cheerleader. She was very excited after the first few practices which I understand because, as I observed this past summer, the girl loves to cartwheel. She was cheering for both teams at her elementary school which I guess makes sense. My daughter sent the attached photos which were a bit startling because she looks almost twice her actual age. A perpetual complaint on Frail Deeds, these granddaughters are emulating their parents by growing up way too fast.

Sunday brough the aforementioned apple picking expedition. Things have certainly changed over the past five decades and is now a big business. The Cider Hill Farm was packed. A huge, full, parking lot had us walking through a large picnic area with assorted food vendors and apple related products. My Favorite Panamanian, spying the apple orchard atop a distant hill, decided to wait for us in the picnic area. Her knee feels better but not enough to dare that terrain. It was a crisp autumnal day as we moved through the trees after a tractor ride to the top. The granddaughters were intrigued by the process and flitted from tree to tree as we filled a couple bags. Despite the large number of people present, it didn’t feel crowded. The nostalgia hit me a couple times, remembering the times I did this with my three sisters so many years ago.

In the Orchard, Picnic Area in the Distance

ABFA and BRS Picking

With my Son and Granddaughters

ABFA and her Girls

BR3 escorted me on the walk back down the hill to the picnic area. We joined my Favorite Panamanian in a virtual cloud of yellow jackets who were attracted to the sugar donuts, one of the favorite treats available. The BRS was not pleased, due to a recent, painful encounter with one of these dastardly creatures. My wife was poo pooing the concerns until she took a bite of her donut only to realize she had ingested a yellow jacket, who was not pleased finding itself in her mouth. She spit it out before serious damage was done. A mild swollen tongue was the only result. It did not quell her conversational abilities which she continued to demonstrate.

BR3 Walking me Back

Son and I

Back in Picnic Area

I spent the afternoon in my son’s home theater watching the NFL Red Zone with my son while all the ladies took off for shopping. My son and I were playing each in fantasy football. He is such a great sport because he showed me how to log in on my phone so I could make some needed roster changes, even though this hurt his chances of beating me. A true hero as his sensibilities as my IT advisor were more important than winning. It was so cool watching football on the huge screen with the players life sized. The best part though, quality time with the son.

BR3 Shopping with Abuela

While I Watched Football in the Theater

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: The Losers, love this action, black comedy, fun to see Captain America as a wimp; Lost in Space, one of first DVDs I acquired, nostalgic feel from beloved 60’s sci fi show; Lost Souls, had to stop watching this at night because it was scaring me too much, finished in much safer daylight.

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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; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him 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); 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course