Trickle Down Theorized

I will never be an economic theorist, outside of trying to understand my Favorite Panamanian’s shopping trends and the impact they have on the TJX Corporation, but I digress. The failed economic theory of trickle-down can, however, serve as a fitting description of my bed/mattress situation. I know. You’re welcome. Anytime a discredited monetary premise is rescued from the scrap heap, an angel gets his wings. (Okay, I made that last part up). By way of explanation, my wife has campaigned for the better part of three months to upgrade our queen-sized bed to king sized. I was a little resistant (okay, a lot) because even though we’ve had the queen-sized bed for most of our marriage, she always ends up right next to me as I get a narrow strip on the edge to sleep on. I didn’t think that would change with an upgrade other than giving her more room to wander before latching onto the border of my narrow strip of the mattress.

Daughter Sent these Photos
I'm Surrounded by 3 Generations of Beauty

I knew I was fighting a losing battle because she’s learned to wear me down with logic despite my resistance to same. In tribute to her, the reasons for the upgrade were altruistic (kind of how she is). I’ve always been a light sleeper (except after pub crawls) and her bad knee over the summer made it impossible for her to sleep comfortably. Invariably her nocturnal gyrations would wake me up and she felt bad. I also decided we would splurge on the mattress because, well, we can, and we spend nearly a quarter of the calendar day on it. Wingman and my daughter put me onto the Leesa mattress company, which makes a tempurpedic type mattress, only better.  It is delivered in a small box and expands to full size upon opening, so there’s also an entertainment value. I’ve slept on theirs and am sold.

Goofing with the FBR

Appropriate Spouse T-Shirt

Typical FBR Photo Pose

I then had to face the most difficult part of this situation. I had to go shopping with my Favorite Panamanian. You’d think someone who shops as much as she does would be better at making decisions. You would be wrong. This is one of the primary reasons we never shop together (other than my bone deep hatred of said process). I make decisions easily and quickly (this peaked with my marriage proposal after three days of knowing her). I was at a low boil by the time we hit our fourth furniture store on Monday. Hope sprung up as we finally found two king sized headboards that were the right color (never knew that was important). The only problem, she liked both and had to decide annnnnnd we’re back to the aforementioned dilemma. She reached out via text to our daughter who gave her opinion, and I was finally able to coax her into deciding (although she misinterpreted the daughter text and chose the other one). The new bed has a lot of features including blue tooth connection for imbedded speakers, night lights and cup holders. Don't know ho we survived without those for all these years.

Current Master Bedroom Bed - Just Before I dismantled it to Move

So. What the hell does all that drivel have to do with trickle down (I knew you were wondering)? Now that we had a new bed inbound, we had to decide (again, oh no!) which bed was going into basement storage. We had two queen sized beds in the guest rooms that our kids use when they visit. The decision was pretty easy since our now former master bedroom bed is going to replace the first bed my wife and I ever bought together. Yep, we had a bedstead that is over 40 years old, that survived all those military moves, only to be undone by a bad knee. Trickledown theory.

To Replace This 40 Year Old Bedstead

New Bed Has Arrived, Lots of Bells and Whistles
Waiting for Mattress Delivery, Queen Sized Box Spring Still There

My daughter sent the attached photos taken at Last Saturday’s Veterans’ breakfast. Yep, last Saturday remains one of my favorite days of all time and it started out in a church basement (before all the less than holy activities of the afternoon pub crawl). I’m heading back to Keene this weekend to hang out with some of those friends again. I think of it as an after-action review, necessary to insure next year’s crawl will be a success. My Favorite Panamanian will be away at a religious retreat (being married to me carries a heavy prayer burden) so I’m a geographic bachelor for a few days and, true to form, I’m running back to my hometown buddies. I had a nice conversation with my little sister this morning where she related a scary story about criminal activity in her neighborhood in which she was rescued by her dog (it’s what dogs do).  She lives alone which only adds to concerns but her daughter’s family is moving in with her at the end of the school year which will help.

Date night on Tuesday had us at the movie theater, of all places (I was still recovering from the Monday shopping experience). We saw Red One, which is not as bad as you might be hearing from the critics. The cast is outstanding and the duo of the Rock and Captain America are perfect foils for each other. The Rock oversees security for Santa Claus and spends the movie trying to find him after a kidnapping, assisted by naughty lister Evans. I know, a silly premise but it works as they devote themselves to playing it straight, as if this could really happen. There’s also a less than subtle message about Christmas and family which is always welcome. I really enjoyed the movie and the action was credible, even when they’re fighting rogue snow men sent by the Christmas witch. I know. As I said, silly, but it works.

Five movies fell in the A-Z watch (all M.I. so I am Tom Cruised out), all keepers: Mission Impossible 3, Ethan gets married, almost; Mission Impossible, Ghost Protocol, Ethan with scariest building climb, ever, and Paula Patton dominates a gown; Mission Impossible, Rogue Nation, Ethan meets Ilsa, sparks fly; Mission Impossible, Fallout, Ethan beats up Superman; and Mission Impossible, Dead Reckoning, Part 1; oh no, Ilsa, but here comes Haley Atwell!, where we learn why actors are so scared of AI.

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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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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