Slip Sliding

We’re having one of those rare (this year at least) day-long rainy days which makes it harder to get out of bed. I should mention at this point that the new bed has already made that task infinitely more difficult. This means I must hear an “I told you so” from my Favorite Panamanian every time I mention how much I love the king size bed. A small price indeed. A large part of the luxuriating comes from the Leesa mattress (thank you daughter and Wingman) as well as the increased area to roam. Speaking of roaming, I’ve had to pay more attention during the inevitable late night wandering to the rest room as the larger bed has intruded into my chosen, well worn path to that important destination.

Friend Sent us This From Past Weekend's Party
Wife Dangerously Trying to Supervise me when I have an
Electric Knife in my Hand

The New Hampshire bunch had a very fun, Christmas themed weekend when my son and the ABFA took the BRS and BR3 on the Polar Express. This is a themed train ride out of Portland, Maine. I could tell how much the kids enjoyed it because I usually get a well coaxed hello from the BRS and a collection of primordial screams from BR3 during our Facetime calls, but when I asked about the train ride they were both almost too excited to talk about it. The ABFA provided the attached photos which document the experience. You just gotta love the matching Christmas outfits. It seems I’m not the only one in the family excited about the 25^th.

ABFA and BRS

Son and BR3

All Aboard the Polar Express

Sister with Golden Tickets

But, Where's Santa?

Oh, There He is!

BRS Meeting the Big Guy

Very Happy Santa Girls

This is already one of the busiest times of the year for us because of the holiday but we’ve decided to make it more exciting with telescoping a lot of our doctor and dentist appointments as well. I have my annual physical next week as well as the dermatologist (praying for no more delving). You’ll notice there are a lot of movies in the A-Z section below. This is a result of the most important aspect of our trip back to Panama following Christmas, the spousal luggage packing extravaganza which meant I was on my own in the Cave. As I’ve documented in the past, my Favorite Panamanian takes packing very seriously. For the past weeks she’s been extracting items she’s bought over the past year for the condo from well-hidden caches, as well as presents for her family. I checked in a couple nights ago to survey her initial load plan. As innocently as possible (well, maybe not so innocently), I reminded her that I also needed to pack some clothes and there was no room for anything of mine in the current, very full suitcases. That sent her into a mild depression followed by re-packing, which is still going on and will continue until the day before we leave. I’m confident at least my underwear and shaving kit will make it with me. I don’t need a lot more for the beach but am hoping, pray for me.

On Date Night we finally got around to see Wicked. I went into this not knowing much about the play this originated from other than the big song, Defying Gravity. I’d heard of Ariana Grande but wasn’t impressed with her at the beginning as she seemed to have a weak voice that the music overwhelmed at times and she looked almost anorexic. The movie is saved by the arrival on screen on Cynthia Erivo with her powerful voice and immense screen presence. Grande seemed to bloom herself with Erivo at her side and was much better as the film progressed. It’s one of those really long films that can’t mask that and both my wife and I nodded off a couple times. All that being said, it rises to magical at times before descending back into unneeded mediocrity. I know this is wildly popular and the Gen Z’ers will hang me in effigy for saying this, but, this wasn’t that great. I guess it isn’t easy being green after all.

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch, five keepers: My Blue Heaven, Steve Martin, national treasure in goofy mob comedy; Nacho Libre, terrible, just terrible, couldn’t finish watching this; National Treasure, there’s that word again, love this treasure hunt with Cage, fell in love with Diane Kruger all over again; National Treasure 2 Book of Secrets, continued hijinks with the gang, no drop off; The Natural, one of the three best baseball movies ever made (with Field of Dreams & Bull Durham); Near Dark, modern vampire movie with cast from Aliens directed by eventual Oscar winner Bigelow. Now, guess which one got kicked.

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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