New Addition Met

We checked off one of our most important redeployment goals yesterday when my Favorite Panamanian and I met the newest addition to the family – the daughter of the Namesake Nephew. She was born on my wife’s birthday in February and has conclusively captured the heart of Great Aunt. We, of course, had to see what all the talk was about, and Great Aunt facilitated that yesterday with a barbecue lunch at her house. This was the first time I’d seen my sis since I returned and that would have made the trip more than worthwhile in and of itself. The added benefit of the littlest one was gravy.

Great Aunt with her Granddaughter Yesterday

Great Aunt Assures me this is a More Typical Mood for Her

She certainly lived up to advance billing in the pictures that we had seen. She’s a beautiful baby but she was not in her best mood yesterday. She has an older brother and sister who made it their business yesterday through increased decibel levels to insure the baby did get her nap. I can also assume the baby might have been a bit shocked to have all the new faces (including mine which is not the most attractive) thrown at her. She made her unhappiness well known with some decibel augmentation of her own. That couldn’t hide the fact of what a welcome addition she certainly is. My Favorite Panamanian had her in her arms five milliseconds after they arrived. We were joined by other members of Soxfather’s incredible family. I failed in my usual mission to snap a picture of Soxfather’s sister because she (as is well known and chronicled) is a huge fan of my innate photographic abilities. I apologize sincerely for not capturing her likeness yesterday. She’ll have to find a way to forgive me.

My Wife with the Star of the Show

It was a great day, and I loved seeing how happy Great Aunt is being a grandmother, a role she has trained extensively for in spoiling mine. I was a little tired yesterday and I didn’t understand it. I showed up from Panama with an extra fifteen pounds (too much of Sunshine Pizza and gelato) that I’ve been trying to work off. I was more than half way to my goal until I ran into Great Aunt’s usual formidable dessert table. I was helpless to resist, especially when she unveiled her ultimate weapon, a donut cake. That has been my kryptonite for twenty years, dating back to when it was first deployed against me by Soxfather’s mom. I tried to go with just a small piece but that only led to additional ones. As stated above, helpless. A great day.

Great Aunt in her Element

I wasn’t the only one that had a great day this weekend. The FBR and her mom visited a cat café on Saturday. These two are both hard core cat lovers (which I struggle to understand but have accepted as a character flaw that can be tolerated). As you can see from the pictures the cats were fully appreciated by the FBR. I was convinced they would return with an adoptee as they are all available, but that didn’t happen. If I know my eldest granddaughter at all, I’m sure she made several impassioned pleas to her mother on this subject before they departed.

FBR at the Cafe

I Think She Found One

Today is a most welcome day as it marks what I have come to call the Annual Grand Opening. After a blustery weekend, we are blessed with a fabulous spring day and I returned from my morning swim to find all the windows in the house open. I always leave the decision to turn the heat off to my Favorite Panamanian since she is pathologically disinclined to brisk temperatures. I love having the fresh air in the house after all the months of the furnace and the air conditioning (that would be in Panama). The trees are starting to sport flowers and leaves and the winter finally seems to be on the run. Of course, this is New England, and we could get a blizzard tomorrow, not that I would mentioned that to certain Panamanians I cohabitate with. We had a minor emergency this weekend in the kitchen. No, I’m not talking about any culinary efforts I may have attempted (but that would have been a good guess). The kitchen TV died. While that may not sound like a big deal. It is. This is the TV we use the most and always have on to hear news and more importantly, SportsCenter. I ran out to buy a replacement and tried to get one the same brand so all the codes wouldn’t have to be updated. All the times I watched the Geek Squad install and mount the TVs finally paid off. Despite a skeptical Favorite Panamanian watching, I was able to dismount the old TV and install the new one. I even took it a step further and programmed the smart TV functions, something I usually wouldn’t attempt without someone for my IT section (son, daughter, their spouses) present. In a major surprise, everything works. I made a huge tactical error by showing my wife she could now watch her Russian soap operas dubbed in Spanish on the new TV with YouTube (when will I learn!?).

Newly Installed TV

Front Yard Tree Blooming

Five movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: new additions from Christmas: Furiosa A Mad Max Saga, Taylor-Joy continues to impress as they try to live up to Fury Road; Judgement at Nuremberg, important movie, especially given our current times; The Killer’s Game, trying to outdo John Wick and almost getting there; The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Reacher and Superman teaming up, the Nazis didn’t stand a chance; and back to the library shelves, Ocean’s Eight, better than the male versions, Bullock and her team are awesome.

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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

Lunch is Served

My high school class, despite our advancing ages, can’t seem to get enough of each other. I know that is usually not the case with high school classmates, so that officially makes us weird. It’s a weirdness we’ve come to embrace. In my tropical absence they conspired to start up a monthly luncheon at that renowned Keene eatery, the Pub. Since my tropicalness has been definitively concluded, I was finally able to attend. I linked up with both Keene Friends 1 and 2 ahead of time while my Favorite Panamanian headed out for tax free shopping armed with TJ Maxx gift cards that had been burning a hole in her pocket since Christmas. She also hit the Home Depot so it was an expensive lunch. Worth every penny of it though, as I was once again thrust into that “weirdness” that is so entertaining whenever this group gathers.

Part of Yesterday's Lunch Crew

My only complaint would be having to sit in a dining setting which meant for the most part you had to talk with your immediate neighbors. The Pub Crawl is superior in that regard since you’re free to circulate (as long as there’s something to hang onto but that’s only near the end of the crawl – whoa, I am seriously digressing and need to jump off that tangent). There were some notable absences as the Cantankerous One is on some sort of theater tour in Central Maine (I know – talk about weirdness), the Kindergarten Friend was at the doctor’s office (an inherent activity for our age group), and the CRC, who was probably hanging blinds somewhere.

The Other Half

The group that did gather was exceptional. My immediate neighbors included both Keene Friends as well as one of the most renowned storytellers from our class, truly a character of legerdemain. After the lunch, a few of us (those without immediate responsibilities) made our way to the only pub open at this early hour, the distinguished end of our annual pub crawl, The Pour House. It still feels weird to drink beer in what was a Sears store for my entire youth (and scene of epic battles between my mother and the store’s employees), but, as stated above, our class specializes in weirdness. We sat at a table with a sign that read, “Life is Made of Pour Decisions”, fairly eloquent. It was fun sitting around with friends while Keene’s Central Square busied itself outside on a perfect spring day.

At The Pour House

We included our almost requisite call to the PCR who looks forwards to them but always acts like we’re intruding. It’s all an act as we caught him on a golf course this time so we didn’t have the usual added civility of his spouse. He was planning on executing a hole in one at his next hole so we had to cut the call short – still fun to include him in the festivities. Since Keene Friend 2 had to umpire a baseball game, we had to cut those festivities short but Keene Friend 1 had a surprise for my shopped out Favorite Panamanian when she arrived. He had a birthday cake prepared which was just what the doctor ordered (a long-standing Frail Deeds truism – cake and beer – just the best). I woke up yesterday morning wearing a t-shirt I received from Keene Friend which includes a favorite quote from the movie, The Town, “Whose Care we Gonna Take?”. It’s a comment on what true friends will do for each other and appropriate for yesterday since I got to hang out with exactly that kind of creature.

The Eloquent T

This didn’t really qualify as a true thunder run as we were missing some of requisite characters and we had to leave early. I was even capable of driving which definitely moves it out of thunder run contention. My Favorite Panamanian had an evening MRI date (there’s that age related medical monster raising its ugly head again). I archly informed her on that drive that we would be returning to Keene next week to execute a proper thunder run. She glanced at the back of the car, overstuffed with her spoils of the day, and was more than happy to acquiesce. Before that, this weekend, I’m looking forward to meeting the newest addition to the family, the Namesake Nephew’s baby, who has completely conquered Great Aunt in our absence.

Keene Friend with Belated Cake for Wife

We snuck out to the movies earlier in the week to see The Amateur. While this is a bit of a formulaic spy thriller, I truly enjoyed it. Remi Malek is a compelling actor and perfectly cast as CIA nerd who is bound and determined to take out the terrorists who kill his wife. Everyone is convinced this frail guy is not up to the task, but he finds a way to get the training he needs and sets out for Europe with CIA assassins on his trail. I liked that the film didn’t automatically turn him into a super spy, and you could empathize with him as he struggles with his dark tasks. It puts out a very poignant message for today’s times, never underestimate the nerds. There is an excellent supporting cast with Lawrence Fishburne, in Morpheus mode, as the trainer, and Mrs. Maisel as the beloved wife. My only complaint might be the lack of screen time for Mrs. Maisel but that’s what gets the whole plot moving. A fun watch, really well done.

Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: new additions from Christmas: Deadpool and Wolverine, the anticipated hilarity when Reynolds breaks the 4^th wall with Jackman as a fantastic and lethal foil; The Fall Guy, hilarious action romp with Gosling as a stuntman trying to win back Emily Blunt.

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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

Peasantry

Most people, when they claim reincarnation, harken back to previous lives as someone famous, usually nobility or royalty. Napoleon and Cleopatra are the most often claimed. I’m not sure what to think about the whole concept but, if it is possible, I think I can confidently assert I was a peasant in any prior life. I base this on what happens when I get to perform physical labor, such as I did today. I enjoy getting dirty and working hard. It’s a temporal crime that the peasantry were not blessed with power washers. If they were they’d have enjoyed it as much as I did today. I launched out today trying to rehab the garage and Deckzilla from their winter accumulation of grime; hence the power washer.

One Last Easter Shot - BRS and BR3 Sporting their Ears

Deckzilla was sporting her usual post-winter seasoning of green. I think it gets into the St Patty’s Day spirit a little too much. There were wide swaths of green mold, mainly on the upper portion of the deck. That’s a situation begging for liberal use of the power washer, one of my favorite activities. The condo caretaker was using one a couple weeks ago, which must have lit the desire to get my own out there. I always feel a little guilty that I can’t go out and lend a hand with the caretaker’s daily tasks, as stated above, a latent peasant. The last part of my military career and my entire civilian career after I retired from the military did not involve much physical labor (outside of physical training). I guess I’ve missed it although I wish I didn’t have a nearly 70-year-old body to engage in this labor (moving the grill out by myself was not fun).

Deckzilla Before I got Started

The Green Slime

I washed everything within range. I think a couple squirrels were a little nervous and kept their distance (wise move). We checked in earlier this week with the Neighborhood Mafiosos who related the neighborhood hawks have been hard at work over the winter thinning the rabbit hordes along with other rodents. I found evidence of their predation on our front porch. I couldn’t resist adding that to the power washing schedule and found a furry piece of flesh there. I couldn’t say what it was part of and didn’t feel like investigating. Less rabbits is a very good thing. By the end of the day, I had Deckzilla cleaned and set up for the beginning of spring which involve my Favorite Panamanian’s liberal application of flowers.

The Mystery Flesh

Deckzilla at End of Day

Slime Gone

I’m happily falling back into the Stateside lifestyle. Chief amongst that descent is returning to the king sized bed and Leesa mattress. I have to force myself not to fall onto it every time I walk by it. I also restarted my A-Z watch. I’m into the O’s now but I also have to knock off the pile of movies I received for Christmas to add to my library. I didn’t make it to the movie theater today because of the power washing obsession but hope to fix that tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to Thursday where I’ll get to re-connect with my Keene based friends.

Four movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Oblivion – Tom Cruise sci fi with cool twists; the new additions from Christmas: Alien Romulus – outstanding reconnect with original Alien movie; Borderlands – Cate Blanchett reveling in campy sci fi action flick; Boy Kills World – bizarre killathon, too funny inner dialogue

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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

508ing Again

Happy Easter to everyone as I finally have time to sit down and write. The first such opportunity since we arrived back in the 508 area code late Thursday night. I put the blame, thankfully and with a lot of appreciation, on my two kids and the irrepressible granddaughters. Wednesday night, in David, we had a farewell family dinner with my wife’s amazing family. My Favorite Panamanian wanted a place where we could order a bunch of platters and then graze on those. We chose a favorite place from the past and met up at Gallardo’s. When we sat down the waitress assigned to our table refused to take our order until she finished her cell phone conversation. This was a rare instance of poor service in Panama. A passing waitress noticed the issue and immediately came over to take our order. She was great and I gave her a huge tip. I made sure the head waiter mentioned the size of the tip to the cell phone addict.

Farewell Dinner

Wife's Brother and Sister

Our flights back to the States went perfectly. I may never fly anything other than business class again, such a difference. The fluidity of our trip came to a screeching halt once we walked out of the Logan Airport terminal. Our usual very reliable van service was nowhere to be found. I called the dispatcher and was told the van was close. A half-hour later I repeated the call  and was assured the van was just around the corner, which it was. I should mention at this point that is was in the forties, temperature wise, which meant 50 degrees less than we were used to in Panama. The Favorite Panamanian made the wait in a heated enclosure limo drivers use. The van finally arrived in a cloud of smoke (not a good sign).

FBR Immediately Raided Abuela's Closet

We got loaded up and on our way with the driver speaking non-stop about how much she hated this particular vehicle. Her feelings were augmented when the van broke down, halfway through the trip home. We spent a lovely twenty minute sojourn on the side of Route 9 waiting for a replacement van to show up which I thought was actually a fairly quick response. We arrived home around ten and I left from there to hit the grocery store so we would have some food in the house. That would be needed since my daughter and the FBR were inbound. They arrived an hour later, before the house was fully back to comfortable temperatures.

Daughter and FBR Explored Some of Worcester

The FBR is recovering from a facial injury but she was still on point when it came to energy levels. That energy wasn’t always welcome by my daughter, especially when it came to administering the required anti-biotic, which the FBR detested and made overly dramatic objections to. Having these two ladies in the house was a great way to welcome us home. If I am perfectly honest though, I am looking forward to sleeping-in tomorrow morning for the first time since we got home. Returning home has created the usual adjustments, in addition to temperature levels. After four months living in the condo both my wife and I are struggling to remember where things are, after getting used to their locations in the condo.

Cousins Together Again

One Very Happy Grampa

Wife and ABFA

I also found the front storm door was inoperable. The house sitter notified us of this. When I went out to look at it and removed the handle, I decided it wasn’t worth salvaging and removed the entire door. That is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. My daughter and son conspired to reunite the granddaughters on Saturday. Since my daughter was returning early today the cousins would not have seen each other if we hadn’t done this. The ABFA located a bowling alley/arcade about halfway between our respective locations and we met up there late on Saturday afternoon. I hadn’t been candlepin bowling since my teenage years, which you may have heard was a while ago. I was therefore a little excited to return to this sport that I used to watch my dad do every Friday night at Pastime Lanes when I was very young. That excitement lasted until my first roll. My back clenched up as soon as I released the ball which predictably headed for the gutter. That was a sign of things to come as the back twinged every time I bent over to throw. I made it through two games although my youngest granddaughter, BR3, beat me soundly in both games. In my defense, she was using a ramp.

Scenes from Bowling

After this very entertaining episode we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. In a new record, there was only one major spill. The ladies were well behaved (most of the time). The FBR and BRS created a hand clapping game that was complicated and hilarious. We had to beat a hasty retreat after dinner in order to get my Favorite Panamanian back to Worcester in time for her to attend the Easter vigil while my son’s family went to the ABFA’s parents’ home for today’s celebration of Easter. We arrived back in Worcester with five whole minutes to spare. After we quickly unloaded, my wife took over the car and pulled away a vigorous rain squall descended. My daughter and I looked at each and grimaced, knowing my Favorite Panamanian would have to walk into the church through the rain. As I’ve written many times, despite coming from one of the rainiest countries on earth, my wife abhors the rain and refused to get her hair wet.

Dinner Time

Clapping Game

I had a great time in the Man Cave all weekend with my daughter as we compared notes on movies and television series I should be watching. I can count on both of my kids getting me involved in watching things I have no time for but end up doing anyways. My A-Z watch will have to wait another day before restarting. My Favorite Panamanian had spent a lot of time getting Easter baskets ready for all three granddaughters. I was volunteered for early morning easter egg distribution ahead of the FBR‘s hunt. My wife thought it would be more “fun” to have it outside despite temps in the forties and high winds.

FBR Garbed up for the Hunt

Abuela Created Easter Basket

Bunnied Up

The FBR was a good sport and made short work of the hunt, beating the backyard chipmunks that inhabit my wife’s vast garden complex, to most of the hidden treats. While my daughter and the FBR made their way home this morning my Favorite Panamanian and I journeyed north to New Hampshire to link up once again with my son’s family at the ABFA’s parents’ house. It was great seeing her parents again and, as always, they were perfect hosts to a very fun celebration. I felt a real sense of being home being surrounded by all these excellent people since we arrived. I’m back in the Cave now figuring out which of the dozen or so missions I should address tomorrow. I’ll start easy, getting the rubbish out in the morning. I do not miss the humidity.

Abuela With BRS and BR3's Baskets

Namesake Nephew's Daughter's First Easter

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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