Then There Were None

Both my Favorite Panamanian and I have used the past couple days to repair our shattered energy levels. The past couple weeks of hosting the annual Grampa and Abuela Summer Camp was all that we hoped it would be, a period of genuine joy. However, it also reinforced our opinion that childcare is purely the province of young people. We were both thoroughly gassed from chasing these three around. The house is back to the usual quiet thanks to the absence of granddaughters. I’d gotten used to the usual chaos and accompanying cacophony that always results from their presence. I should temper that observation by noting that any house with my Favorite Panamanian cannot be described as truly quiet (it’s the continuous phone conversations at high decibel levels). However, it’s a relative reflection since the overwhelming volume we’ve gotten used to over the past couple weeks was so welcome. It all ended on Friday with the departure of the FBR. My daughter showed up Thursday to effect the FBR’s return home. We, at least, had Thursday night with both which was fun in and of itself.

Farewell Photo Friday

Some of the noise I’m referencing was experienced Thursday morning. My Favorite Panamanian made an appointment for the FBR to get her hair trimmed. The appointment was at 730am which neither of us thought would be  a problem since the FBR had regularly been up and already downstairs sneaking time on her iPad by 7am virtually every day she had been with us. Since I had been up late watching movies the night before, I was still in the rack when I heard a lot of “discussion” taking place in the upstairs hallway. My wife had to wake up the FBR, after 7am, and the FBR did not appreciate it. She was in total cranky mode which had me laughing (my wife, not so much) because this is exactly what her mother was like at the same age. Both my wife and I were actually fearful of trying to wake her up back in the day. We had some fun when she arrived later that day to point out that her daughter was exactly the same.  

Saying Goodbye to Abuela

Thursday night I enjoyed watching an old movie with my fellow cinephile daughter. It was one of those Criterion editions, so we watched the extras which always offer fascinating insight into the movie we had just watched. Neither of the two New Jersey bound ladies had wake-up issues on Friday as they wanted to get on the road early. I thought it was a missed opportunity to see our daughter have to deal with a prematurely awoken FBR. Our daughter assured us she has a wealth of experience with the issue during the school year. Apparently the cosmos is watching and has chosen to insert some justice.

Five movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Sex Tape – silly but very funny comedy; Shaft (2000 version) – much better than I remembered updating iconic 70s story; Shaft (2019 version) – should have ignored the youngest version but a passable action flick because it still features Samuel L.; Shampoo – incredibly funny (got to watch with my daughter) with scenery just chewed up, realized what an idiot the character George is; Shape of Water – the most unconventional love story ever filmed but it works and offers great societal comment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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