Thunder Prep

I’m about to descend into the two week long, end of summer madness that surrounds our annual Grampa and Abuela Summer Camp for the three granddaughters. I couldn’t be happier. My scheduling could have been sharper a couple weeks ago when I informed my Favorite Panamanian that I was going up to my hometown yesterday to initiate coordination on the November birthday pub crawl. A properly conducted crawl is all about the reconnaissance phase. This year it is important because two of the iconic stops have closed and a couple new ones are scheduled to open at some undefined point in time. All this begs the question as to how I escaped the clutches of my wife’s house preparation effort. Whenever we have guests, she takes the cleanliness level from its usual pristine to something approaching surgical sanitary.

The Initial Lab Group, Great T-Shirt!

I must have been behaving because she graciously allowed me the time with my high school friends. She had only one iron clad rule. I was to spend the night at Keene Friend’s house because she didn’t want me attempting to drive home after my usual well-lubricated time in my hometown. I felt guilty, for about five minutes, but assured her I would follow the rule (all the time planning on evading it). By late Thursday afternoon, Keene Friend and I arrived at the Lab ‘n Lager where we found my Kindergarten Friend already steadfastly established at a bar stool. We adjourned to a nearby table to commence coordination. My Kindergarten Friend is an acknowledged expert on the Keene pub scene, and we delved into his encyclopedic knowledge to lay out a two-month reconnaissance plan prior to November. Keene Friend was volunteered to monitor the now shuttered Penuche’s Ale House to ascertain if there was any chance of that important starting point re-opening.

The FBR in Full Prep Mode for the Camp

We were joined in short order by the Cantankerous Friend who had just returned from Connecticut where he travels every couple of months to get his cat groomed (I am not kidding). He tried, but failed, to make us understand how this made sense. We had had lively crowd in the bar and after laying out a preliminary reconnaissance plan, we enjoyed the companionship. This included the obligatory call to the PCR who had been hooking and jabbing with Keene Friend about the upcoming KHS class of ’73 70^th birthday bash music list. The PCR volunteered to make up the list and ran a draft by the Keene Friend (who take his music very seriously). I came down on the PCR’s side when he revealed Dylan’s Lay Lady Lay was included (I consider this epic tune the soundtrack for the convivial times we had in the 1970s at a place called Tower Pizza). Keene Friend rousted a very attractive lady from another table as a mystery guest on the phone call. It turned out she was the PCR’s co-worker at a long defunct grocery store. The PCR has lost nothing off his fastball and immediately remembered her. It probably helped that the PCR’s wife was in the shower and didn’t witness the alacrity of the identification.

We were joined later by the former CRC (got come up with a new name for him) who brought along a neighbor. He turned out to be a good dude and quickly joined in the fun despite being seated next to the Cantankerous One. It was a great afternoon spent with good friends. Since we were “batching” it, we ate dinner at the Lab, great burgers! We adjourned to Keene Friend’s house for a post-prandial movie. The Cantankerous Friend joined us where we exposed him to the exquisite insanity that is Copshop. I had slowed my roll at the Lab and after the movie felt more than capable of driving home. I take drinking and driving very seriously, due to my father’s demise, and wouldn’t have attempted it if I was at any risk. I was anticipating a spousal butt-chewing when I got home because I had violated her guidance. I was heartened that no secret boyfriend was jumping out of a window when the garage door opened and genuinely shocked when she was incredibly glad to see me. We’re a genuine old couple who are not used to being apart, despite all the early training the Army gave her, where I would be gone for months running around with well-armed friends. A great day, with anticipation at seeing the granddaughters and their parental units this weekend peaking.

Earlier in the week we went to the theater for date night. My Favorite Panamanian did not want to see a horror movie and I felt even more so disinclined to see Freakier Friday. We solved it by each seeing our own movie. I think I won because Weapons was awesome. This has a spooky premise of 17 elementary school classmates all disappearing on the same night, scarily all running with arms extended behind them towards an unknown location. The director takes an interesting route by exploring the disappearance from the viewpoints of several different characters including the teacher of the class where all but one student disappeared and also the parent of a missing child. The tension slowly builds as we learn more about the situation and it culminates with the final twenty minutes of absolute mayhem as the source of evil is revealed. It was a satisfying climax as all the loose threads were answered in a satisfying manner. There were also some needed light moments; the best being when Josh Brolin wakes from a scary dream and says the line every audience member is thinking. I’m usually not brave enough to see a horror movie by myself (pointed out to me by my son) but I’m glad I did, because Weapons is excellent.

Eight movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Sahara – bit of a silly premise but the great cast carries it off; The Saint – Kilmer was such a great action guy, should have done more; Salt – thought this would be  candidate for removal but Jolie credibly handles action as super spy; San Andreas – amazing CGI destruction of both L.A. and San Fran with the Rock his usual hero, also features the most well-endowed mother/daughter tandem in movie history; The Sand Pebbles – McQueen was such a star, lifts this plodding historical drama above the mundane; The Santa Claus – I’m a Christmas nut so this was going to stay; Santa Claus 2 – Allen repeats magic of first film, could have done without the mechanical Santa though; Saturn 3 – a really bad sci fi flick but an aged Kirk Douglas and Fawcett in her primes salvage it.

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