While I find it hard to credit that it is already August, at least I got the month off to a rousing start in a very sedentary manner. As I stated in my last post, the NH granddaughters were whisked off to California by the ABFA to visit some of her family out there. That left my Favorite Son with a free weekend since he had to remain at home. He came up with the idea of re-energizing an old tradition that we did not have the opportunity to pursue in more than ten years. The Lord of the Rings is the favorite movie, which, in reality, is three movies for both of us. On two prior occasions we spent an entire day watching all three extended versions of the movies in a row, but we have since that time upgraded to the 4K versions.
Needless to say, our spouses, while understanding,
are not huge fans of this activity, since it involves so much sloth on our part.
With the ABFA on the left coast, I had to find a way to distract my Favorite
Panamanian. The Maine Musquetera offered a perfect solution since my son’s
house is on the way to hers. We drove up to my son’s house on Friday where my
wife dropped me off and set off with her eyes glued to the GPS for the
additional two-hour drive in our new car. This freed me up to enjoy a true guy’s
weekend with my son. We started off with a trip to a local tavern for Friday
night dinner. We both remarked that it had been a long time since either of us
had been in a bar on Friday night. I consider that a crime against nature (mine).
We ended the night back on the couch watching the Happy Gilmore sequel which had
both of us laughing. I also received a notification from the LoJack system in
the new car that it had exceeded 89 MPH (my wife feigned ignorance on the subject
when asked). 
Son and I as the Credits Role on the Last Movie
Saturday was the chosen day for the epic
watch. The compelling reason to make this happen at my son’s house is his home
theater, which features a 108” screen (not kidding). Since each of the three
movies is four hours long, we had to get an early start and were seated in our
usual transfixed state just after 8am as the forces of the last alliance of men
and elves faced off against Sauron on the slopes of Mt Doom (still one of my favorite
scenes of all time). Riggins, though blind, decided he was one of the guys and
joined us for the entire watch. The movies, and most certainly the company,
were so good, the day flew by. We came up for air to grab some lunch, dinner,
and catch a bit of the Red Sox game. By 10pm we finished sitting through all ten
endings (we counted) of The Return of the King. Since we had been at it for
nearly 14 hours, the theater’s equipment had heated the room up significantly but
I still count it as time so well spent. We ended the night watching a horror
movie in the much cooler, air-conditioned spaces above. Sunday was another day
of hanging out, watching the Red Sox win again, while we waited for my Favorite
Panamanian to make her way down from Maine. That didn’t happen until after dinner,
which is understandable because when two of the Musqueteras get together, its
likely to require an act of congress to pry them apart. So, a total success for
the weekend. I’m so blessed that I’ve got a son who still likes to hang out
with his old man.
So, It Begins
The Dragonflies Liked BR3 Also 
BRS with her Newest Pet 
BR3 in Pool
We received serial updates from the ABFA
about their California adventures. The granddaughters spent most of their time in
the pool when they weren’t challenging their mom about bedtime (okay, that was
mostly BR3). The BRS be-friended a dragonfly which would land on her extended
finger on command, so cool. The BRS also loved the day they spent cliff
climbing. The kid is an athlete (no surprise considering her parentage). On
Sunday they took a trip to Lake Tahoe. They’ll all return home on Thursday. I
know, for a fact, that their dad/husband really misses them. Meanwhile in New
Jersey the FBR finally reached the point where she can change out her pierced
earrings for the first time. I have to make a correction from my last post
where I was bragging about her jumping off the 3 meter diving platform. Her mom,
my daughter, archly reminded me that it wasn’t a mere 3-meter but the 7-meter platform
(Yikes!). 
BR3 Demonstrating her Excess Personality
Missing Teeth No Obstacle 
Jet Lag Girl 
Out of Pool Long Enough o Eat 
2 Characters 
BRS, This Just Hurts Watching
The Happy Gilmore sequel was a lot of
nostalgic fun. With Sandler, you forgive a lot, and it was laugh out loud funny
throughout as we caught up with the most unlikely golfer of all time. All the original
characters, even some that had passed on, were back. There was also a huge
collection of new cameos that made the movie a pop culture quiz. Gilmore, now a
raging alcoholic, has to rescue golf from an abusive billionaire with the assistance,
kind of, from old nemesis, Shooter McGavin. You don’t expect deep thoughts from
Happy Gilmore but he made this return to his world a lot of fun with some deep
belly laughs. 
FBR Updated Earrings
Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: Rocky Balboa – well done ending for Rocky the fighter; and Role Models – that one where Paul Ruud is dislikable (only time).
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
3rd 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
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