Early Birthday Bashing

We got back late last night from our New Jersey foray after Connecticut threw one of its patented “Let’s close down the entire interstate” ploys at us. My Favorite Panamanian kids me at times because I actually enjoy exploring places I’ve never been before. Last night was an exception. After a very full weekend trying to keep up with the FBR, we were looking for a quiet ride back to Worcester. It was not to be. It would have been a lot worse without my very good friend, Waze. We were at a dead stop on I-84 when Waze suggested I exit onto a very dark country road and since movement is better than watching the big rigs idle along, I gave it a shot. I was a little nervous when the road kept reducing in size but it popped out onto a progressively bigger roads until we were past the highway closure. The normal 3.5-hour drive from New Jersey still lasted a full hour longer than that, but it would have been much worse without Waze.

So, This Happens When I sit Next to the FBR Too Long

Now, as to that weekend. We began on Friday with a much more pleasant drive south through Connecticut. We arrived in New Jersey in time to accompany our daughter as she went to pick up the FBR from school. She gave one of her signature squeals of delight upon seeing us and jumped in for grandparent hugging procedures. Since it was Friday, pizza was called for. They have a favorite pizza place just down the street. We walked there while the FBR zoomed around on her roller blades. Since it was a semi-perfect late summer day, we ate the pizza outside while the FBR continued her zooming.

FBR Spots Us Coming Out of School

Abuela Hugs

FBR Escorting Grampa to Pizza

Friday night is also movie night for the FBR and she convinced her mother to finally let her watch the original Jaws. The FBR became fascinated with sharks over the past year and regaled us with information about real sharks she had gleaned from her studies as we watched the movie. She claimed it wasn’t scary but, since she was sitting next to me, I personally suffered the consequences of her jumping and screaming at certain points. I told her not to worry, that when I saw the movie when it first came out, I was afraid to go into swimming pools, much less the ocean. She watched it a couple more times over the weekend.

Wife Loved the Pizza

Zooming Time

Saturday was a fun day as we hit our favorite diner in Maplewood after the FBR’s dance class. The weekend’s primary mission was to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, even though it isn’t until next weekend. As one of my daughter’s birthday presents, we gifted her a spa treatment. The FBR asserted that she should receive the same treatment and who were we to argue. I, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows me, begged off from accompanying them on this adventure. I had noticed that Wingman had lost control of a garden next to their driveway which was hugely overgrown. He’s balancing his business which recently opened a second location along with his band duties. I’ve written before that I think I was a peasant in my former lives because I truly enjoy hacking away at undergrowth. By the time they returned, the overgrowth was gone. That evening I had what I considered the best time of the weekend when I got to hang out one on one with my daughter. Their great neighborhood recently had a new brewery open, which we all know, was a ripe target for certain blog writers. I thoroughly enjoyed the time just talking with her there and realized, once again, how rare and sublime these opportunities are. 

Daughter Hangs

My Favorite Panamanian made another one of her fabulous birthday cakes (seriously, she’s reaching artist levels here) over the past week. My daughter nicknamed herself “Heart” when she was just a little younger than the FBR is now. It was a personal term of affection between herself and my mother (they were incredibly close). My wife therefore created a heart shaped cake with a feathery icing. I’d been smelling the damned thing all week long as she made it and I’m here to tell you that when I finally got to taste it, wow. Bonecrusher had traveled south with us and was put to good use cleaving the heart in two.

The Cake

Bonecrusher Deployed

Imminent Cleaving

Wingman arrived home just in time for the cake ceremony. He had been in Minneapolis for a week plus as his band debuted their first album in over ten years. This included a couple of well received concerts as well. The FBR proudly pointed out that the Minnesota Twins play her dad’s group’s music between innings.  It was good to have him home and part of the festivities. He and I watched a very bad Netflix horror movie, Malevolent, late that night (at least it was set in Scotland and had Florence Pugh).  

Wingman Assisting

Sunday was a very long day and not just because of our late-night Connecticut shenanigans. Our daughter was off to New York City to spend the day with friends at a book fair followed by a concert. Wingman had to go into to work to see how his businesses had fared during his absence. This left us with the job of hanging out with the FBR. This is usually a recipe for a great day. It turned out to be anything but. The FBR is apparently practicing to be a teenager because she was in a mood for the entire day. It was the first time in our experience that we genuinely felt unwelcome in her presence. It could have been our decision to make sure she did her homework and take a shower as instructed by her parents. It turns out a nine-year-old can make a day very long if she so chooses. We eventually acquiesced to her constant demand/whining to go play with her neighborhood friends (after the shower and homework).

FBR Demonstrating Some of her Dance Moves

She was therefore in a better mood later in the day when we set out to join Wingman and Wingmom for dinner at a local favorite restaurant. We were joined by Wingman’s business partner and his folks which made for a lively table. The only thing missing was our daughter, but we had it on very good authority that she was properly celebrating the day with her friends in the Big Apple. We set out for Worcester right after dinner as described above. We got home around midnight, the same time my daughter made it home as well. I think she got her birthday celebrations off to a very good start and we were so happy to be included (although Sunday afternoon FBR might disagree). I only hit my head four times (without any loss of blood) on the very low door way in their guest room over the weekend which I also considered a win. A great weekend, despite Connecticut’s ardent attempt to subvert it.

Very Fun Sunday Dinner Crowd
Note the FBR Face

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Spawn – interesting sci fi/horror/superhero at dawn of CGI; Species – really liked this monster vs. detective squad and Natasha Henstridge YIKES!!!; Speed – awesome action when Johnny Utah became Keanu – a true action star.

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