Frostless

I was wandering about the back yard this morning, as I am wont to do. I love this time of year with the crisp mornings which I miss during my tropical winter sojourn (okay just a little bit). Anyways, it was a beautiful morning, and I glanced over at Deckzilla and realized something was off. We have less than two days of October left and my Favorite Panamanian’s vast garden complex on Deckzilla was still in bloom. Usually, by this time of the year, heavy frost has descended and rendered the deck flowerpots into a wasteland. That hasn’t happened this year, despite some reasonably chill, autumnal weather.

Deckzilla Still in Bloom

I’m happy it hasn’t happened yet because how much work she puts into transforming the deck into a magical place and a little bit on how much it costs to do so. I’ll let you guess where the priorities lie with each of us. I think it’s cool that the flowers have held out so long. I also realize, now that I have mentioned this, their lifespan can be measured in minutes. I can count on Mother Nature, realizing she’s behind the power curve on frost introduction, to lower the hammer. At least they won’t go without having been recognized one last time.

Date night had us at the movies (I know, of all places!) where we saw Springsteen, Deliver me from Nowhere. I’m a huge fan of the boss so I wasn’t going to miss this flick but it still managed to surprise me. I figured it was going to be another in the long line of biopics we’ve seen over the past few years about rock stars. It isn’t. It’s a fascinating look at a snippet of the life of Springsteen just before he achieves super-stardom as he struggles with his past and his future that resulted in the Nebraska album. It offers an insightful look into depression that can afflict even the most gifted. Jeremy Allen White, who can do anything, is mesmerizing as Springsteen. White was the emotional core of the Gallagher clan as Lip in Shameless and he continues here with a screen presence that’s undeniable.

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Taken 3 – Bryan Mills takes his special set of skills home to L.A.; Takers – underrated crime flick with great action; The Tailor of Panama – love this because of all Panama City sights and then there’s Jamie Lee at her height; Talladega Nights, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby – love this insanely inappropriate comedy about NASCAR; Tears of the Sun – outstanding military actin movie highlighting ethnic cleansing in Africa; Ted – moronic but lovable with foul mouthed Teddy bear spewing comedic genius one-liners, and, of course, Flash Gordon!!!!

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