It’s
been an up and down week with Thursday standing out as absolutely fantastic
while the rest, at least from Tuesday onwards was a challenge. I’ll get the challenge
out of the way first. My Favorite Panamanian came down with another severe case
of vertigo on Tuesday. It didn’t go away, despite my amateurish efforts at inner
ear crystal manipulation, so I took her into see the doctor on Wednesday. More
professional efforts there helped, but only a little bit. They provided a referral
to physical therapist which is usually the best result. Our next-door neighbor
recommended a young guy who solved a similar problem for her and we went to see
him today. He was great and she felt better immediately afterwards. She’ll need
some more sessions next week but is definitely in better shape than earlier.
 |
| Keene Friend and I Yesterday in Front of Monadnock |
Now
to the more enjoyable part of the week, the definite “up”. Yesterday my Favorite
Panamanian was feeling fit enough to let me attend the monthly luncheon for my
high school classmates. She said I needed a break from her. I may have been
guilty of hovering as I saw her weaving her way around the house. She usually attends
these with me and I was forcefully reminded of earlier times, when serving in the
military. We would go to social situations and the first question I was usually
asked is “Where is your wife?” She’s a genuinely nice person and people seem to
gravitate towards her (I know I did). She apparently made quite an impression on
my classmates with many coming up and inquiring why she wasn’t there. When I
told them why, a large percentage revealed they too had suffered from vertigo.
(I’m thinking it may have something to do with our age)
 |
| Great Turnout |
The
lunch was held at a golf course restaurant in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. I was
wondering why, but it turned out to be a great location with stunning views (especially
in the autumn) of Mount Monadnock. In addition to the views, we had the freedom
to mingle after eating, which wasn’t possible in more conventional restaurants
we had been in up to this point. The Cantankerous Friend in arguing with people
in South Carolina on his annual October sojourn there, so he wasn’t able to
join us. I sat with Keene Friends 1 and 2 and had a great time, even if some
time was spent fending off inquiries about my better half. One friend even
stated that she only came because she thought my wife would be there. (talk
about your tough acts to follow).
There
were, however, some people that seemed content with my company. That included
the former CRC who regaled me with stories of his latest window blinds conquest
and a seventh grandchild. We coordinated the upcoming birthday pub crawl and
made our annual attempts to remind one of our classmates who always claims he’s
never informed (despite voluminous evidence to the contrary). We drafted his
wife to take up the slack of reminding him about the crawl. This was certainly
the best of the luncheons I’ve attended precisely because we were allowed this
social time after lunch. KHS Class of 1973 is certainly unique in our continued
fascination with each other. I hazard a guess that we are the most closely knit
group of alumni for that fine institution.
I
gave Keene Friend a ride back to Keene after we concluded business in Jaffrey. Somehow
(and I’m still trying to figure this out) we ended up walking down to Main
Street to identify some objectives for our upcoming reconnaissance mission for
the pub crawl. I know. It happens. We finally checked out the newest bar in
Keene, The Owl’s Perch. It’s in the location of a former bridal shop and pretty
basic but definitely has the possibility of fitting into our crawl itinerary.
We’ll check it out on November 1 for the recon and if it passes muster, then
include it for the November 15
th pub crawl. The news from old
stalwart, Penuche’s Ale House, was less promising. Construction continues but
from what we could see it doesn’t look like it will be ready to assume its
usual role as pub crawl launching point, we’ll miss the sticky floors.
 |
| The Great Jaffrey Scenery |
We
finished our downtown sojourn with a stop at old reliable, the Lab ‘n Lager,
which will adequately fill the role Penuche’s has abandoned. It was fairly lively
for a Thursday afternoon, which is always a good sign of pub health. It was so
noisy that we waited to make our usual call to the PCR until we returned to
Keene Friend’s house. It was good to hear his voice after undergoing a medical
procedure last week. He was as lively as ever but claimed the procedure affected
his ability to talk. We opined that this probably meant that his sainted wife
would possibly and finally get a word in edgewise with him. (doubtful, but one
can hope). After completely plundering Keene Friend’s supply of whoopie pies, I
made my way home to resume my role as vertigo nurse.
We’ve
taken in a couple movies this week. Good Fortune is a very fun watch. You
expect Seth Rogen and Aziz Ansari to be funny, and they certainly were. What I didn’t
expect was John Wick stealing every scene he’s in and being even funnier than
the others. He is hilarious as a guardian angel who tries to show Ansari’s character
that his problems wouldn’t be solved by assuming the life of a rich
acquaintance (Rogen). When he switches their lives, all of Ansari’s problems
are seemingly solved. Go figure. The very funny premise is thoroughly explored
as Rogen deals with being poor and Ansari the opposite.
The
Roses was a lot more watchable than the original Michael Douglas vehicle. Coleman
and Cumberbatch are at the top of their game in this dark comedy. They play a highly
intelligent married couple who’s respective successes drive a wedge into their
relationship. The banter between the two is worth the price of admission. I’m a
fan of British humor and these two could give Deadpool a run for his money with
off the cuff remarks, way, way too funny. As usual, Kate McKinnon, in a supporting
role is hilarious. I wasn’t prepared to like this movie as much as I did, all
hail this amazing cast. The ending was fantastic and totally appropriate after
seeing these two go at each other.
Eight(!)
movies fell in the A-Z watch, seven
keepers: Sucker Punch – love the special effects laden dream sequences; Sum of
All Fears – a bit dated but Affleck makes a credible young Ryan; Summer of ’42 –
Osky and Hermie on the beach, fell in love with Jennifer O’Neill all over again;
Super 8 – way better than I remembered, great story and young actors; Superbad –
back before we knew them well, great buddy/loser comedy; Supernova – always wondered
why this didn’t do better, great sci fi mystery; S.W.A.T. – credible remarketing
of the tv show with Samuel L. chewing up scenery; Sweet Kill – also known as the
Arousers and infamously amongst high school buddies as The Grousers, ‘50s icon
Tab Hunter in a Roger Corman breast-a-fest – can’t keep it in the library in
good conscience – so bad.
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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 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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