Pumpkin Redux and Birthday Deception

I’m in full recovery mode from an energetic weekend. Yes. That means I got to hang out with granddaughters, so the energy spent (and required) was substantial. My Favorite Panamanian and I were pulled into a full-blown conspiracy aimed at the ABFA. I realize some explanation may be required at this point. Tomorrow is the ABFA’s fortieth birthday, surely a milestone event. My son wanted to properly recognize this and here’s where we became co-conspirators. He told the ABFA we were coming up to babysit for the BRS and BR3 for the weekend. This would permit a romantic weekend away for them to celebrate her birthday. In reality, he had secretly arranged for a bunch of her friends to surprise her for a “goddess weekend” in coastal Maine.

Pumpkinfest With Demonhunters

We dutifully showed up on schedule on Friday and guiltily listened as the ABFA listed everything we needed to know about the granddaughters’ and Riggins’ weekend requirements. She is such a sweetheart that both my Favorite Panamanian and I felt ashamed of our requisite dishonesty. We did not breach security and sent the couple on their supposed happy way. We remained behind and it fell to us to explain to the granddaughters, when we picked them up from school, what the plan was. They both admitted it was the right course of action not to tell them ahead of time as they are acknowledged security risks. Th BRS is sharp though. Later that evening, when they talked with their mom on the phone, she asked her if she was more excited about spending time with her friends than the romantic weekend with her dad. That had all of us laughing and my son a little irked, if confident. Kids ask the most interesting questions.

ABFA with Goddess Time

With her Fabulous Friends

Saturday was a full day which started out with watching both granddaughters play soccer games. Each scored a goal in their respective games and were loudly serenaded by their abuela with her trademark decibel-laden cheering from the sideline. The rest of the parents were Anglo-Saxon quiet while my Latina was in her usual high voice cheering on her granddaughters. My son, remembering what it was like having her at his games while growing up, joked with one of the coaches that they were lucky she hadn’t brought a pot to bang on, as she had for his games. The coach said she loved it and that she was the same way at her son’s games. The granddaughters survived having their names constantly called out with the trademark, “Get that ball!”.

BR3 Celebrating her Goal

High Fives From Abuela and Dad

BRS in Action

Celebrating with Teammates

Soccer Stars

After soccer we set out for Keene to take in the reborn Keene Pumpkinfest. This used to be one of the landmark events of the year for us until the idiotic Keene State College students decided a riot would be a nice addition to the annual gathering. It’s restarted on a much smaller scale which is good because it had become too large for the small-town center. The granddaughters attended last year and were enthralled by the sights and, decidedly, the opportunity to do some early trick or treating along Main Street businesses. Keene Friend served as our host and, as usual, bent over backwards to make everyone feel welcome, especially the granddaughters.  They showed up fully costumed as a character from something called Demonhunters (children’s’ programming has changed since my day). Their characters were well known as they received a number of compliments from both adults and other kids as we moved through the crowds on Main Street (closed for the event).

Keene Friend with my Wife at Pumpkinfest Start

Obligatory Photo in Front of Main Stand

Large but Manageable Crowd

Demonhunter

Trick or Treating

It was a very fun day and brought back memories of the many Pumpkinfests from the past and very cool to be able to share it with the new generation. The BRS showed that she could point her toes together and challenged her grandparents to copy her. This led to a discussion on the reduced flexibility seventy years entails. We scored some Athens pizza on our way back to Keene Friend’s house which the granddaughters were soon careening through (sugar high). My initial plan was to return to Worcester Saturday night but we were having so much fun we decided to return to Stratham for additional time with son and granddaughters. This had the corollary benefit of being able to watch the Patriots’ game together on his massive theater television and to greet the ABFA on her return from goddess time.

Wife Taking in the Sights

Keene Friend and I

BR3 in a Fire Truck

BRS Toe Pointing

BR3 revealed she had learned to ride her bicycle without training wheels and zoomed around the traffic circle to demonstrate. The ladies have taken over that traffic circle as their personal playground. On Sunday morning I asked my son where the girls were, and he said outside playing. When I looked out the front door, they had set up a picnic in the road. While there isn’t much traffic in their cul de sac, there is some. That was the fastest I’ve seen my son move in a while as the ladies moved their feast onto the grass. Staying over Saturday night meant we could go to church in Exeter on Sunday and reunite with some of our news friends from our recent European trip. My son thought we had disappeared when we were over an hour late returning from church because my Favorite Panamanian was in her element talking with the new friends after mass.

BR3 Zooming without Training Wheels

Riggins, Though Blind now, Still gets Frisky with my Son

Girls Setting up in the Street

Probably not the Best Spot

I really enjoyed watching the game with my son, especially with the Patriots finally playing competitive football again. It’s amazing what a new coach can do in the way of attitude. The ABFA returned just before game time. She was a little tired but related that it had been a magical weekend. This seemed to mollify the BRS who once again launched on her questions about priorities. Her return also allowed us to sample the birthday cake my Favorite Panamanian had created for the ABFA. The ABFA is a renowned chocaholic, so it was a brownie cake and was fabulous. Having such a huge dessert sitting my stomach probably wasn’t the smartest idea just before the drive back to Worcester, but the cake was that good. So, a very busy weekend spent crisscrossing New Hampshire and taking part in the deception plan to honor the most extraordinary daughter-in-law. Time well spent.

The Brownie Cake

ABFA Getting Some Cake Advice 

And Assistance with Candles

Four movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Straw Dogs – fell in love with Susan George all over again, love final battle at the house with bagpipe music blaring; Stripes – shot in the same place shortly after I went to basic training there, so funny; The Stunt Man - underrated dramedy with O’Toole at the height of his powers; Saint Vincent – Murray perfectly cast as curmudgeon with heart of gold, well hidden.

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