Voting and Welcome Punctures

Today was election day in the People’s Republic of Taxxachusetts, as well as elsewhere. Our election was only for local officials, but it still felt good casting the ballot. This may seem weird to some, but it is a special obligation. My Favorite Panamanian relishes the opportunity although I had to bring her up to date on who was running. Luckily, I had some insight from the time I worked with the transit agency as I had to endure some of the candidates in their roles as city councilors. While a couple were stalwart public officials, there were a couple that were attention whores who catered to what I call, “The Voices of Inappropriate Worth”. Worcester is run like a small town and just because you have a loud voice doesn’t mean you’re worth listening to. A lesson some of the politicians refuse to acknowledge. I assign that failure to lack of backbone and specifically avoided voting for them. Still, as I said above, it felt good to vote.

In more important and welcome news, my Favorite Panamanian has seemingly conquered her latest bout of vertigo. Our next-door neighbor recommended a physical therapist who had just opened his own practice in a neighboring town. He turned out to be fabulous. He employed a variety of techniques, including cupping (that process that leaves circular bruises) as well as acupuncture. This was a first for my wife and whatever he did, it worked. This was a true turning point because prior physical therapists had made the vertigo worse. As a young guy, willing to utilize a variety of techniques, we were both truly impressed and thankful.

This is a very busy week as it features Panamanian Independence Day followed by today’s Panamanian flag day. My very proud Favorite Panamanian directed that the Panamanian flag fly beneath my US flag in our yard each day for the month of November. I do this happily, although I have to consult references to insure I’m not flying it upside down (like I did on Monday (whoops). I also delved into the photo library to reuse a photo from 2021 when we had my mother-in-law in residence. My daughter came up from NYC to conduct an online presentation for her company to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. Part of that presentation was joining her mother and grandmother on Deckzilla demonstrating Panamanian folk dancing in full costume. The picture is from that day and one that I treasure (as I do the ladies depicted).

3 Generations of Pulchritude

Six movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: The Thing – awesome sci fi reboot with Russell just domaining as MacCready; Thirteen Ghosts – not as scary as I remembered but still awesome special effects; Three Kings – very funny send up of the first gulf war; The Three Musketeers (1973) – loved this classic telling, with Raquel Welch at the height of her “prowess” and Oliver Reed oozing screen presence; The Four Musketeers – not as much fun as the first but really just the same film continuing; This is the End – hilarious apocalyptic story with a total skewering of Hollywood self-importance.

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