ID-a-Palooza

December already (and how is that even remotely possible) which has roared in, announcing its arrival with a vengeance. It’s been a while since we had a serious snowstorm in December. They’ve waited for us to head south for the past few years before delivering a serious punch. Strangely, I kind of enjoyed the whole thing (much easier when you’re retired and can hole up for the duration). We received between six to seven inches of snow followed by freezing rain, always a delightful concoction. My Favorite Panamanian kept waiting for me to head out with the snow blower but I assured her that decision fell within my bailiwick (one of the few). I made the mistake of believing the weathermen who said the rain would turn back into snow once it got dark. I kept waiting for that to happen and finally gave up. I knew if I cleared the snow with freezing rain falling, it would coat the driveway and turn it into a skating rink.

Back Yard After the Storm

It's always so much fun running a snow blower in freezing rain (well not so much). However, because I’ve had so few opportunities over the past years, I did sneakily enjoy it. I even went uphill to clear out our next door neighbor’s driveway. The snow blower was awesome, throwing the heavy slush with ease. I say I enjoy this because I spent so many years of my youth shoveling it that it feels like some sort of moral victory. The wife was horrified when I came back in coated in ice but I felt I had, at least temporarily, re-earned my New Englander credentials. The rain reduced the snow cover to about three inches and it finally did turn back over to snow late at night, so, I awoke to a coating on the driveway to clear away.

New Nativity Scene

The Three Trees

Earlier in the day I had the distinct pleasure of fielding my Favorite Panamanian’s latest vision for the front yard Christmas decorations. Fortunately, she no longer requires that I climb trees, which is a welcome development. She had me install three fake white trees as well as the new and obligatory nativity scene (she’s so Catholic). The nativity scene came from China and had one of those rudimentary assembly instructions; basically a blow up of the thing with arrows and numbers (is it racist to call it a Chinese puzzle?). I eventually figured it out and was extremely surprised when it came through the storm without collapsing or being blown over (Divine intervention?).

Handled the Storm

Now, as to that title for this post. My Favorite Panamanian spends a lot of time on the phone, we all know that. She’s usually conversing with Latina friends around the country. As one can imagine in these times, there’s a serious amount of fear in that community about ICE agents. Since there isn’t any situation my wife is not prepared to overreact to, this led to her decision that she needed both a RealID and a passport card (she already has a passport). I tried to assure her, with her military ID, there wasn’t a problem, but she was already in a high hover at this point. Pretty sad comment on our times when an American citizen who dedicated more than twenty years of her life as a fantastic US Army wife is afraid for her freedom. I was volunteered to help her with this effort which included coordinating with the Neighborhood Mafioso who was also energized in this arena.  She got her RealID earlier today and is out with the Mafioso for the passport card. It’s kind of fitting that earlier today I received an email from DOD saying her military ID card will expire while we’re in Panama, so I had to set up an appointment in a couple weeks to get that redone.

Oh Yeah, We Also Got our Tree
Wife Says no Pictures of it until She's Finished Decorating.

You’ll notice a lot of movies have fallen in the A-Z watch. I blame the snowstorm and the continuing cold weather. All the trees still bear their crystal ice coating, two days after the storm. I’ve made significant progress and can sniff the finish line as I’m now into the “U”s. I’m about to finish the main library cabinet with only a few shelves left in the auxiliary shelves (I have way too many movies). I don’t think I’ll finish before our Panamanian deployment but, again, I can sniff it.

Ice Still Coating Everything

Ten movies fell in the A-Z watch, seven keepers: Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning(new addition to library) – epic farewell to Ethan and his buddies saving the world once again; True Romance – one of my favorite movies of all time, love the two main characters, they are so cool; The Truman Show – another great movie skewering reality tv and celebrity worship; Tunnel Vision – thought this 1970s movie was funny at one time, nope, eject; Twins – gotta love the concept of Ahnuld and Danny as twins; Twister – forgot how good this was, keeps you on the edge of your seat; Two Weeks Notice – Bullock and Grant are perfect in this rom-com, love it; The Ugly Truth – what was I thinking, buying this, terrible movie, even with Leonidas carving up scenes, eject; Ultraviolet – once thought this was cool but the CGI is so bad and a muddled action plot, eject; A Working Man (new addition to library) – Statham remains the best at frenzied action.

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