Doubled Up

My Favorite Panamanian and I thoroughly enjoyed a true rarity for date night yesterday – a double date. Keene Friend and his lady journeyed down to Worcester to join us for a movie and dinner. We went to see the Mandalorian and Grogu and followed that up with dinner at a nearby steakhouse. What was very cool about the evening was the new addition, Keene Friend’s lady, fit in perfectly. It might have daunted someone of less quality to join a group where everyone else has known each other as close friends for more than forty years. She and my wife immediately began comparing notes on gardening as soon as they arrived. They are both former Army wives, they had that to discuss as well.

The Very Fun Dinner
With our Dazzling Dates

I’m not saying date night was getting stale in any way shape or form (that way lies madness), but this was a very nice break in the tradition of just my wife and I. Keene Friend’s usual dry (bordering on desiccated) wit was in top form but my Favorite Panamanian said something to him that actually had him blushing (rare, that). I wasn’t ready for the night to end but they had the long drive home in front of them. Once again, time spent with friends – the definitive coin of the realm.

Her Grandkid had Sent her a Photo Like This
Proudly Proclaiming he had Seen the Movie
So This Was Return Fire to Him for Her

Not as much fun was to be had today but there was a rewarding aspect for me. We are blessed with extremely nice neighbors next-door. They’re an elderly couple, immigrants from Syria. A couple weeks ago he asked my Favorite Panamanian if I would be willing to help them out by applying sealant to their driveway. He has a bunch of health issues which made the effort too much for him. Yesterday I power washed their driveway and today, after my swim workout, I bought the buckets of sealant and began work. When I gave him the change from the Home Depot purchase, he tried to have me keep it (several hundred dollars) as a way to thank me. I told him that’s not what neighbors do and wouldn’t take the cash. We got the driveway all taken care of with the sole price being a sore back from all the squeegeeing. I know I am immensely frustrating for his wife because she loves to cook and would normally prepare something as a way of thanks. She specializes in ethnic dishes which, of course, given my restricted tastes, is not available to her. She has tried for the ten years we’ve lived here to get me to eat some of her delicacies. My streak remains intact.

I surprised the Favorite Panamanian yesterday when I revealed I had booked another European trip for later this year. After a ten-year relentless advertising campaign by the Viking Corporation, I finally decided to call them about one of those riverboat cruises which I receive brochures for every two months. With the skyrocketing cost of airline tickets, we had decided to forego a trip this year. We’ve heard good things about the river boat cruises from friends. The latest brochure proclaimed they would cover the roundtrip airfare for the cruise. Of course, they tried to give me the loose leg when I brought that up. At that point I told the agent to cancel the trip we were planning and he suddenly found the same trip on another date that offered the promised free air. I’m excited because I’ve always wanted to see Vienna and Budapest, two of the cities we’ll be cruising through.

I really liked this latest Star Wars entry. I watched all of the tv series so I was up on the mythology involved. The action was nearly non-stop as Mando and his little buddy help the New Republic scoop up regional imperial warlords trying to take advantage of the fall of the empire. The storm troopers still haven’t learned to shoot, something Mando has no problem with, but they provide the requisite fodder for the shootouts. They kept Grogu as a puppet instead of trying to CGI him which I think is the way to go. The plot gets a little silly at times, mainly when Grogu and the miniature mechanics are on their own, clearly aimed at the youngest demographic. The movie does a very effective job continuing the world building Disney has been involved in since taking over the franchise. Jabba the Hut’s kid has a major role which I never saw coming. A great summer escape movie, turns out, this is the way!

The A-Z watch continued with four movies, three keepers: Wrath of the Titans – not sure why I got this, don’t have the first one in the series and it is just dumb, eject; The X-Files Fight the Future – finally getting some clarity on exactly what the alien issue was after so many years wondering during the tv series; The X-Files I Want to Believe – back to concept of what the tv series so watchable and great to finally see Scully and Mulder together romantically; X-Men First Class – watching the movies in the mythologically correct order, really good action flick.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course