Paradise Achieved

I have been rightfully accused of intense hyperbole when it comes to describing how much fun time spent with my family and friends is. That accusation is founded in a basic truth. That being, I am singularly blessed in the family department, spanning multiple generations. Three of those generations came into play over the weekend (four if you count the dog and cats). I am however proud of the fact that the time doesn’t require embellishment, it simply is what it is – more fun than is probably legal in most 3rd world countries. I offer this past weekend as a case in point.

Saturday Deckzilla Dinner

My daughter and the FBR showed up on Friday in the early afternoon for a long planned get together. A few weeks ago, my Favorite Panamanian noticed that the Hanover Theater had a Broadway play, Mrs. Doubtfire, playing Friday night. A few hundred dollars later we had tickets. My wife, totally without scruples, took advantage of my love of live theater. Before the show though, they had time for a shopping trip to the mall. My Favorite Panamanian’s shopping gene has skipped a generation but is in full force with all our granddaughters. An expensive reality, just like last Friday. They returned from their shopping foray and the FBR was proudly displaying her acquisitions when the receipt fell onto the floor. I was able to snatch it up before they could intervene. They both looked a little nervous but whatever they paid was worth it to see how happy both of them were. Notably, the FBR insisted on buying gifts for her two cousins who would be arriving the next day.

FBR Showing off her Bargains

I, Looking at the Receipt

The Hanover Theater was fantastic. I thought I was buying tickets to front row of the balcony (at least that’s what their website was telling me) but we ended up near the back. The view was fine though, and it offered the opportunity for the FBR to dance in the aisle during some of the musical numbers. I loved the movie it was based upon but was a little skeptical it would make a good musical play. I was wrong, it was great. While Robin Williams will always own the role, the lead actor threw himself into the part. He made it his own and the actors playing the kids were particularly good, especially their singing voices. The best part was seeing how much the FBR reveled in the experience. She has been doing some after school drama classes, so this was right up her alley.

Into the Hanover

Very Excited FBR

Love the Hanover

Daughter and FBR

Very Fun Night

FBR Taking a Break from Aisle Dancing

They had arrived from New Jersey bearing the stars of the weekend, their two cats, Walnut and Pistachio. They quickly assumed control of the house as we retrieved all the toys they left here after Christmas. It was so much fun having pets in the house again and reminded me how greatly I missed it (yes, even cats). With our annual 3+ months spent in Panama, and the condo rules there about pets, we are restricted from having anything I find acceptable (no ankle biting dogs).

Pistachio and Walnut Checking Out Deckzilla

Walnut

Pistachio

My son and his bunch arrived around noon time and the FBR, BRS, and BR3 were soon charging around the house, reestablishing the expected level of chaos whenever they are together. Since we had both kids and all granddaughters in residence, we decided a Deckzilla barbecue was in order. We invited Keene Friend, because, let’s face it, he’s family. My Favorite Panamanian had me involved in the preparation phase which, for anyone that’s ever been near her during one of these times, can be frightening (son and daughter nodding as they read this). The granddaughters took a break from raiding my wife’s shoe closet to demand to be taken to a nearby playground. In a moment of weakness (which are endemic when granddaughters are involved), I agreed to take them to. My wife only grimaced in my general direction as I loaded up the car. I was truly impressed with the level of upper body strength, especially the BRS and BR3, demonstrated at the playground. I would have been hard-pressed at their age to attempt what they easily accomplished. We returned triumphant to the house to find Keene Friend and his lady had arrived and the party was in full swing.

At The Playground

With Abuela's Shoes

The Granddaughter Table

Dessert with Abuela

My daughter had driven down to Connecticut to pick up Wingman who had participated in a charity golf tournament there on Friday, so we had the whole gang in one place for the first time since the very fun February week in Panama. We had way too much food but that’s to be expected (see comment above about a certain Panamanian). It was one of those afternoons that I live for as the granddaughters flitted around and the assemblage of a leading number of my favorite people on the planet socialized on Deckzilla. As we sat down to eat, under the influence of a certain number of Coors Lites, I remarked that this time was special. Everybody at the table nodded in agreement or they could have just been coddling me.

Wife's Shoe Closet After Granddaughter Invasion

Wingman and I with BRS and BR3 Behind Us

The granddaughters had once again seized control of my Man Cave. They find it incredibly quaint that I still have a land line telephone. I think they look at is as exotic – a phone attached to the wall that doesn’t need a passcode. They launched a series of crank calls to anyone who would reveal their cellphone number to them. Wingman had us playing an updated version of Flip 7 on Deckzilla when the calls began. The ABFA was a particular target because she is so sweet and would answer, despite knowing how it was going to go. She sent us a photo today of her phone call received log, which showed 19 calls from our phone that day. So, you can see how this went. By the end of the day we were receiving calls from Joe’s Pizza who offered free pizzas, but all they delivered was a receipt from Home Depot they found on my desk in the Man Cave. It was funny to see how creative they could be and reminded me (in semi-heartbreaking fashion) of the games my kids played at the same age with Soxfather.

Deckzilla Party

Too Much Fun!

The cats were especially intrigued with the attendant arrival of Riggins with my son’s family. Riggins is now totally blind and Walnut, especially, seemed very put out that Riggins did not react to him at all. It seemed to injure his cat pride. He spent the rest of the weekend trying to get the elusive reaction. Sunday morning breakfast was a full on, chaos riddled, event and a lot of fun. The granddaughters were summoned from the crank calling long enough to take part. The BRS once again demonstrated she has become an expert at making hojaldras as well as consuming them in mass quantities.

Walnut Hanging Out with Riggins

Sadly, the New Jersey bunch had to leave while we were at church on Sunday, but my son and his family decided to stay on a little longer. The BRS and BR3 had heard about the shopping expedition of the previous Friday and demanded equal time with their abuela. They too have inherited that benighted shopping gene. Since both my son and I were in recovery protocol, we descended to the Man Cave while the ABFA accompanied the gals to the mall. It was a great afternoon as we discovered an animated sci fi series on Amazon that had us both intrigued. Secret Level is an adult animated anthology with stories set within the universes of iconic video games. I depended on my son to tell me what games they were talking about.

Sunday Morning Watermelon

The gals inevitably returned and this meant it was time for them to depart, ending one of the best weekends ever. There is no substitute for time spent with family, especially when you are gifted the way I am in that department. Oh yeah, and just to make the weekend even sweeter, the heretofore somnolent Red Sox swept a four-game series against the hated Yankees. I was savoring the weekend already but when the Sox nearly no hit the yanks and then scored three runs to walk them off in the 10^th inning, it was just too sweet. In the lost Red Sox season, at least we’ll have this weekend to look back on.

Window Shades had to be Adjusted All Weekend
So Walnut Could Properly Secure the House

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