Momentous Moment and Cross-state Adventure

An event took place in Hampton, NH a couple days ago that shocked me to my very core. Since I’m on a beach vacation, I haven’t been following the news, but this incident qualified in every respect as earth shattering, breathtaking news. I hope you are sitting down to experience this  report because it has the ability to rob you of your equilibrium due to the level of surprise involved. If you’re sure you ready, here it is, my Favorite Panamanian voluntarily entered the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean. I know! Completely and unabridged shock! For the entirety of our marriage, she has steadfastly refused to even consider placing a foot into the cold New England ocean waters.

Wife Entering the Water with BRS embraced for Body Heat

Making Sure I saw Her

Paddle Board Duty

Having been exposed to the sultry and decidedly warm ocean waters of her native Panama, I understand and completely ascribe to her point of view. What could have caused her to abandon her long-held determination, you should rightly ask. The answer, predictably, is our granddaughters. We were sitting on the beach a couple days ago when the FBR and BRS began to campaign for her to join them in the waves. They wanted her to assist in their navigation of the ABFA’s paddle board. I was in my usual semi-conscious state, while enjoying the beach views, when I saw them approaching the surf line. This caused the predictable shock to my system to see the unthinkable unfolding before me.

It is certainly testament to the love she has for the granddaughters. She timidly approached the water and then grabbed the BRS to provide some shared body heat. I was taking as much video as possible of this, because this was of historical significance. Eventually she released the BRS and began her task of dragging the paddle board back and forth while the BRS and FBR cavorted on the board. At a certain point, she got a little cocky and tripped. This caused her to fully submerge in the water. Up to that point she had only gotten her legs wet. I forgot to continue videoing at this point because I was laughing so hard. She was trooper though and emerged triumphant. This could serve as something both the FBR and BRS can put on their future resumes, the ability to convince someone to do what they themselves considered impossible.

Our beach sojourn was interrupted by a couple days of rain. This isn’t a big deal, unless you happen to have three young granddaughters who begin bouncing off walls if not allowed to expel their high levels of natural energy. When my wife heard about the impending rain she stopped off at Michaels and bought some art supplies. I’m still not sure how she convinced them but they spent an afternoon decorating the small rocks they collected off the beach that morning to create some very nice beach mementoes. My son and I finally drove a stake in the heart of the latest, difficult puzzle, as we are both less artfully gifted.

Can't Keep Them off the Rocks

BR3 and I created a Fort

Abuela Art Session

The Results

ABFA Caught me Working on the Puzzle from Outside

Rainy Day Girls
What Did we do Before iPads?

Escape to one of Hampton's Arcades Like BR3

And the FBR and BRS

We had a couple late nights this week and not just because the Sox are on the west coast. Each year for my son’s birthday we accompany him to see a couple movies, usually on his actual birthday. It’s the one day of the year he can escape the usual movie fare he experiences escorting his daughters to the cinema. Because his birthday fell on Sunday this year we had to change plans and see the movies on consecutive nights, after all the granddaughters were safely in bed. That meant 9 o’clock movies, which is fine for me but challenging for my son’s earlier usual bedtimes. This was exacerbated on Wednesday night when we saw the three hour Christopher Nolan movie, The Odyssey. My Favorite Panamanian joined us for that one but Tuesday night’s The Evil Dead Burn was a guy’s night out (not hard to figure that out).

Monthly Luncheon

My son and wife headed back to the cinema on a rainy Thursday escorting the granddaughters to see the latest Disney film. I, in a stroke of unforeseen luck, was on the road headed west. I planned on blowing off the monthly luncheon for my high school classmates since it would mean leaving the beach and granddaughters. Last week I learned that the PCR was inbound and would attend which caused me to alter my plans since this would be the PCR’s only New England visit of the year. Since it got me out of the Disneyfest, I considered this just part of the win. The luncheon was the usual gathering of old friends liberally laced with funny bouts of nostalgia and sharing the latest health news/remedies.

At the Lab

Tres Amigos Outside the Nest

Later at the Lab

We followed this up with the usual afternoon social hour(s) in Keene. We started off at the Owl’s Nest so the PCR and his Mrs. could see the transformations wrought by the change in ownership to the venerable Penuche’s. We then journeyed down Main Street to the usual haunt the Lab ‘n Lager. Since we had the attraction of the PCR in residence, we assembled a memorable crew to mark the afternoon. The Kindergarten Friend, the Cantankerous Friend, as well as the CRC, joined us along with Keene Friend and his lady. It was a very fun afternoon. I was on my best behavior since my usual designated driver was a hundred miles away “enjoying” Moana. She is not without her assts though. She had subverted the Keene Friend’s lady into her agent. That agent documented my mid-afternoon switch to coca cola instead of beer. The lengthy drive back to the coast last evening made for a very long day but more than worth it since I got to share it with some very important, to me, people, some of the best currently drawing oxygen.

The Evil Dead Burn was everything you would expect from an Evil Dead movie. Nonstop mayhem liberally lubricated with the appropriate level of blood and guts. This serves as a direct sequel as those pesky deadites continue to infect and dismember at will. The vast majority of the family at risk in this outing were very unlikable which made their sequential demises a sneaky bit of fun. You can’t take this seriously and it is what it is, another scary outing in the series made famous by the incomparable Bruce Campbell (Hail to the King Baby!).

The Odyssey is very dark, but that’s appropriate given the source material. The journey of Odysseus has always been very bleak as he loses his entire army and his mind for a number of years. Nolan confirms his status as a master story teller as he makes this classic story a great watch despite bowing to modern sensibilities in some respect. This may be Damon’s best film ever as he radiates charisma as the conflicted king of Ithaca trying to get home. Back in Ithacan Ann Hathaway captures the frustration and bone deep loyalty Penelope always embodies. I was worried Nolan would get too creative with the story but he’s true to the important aspects and makes this one of the best films of the year.

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