Weathering the Whatever

The adventure that is our annual Grandpa and Abuela Summer Camp proceeds apace with the only participant so far, the FBR, thoroughly dominating. The few days past have involved, in my honest opinion, way too much shopping (but I would say that about any amount of shopping). My Favorite Panamanian has finally found a kindred soul when it comes to shopping in our oldest granddaughter. Neither of our kids, growing up, would willingly submit to shopping with their mother (something I learned almost immediately upon marrying her – it involves an intense level of commitment). The FBR has fully embraced the experience, much to her abuela’s contentment.

At the Food Court

Last Friday my wife employed the FBR as an agent to get me to drive them both to the Natick Mall. She knew if she had asked me, I would have reminded her that she had made the drive many times, but she also knows I can deny a granddaughter nothing. So, there I was in the food court, reading my latest book while the two shopping soulmates crushed their time in the huge mall. It is kind of cool that this mall has survived when so many others have gone extinct. I had the advantage of a hard departure time since we had the cable guy coming late in the afternoon. To their credit, they made the cut off time without a single complaint.

On the Way to the Mall
Don't Know How she Can Sleep in this Position

The cable guy turned out to be quite a little adventure. My kids still laugh at me for having cable but I love the convenience and get a bunch of streaming channels for free because of it. Recently, nearly half the channels were disappearing and forcing me to re-boot the boxes which was a pain in the posterior. The guy showed up and found water had seeped into the underground cable pipe. He decided we needed to replace all the cables from the street into the house. That meant two separate efforts. I helped with each but in each case the connection he made between the old cable which he used to draw the new cable in broke.

In the Shoe Section
Which Neither Can Just Walk Through

That meant some field expedient measures, especially in the Man Cave, getting the new cable into the junction box. I shudder to think of the indignities my poor cave had to endure. This all took a couple hours, with both my Favorite Panamanian and the FBR cut off from the internet in the interim (that was not a pretty sight). I think the guy felt a little guilty for all the problems encountered. He decided to replace all four of my cable boxes with new versions which seriously improved the picture quality, so a win after a long day.

Saturday Party

Saturday had the FBR back in a pool. At least that was the stated plan. One of the Latina Mafia was hosting a birthday party where the FBR would be joined by the Czech Shadow. There was something approaching breathless anticipation when the FBR learned that. While the party was the usual great assembly including the Neighborhood Mafiosos and the Czerch Friends, New England’s weather was not cooperating. A fine mist along with the occasional shower fell all afternoon along with cooler temperatures. The FBR was not pleased.

Czech Friend and Shadow Surrounding the FBR

She saw the pool sitting unappreciated from our covered picnic area and decided this would not do. She made the decision to get into the pool but required company. She knew better than approach me, so the Czech Shadow was targeted. Despite some initial resistance, the Shadow fell to the FBR’s entreaties (I know how that feels). They spent about ten minutes in the pool before retreating to the picnic area and complaining about the cool weather. Since we were dealing with Latinas as a healthy percentage of the crowd, dancing broke out under the picnic area cover. It was a very fun, if moist, afternoon spent with good friends. The FBR and Czech Shadow ended up huddled under a quilt inside the host’s house.

FBR Working on the Shadow to Go Swimming

Her Abuela Certainly Wouldn't

Success!!!

With the Too Kind Shadow

Sunday was supposed to be a day spent in Boston but that was rained out, so it became the at rarest of all events, a quiet day at home. Well, I’d qualify the level of quiet since the FBR was involved. Unfortunately she felt a cold coming on, so we postposed the Boston trip until today. She didn’t feel up to it this morning, so she and her abuela headed out for, you guessed it, some more shopping. Thankfully more local this time so I was freed up. Once they left, I got the lawn mowed, the oil and gas drained form my soon to be ex-snowblower, and collected a bunch of clothes that’ll be donated on Wednesday morning. I had just settled into the Man Cave to relax when I received a call from the shoppers.

Great Party Crowd

Some Sort of Peruvian Napkin Dance

The FBR was experiencing a lot of pain in one of her ears that would require a visit to the urgent care clinic. My daughter sent the medical insurance cards and off we went when they arrived. The FBR was most concerned that this issue would prevent her from swimming for the rest of her visit. The pain was enough that she overcame the apprehension of that possibility to agree with seeking medical advice. It turned out she has an inner ear infection which we scored the antibiotics for. I was truly impressed with how mature the FBR was at the doctor’s office, quickly and eloquently explaining what she was experiencing. The best news is that she can still swim later this week, which brought the radiant smile back out.

The Birthday Girl with a Completely Awesome 
Ice Cream Cake Created by the Mafioso

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