Autumnal Prep

Having time of my own once again, with the lamented departure of the granddaughters, I have been searching out things to do that were delayed by that delightful interval. In response to my Favorite Panamanian’s latest haranguing campaign (that might be a bit harsh but I’m allowed wide editorial and poetic license by the Frail Deeds Editorial Board), we met with a lawyer this week for estate planning. Having finally admitted I might be getting on in years, combined with her constant perusal of TikTok videos, we decided to do the right thing. Our most excellent neighbors, the Neighborhood Mafiosos, recommended a local lawyer who was fantastic. What do I mean about TikTok videos, you might ask. My wife will latch on to a certain video and once she watches it through, the evil gremlins of algorithms start inundating her with similar ones. She saw one estate planning video and, well, there you go. We’re getting the whole package: will, health proxy, etc. etc.

Heading Out on our Walk This Morning

One of the other projects was the assembly of my new snowblower. With the departure of the old one on Wednesday, it was time to unpack and assemble the new one. Anyone who shoveled snow all his life and then used a snowblower, will never go back. I was heartened that I bought American and relished the opportunity assemble something with directions prepared by Americans instead of well meaning Chinese with a limited grasp of English. After this experience I am missing the Chinese. There was a huge manual in three languages which had nothing to do with the assembly.

New Snowblower in its Crate

The Cursed Directions

That was left to a single large sheet of double-sided paper with no printed directions whatsoever on it. It simply showed a series of cartoons with arrows and highlighted parts. The scan code on the top right simply led me back to the operator's manual. A mechanically inclined person probably wouldn’t have had a second thought about it but those type individuals were in short supply in my garage. It didn’t help that I was also sweating buckets since humidity returned for a hopefully last hurrah. I had to study the machine for several minutes on each step to find the highlighted section. It would have helped idiots like me for a simple line of “Find this under the handle”. There were only a few parts to be installed but it still took me nearly three hours to get it done. The last part which fit easily on the diagram failed to live up to that billing in reality. I had to remove a part from the machine and eventually slipped them together. Small victories.

Pre-Assembly

Finished Product

That comment on humidity was a complaint since, we’re in September which marks the start of my favorite time of year (now that I don’t have any school requirements). The A/C was turned off, and we slept with the windows open for the first time since June. I love the fresh air although the neighbor’s car alarm going off at 4am was a definite downer. I love the warm days and cool nights that signal the approach of autumn. After lunch yesterday I went out onto Deckzilla and sat in the swing just to savor the autumnal breeze. Yeah, I know they will evolve into the howling winds of winter, but I’ve got the next couple months, at least.

My Favorite Panamanian has also been watching videos on senior workouts. While I have my own routine down pat, she has been struggling for the past few months as every time she tries to go back to one of her traditional workouts, some body part ends up aching. The gremlins steered her towards a walking regimen which is why we were both out walking this morning to our church. I made the ill-advised recommendation that she could walk to our church during her daily attendance at mass. She thought that was a great idea and, since I came up with it, I was to accompany her this morning. The one flaw in my plan, the very high hill we live on, with the church at the bottom. Going there was easy, the return, not so much. We found a walking path at the bottom of our hill around a ball field which would be perfect for her though. She’ll drive to church and then use that track for her walk while I should still be sleeping. I like this plan.

Finally, I also have a tendency to wander the reels offered by Facebook and Instagram. The gremlins send me a lot of  World War 2 and military history (lots of Roman Empire stuff). They also realize I am hopelessly in thrall to the grandkids. The saying below popped up and actually had me misty eyed. I share it here for anyone else caught up in the blessed phenomena of grandchildren: “The hardest part about being a grandparent is not the gray hair or the wrinkles. It’s knowing you won’t get to walk beside them for their whole life, only a few precious chapters. So, pour everything you have into the moments you do have – the stories, the hugs, the prayers, the gentle words…Hoping that one day, when your chair is empty, their hearts will still feel how deeply they were loved.”

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