Saturday, September 26, 2026

Firsting Once Again

One of the more welcome results of last week’s retirement luncheon with my old office mates was a determination to revive the tradition I started there of celebrating the First Friday of Each Week. I made the tactical error of choosing Peppercorns which is a great bar but requires the transition on Park Avenue in the late afternoon which is not for the weak of heart. Rookie mistake. I allowed the half hour needed to make it and arrived on time to find my former work buddies already ensconced. We proceeded to renew the bond that First Fridays were created for, catching up on the goings on and telling new stories while embellishing former ones. It’s what we do. It was a great interlude with these great people and we committed to maintaining the tradition. I chastised the guy who replaced me when we left for not realizing that our former dedicated bar, Brew City, had closed over a year ago.

Bond Renewed
Meanwhile a massive Nor’easter is blowing into New England this weekend which put a serious strain on our planned celebration of my daughter’s birthday. She and the FBR journeyed through the teeth of the storm last night in order to be in place today to go to Hartford to see someone named Olivia Rodrigo. I guess that’s a big deal but I’m clueless when it comes to music. While they await that time we are going to celebrate. My Favorite Son and his bunch are enroute and we also have my daughter’s two cats, Walnut and Pistachio, in residence which is always entertaining. Well, at least after the point early this morning when the FBR charged into our bedroom with Walnut and dumped him on me. It brought back memories of Grandpa and Abuela’s summer camp. So, no more writing because, fun is to be had, one floor above me.

Intrepid Travelers

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Walnut Sets up Shop

Who You Looking At!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 3rd 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

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