Thunder Finale

Since my Favorite Panamanian was decisively engaged with her friends for the entire weekend, I glommed on to the opportunity to head north for what will constitute my final thunder run of 2025. She was out with the Neighborhood Mafioso and other elements of the Panamanian Mafia on Friday night while the Maine Musquetera arrived Saturday for some dedicated shopping time. Obviously, I was not in high demand, and I think my wife was all too happy to see me ushering myself out of the way. I was also on a mission of mercy (my story and I’m sticking to it).

Keene Friend and I Surrounding Cantankerous

The Mafia Out on Friday Night

The Cantankerous Friend had knee replacement surgery earlier in the week and was convalescing at home. My Favorite Panamanian made a spaghetti dinner for him and I was charged with delivering it to the patient. See. Mercy all over this drive north. Keene Friend, as he is prone to do, rose to the occasion to serve as the host for my overnight stay. The Cantankerous One shocked us both with a surprising amount of mobility when we arrived. It had only been three days since his surgery, but he was up and ambling about his home. He showed us the impressive surgery scar but said there was very little pain so far. He’s a biking fanatic so I know he’s jonesing to get going on his rehab. Since I have been threatened with the possibility of eventually needing a knee replacement myself, it was reassuring to see the technology has improved to the point it is now an outpatient procedure. It was also good to see him in such excellent shape and spirits. He really appreciated the Panamanian spaghetti as well.

In Front of my Grandparent's House

I had to get copies of keys to the new front door for the house sitters. Keene still has actual hardware stores where they make the copies for you instead of forcing you to try and do it yourself (looking steadily at you Home Depot). The hardware store we stopped at is right next to my father’s family ancestral home. It’s the home he grew up in. I have so many great memories of that house although it’s in sad shape compared to those halcyon days of the 1960s. It used to have a wraparound front porch and was painted green and yellow. I had Keene Friend take a picture of me in front of the house which I sent to the remaining cousins from that time. We all share those memories of what a special place it was, especially when Gramma made a pot of her special spice cakes.  

At the Lab with Kindergarten Friend

Then. Somehow. We ended up at the Lab ‘n Lager (these things tend to happen). I mean, a guy’s gotta eat. We set up shop at what has become our “usual” table as downtown Keene’s Main Street foot traffic passed by. We were joined in short order by the former CRC. He had just pulled into his driveway when he received my text and dutifully turned around and made his way to the Lab. We made our usual, well lubricated call to the PCR who was under supervision of his long-suffering wife. It was hard to hear with the Lab’s vocal clientele in the background but good to hear their voices. The former CRC had to depart before I could take the usual picture, but he was replaced almost immediately by the Kindergarten Friend who had been grandson babysitting while the female contingent shopped (been there, done that). It was a very fun afternoon spent with my oldest friends. This will be the last time in 2025 when it’ll be “just the guys” but it’s times like this that will make me more than ready to come back from Panama (once the snow melts).

Pangea (Before Continents Separated) Map
With Modern Countries Positioned - Interesting

Reconnecting with my hometown friends was one of my stated goals when I convinced my Favorite Panamanian to return to New England after retiring from the military. Even I, with my inflated hopes, could not have envisioned how much fun this turned out to be. There’s a special bond between true friends which has a medicinal effect on your soul. I’m glad to see both of my kids have indulged in the same practice. It was a lot harder for them, as Army brats, but they both have special friends they’ve stayed in contact with. Since I was in no shape to drive home, I spent the night at Keene Friend’s where we almost watched the Heisman Ceremony. I woke up in time to hear the end of the acceptance speech.

Man Cave Movie Shelves - Complete

On Sunday I sought permission from the Commander in Chief to remain in Keene to watch the Pat’s game with Keene Friend. Since she was deeply engrossed in the shared shopping experience with the Maine Musquetera I received the necessary pass. While half the game was a delight to watch I still count it as a win, the less said about the second half, etc. etc. I got home to find a couple inches of snow had fallen and the ladies, in strict violation of the rules, had repeatedly driven over the snow in the driveway, creating an ice field. I was addressing this issue when I realized that, somewhere in my Saturday/Sunday travels I had lost the three keys I had made. If Keene Friend can’t find them, it looks like I’ll have to make another trip up there (just to see how the Cantankerous is recovering, don’tcha ya know).

What's Left

I have major news to report in the A-Z watch. I have completed the shelves in the office portion of the Man Cave where most of the movies reside. I am firmly into the V’s and have only the ones in the expansion shelves in the theater side of the Cave. This has been a three-year effort since 2022 to remove the movies that were taking up needed space but weren’t worthy of remaining. As you can see from the photo, the space has been achieved. I figure I’ll finish shortly after returning from Panama and my life will be my own again.

Five movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Vacation (1983) – original is still funny, Beverley was a smoke show; European Vacation – the Griswolds in Europe, what could go wrong?, still funny; Vegas Vacation – Griswolds in Vegas, not funny anymore, Beverley, though; Vacation (2015) – Ed Helms picks up story as adult Rusty Griswold, recaptures some of goofy fun of original with hilarious cameos; Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets – huge Besson sci fi epic, lead actor was woefully miscast but the rest was a lot of fun.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Well Ended as Well

Once again, I worried a holiday had been anticipated so ardently that there was no way it could live up to its billing. Once again, because of the people I associate with, I should not have been worried. This was the calmest Thanksgiving Day I’ve had in decades. The lifelong tradition of attending the gathering of my cousins from my Father’s Family has passed into history, a victim of too many competing generations, and, to be perfectly honest, the aging cousin base. It has been replaced with a small family gathering at our house which has the added benefit of no driving, the bane of all prior turkey days (yes Connecticut – looking at you). My daughter paid that price with her late Wednesday night arrival.

The Fam at Saturday Lunch at Red Robin

Her two cats, Pistachio and Walnut, became the stars of the weekend as they serially charmed everyone they came into contact with. We had a quiet day in the house, except whenever the cats decided to entertain, which was constant. Walnut decided he liked the smell of turkey and tried in earnest to assist me with the carving. My Favorite Panamanian was on perpetual cat watch as both felines do not share their predecessor’s lack of ability/inclination to counter climb. The best part of the day was watching three consecutive football games with my daughter in the Man Cave. With the cats, there is appreciably less requirement to monitor the FBR who spends every possible moment with them.

Walnut Offering Assistance

Walnut and Pistachio

Rare Quiet Moment

Wife and I with Thanksgiving Dinner

Daughter and FBR

Friday brought the big event of the holiday weekend, the annual day after Thanksgiving dinner/party at Great Aunt’s house. My son’s family and Keene Friend joined the crowd as we gathered in Rhode Island for the party that’s been going on for more than thirty years (no cousin generational issues here). This was also the first Thanksgiving for Namesake’s Nephew’s daughter, who has reintroduced joy into Great Aunt’s life. Last year, a large amount of the conversation addressed her imminent February arrival. She didn’t disappoint with her debut, bringing light wherever she was.

Fabulous Hostess with Death by Chocolate Cake

The Gang

Great Aunt Introducing the Newest Cousin

FBR is an Immediate Fan

Took a While but Predictably my Wife Ended up with the Baby

My three granddaughters immediately drafted Namesake Nephew’s other two kids into their gang. Remy, Great Aunt’s dog, was the immediate beneficiary. The gang groomed him numerous times and he was the object of attention for the entire day. Great Aunt had prepared the usual fabulous dinner and was impervious to several attempts to play our usual practical jokes on her. I blame her granddaughter for her blissful attitude towards our hijinks. Our previous years efforts has resulted in a hyper-prepared Great Aunt. Whenever I asked for an implement, she haughtily produced whatever was asked for. I was impressed, although I successfully prevented myself from demonstrating that to her (I still must fulfill my role as the obnoxious younger brother).

Great Aunt with her Turkey

Second Thanksgiving

The Gang with the FBR Reading

Remy Enjoying the Belly Rubs

BR3 With Crowd Control

The dinner table effortlessly transitioned into the evening party zone with the arrival of Soxfather’s beloved family. I captured the guerrilla style photos of Soxfather’s sister which is also a well-respected Thanksgiving tradition. As I engaged with Soxfather’s family around the table, I couldn’t help but remember all the great Thanksgiving holidays spent at that same table with Soxfather. I think he was there in spirit with us as the laughter was almost non-stop. Our redeployment plan called for two waves. The granddaughters departed first (prisoners of mythical bedtimes which they blissfully ignore whenever together). They were accompanied by their moms and my Favorite Panamanian.

Obligatory Soxfather Sister Photos

Since Keene Friend is now a teetotaler, he was volunteered to be the designated driver for the second wave consisting of my son, I, and him. We were settling in for an extended night of the aforementioned laughter with additional Soxfather family arrivals when I received a panicked call from my Favorite Panamanian. They had arrived back in Worcester with the young ones and the garage door opening code was not working. This meant they were stranded outside and required that the second wave leave immediately, since we had a garage door opener. If I had consumed less Coors Lite, I might have remembered that I had purposely left the back door to the garage unlocked.

The Gang Helping Great Aunt Create her 7 Layer Dip

Great Aunt with Namesake Nephew and his Wife

Post Dinner Football with Daughter, Son and ABFA

We had just got into the car to leave when my resourceful daughter, with a better memory than I, called to report she had remembered me doing that and discovered the unlocked door. We were debating about re-entering Great Aunt’s party when we observed a sizable portion of Soxfather’s family departing. While driving back I became convinced (obsessed) that the whole garage door code failure was simply a ploy by a certain Panamanian to get us to leave early. This theory was dashed upon arrival when the code didn’t work for us either. We were warmly greeted by the cats who had been cooped up in a room all day while we partied in Rhode Island.

BRS and Pistachio

Son and Walnut Bonding

With all three granddaughters now in residence, an early morning was guaranteed with hojaldras, cinnamon rolls, and corn muffins in high demand. My son and Walnut bonded in no uncertain terms. We followed through with what has become yet another Thanksgiving tradition by loading up the cars and taking the granddaughters to the movie for a forgettable animated movie. It was fun watching them enjoy the cinema atmosphere. We followed this with a walk up to the Red Robin (also part of the tradition) where we linked up with my Favorite Panamanian, who had chosen to shop instead of the movie (go figure).

Movie Time

We spent the rest of Saturday back at the homestead where Pistachio and Walnut cemented their status as superstars. If I’m a betting man (and I’m not) I would say there is feline addition to my son’s family in the future. I’m sure that will wait while Riggins is around as that poor guy doesn’t deserve yet another indignity. My son’s family departed late on Friday which meant another night in the Man Cave for my daughter and I, comparing movie notes (something I cherish). So, there you have it. A relatively quiet Thanksgiving weekend, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I have a very cool family, which includes Keene Friend as well

Three movies fell in the A-Z watch, all keepers: Troy – excellent version of the Iliad with Pitt oozing charisma as Achilles; True Grit (1969) – holds up well with Duke abandoning his usual screen personae; True Grit (2010) – Hailey Steinfeld’s coming out party, Bridges awesome as Rooster.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Veterans’ Day

Veterans Day always causes me to reflect on how I ended up wearing a uniform for much of my adult life. I blame my uncles. I grew up idolizing my father’s brothers and sisters, all of whom served in World War 2 along with my father and his brother Pete who died on Guadalcanal. My family has a long history of military service; my great grandfather’s brother, Warren, was killed crossing the Wheatfield at Gettysburg. I was a typical kid growing up in the 1960s drawn in a lot of directions by the cultural forces trying to pull the country apart (kind of like nowadays). I  wandered into the military after college and found a home. I met leaders who reminded me of the gentle uncles with the steel lightly disguised behind eyes that had seen too much. I also found a love of America these aunts and uncles had imbued me with.

I’ve written about this before and decided to repost a couple of those thoughts because they’re appropriate today when we should all be remembering the sacrifices made and thanking those who donned the uniform for the belief in this greatest of all countries. I was brought up, without ever realizing it, to have a deep abiding love of this country and serving in the military only refined those feelings. To serve in the military you must believe in what you’re fighting for. I think, that, more than any other factor can determine an Army’s success on the battlefield. I know that a lot of civilians don’t “get it” and at times even ridicule those who profess a love of country. To be honest, certain fanatical factions of the far right have attempted to hijack patriotism as their sole property while also serving as the judge of who is “patriotic”. This could not be farther from the truth.

Patriotism means standing up for the values your country is based on, not on the convenient truth of the latest politician. True patriotism is found in hating a hateful message but loving the freedom to send it. If nothing else America stands for freedom, an escape from the notion that your station of birth determines your station in life. This is such a precious commodity. I believe in the bedrock decency of America and hold in utter contempt politicians and intellectuals who attempt to denigrate who we are and kow tow to their foreign counterparts to curry favor. They don’t fully appreciate or understand what America means to us. We as a nation comprise the most startlingly successful expression of the basic human need for individual freedom that the world has ever seen. Since we are humans, we are certainly not perfect but we, as a nation, dare to believe we can be better than we’ve been. That is the marrow of this country and the profound, immense strength that fanatics will never understand or successfully confront. Certainly worth fighting for.

I post this every Veterans Day because it says what being a veteran is much more eloquently than I ever could:

What is a Vet?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service:  a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them:  a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg – or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity.  Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can’t tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet? He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn’t run out of fuel.  He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She, or he, is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in Da Nang.  He is the POW who went away one person and came back another – or didn’t come back at all.  He is the Quantico drill instructor who has never seen combat but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other’s backs. He is the parade riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.  He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by. He is the three anonymous heroes in the Tomb of the Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean’s sunless deep. He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket, palsied now and agonizingly slow, who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and wishes all day long that his wife was still alive to hold him when the nightmares come. He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being, a person who offered some of his life’s most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs. He is a Soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known. So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, “THANK YOU”.  Remember November 11th is Veterans Day. “It is the Soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet who has given us freedom of speech. It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the Soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.” – Father Denis O'Brien, USMC

Those are powerful words and I know it’s hokey but they still bring tears to my eyes because of their intrinsic truth. My proudest moment in uniform was not at a change of command or a medal ceremony. It was while I was at Washington’s Union Station, in uniform, waiting to pick up my daughter. A businessman noticed me walked over and said, “I just wanted to thank you for serving your country.” As stated above, that meant so much to me, more than any medal or accolade.  So if you have a chance today, say thank you to a veteran.  He or she has earned it.

Two movies fell in the A-Z watch, both keepers: Tomb Raider – a great reboot with the story more about action than the heroines physical attributes; Tombstone – a great movie with some of the best lines in movie history.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Family Deck

In the early years of Frail Deeds, I wrote each year about the family Thanksgiving gathering I happily attended. This tradition dated back to the 1940s in my father’s family. The tradition continued with the location migrating, due to aging generations, over the years from Keene, NH to Palmer, MA, to Belchertown, MA, and finally to Hancock, NH. A couple years ago the tradition came to an end mainly because the next generation weren’t completely onboard. Some of the most cherished memories of my youth involve this holiday assembly of my Father’s Family. This happened because the newest generations didn’t, as I did, grow up with the original aunts and uncles (including my dad) who made the get-together a seminal event. The last of that magnificent set of brothers and sisters passed away within the last ten years and we kept it going as long as they were around, although attendance dwindled.

Cousins on Deck

Since then, my generation of cousins set about establishing our own Thanksgiving traditions. This is a long-winded introduction to explain how I spent my Saturday. Last year, the final host, whom I refer to as the Cousin-in-Chief, decided to call for an assembly of cousins in late September in Hancock. It was a huge success as we were able to enjoy ourselves out on the deck that was usually unused for the cold November gatherings. We decided that we would continue the September gathering in lieu of the former Thanksgiving one because this would not compete with internal family holiday plans. We were summoned for last Saturday and were blessed with perfect weather. The drive up from Worcester was additionally consecrated by the foliage which grew more colorful as we made our way north. This has always been my favorite time of year in New England and I’m a little miffed that we have our European trip later this week which will cause us to miss some of it. Sacrifices must be made.

View on the Drive Up

Attendance was down a little this year as a couple health related issues arose in the last couple days before Saturday. One cousin had to be medevac’d to Boston along with her slice of the family. Others had unplanned work creep up as well as grandchild babysitting summons. That still left a fun group to hang out on the deck. We spent the afternoon remembering those departed aunts and uncles along with various events involving them and our mutual grandparents. I learned some new information about those grandparents. I never knew my grandmother had beautiful blonde hair. For the twelve years I knew her, it was completely silver. This explains the blonde hair my son had and his kids possess. I had always wondered where it came from. I got to hang out with my favorite cousin when I was growing up as we were of an age together. He spends a lot of time in Florida now so it was special hanging with him for the afternoon. As it was for all those gathered on that deck, a very special afternoon.

My Cousin and I

Speaking of those towheaded granddaughters, the BRS and BR3 had their school pictures delivered this week. The BRS looked amazing, as she usually does. BR3 couldn’t help from demonstrating what we call her “maniacal look”, but it appears she tried hard to cover it up. Back at the Worcester homestead, my Favorite Panamanian has performed her usual magic in seasonal decorating. She had me cut down a flowering tree that had taken over a section of her vast garden complex in front of the house. She replaced it with an autumnal display involving hay bales, pumpkins and a lot of mums. When our upstairs neighbors were driving in earlier in the week they immediately identified our house by this display (they know my wife well).  

BRS

BR3

Seasonal Front Yard

Seven movies fell in the A-Z watch, six keepers: The Long Kiss Goodnight – this is a repeat as I upgraded to 4K, awesome action/comedy. Shane Black written, when you knew Samuel L. would be a star; Stardust – one of my favorite movies of all time, Deniro as a gay sky pirate still has me falling down laughing; Stargate – love this sci fi classic; Starman – Bridges dominates as alien in a human body; Starship Troopers – family favorite, son and I bond over this; Starship Troopers 3, Marauder – awful, just awful, disgrace to original film, eject; Starsky and Hutch – hilarious ode to iconic 70s TV show.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course