Anniversarial

Bitter cold yesterday but it didn’t seem as bleak since I had that special someone to wake up next to again.  She was a little (lot) less pleased by the weather but used the day to conduct her normal in depth home inspection that no amount of roses could forestall.  I returned home after work to find several items of furniture moved back into their “correct” position and endured a semi-serious lecture as to the importance of cleaning the outside of the microwave (who knew?). 

I thought I’d gotten off pretty lightly until she asked about the cleaning brush she found in the kitchen sink.  I told her I’d found it under the sink and it worked great at cleaning out the plastic pan I used each day to microwave bacon.  Fighting down an urge to gag, with no small amount of exasperation, she informed me that she used that brush to clean the corners of the shower and bath room floors (always wondered how she got those so clean).  She seemed more upset that I didn’t react with more squeamishness.  I mean, there’s nothing I could do at this point and I think I rinsed it off pretty well each time; one of those water under the bridge type situations.  She kept marveling at my ability to take this in stride until I informed her that this is what happens when she leaves me unsupervised for so long.

In all seriousness we had a great anniversary yesterday with heart felt good wishes flowing in from around the world.  She wanted to cook a special dinner at home but I was having none of that.  I craftily arranged to have the kitchen devoid of any food appropriate for such an event and the weather kept her boxed up in the house all day preventing replenishment.  I made reservations at one of the nicer Worcester restaurants which turned out to be a really good idea.

This idea was not solitary as there was no parking anywhere near the place which is just outside Worcester Polytechnic so I think the college students were contributing.  We had one of the best waitresses ever who overheard us talking about the anniversary and went out of her way to make the night special.  I invoked a little known codicil of the laws of keto by allowing myself a chocolate dessert since we were technically within 24 hours of my weekly keto vacation day.  It was an ice cream covered whoopee pie so I was basically helpless to resist. When the desserts showed up they were inscribed with “Happy Anniversary”, in chocolate, no less. (helpless, I tell you!)

It was a great night and my wife looked radiant which made having her back at my side all that more special.  I do feel bad for my bacon pan which I think will end up soaking in a vat of bleach today (so it goes).  

Helpless, I Tell You!

While waiting for my wife at the airport I polished off my latest venture into the wild world of Scot Horvath in Brad Thor's excellent The First Commandment.  My only problem with Thor's work is the absolute reading frenzy it induces. This is territory that is usually reserved for Jack Reacher or Lucas Davenport so it's cool to find another author I find so compelling.  My only complaint, I blow through them too fast.

Thor really seems to be finding his stride as each book is a little better in terms of focus and plot.  This was definitely the best of the Horvath series which I'm reading in chronological order. The story picks up right at the end of the last book with Horvath's lady love gunned down on his front porch.  Horvath sets out to run down the would be assassin which pits him against friend and foe alike, including the president  himself.  If you like the thriller genre I really encourage you to check out Thor's Horvath series - you won't be disappointed.  I'm going to wait a little bit before I return to the next one because I end up losing large swaths of my day because of my inability to put the book down.

Frigidly Warm Return

32 Years Ago Today

So I finally recovered the other half of my life yesterday with my wife’s return from Panama.  It’s incredible that after 32 years of marriage (as of today!) she still retains the ability to start my heart beating a little faster.  I saw her emerge from the gate and suddenly everything seemed brighter.

My first act was to seize all of her credit cards so she couldn’t immediately book a return flight back to warmer climes.  It was so cold yesterday, one of those wet penetrating colds that seeps into your bones and completely inappropriate for March.  I showed up with some roses and as much warm clothing as I could carry.  She handled it like a trooper and was soon happily reconnecting with progeny and friends on the telephone. 

My Wife Braving Her Way into the Restaurant

I was busily engaged with trying to escape and evade from Boston at the height of the rush hour.  Our sainted president added to the traffic by visiting one of the few places he’s still welcome, the People’s Republic of Massachusetts.  I know I risk bringing the wrath of the Cantankerous One down upon me for complaining about Obama adding to my traffic woes but I like to live on the edge. It was kind of surreal to see one whole side of the Mass Pike completely devoid of cars awaiting his passage.

She Never Stopped Smiling Though

Shortly after escaping from Boston we entered a fairly vigorous snow storm which completed Mother Nature’s welcome home for the wife and let her know what she’s been missing out on.  We went out to dinner and started the catching up process on family events down in Panama.

Buddy was beside himself with joy when he realized his savior from day long sojourns in the cage had returned.  Being summarily ordered off the couch is a small price to pay for the additional freedom.  I had two dozen additional roses waiting for as she quickly assessed the cleanliness of the house.  I actually did a lot better than usual but I think the roses may have bent the grading curve a little.

Well, Maybe a Little

It was even colder this morning but I felt a whole lot warmer.

Reunion Day

I staggered to the finish late last night in the complete rehabilitation of the house from bachelor conditions to hopefully acceptable marital inspection standards.  The inspection will take place tonight when my wife returns after her two month absence.  I’m sure the neighbors were a little concerned with every light in the house on last night as the vacuuming and mopping moved from room to room.  Buddy was less than pleased with his reduced wander range.  The only problem with a very clean house (or at least as clean as I got it) is the reluctance to use anything for fear of messing it up again.  Buddy certainly doesn't share my reluctance, hence the extended cage stay until inspection.

The Newly Pristine Kitchen
Made Breakfast This Morning a Real Chore

Interesting day over in the Ukraine yesterday as Putin sat back to gauge the rest of the world’s true resolve before he ventures further into Ukraine.  There was a fascinating scene of unarmed Ukrainian military from Belbek Air Base in the Crimea marching out to confront the Russians surrounding them.  It was staged for the media and the Russians almost screwed it up when some private started firing a series of warning shorts before he was brought under control.  The Ukrainians were marching behind their national flag as well as a World War 2 battle flag which speaks to the fraternal nature of the two sides involved in this conflict.  I was left impressed with the courage of the Ukrainian defiance. 

Ukrainians Marching Out

The Russians - Idiot on the Left Almost Started a War

This event also highlights the importance of getting the story out over the information superhighway.  This is Putin’s real Achilles heel in the information age and the cold warrior that he is doesn't always appreciate the decayed and discredited nature of the old Soviet tactic of telling the big lie and denying truths everybody else agreed to.  He’ll find it hard to keep the true nature of events in Ukraine from reaching his people but it doesn't mean he won’t try.

Yesterday was the most popular day ever in terms of page views on this insignificant blog.  I would love to think it was due to my cogent political analysis of unfolding events in the Crimea and not the picture of my sister in law in a bikini but I’m a realist (hence the photo below – it’ll be at least a few months before she can punch me, again). 

The blogger application allows me to see what countries are checking out this blog; not who, just the country of origin.  I've always gotten a lot of views from Russia, even when I write only about the mundane details of my life.  In terms of all time (since I started writing) views Russia is firmly in second place behind the USA.  The reason I’m mentioning that now is that in the last week (since I've been talking about events in the Ukraine) there hasn't been a single view from Russia.  Stuff that makes you go, “Hmmmmm”.  

My Wife and Brother in Law with My Bikini Clad Sister in Law

I Miss Las Lajas - Although You Can Clearly See Some Clouds in the Sky

Putin Powering Non-Stop

It should come as no surprise that the Cantankerous Friend came riding to defense of Obama’s handling of the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.  He has a hard time believing Obama is worthy of any criticism (at any time) despite yet another example of his disinterested, amateurish foreign policy which has led to another crisis.

Obama reacts instead of taking proactive steps ahead of a crisis.  He’s like one of those ineffective, “good time Charlies” who just hopes for the best and then wrings his hands in frustration when the rest of the world is not as nice as he is.  It seems that everyone in the world except the Obama administration knew Russia would invade Ukraine if the pro-Russian president was removed.  Putin had to wait while the world’s attention was focused on the Winter Olympics in Russia but it was clear there was some serious operational planning going on behind the scenes in Sochii.  The military moves that have manifested over the past week in the Crimea don’t happen (especially with the Russians) without significant advance planning.

Instead of backing the Russians down with strong diplomatic and/or economic moves ahead of time when the indications were there, Obama sat back.  To his credit he’s trying to do that now with Kerry in Kiev but Putin already has half of what he wants.  He’s staging forces in Crimea as well as along the Ukraine’s eastern border that could easily move to link up and sever another huge hunk of Ukrainian territory.  The Europeans who played a large part in fomenting the change in the Ukrainian government are now predictably silent, amid fears of losing Russian oil and gas. 

Russian Forces on the Move in Crimea

So my Cantankerous Friend, you simply can’t defend Obama in this case.  His latest moves may thwart Putin’s planned annexation of more of Ukraine but it’s historically tough to get Russian troops off your land once they arrive (see Eastern Europe 1945-1985).  The strategic diplomatic and economic threats should have been made back channel, ahead of time, to give Putin pause but he knows this president all to well.  Obama’s a good guy playing in a very tough school yard and getting his ass handed to him by a bully.   

The Bully

Back at home my cleaning exercise proceeds apace with only a few tasks remaining.  Mother Nature seems to have screwed up her calendar or someone forgot to mention that it’s March and time to turn up the heat a little.  While we dodge another major snow storm we did so at the expense of some bone deep cold (my wife spent one more day at the beach yesterday and reported Las Lajas is still world class paradise incarnate – a real morale boost).  It’s not fun sweeping out a garage with the wind chill at -19 degrees while she frolicked in the sand.

My Feelings, Exactly!

My Wife Yesterday with her Brother and Sister

Las Lajas

Brother in Law and His Wife Arriving at Las Lajas

In an effort to reduce my chaotic footprint on the cleaned areas of the house I snuck out and saw my last dateless movie – Non-Stop.  This is another action thriller with Liam Neeson as the hero.  He’s much more flawed in this incarnation as an alcoholic air marshal on his last flight being set up to look like a hijacker before the plane blows up.

Neeson is typically awesome but the plot is so uneven and totally unbelievable that even this jaded movie goer found it hard to suspend disbelief that rational people would make the decisions depicted here.  It was entirely too implausible to be enjoyable and ended up being trite.  Sometimes you can throw too many red herrings around and everything starts to smell fishy.  Well Liam’s had a good long run as a middle aged action hero but the bell may be tolling.

It'll Be Colder Here

She’s back tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Rhode Island Ice to L.A. Party

Yesterday was a busy day to say the least. Interspersed with my comprehensive house cleaning rehabilitation efforts I journeyed down to Rhode Island to see a hockey game with my brother in law and last night was every movie nut’s (guilty) biggest night of the years with the Academy Awards. Long day, indeed.

My Brother in Law and Robocop in Our First Seats

My brother in law and his brother in law (Robocop) had me down to see the Providence Bruins (Boston’s farm team).  We were supposed to get a complimentary buffet courtesy of Robocop but we accidentally picked one of the three games of the year it was not offered.  The seats were pretty good until a young and semi-idiotic guy from the Bruins PR staff showed up just after the start of the game.  He stood directly in front of us, blocking the game, and said he would need us to move six rows back so a group of kids scheduled to sing during the first intermission could use our seats. 

View From our New Seats - Sweet!

To his credit I think he read the murderous looks in our eyes.  When he returned to move us he brought tickets to another section with seats even closer to the ice.  When the group did come to sing we were thankfully fully across the arena because their “singing” more closely resembled a series of cats being brutally strangled.  The game was very entertaining; a Bruins win in an overtime shootout.  Hockey is one of these sports that is best viewed in person to appreciate what great athletes these guys are.  I was astounded by just how big and fast they've become; a real departure from when I was in college and first became a huge fan.  It was a fun day with some really special people although we did miss out on an ambush photo of Robocop’s wife (next time!). 

Panoramic Shot of the Dunkin Donuts Center Yesterday

I had to hurry back home for the Oscars.  For the second year in a row my Oscars night was accomplished solo (if you discount the presence of a certain black lab but he lost interest when the snacks ran out).  I really liked this year’s ceremony with Ellen Degeneres sucking all the pretentiousness out of the crowd (not an easy task in Los Angeles) ordering pizza and taking selfies.  It seemed the crowd took itself significantly less seriously which was a nice departure.  It was cool to see Kevin Spacey and Meryl Streep joining with some of the younger actors crowding around for the selfie.

The Famous Selfie
Jennifer Lawrence, Streep, Degenres, Brad Cooper, Brad Pitt, Spacey, and Jolie

There was the usual confusion with the Americans and Europeans not knowing which side of the face and how many times to air kiss and Travolta must have been doing some serious drugs to screw up an introduction as badly as he did.  I thought the In Memoriam section was finally done well again.  It certainly boasted an all star cast this year and Bette Midler’s singing to bring it home was a nice touch.

Midler Singing

Speaking of big voices I was astounded by Pink.  I never knew she had the kind of pipes she demonstrated with the Wizard of Oz tribute, a real show stopper – best number of the night.  I thought the speeches were well done especially those by Jared Leto and Lupita Nyong’o, which felt so genuine.  I haven’t seen 12 Years a Slave so I can’t comment on it’s worth as Best Picture as I was rooting for Gravity which won its fair share of awards. 

Pink on the Yellow Brick Road

Matthew Mconaughey deserves another award, in addition to his best actor win, for his handling of Kim Novak when they presented together.  It was obvious she was struggling with some health issues and he shepparded her gently through the process with class. The same could be said for Angelina Jolie and her presentation with Sidney Poitier, who’s clearly no longer operating at Mr. Tibbs level.  It’s a reminder of how much time has passed to see these iconic figures from my youth so debilitated.

Mconaughey, Class Act with Novak (Yikes!)

So, much better show this year.  I was only 14 for 24 on predictions but I always go with my heart instead of head on those.    I’m going to have see both 12 Years a Slave and Dallas Buyers Club.

Entering Prep Phase

Since my wife’s return is now only three days away my cleanup efforts on the home front entering the very serious prep phase yesterday.  I learned some important things.  I always wondered why she dusts all the time, now I know – it was kind of embarrassing as I cut though two months worth of accumulated particles. 

I know I have no chance of raising the house to the level she normally keeps it.  I just want to knock enough of the carnage down that she doesn’t immediately run for the hills.  That will be a daunting task given my somewhat lackadaisical approach to house cleaning over the past two months everywhere except the kitchen (things there smell if you let it go too long – just guessing about that, he says with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Buddy's Contribution

Buddy and I shared a bath yesterday.  That’s not as disturbing as it sounds.  I was completely clothed by the time I wrestled him into the bathtub.  We have a whirlpool bath and it rarely gets any use.  I decided to rectify that yesterday since it was on the list of things needed to be cleaned.  My lack of experience with it immediately came into play when I learned you don’t turn the jets on until the nozzles are completely under water.  No big deal, I had to wash those windows anyways.  After I finished, Buddy came up to find out what was going on and was horrified by the prospect of a bath.  I had to drag him back up, kicking and whining for his bath.  His contribution to the cleaning effort was depositing a carpet of hair in the bathtub that required a spirited clean up.  On the up side he smells a whole lot better which will go a long way in getting my wife to forgive some of the more egregious sins (plant destruction!) he committed in her absence.

Final Piece of the Puzzles

I did find time yesterday to finish off the last of the 1000 piece puzzles designed to kill time in solitary. This allowed me to remove the extra table that’s been up in the family room since the Super Bowl (yes, I’m motivated).  I have to leave the most important steps - kitchen, bathroom and floors until the night before she returns.  If I cleaned them now I’d have to do it again that night anyways.  This is life with a dog blessed with more energy than common sense (and they say dogs come to mimic their owners – hmmmm – food for thought).

My Wife Garbed Up For Another Go at the Joron Last Night

My wife called several times to report on her antics as the year’s big Carnivale started in her home town.  The last call was around 10pm when she and her brother and sisters were just heading out to Joron Zepeda for another night/early morning of dancing (it’s how she rolls!).  I was engaged in prepping this year’s tax return so I think she wins this round. We both agreed she’s more than ready to return. 

I knocked out a small novella yesterday by my 1984 Paitilla balcony drinking partner, Tom Kratman, called Big Boys Don’t Cry.  It’s military science fiction and recounts the story of a sentient super tank reflecting on her service to humans though a series of wars.  Military guys tend to bond closely with the equipment upon whom their very lives depend.  Here the tank is given the ability to return those feelings and it’s very cool.   Tom injects some fairly scathing commentary on political and high ranking military officials victimizing the ones who have to do the fighting and dying.  It was a quick but very enjoyable read.

Sir Walter White and the Russians March

Netflix finally figured out how to get the final episodes of Breaking Bad on their streaming site and I maniacally devoured them concluding last night with the series finale.  My daughter put me on to this series which I’d heard about but avoided since I didn’t want to root for a drug dealer.  It sucked me in.  Mr. White I genuflect in your general direction.  Bryan Cranston created the most compelling anti-hero in television history as the cancer stricken but driven chemistry teacher who becomes a drug kingpin.

I loved the way they brought the series home as White returns to Albuquerque as an avenging force laying waste to all who did him wrong and trying to repair some of the wreckage strewn in his wake.  He admits to his wife that he did it really for himself - to feel alive while cancer was consuming his body.  Both he and his erstwhile partner Jesse pay the price for their crimes but exact payment in full from those who had more base motivations.  It ended the only way it could.  This was like a really good book that you didn't want to end but you had to get there to find out what happened to a fascinating collection of characters.

Yesterday was a quiet day at work followed by the obligatory celebrating of the First Friday of the week at Brew City and then Zorba’s pizza (consistency in my routines if nothing else).  I was not the only one eating pizza as my wife sent me pictures of a sibling raid of her own at the local Panamanian pizza joint.  She started asking troubling questions about the state of cleanliness of the house and the weather.  I tried to deflect questioning in both areas figuring she wouldn't like completely honest answers.  She eventually learned the truth and is not happy in either area.  I've got four full days to rectify that which I can control.

My Sisters and Brother in Law in Action Last Night

Obama’s inept foreign policy is reaching a new nadir in the Ukraine.  Those mysterious well equipped armed men seizing Crimean airports and government buildings were Russian troops (huge surprise!).  Overnight the secured airports were used to phase in follow on forces numbering in the thousands who now control a large swath of Ukrainian territory.

Russian Forces in Ukraine Yesterday

Obama’s secretary of state responded to these events by stating that he’s been assured that Russia would not intervene with its military.  President Barack Obama warned Moscow on Friday "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily.  Mr. President, that’s already happening – and you knew when you made this statement.  If I can figure this out from a desktop in Massachusetts I know you have even more detailed information.  Wake up, stop lying to us/the world and dancing on Mr. Putin’s strings.  It's time for some leadership.