Frail Deeds Dancing

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Well That Was Quick

It seemed just a few weeks ago we were inundated with Democratic candidates for president. I mean those early debates looked more like a school assembly than a debate. Now we are seemingly down to two with Biden and Sanders. Yesterday in a number of state primaries Biden may have dealt a death blow to Sanders by winning all the important ones, by significant margins. I think Sanders is an interesting individual but I would never vote for an avowed socialist so his eventual departure is welcome. I was convinced we were going to have the drama of a contested democratic convention but that seems unlikely. Anything to get us to November is welcome.

My wife made a panicked call this morning from Panama. The coronavirus had been largely absent from that place, or so they thought. Apparently forty school teachers went to a conference in Spain and brought it back with them. Two have already died and the public is just now hearing about it. Talk about a worst case scenario; many of these teachers returned to the classroom as the school year in Panama has just started. Oh, and the first event of each school day is a school wide assembly where all the teachers and students sing the national anthem together. I’m most concerned about my mother in law as she has a regular series of medical appointments each week and two of the potential cases are in her home town.

Dateless date night had me at the cinema seeing The Way Back. This is clearly Ben Affleck’s movie and he carries it better than expected. As an actor I’ve always found him to be a fine director but he truly purveys the weight of an unimaginable tragedy in his eyes throughout this. He’s a functioning alcoholic who’s called back to coach the high school team where he was a superstar several decades earlier. This is not a basketball movie. It is the story of the central character’s journey and dealing with seemingly invincible demons. You can’t help but relate this to Affleck’s own life and his struggles with substance abuse. That probably gave him the insight to dominate this role the way he does. It was a tough movie at times as you see him reaching for another beer but well worth the watch, a very good movie.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Monday, March 9, 2020

2d Edition Towers Falling

My campaign to escape the very empty house over the weekend achieved singular success due to the efforts of my Favorite Son and the redoubtable BRS. I journeyed north to New Hampshire on Saturday morning in the new Highlander. It has a feature where the car steers itself while in cruise control, it is a little disconcerting. I arrived to hear excited squeaks from the BRS. I’m pretty sure my son had amped up the excitement for the BRS but I really appreciated it. She rushed over to give me a big hug and then escorted me to the playdough station. We made playdough popcorn. I know.

My Weekend Buddy

She has experienced a growth spurt and is a lot more articulate now. She is without a doubt serious fun to hang around with. The ABFA was away from her overnight for the first time but the BRS was bubbling along, very happy to be with her dad. We Facetimed in my wife and the BRS rewarded her with her first ever, clearly pronounced “abuela”. As with most two year olds the BRS was the source of boundless energy moving from one project to another all day. She also went down for nap time and bedtime without a singular issue.

Son Says She's very Attentive with her Baby Doll

She Then Administered CPR with her Foot

Flying with Dad

Preparing for Let It Go

Upside Down Twist Dancing to Let it Go

We established roles eerily similar to mine with the FBR. The BRS had me build towers out of her blocks until they were just about as tall as she was. She would then rush over to utterly destroy the tower, channeling her inner Godzilla. It was all too much fun. She also had Frozen playing on the television in the background which she largely ignored until Elsa started singing Let It Go which demanded her attention and immediate dancing. She loved to have her dad hold her upside down so she could twist in the air. She’s a bit of a daredevil.

Grampa I Think This Red Bucket Would Look Good on Your Head

See!

Riggins Wondering What all the Laughing Was About

See Grampa - Wasn't That Fun

Making Breakfast Together

Also an FBR Tradition the BRS Picked Up On

I also got some serious guy time with my son which is incalculable in terms of worth. We got to watch ball games, and some movie fare that would have been impossible with the wives present. It was the sword and sorcery and beheadings which probably would have put them off. One of the most enjoyable times I garner nowadays is time with either of my “kids”. They, despite my influence, have developed into truly fine adults. Riggins also decided he was going to start fighting for attention. He was constantly trying to interrupt any time I was playing with the BRS or talking with my son. Wait until the BR3 arrives!

FBR - New Haircut & French Fries!

The FBR now seems to insist on only face to face contact. She routinely tries to escape talking with me on the Facetime calls. It’s almost as if this type of communication doesn’t count in her world. The upside is that I now get to have adult conversations with her parents (see comments above). My daughter had to do some writing yesterday so the FBR and Wingman had one of their patented daddy-daughter days which was filled with a variety of activities. The FBR is also sporting a new haircut which I caught a glimpse of as she ran into the bathroom as soon as I called.

Daddy Daughter Day!!

Scooter Girl

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Thankfulness

Even though my wife and I were once again separated by thousands of miles on our anniversary we both felt hate warmth of the many well wishes we received. Especially after my wife posted a photo of us on Facebook announcing the date. I was humbled by the number of people who wrote messages or just liked or loved the photo and her message. The old saying is correct about the measuring of wealth. Both my Favorite Panamanian and I are rich beyond measure because of the people in our lives. Thank you to all of you for making us feel special yesterday.

Brew City Last Evening with Soxfather and Great Aunt

Great Aunt and Soxfather were not content with just well wishes. They journeyed north to join in the First Friday celebrations with me. We then stayed at Brew City for a very entertaining dinner. It meant the world to me that I didn't have to return to the empty house before enjoying their company, which is always medicinal. I get some more medicine today as I head north to hang out with my Favorite Son and the BRS.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Final Solo Anniversary

Today marks 38 years from the day an absolutely gorgeous young Panamanian lady walked down the aisle to join a very nervous Second Lieutenant in holy matrimony. It seems somehow impossible that 38 years have passed since that day but the advantage of getting older is being able to evaluate just how lucky I’ve been to have joined with the gal with the incredible flashing eyes. For the past decade this date usually falls, as it does this year, with us being several thousand miles apart. She flies south for the winter to spend time with her mother while I have to go to work.

My Lady

I say this is the final solo anniversary because with my retirement we’ll be together for all future iterations, at least that’s the plan. I still marvel at the young lady I married for her courage in leaving her family behind all those years ago and traveling with me to a country and culture that was utterly foreign to her. She first arrived in the US speaking no English with a new born baby and a husband who spent a lot of time running around in the woods, sometimes for several months at a time, with his well-armed friends. They say the Army wife has the toughest job in the Army and that is no exaggeration. Instead of being intimidated, she thrived and became a stalwart source of support throughout my quarter century in the Army and for every day since then. I’m a very lucky guy.

What Future Anniversaries Should Look Like

We did an admirable job of celebrating the anniversary when we were together the past two weeks in Panama. It provided an interesting glimpse into the future and I couldn’t be happier at that prospect. Every time I see her there’s still that spark those eyes have always engendered. The comfort of the steady flame of our marriage was first kindled in those eyes. Happy Anniversary mi amor.

BRS Getting Taller

I was able to speak with both granddaughters last night, although calling it speaking might be an exaggeration. The BRS was decisively involved with peeling a tangerine, a newly acquired talent. She couldn’t be bothered with interacting with anyone while this was undergoing. She had a doctor’s appointment yesterday where they documented her recent growth spurt despite her very “stranger-danger” reaction to the doctor himself.

And Stylish with the ABFA

The FBR only wanted to demonstrate her growing ability and wide variety of eye rolls she is perfecting. I was also witness with the placement of her star of the day which marks yet another well behaved day at pre-school. Her usual tripping point is nap time which she say she now endures awake but not bothering anybody else. So like her mother in that regard.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Viral Chicken Littles

The worldwide crisis of coronavirus is illustrative of how interconnected the world has become. Of course the doomsayers (television news) are out in full force heightening everyone’s concern. While this is undoubtedly a very serious health crisis I don’t think we’re looking at the superflu of Stephen King’s The Stand either. It even made its impact felt at work yesterday when one of the Voices of Inappropriate Worth claimed we didn’t clean our buses each night. They are cleaned each night and I’ve added an additional disinfecting team. There’s been one case in the entire state but with everyone having access to the internet anyone can claim the sky is falling. This is a perfect example of the dumbing down of the national discourse.

BRS - In Entertainment Mode

There is hope yet after the Super Tuesday primary election results. Hope that our only choices in November won’t be just the Twitterer in Chief and an avowed socialist. These results clearly show there’s a centrist electorate rising to meet the fringes that have come to dominate each party. The republicans are stuck with their incumbent but there is at least a glimmer of hope the democrats can field someone I could vote for.

ABFA Assisting with Video Call

Dad - Quit Interrupting

Play Doh Cookies - The Best

One of the best antidotes to my exceedingly empty house are the nightly video calls with my kids and the granddaughters. My Favorite Son is now fighting off the bug that the BRS and ABFA both dealt with last week. The BRS has not slowed down one iota which at least provides a significant entertainment factor as he recovers. The FBR has even deigned to talk to me a couple times instead of just haughtily staring into the video screen. I hope to get up to New Hampshire this weekend for some BRS and Favorite Son hangs.

Back at the movies last night to see the Call of the Wild. I loved Jack London stories when I first started reading back in the Stone Age and this one was my favorite so I went into this with unrealistically high expectations. As good as CGI has evolved to, this movie suffers because the star, Buck, is obviously a computer generated image. I understand the need for CGI with some of the superhero type actions Buck is charged with but they should have gone with a mix of a real dog for the close ups and CGI for the rest. It remains a very good story and the human cast is uniformly good, especially Han Solo as Buck’s final owner. They changed up the story just enough to keep the plot interesting. In the end I liked but didn’t love it and considering how I feel about dogs that is faint praise indeed.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

First Day Alligator Fights

There’s that old Army saying about being up to your butt in alligators which would be an accurate description of my first day back at work after two weeks in paradise with my Favorite Panamanian. There was work (duh) but also grocery shopping, cooking, and the stack of bills that had accumulated. I thought I’d addressed most of these before I left but the damned things are like cockroaches and keep reappearing. Most of the people in the office commented about my lack of tan after two weeks on the tropical beach. I retained my title as the “whitest man in Panama” through liberal applications of sun block that reached into triple figures in terms of SPF. This was in accordance with the dermatologist’s admonitions after my latest Mohs surgery as well as the sun block Nazi – my wife.

The Whitest Man in Panama After Two Week in Tropical Sun

In the midst of digging out of the pile of paperwork awaiting me at the desk I received a call from the microwave dudes. Our over the stove microwave died an ignominious death a few weeks ago and the replacement was now ready to install. I rushed home for lunch and the guys had in installed within ten minutes. This was helpful since I needed it to defrost my lunch before returning to work.

The New Wave

The nearby construction of the new home for the AAA affiliate for the Red Sox is really ramping up. I can see the construction cranes from my office building and they’ve excavated the hole for the playing field and have started pouring concrete for the stands. This is going to be exceedingly cool. I may even take one of the buses to the games next year when it opens. The tan building at the top of the drawing next to the railroad tracks is where the bus hub is located. Of course, I’ll be retired and have to pay for it!

I was, of course, back at the movies last night on dateless date night to see The Invisible Man. This is a very, very good movie. It doesn’t go for cheap thrills and the tension is almost non-stop. It’s not as if she needs one after Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale but this also serves as a coming out party for Elizabeth Moss. She dominates in the lead role as a long suffering girlfriend of a crazed, abusive scientist. She finally escapes only to have her supposedly dead ex starting to haunt her in his cleverly designed invisible mode. A lesser actress would have been more of a victim but Moss raises the game above the mundane. I actually laughed out loud at the very satisfying climatic scenes which was really a release of the tautness I’d held since the start. This is the best movie I’ve seen so far this year.

Now we get to the worst movie I’ve seen this year which is saying a lot since I didn’t see Cats until 2020. It’s taken a lot of roles and a wide range of characters but Michael Pena has finally made a bad movie in Fantasy Island. It’s not really his fault because even he is incapable of lifting the movie out of the morass the plot inflicts on you. There’s no point in having twists just for the sake of having twists and the entire project comes across as contrived and rushed. Do not waste your time with this which is a shame because this could have been a lot of campy fun.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Redeployment

I find myself back in the USA sans my Favorite Panamanian who remains in her homeland for another month. This was the easiest flight I’ve ever taken in terms of delays. Everything took place ahead of schedule and we arrived in Boston to find the cavernous immigration reception area totally deserted. I had never seen that before and was able to walk straight up to the counter instead of waiting in line. To top it off at baggage claim my bags were two of the first five off the belt. I walked out to find Keene Friend had just arrived to drive me home. It could not have been smoother, except for the emotions involved.

Miss this Gal!

My wife and I have found that separations as we get older become increasingly difficult. The past two weeks were so much fun that I felt guilty for leaving her there, even though she gets to spend the next month surrounded by family and friends. I think we’ve kind of grown on each other over the past four decades. She now returns to her role as designated taxi driver for her mother and two uncles as they navigate various structures of the Panamanian senior health care industry. She referred to my visit as a much needed vacation from those efforts.

The Last Sunset

We spent our last few days in Las Lajas doing exactly what makes the place so special. My wife and I returned to the Show Pony for a farewell drink/beer. She immediately made friends with yet another of the bartenders and proclaimed his Pina Colada up to her standard. By the end of the evening every time the bartender made a colada for someone else whatever excess remained was poured into my wife’s glass. I called it the bottomless colada.

At the Show Pony For Wings and Coladas

Walking Back to the Condo by I-Phone Light

She’s like that – she attracts people and they are soon her friends. Apparently she has the same effect on sea life or least that’s what I spent the last two days kidding her about. She would join me each day for my mid-day boogie boarding session. Each of the last two days as we walked out into the surf she was greeted by at least two devil rays. They’re relatively harmless but she freaked out. They were literally in the wave as it approached her, clearly visible. The first time it happened she simply said, “Nope” and turned around to return to the shore. The second day we were kidding her about it when almost the same thing happened but this time she had to use her boogie board to keep the rays from landing directly on top of her. She did not return to the ocean for the remaining time we had there.

Miss This View Each Morning from Our Balcony

And this View from My Chair on the Beach

She was a little aghast when I didn’t leave and just moved down the beach laterally to get away from them. I find it disconcerting to think about all the stuff that is living just beyond the shore line. On Sunday, my final day at Las Lajas I went out for a solitary farewell session in the waves. I was just beyond the wave break when a small fin emerged from the surface. I went ice cold (imagining Jaws) thinking it was a shark but it turned out to be another of my wife’s rays apparently waving to me and asking where their favorite human was. Once my heart returned to normal beating I moved down the beach again to give him some space and kept a nervous eye on the approaching surf. I miss it so much but for the company a certain Panamanian bestows more than anything else.

Somehow her Plants Survived my Absence
This One had no Flowers at all When I left

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

RECURRING CHARACTERS

BR3 - Granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting the real thing; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues