Fallen Angels

I Think my Favorite Panamanian and I have recovered from our week long, child care boot camp at my Favorite Son’s home last week. He was laughing at us last night when we talked about the experience. He tried to talk some smack but we then reminded him that we held our own despite the thirty years he had on us. I hope in some distant future he’s reading these words as he tries to keep up with his own grandchildren upon reaching our age. He also reminded me that I forgot to mention one of the best parts of my week up in New Hampshire with him. We’re both huge fans of the Lord of the Rings movies, my favorite of all time.

One of the Survivors

Back when he was single and childless, we had a couple Saturdays when we would get together and watch all three movies (extended versions of course) in sequence. These twelve-hour marathons were so much fun despite the obvious disapproval from my Favorite Panamanian and later the ABFA. While to the casual observer this might seem like an immense waste of time, both my son and I revel as we’re transported back to the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth. It had been many years since our last marathon, interrupted by life in so many ways. My son received, from me, the 4K version of the movies last Christmas and hadn’t watched them yet. He came up with the idea of watching one each Wednesday through Friday nights after we finished up Man Cave construction and the BSR/BR3 retired for the night. The wives were once again flummoxed by our plan but supported us in a good-natured way. We finished up each night around midnight and I can’t promise you that eyelids were never fully engaged but we saw all the important bits; especially the two charges of the Rohirrim. Good times.

Dwindling Population

Upon our return Saturday we were pummeled by some fairly ferocious winds overnight. I came out Sunday to survey the damage and was saddened to see two of the terra cotta angels from my wife’s vast garden complex had been blown off their perches and were irrevocably broken. I mention this because these statues are some the last reminders we have of my mother. She went through an angel phase and her children dutifully bought her a veritable legion of them over the years for Christmas and birthdays. When she passed away, my Favorite Panamanian, being the top family gardener acquired control of many of them. They’re been with us ever since from Virginia, to Rhode Island, to Charlton and our two houses in Worcester.

The First Batches - Peanut Butter Blossoms and Spritz!

They survived the ravages of Buddy the Wonder Pooch although I’m not saying there wasn’t some super glue holding certain appendages attached. I thought of mom every time I passed by them on my way to raise the flag each morning and it was on one of those trips that I found the shards. Mom was the biggest part of my life for good and bad for almost fifty years and I liked having those souvenirs to remind of the good. She would have been pissed to see them broken and maybe she sent me a message because I acquired a inch long gash on my index finger as I was picking up the debris. Sorry, Mom.

Central Control for Additional Cookie Production

We are approaching the holidays and there’s a laundry list of fairly significant actions I have to accomplish ahead of that. I finally got cranking on them yesterday while my Favorite Panamanian was decisively engaged with Christmas cookie baking (YES!!!!). I will be officially retiring on 31 December and yesterday I applied for social security to take effect in January when I reach my full payout. It made me feel a little old. I then tried to make airline reservations for our January trip to Panama only to discover that Copa is once again abandoning Boston. This will require another trip to New Jersey in order to fly out of JFK. I was just about finished with that and moving on to other actions required on the list I’ve created when my wife mentioned the car registration expires in February. I will, of course, be lounging on a beach during that month. I learned this morning that I could renew the registration online and knocked that out just before I started writing here. Now it’s on to the annual Christmas letter, changing all the monthly bills to electronic form, canceling the newspaper, contacting the pharmacy and only about eight or nine other things. Oh, and finish Christmas shopping. December 2021, not for the faint of heart.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Framed and Home

Both my Favorite Panamanian and I are into day two of serious recovery operations after a fun filled but exhausting week with my Favorite Son and his family. We drove home yesterday in some of the most intense rain I’ve driven through in a long time. I say exhausting because apparently my wife and I aren’t as young as we used to be and after being tag teamed by the BRS and BR3 all week we were just that. That being said I wouldn’t trade the time for anything because of the time spent with not only the precocious granddaughters but also my son and the ABFA.

Riggins Doing his Part

ABFA and Son Friday Night

My son and I finished up framing all the walls for his future Man Cave and home theater in the basement. We even created what my son assures me is called a soffit. There was a serious amount of discovery learning for a certain senior citizen. Luckily my construction savvy son was on the job and the finished product looked almost professional. As I told my son as I was leaving, I treasured the week down in the basement with him. As happens when you reach my age, thoughts of mortality creep into your reflections. It made me feel good that long after I’m gone my son will look at those walls and remember we put them up together. I’m not trying to be morbid but realistic, my bid for a small slice of familial immortality

BR3 Painting with Abuela

ABFA and BRS

Abuela and BRS Made a Gingerbread House

Photos from some of the other Crafting Times with Abuela

My Favorite Panamanian had the much tougher job, riding herd on the granddaughters. My son and I could hear the almost continuous pitter patter of small footsteps crisscrossing the floor above us as we worked in the basement. My wife had a variety of crafts and other activities trying to keep them engaged throughout the day. She had planned on starting work on her annual Christmas cookie baking but that was before we learned the granddaughters wouldn’t be going to their day care. That facility was closed by a flood from a broken water heater the weekend before we arrived. I marvel at my wife’s ability to manage these two young dynamos. But, as I said, yesterday we agreed we needed a break.

BRS with Santa

BR3 Less Happy

The Famous FBR Photo

We stayed over Friday night because my son’s company was throwing their annual Christmas party. My son and the ABFA looked fantastic as they headed out the door. As usually happens when the actual parents depart, the granddaughters were extremely well behaved at bed time. In the BRS’ case, for the first time all week. A couple hours later both my wife and I smelled gas which seemed to be emanating from the gas fireplace. A concerned call to my son had them return a bit early to confirm it wasn’t a serious problem. One of the funniest moments of the week was the granddaughters’ trip to see Santa Claus. The pictures tell the story as the BRS was fully comfortable with the bearded gentleman. The same could not be said for BR3 which brought back memories of her older cousin’s first St Nick encounter which has entered family lore through the accompanying photo. I didn’t escape the week unscathed as BR3 bequeathed me a small head cold she had been dealing with. This was the price I paid for sharing my breakfast each morning with that noted bacon thief. In a not so funny development, since we’ve all been so healthy during the pandemic, my wife recently threw away all the cold medicine we had in the house because it had expired a long time ago.  

A Fashion Show of Former FBR Dresses Handed Down

Happy Abuela

FBR Down a Tooth

Speaking of the FBR. We spoke with her a couple times through the week and learned she had her first ever loose tooth. This yet another sign she’s getting older was tough to take but at the same time it was fun to see her marvel at the development. We received news this morning that the tooth had fallen out, at 5am. This prompted an exciting run into her parents’ bedroom to announce the news. My daughter who had a late Saturday night singing karaoke with a visiting friend wasn’t thrilled with the early morning wakeup but, parenthood.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Return Briefly

I’m back home in the Man Cave for a brief interlude due to a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It’s a follow up to the prostate surgery from last year so I’m fairly interested in what they have to say about the latest tests. Yes, Great Aunt, I will let you know. I’m thinking there is some cosmic force arrayed against my Favorite Son’s and my effort to build out his basement. My Favorite Panamanian was delayed in Maine on her return which meant the BRS and BR3 were under our “expert” care this morning since the Day Care center was flooded out and won’t be open all week. Like I said, cosmic forces. My wife finally arrived and we got a couple hours of very productive work done until my son’s saw failed due to a dull blade. Cosmic indeed. Work will recommence tomorrow upon my return and I’m confident the cosmos will recognize our determination and admit defeat in thwarting us.

BRS' Latest Fashion Statement

Can't Wait to Show her These Pictures in a Ten Years

The delays have allowed some more time with the granddaughters so it’s not exactly a cumbersome situation. The BRS has entered her “threenager” phase with elan. She changes into pajamas each time she gets home and now sheds even those to the point I kept asking my son who the naked three-year-old was running around the house. After some consultation she agreed to redon her pajamas but soon had them dangling from her shoulders. I can hear the wheels turning in my son’s head hoping this is something she outgrows before her actual teenage years. BR3 remains an absolute delight planting herself in front of me and raising her arms demanding to be picked up. We took both of them to the playground today while waiting for my wife and she looked like a marshmallow in all the cold weather gear she was enveloped in. Despite all this she loved the swings and I had to drag her, literally kicking and screaming, from the swing as we left.

BR3, AKA Marshmallow Gal This Morning

I’m starting to like these nighttime travels I’ve recently adopted. I stayed at my son’s house to spend more time with my wife and son’s family before hitting the road home tonight. I think the biggest reason for my new affinity for nocturnal driving are the nighttime sunglasses I’ve taken to wearing. I got them a couple years ago when I bought some military inspired sunglasses but I never got around to using them until recently. They’re supposed to cut down on the glare of oncoming headlights and they work! That’s critical in these times where some of the newer type headlights gleam like burning stars. I almost feel like putting on SPF50 to avoid skin incineration in their glare. Somewhere in Worcester a dermatologist is smiling after hearing that last remark.

Basement Progress

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Duty Calls

This will have to be a quick entry because I’m officially on solo granddaughter duty and there’s fifteen minutes until the BRS and BR3 are scheduled to awaken form their naps. Today was a great example of no plan surviving contact with the enemy. My Favorite Panamanian and I, after severe post-party recovery operations yesterday, came north to spend the week with my Favorite Son’s family. I was scheduled to assist him with additional work on framing out his Man Cave in the basement while the girls were in day care. Monday morning, being what it is, brought news that the girls would be staying home because the day care center flooded over the weekend. Either that or the day care personnel had partied as hard as I did and needed the break. The ABFA assures me she thinks it was a flood.

The Girls Were Good for Grandpa so - Popsicles!!!

Since the ABFA is working from her home office, the child care duties fell upon my Favorite Panamanian for the morning. The only curve ball being she was leaving in the late morning for a quick trip up to see the Maine Musquetera. Yep, Monday strikes again. At any rate I seem to be handling the duties in fairly respectable manner but no BR3 diaper changes have been required yet so I hesitate to brag. I’m back in Worcester tomorrow night for a Wednesday doctor’s appointment and then back here to complete the construction work. Loving it.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Holiday Mafiosos

The Christmas season got of to a very fun start last night with our annual Panamanian Mafia party at the house after a missing last year because, well, you know, 2020. It was necessarily a little smaller this year but that made it more fun as there was more time to spend just talking, but mostly laughing, with this lively group. My Favorite Panamanian had been laboring all week preparing a variety of food for the event, culminating with the traditional pork shoulder dish that she always associated with Christmas while growing up. Everybody else also brought some dishes and assorted adult beverages to compliment my wife’s peerless sangria.

Wife and I Last Night

The Gals

The Troublemakers

My wife allowed me to have the college football conference championship playing on mute in the background so I was able to check in on that exciting action while still laughing with the fellow mafiosos. It was the kind of night that 2020 robbed everybody of and we were once again reminded how much genuine joy can be gleaned from time spent with good friends. Predictably, we are talking Panamanians here, dancing broke out late in the night and continued until almost midnight. We are all a little stunned when someone finally noticed how late it had gotten. Time has a way of running away when this much fun is occurring. The Christmas season is now officially christened.

Another one of my Wife's Creations

A Quiet Start

Finishing up Dinner

Neighborhood Mafiosos

Dancing Breaks Out

In granddaughter news, the FBR has produced her first loose tooth which is yet another clue that she is getting older each day. She was very cute about and wanted to demonstrate just how loose it was. It was kind of graphic. In New Hampshire the BRS informed my Favorite Son that she had decided who she wanted to marry. While this is a bit premature for a three-year-old she told her dad that she wanted to marry her abuela. She must really love my wife’s hojaldras. The BRS was out with her parents last night to watch the Portsmouth Christmas parade. The ABFA kindly sent me a video of the bagpipe band which I play for my wife at every opportunity in my life long quest to make her appreciate bagpipe music. So far it  has been an abysmal failure but hope springs eternal.

BRS and her Dad

At the Parade with the ABFA

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Final Windy Touches

So. I think I’m finally finished with the outdoor Christmas lighting display in my Favorite Panamanian’s vast garden complex. That means that some unexpected and very violent winds came through overnight and into today. The entire Nativity Scene was blown down and the poppa deer did a header into the lower garden. I was in the middle of fixing all that this morning after I raised the flags when I noticed something. I was freezing my ass off. I guess December really has arrived and next month’s sojourn on the beach doesn’t seem so bad.

I had a very interesting episode with an oil change for my car yesterday. I was charging around on a variety of errands sandwiched around my morning swim and everything was going, well, swimmingly, until, during the oil change, the guy asked me if I wanted to change the battery out. It’s now an eleven-year-old car that I only use to putter around town. The only maintenance I’ve done are the requisite oil changes and replacing tires. This was the original battery and the guy said it would not last the winter. The fun started after he told me It would take five to ten minutes. Thirty minutes later he came out of the parts room with a bottle of Coca-Cola and promptly poured that over the recalcitrant old battery. That battery did not want to leave the car and had literally fused the terminals with the connecting wires. It became something of a science project as every mechanic in the place stopped by to give it a try. After an hour and the implementing of a weird looking tool I’d never seen before they popped out the old battery and five minutes later I was on my way, although severely behind schedule.

I know it will come with a blinding flash of disbelief for those who know me but I knew very little about the whole world of high style dating back to the 1970s. I know, scary thought indeed. Therefore, I knew nothing about the legend of Gucci before I went to see the movie. It was highly entertaining if a bit long. Lady Gaga once again proves she can hold her own with acing heavyweights. She channeled her inner Sophia Loren to play a dedicated social climber who was not above, well, anything, to achieve her goals. That goal was to marry rich and she accomplishes that by marrying into the Gucci family despite their opposition. The truly all-star cast succeeds in making the fairly tawdry story sing. There are some weird turns that were hard to understand. Adam Driver, for example,  playing the target/husband changes from a fairly likable guy who has no problem with his wife’s lower social status to all of a sudden having a coterie of high class/snob friends. It’s a movie that brings home the point that all the money in the world can’t buy happiness, especially if it’s given to a bunch of psychos. I’m still trying to figure out what Jared Leto was thinking in his portrayal of the stupidest Gucci but it did add some much need comic relief.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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

Let it Begin

Okay. So, fully recovered from Thanksgiving week excesses, we plunged into the Christmas season, my favorite time of year. That began with the purchase of our Christmas tree which was the usual adventure with my decision challenged Favorite Panamanian. She couldn’t decide which of two trees to buy so she asked me to, which I did in about 1 nanosecond. As I as hauling the selected tree to get wrapped for the trip home she emerged from the far side of the lot and asked me what I thought of another tree. I asked the guy to quickly wrap the one “we” had already selected and told my wife that it was too late to dive back into the selection mode. The tree turned out to be a perfect fit for our low ceiling which is such a change form the lofty ceilings of our first retirement home in Charlton. I miss the Christmas season in that house, but only for the parties as well as that ceiling and the huge trees we decorated with; certainly not for the driveway from hell if any snow fell.

The Starting Point, Tree Up

My wife chooses a new Christmas décor each year which can be a bit irksome for a traditional dude like myself but she always makes it work. Yesterday saw a major decorating binge. I got the tree up and equipped with lights before turning it over to her. I was then outside for the entire, chilly afternoon implanting the Christmas decor in my wife’s vast garden complex. It was almost easier this year since I did a better job of putting things away last year so I knew where each item should end up. It was still pretty damned cold out there as I finished up as the sun was setting.

After my Wife's Magic

I came inside to find that my Favorite Panamanian had worked her usual magic with the tree and living room décor. I was assaulted with the scent of pine which always brings back memories of childhood Christmases. My wife shyly asked what I thought of her work but I think she knew by the stunned look on my face. I guess this is what comes from watching all those Hallmark Christmas movies each year because it looks fantastic. She unveiled three stockings, one for each granddaughter, on the fireplace mantle. Yep, looking a lot like Christmas around here now.

Meanwhile, the deer are up Out Back
Probably for last Time

The Piles of Light that Eventually Got Emplaced

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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