Double Timing

Been a busy time since our return from New Jersey which culminated yesterday with two high school graduation parties. Before you leap to a judgmental stance questioning why an old fart such as I is attending high school graduation parties. Let me explain. The grads, both gals, are progeny of the Panamanian Mafia, Worcester chapter. The Neighborhood Mafioso’s youngest granddaughter, as well as the youngest daughter of another Mafia member were the graduates. It is at this point that I feel it necessary to lodge a formal complaint about the all too rapid passage of time. It seemed like yesterday that we first met the granddaughter as she rushed around with her sister at a golf course club house where we were celebrating her first communion. The other graduate is famous within our family for not only running through the screen door of our Charlton house, but doing it twice. She was a charming little girl who befriended Buddy the Wonder Pooch and always sought him out when he was sentenced to the basement for counter climbing during one of our mafia get togethers. My whole point here being, what are these little girls I remember doing being all grown up as high school graduates?!

Neighborhood Mafioso with her Beautiful Daughter and Granddaughters

We returned from New Jersey on Thursday to find the driveway and Deckzilla liberally coated with what looked like yellow powder. Apparently, there was a heavy pollen fall which hadn’t been disturbed since we weren’t in residence. That absence also seemed to have provided the back yard animals with a bit more bravado than they should possess. I found a rabbit munching away on the deck and he was soon joined by no less than three squirrels! I immediately disabused them of their new found audacity with a few well aimed BBs. Along with the pollen fall nearly all of the Favorite Panamanian’s roses are blooming which provide amazing color. I was mowing the lawn on Friday morning when a young couple walking by complimented me on “our fantastic landscaping”. I pointed to the upstairs window and said my wife deserved all the credit as I only performed dumb labor at her direction.

Pollen Covering the Deck

Some of the Wife's Roses

Now, as to those parties yesterday. Both parties were scheduled to start at 2pm. My social director, AKA the Favorite Panamanian, declared we would go to the daughter one in central Worcester first, stay a bit, and then return to our neighborhood for the granddaughter one. I thought I was being crafty by sneaking through the middle of town, thinking Main Street would be deserted on a Saturday afternoon. I was wrong. There as some sort of LBGTQ rally at city hall so I had to divert onto some back streets while listening to my wife’s constant criticism of my route choices. We arrived at the party location, ran into another member of the mafia, and as we entered the party found we were the first and only arrivals so far. The hostess reminded my wife that since most of the attendees were Latinos it would be a late arriving crowd.

Grad #1, Mafioso's Granddaughter

A conference with our hostess as well as a quick plate of arroz con pollo for my Favorite Panamanian resulted in a change of plans. We would return to the Mafioso’s party with the other couple we had run into and return later. I cautioned my wife that the Mafioso’s husband and I had perfected a beer smuggling technique (to avoid spousal supervision) which meant I did not plan on being in any shape to drive. She made another caustic remark about my earlier choice of routes and said she would drive. We arrived to find the second party in full swing. We had some interesting weather yesterday (it is New England) as an un-forecasted rain storm swept through, followed by some healthy winds, especially on our hill top. This led to some very funny attempts to take pictures of my wife and her mafia gang.

Wife with Mafia on Windy Patio

The Mafioso’s husband was manning the grill producing some epic ribs when he wasn’t smuggling beers for me. It was another in a long line of fantastic parties at the Mafioso’s house. The mafia was well represented and we spent a truly enjoyable afternoon hanging with these old friends. I was sorely tempted by the incredible number of sweets that were available. The Mafioso had even imported my well-known kryptonite, mini-whoopie pies. Despite the results of my most recent weigh in (see below) I decided to continue with the diet in the face of this murderer’s row of sweets. I added a whoopie pie to the growing pile of sweets in our freezer. We helped wind this party down as most of the ex-high school kids departed and left us old geezers in possession of the battlefield.

Mafioso's Husband, My Partner in Crime
Finally Gets to Eat

We’d stayed longer than we planned but that happens when you’re surrounded by such excellent people and our hosts. We eventually returned to that first party, following the wife approved route. We found the missing Latinos had arrived in our absence along with several from the Mafioso’s party who followed us over. The winds had produced a brisk early evening which called for the deployment of a fire table (got to get one of those!) which we gathered around to continue the laughter and comradery of the other party. I ran into another old infantryman, the hostess’ brother-in-law, which led the inevitable comparing of notes since we had both served in Panama, Germany, and Ft Campbell.

Grad #2 with my Wife

So, yesterday we validated the main reason we’ve decided to put down roots here in Worcester. The remarkable collection of friends I’ve labeled the Panamanian Mafia. We spent nearly seven hours partying with them and the time seemed to fly by with the attendant laughter that is endemic to our mafia gatherings. That’s probably why those high school graduates seemed to have grown up so fast.

Wife and I at Fire Table

Very Fun Evening

Now, as to that latest weigh in. I’ve reached the 25-pound weight loss goal I established following my post-surgery weight gain! Returning to the pool on Friday had to help but it was every bit as painful as I anticipated, mostly in the arms. I also discovered that my blood, thinned in the tropics, wasn’t prepared for the pool temperature which took my breath away when I jumped in; something I’ll have to get used to again. I didn’t want to ruin that success by indulging yesterday in the wide spread delicacies on display. I sat next to a table with a cut opened chocolate cake which I spent the entire time inhaling but never ate. That was tough. I’m now at the weight I was when I left for Panama but a couple more off the belt wouldn’t hurt since that was following Christmas and all the cookies that entailed.

In my A-Z watch, three fell since I last posted, all keepers: John Caparulo, Meet Cap, comedy concert flick, really funny dude; John Carter, much better than you’ve heard; Johnny Mnemonic, Keanu before he matrixed.

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Garden State Escape

I’m just back from battling the traffic demons known to inhabit the Connecticut state highway system. In a rare outcome, I won both matches this week. This didn’t happen without planning. I scheduled our Monday trip after the rush hours and before the heavy equipment could be moved in for repaving. I avoided the Merritt Parkway because that is not a place to traverse on a spring or summer evening; there’s always something being worked on with the attendant four mile long back up. Today I shot the gap between the rush hours, leaving New Jersey around 11:30 and arriving home just after 2:30. I have to give it to Connecticut, it tried, dodging the innumerable 18-wheelers and accursed left exit slow downs but we made it in just over three hours, which is kind of remarkable.

Birthday Dinner for Wingman

Even more remarkable, you may rightly ask? The time I got to spend with my daughter and her family for the past few days. We arrived Monday night with the FBR expecting us on Tuesday afternoon. Our stolen march produced a very surprised granddaughter Tuesday morning as she tried to down her pancakes breakfast. Monday night was also Wingman’s birthday so we arrived with a birthday cheesecake to go along with the one Wingmom had already gotten for him (he is a well known cheese cake aficionado). We inflicted our rendition of happy birthday on the poor guy before we let him have any of his treats. He’s in the middle of a very busy time as he and his partner are negotiating the contract for their new business.

Of Course, Her Abuela had Been Shopping for Her

In a bit of serendipity, the FBR had Tuesday off from school as it was a local voting day. I mentioned we might stop at the Turtle Back Zoo that day and was greeted like a hero (it’s what I do). It’s much different going to the zoo with the now 8-year-old granddaughter. Instead of guiding her around the place, my Favorite Panamanian and I just tried to keep up. I had the zoo map downloaded on my phone and she would periodically stop and demand the phone so she could do a map check. It made a grizzled old infantryman proud. Her one priority was the penguin house since they are her favorite animal now.

Petting Sting Rays with Abuela

While enroute to the penguin house, we stopped by the otter enclosure where the FBR acquired a new #2 favorite animal. Since it was a very hot day (guess I didn’t mention that) most of the animals were lying in usually the most well concealed location within their enclosures. The otters were no different lounging next to their pool. That all changed when they saw the FBR. One of them fell in love with her immediately (it happens). He jumped into the pool and rushed over to her. He then spent the entire time we were there, performing back flips in front of her and coming back to touch the opposite side of the glass from her extended hands. It was almost mystical. A bunch of other kids trooped to either side of her but the otter only had eyes for the FBR. The otter’s partner tried to break up the fun by diving into the midst of some its partner’s back flips. We noticed before the FBR’s effect with animals. When she was just a toddler a chipmunk came up to her in our back yard and allowed her to pet him (much to the horror of her mother). In previous zoo visits, peacocks always followed the FBR around. Hard to explain but so fun to watch.

Otter Playing with FBR

Since it was a day off from school for the local area, the zoo was inundated with numerous groups of kids identified by matching t-shirts and harried chaperones. I counted myself lucky the days of chaperoning something like that are far behind me. By lunch time most the chaperones that passed us had a glassy look in their eyes as they tried to corral their highly mobile charges. The FBR coaxed us into a train ride (okay that might have been our idea, since it involved sitting down). She also decided her face needed to be painted along with the golden nails her mom had equipped her with. My Favorite Panamanian decided to take a break so I escorted the FBR up the hill to the petting zoo. While enroute we diverted into the bird exhibit where we walked into an enclosure and had literally thousands of canaries buzzing us. I was reminded of a Hitchcock classic at times but the FBR reveled in it. 

Penguin House

Touching Hands

Onto the Train

Those Fingernails

Face Painting Time

Result

We decided to go for a late lunch to a nearby restaurant, recommended by my daughter, McLoon’s Boathouse. We were not impressed as we had wait nearly an hour for our food once it was ordered despite the place only being a quarter full. Our waitress was so distressed that she inveigled the manager to come over and apologize and she took one of our complete meals off the bill. The food was good but I was so hungry at that point, well, you understand. My Favorite Panamanian and the FBR entertained themselves during our wait with funny cat videos on my wife’s phone. There were times I thought they might fall to the floor laughing.

Surrounded by Canaries

FBR Feeding her Canary

Lunch at the Boathouse

We returned to my daughter’s home ion time to join them for a walk up the block to help Wingman celebrate his birthday with dinner at their favorite neighborhood place, Artie’s. The food was great there as well but the company even better. They are so fortunate to have a place like this in their neighborhood which seems to improve every time we visit. I’m so happy they ended up in such a great place and who’d thunk it, in New Jersey! I’ll admit my foot and knee were barking as we walked home after dinner after a full day chasing the FBR around the zoo in 90-degree heat; still, couldn’t have been happier.

Funny Cat Videos Reactions

Too Funny

Wednesday saw the FBR back in school so we escorted her to the early morning bus stop and then rested a bit (okay, a lot). The big event of the day was going to see the FBR play baseball. We picked her up from school and hit a local diner for an early dinner before moving to the ball field. I noticed a definite uptick in baseball acumen since last year’s escapades. The FBR is a natural athlete but we have to work on her batter’s eye as she swung at pitches well over her head. It was good night for her team as they won their first game of the year. The FBR thought a post-game ice cream would be adequate recompense for her efforts and who was I to argue. It was well after her bed time by the time we got home but she was still a bundle of energy as her parents tried to ease her towards a shower and bed (not a task for the weak of heart).

At the Bus Stop Wednesday Morn

FBR Batting

And Manning the Hot Corner

Once she was semi-settled, the adults adjourned downstairs to watch an old movie that my daughter really wanted me to see. A Matter of Life and Death was a lot of fun to watch with her. It relates a fanciful story of a WW2 British pilot who cheats death in the pursuit of love. All too soon our visit came to an end this morning as I drove my daughter to the train station since she had a business meeting in the city and then escorted the FBR to her bus. At the appointed hour we made our way north and once again cheated Connecticut out of it usual pound of flesh for anybody with the temerity to try and drive through it. A very fun week, seeing all three granddaughters, but I’m ready to spend a night in my own bed.

No weigh in today, at 24 pounds lost towards 25-pound goal (I hope), tomorrow I’m in the pool for first time this year in the USA!

In my A-Z watch, nothing one fell since I last posted, since I was away from the movie library and having too much fun with our hosts.

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Recitation

First of all, as my old boss used to utter, let me say this, I had a fantastic time at my granddaughters’ dance recital. Granted, going in, I likened it to sitting for two and a half hours of dental work except for the five minutes one of the granddaughters were on stage. That was last year. This year was a lot more entertaining as it was shorter. I was also sitting next to my son which allowed some of the more comedic elements of the other acts to be fully appreciated. There was some truly high comedy as the smartly clad young ladies tried to follow their instructors’ guidance while staring out at the big crowd.

Post Recital Posing with Mom and Dad

My Favorite Panamanian and I journeyed up to New Hampshire Saturday afternoon in time for dinner with my son and his family. This was followed by a trip to a nearby ice cream palace. I must be getting used to this diet thing because it didn’t bother me (too much) to see everyone else enjoying one of my favorite delicacies on earth. Since it was a beautiful spring evening, a bunch of other kids also started showing up and both granddaughters immediately abandoned hanging out with grandparents for the more lucrative target of their peers. BR3 had a young fellow that was desperate for her attention (I remember those days). It was a cool little interlude. After the kids went to bed, my son and I set up shop in his massive home theater to watch a horror movie. That turned out to be a big mistake because Dreamkatcher (that’s how it’s spelled in the movie) was just flat terrible. Not worth the late night but I did get to hang with my son for a couple hours which is always welcome.

BR3 Wears her Chocolate well, Boy Next to her Trying to Get her Attention

BRS with her Buddies

Sunday was a maelstrom as breakfast was followed by church (us) while the ABFA and my son (mostly the ABFA) got the BRS and BR3 ready for their recital. We returned from church in time to ride with my son to the middle school which never has enough parking, especially when combined with a lacrosse tourney which was also taking place there. They had tickets for us in the second row from the stage which were great. We were joined by the ABFA’s incomparable parents and one of the ABFA’s favorite cousins. While the presentations were definitely amateur hour, it was obvious a lot of work and practice had gone into the dances. There was a particularly moving presentation when three dads danced with their very young daughters.

BR3 Pre-Dance Posing

There was a character in each group who was bound and determined to distinguish herself by standing out, usually in hilarious fashion. It was also impossibly cute. My son correctly predicted the BRS would be more successful than her younger sister since BR3 doesn’t like to follow directions. BR3’s group came out first and he was proved right as she spent the whole time looking at her friend next to her instead of the instructor who was trying to prompt the girls whom everybody else was looking at. The BRS spotted us at one point and gave us one of her patented chaos filled looks. It was all, way too funny. I loved it.

BR3 (c) Looking at Freind Instead of Instructor

Then She Spotted Us

Way Too Cute

BRS (2d from r)

Best One out there

The Grand Finale

After sitting through a lot more groups, the BRS came on with her group to perform break dancing to hip hop music. It was obvious she had put a lot of work into the dance and she was fantastic, clearly the best dancer in her group (I may be a little biased here). After the recital ended, we all moved outside to reunite with the dancers, distribute flowers to the divas, and take pictures. It was a great family event that I truly and unexpectedly enjoyed. Then it was back to their home to enjoy a barbecue while the dancers exhibited no lack of energy as they tried to run their other grandfather (ABFA’s dad) ragged outside. I hid inside once they captured him. I was exposed to some homemade chocolate chip cookies (a personal kryptonite) which I safely avoided but stole a few to put in the freezer for when the diet ends.

Post Dance Photo with Us

We left in the late afternoon after the two grandmothers snuck out for unplanned (in my mind at least) shopping. I told my Favorite Panamanian that I wanted to get on the road before the massive traffic descending from Maine jammed up the highways heading home. Luckily, we seemed to be just ahead of it and pulled into home a little before six. I thought I was going to have some extended Man Cave time until I heard a blood curdling scream from upstairs. I rushed up, expecting at least a small pool of blood only to find my wife near to tears explaining she had forgotten her makeup kit back at our son’s place. I knew my cave time was doomed as another ride into the teeth of Sunday traffic. We wouldn’t be going anywhere or doing anything without that (it also had her medications – so real-world need) kit.

And the ABFA's Folks, Our Lifesavers

I ate a gloomy dinner before we hit the road after telling my son we were headed back. We were just a few minutes out when he contacted us and said they would send the missing kit back with the ABFA’s parents who live a lot closer, near Nashua. We updated the navigation system and were in their driveway 30 minutes later, so fast, we beat them there. They are truly remarkably good friends who saved us a lot of tedious travel with this, eternally grateful. It’s always interesting to drive to Hudson as I pass by the exits on the highway that used to lead to the home of my first fiancé, laden with a lot of memories; but I digress. The kit was needed because we leave shortly for New Jersey to surprise the FBR. The Man Cave will have to wait.

Today’s weigh-in, at 24 pounds lost towards 25-pound goal, I’m thinking by end of week I’ll be feasting on all the sweets I have stored in the freezer!

In my A-Z watch, only one fell since I last posted, a definite keeper: Joe Versus the Volcano, one of my true favorites of all time, silly but poignant, can’t go wrong with Hanks and Ryan together, has one of my favorite scenes of all time when Joe, on his makeshift raft, looks up at a huge moon to embrace life.

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Roots and Feet

Now that I have hopefully put the whole “Snarky-gate” controversy behind me I can report on some other issues. The biggest one being the arrival of my renewed passport. I paid (through the nose) to get expedited processing which was needed since it’s going to get a workout this year. It was going to expire in February 2025, when I will hopefully be back on the beach at Las Lajas, so I had to get it done this year. You start backing up from the requirement that some countries require an expiration date six months later than your arrival got me to worrying since we have a trip to Italy in October. In a rare flash of advance planning, I went about the renewal process as soon as the biggest bandages were off my face. Now, as to why I was worrying. My Favorite Panamanian has been making noises about wanting to travel more. My travel bug was more than sated by my time in the Army, although, granted, they weren’t always garden spots.

Passport Literally in Hand

When I broached the subject of visiting Ireland and Scotland, I thought she would balk. She didn’t. I hustled an appointment at AAA and we left with reservations on a tour of both countries at the end of June. Part of the registration for the tour required, of course, a valid passport. Hence the worry, since my current passport was residing in DC with a company I paid to expedite the process. It arrived last week and all was good. So since, according to the latest Ancestery.com DNA estimate, I am 20% Irish and 22% Scottish this is my version of roots, returning to the ancestral homes. This probably means we’re gong to Spain next year.

On Monday I’m back at the dermatology office to hopefully get cleared to start swimming again, which my weight reduction program currently needs. I’ve also got an appointment with the physical therapist coming up to hopefully address the right foot problems (lot of hope going on around here). That foot seems to be healing since I’m not boogie boarding twice a day any more, but I’m interested in what the therapist will recommend after the fairly worthless appointment with the podiatrist who diagnosed me with a high instep, something I’ve had for nearly seventy years now without problem. Remind me to cancel the follow-up appointment with that bozo.

Speaking of bozos, our former commander in chief was convicted of 34 felony counts this week. You all know I’m not a fan of our benighted former president but this is still a sad day for the country where the institution of the presidency is taken down a notch. As he is wont to do, he lashed out at the system he had played so thoroughly during his business career. He already devasted our electoral process so, why not. I am still mystified at how intelligent people still obediently line up behind him despite all of this and his bone deep flaws which he revels in. Oh and there’s a very real possibility he’s in Putin’s pocket. The sadness extends to our only other choice in the upcoming election, Joe Biden. The Unted States needs to overhaul a political party system where we are handed these two as our only valid choices. I can’t believe I’m gong to have to vote for Biden simply to keep the Felon in Chief out of the White House.

The sadness will not endure though. I’ve got a full slate of granddaughter activities lined up. We leave shortly for New Hampshire to see the BRS and BR3 perform in their annual dance recital tomorrow. While having to sit through the multiple other groups before the granddaughters is akin to a visit to the dentist, it will be fun. We come back tomorrow and then leave Monday evening for New Jersey to spend some time with my daughter’s family. We’ll get to see the FBR on the baseball diamond and she has all of Tuesday off from school. Sadness doesn’t stand a chance.

Today’s weigh-in, still at 23 pounds lost towards 25-pound goal, The last two pounds are putting up a fight, need to get back in the pool, hopefully this coming week.

In my A-Z watch, six fell since I last posted, all keepers: Jason and the Argonauts, a favorite from my youth, hasn’t aged well but the Harryhausen effects still play; Jeepers Creepers, so scary, especially the first half despite criminally stupid victims; Jeepers Creepers 2, not as scary as first but the victims fight back; Jeremiah Johnson, incredibly beautiful film about the singular mountain man; The Jerk, a young Steve Martin at top of his game, so funny; and Jerry Maguire, best combination of sports and romance ever, some of best lines ever.

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course