Mocking Day

I finally had a date for date night last evening and we took in the latest and blessedly last film of the Hunger Games series. This ode to teenaged angst was supremely well made and Jennifer Lawrence will elevate anything she’s in well above the mundane. This final movie strays just enough from the literary source material to keep some suspense for those who read the books. The anti-war message is as subtle as a thermo-nuclear weapon and the resulting somber feel keeps the movie from soaring.

Katniss and her merry band of sycophants launch the final assault on Donald Sutherland’s capitol and the military guy in me was struggling with the inept planning involved from both sides. This however allows them to introduce the devices of the capitol’s game designers which, while deadly, did lend the needed action around the near constant hand wringing. Katniss ends up in the same heart wrenching final battle as the literal “girl on fire” with enough of a twist thrown in. Entirely too funereal to embrace totally but still a well-executed and satisfying conclusion to the Hunger Games.

What Must Have Happened

I was charging around yesterday running the normal Tuesday errands when movies are released for sale. I had a Best Buy gift card provided by my favorite son burning a hole in my pocket. Before that hedonistic turn I had to secure our Christmas turkey. I know everyone just assumed I just confused holidays, what with tomorrow being what it is and all. I learned a while ago that to secure the really big bird you have to buy around Thanksgiving because the pickings in December are decidedly less in terms of size and the Christmas bird has to be huge. A big surprise ensued when I discovered there’s been some sort of turkey epidemic and the prices have skyrocketed. The selected bird was over $40 but a combination of store card and a handy coupon, provided by the management company I work, for lowered down to under $7, after I talked the well-meaning but clueless product of our high school education system through entering it. Even my wife, no mean judge of shopping acumen, was impressed.

Last Year Today Was a Lot More Fun

Today’s a little bittersweet. This is the first time in many years that I don’t have to hit the road on this worst of all traffic days. While one would think that would be ample cause for celebration, it’s not, because those earlier forays into the maelstrom of pre-Thanksgiving gridlock were always undertaken to retrieve one of my “kids” joining us for turkey day. The First Blog Reader, despite her singular excellence, is not old enough to travel yet so my daughter and Wingman are imprisoned on the Wrong Coast. We won’t see the favorite son and ABFA until Thursday due to in-law fairness rules.

The upside is I get to spend tomorrow with my father’s family up in New Hampshire, a tradition rapidly coming up on a century. As I’ve said before, “There’s just something special about cousins”, and I’m blessed with some of the very best so the prospect of spending time with them can lift any gloom. Well, that the accompanying pictures of my granddaughter!

Taking Charge in the Car Ride to the Doctor's Office

You see what I did there? You thought you were going to escape today’s posting with no granddaughter bragging. You obviously don’t know me very well. She had her first doctor’s appointment yesterday and was pronounced “perfect” – the doctor’s words – not mine (although I do ascribe to the theory and am impressed with the pediatrician’s perspicacity). You will, of course, be forced to endure yet more pictures of perfection in human form.

Dad - That Was Exhausting

First Walkabout and Wounded Win

Out For Her First Walk

Reports are still coming in on the remarkable undertakings of the First Blog Reader in California. Yesterday, apparently frustrated at being cooped in up in the apartment, she took her parents out for her first walk. As with all of her already numerous accomplishments she handled the new environment with aplomb directing her parents to a nearby park so she could bask in the California sun and compliments.

With Her Proud Mommy

I know my constant crowing about the excellence of my first grandchild may be getting old for some people. I can only say – deal with it. It doesn’t look to temper any time in the reasonable future. I want her to know, when she reads this in a couple decades, that her grandfather thought she was something extremely special and that was an opinion shared by virtually everyone who’s met her. Count yourself lucky that you don’t work with me and aren’t being constantly shown pictures of the young marvel. Since I’m the boss they’re a captive audience.

And Daddy

She experienced her second Patriots game yesterday as they continued their revenge tour and undefeated season with a pedestrian win against their old nemesis, I mean whipping boy, Rex Ryan with his new band of underachievers, the Buffalo Bills. I have to credit Ryan on his game plan which took the Patriots a while to overcome. He knows Brady so well and attacked exactly where he needed to, against the Patriots weakened offensive line.

The game was in doubt well into the second half before the caliber of the Patriots asserted and the Bills made their typical blunders. In a move that I’m sure will have the New England NFL conspiracists (yet another unwelcome result of Deflategate) in high cotton was a blown officiating call nullifying a Patriots score. The inadvertent whistle seemed to occur when Ryan was illegally charging an official in the middle of a play so that only added to the drama. The game was decided by the Patriots defense which, in typical Belichick manner, is rounding into a dangerous group as we head into December. I just hope we can open a new can of receivers as another two went down with injuries last night. Still, any time that sweater vested blowhard is handed some humble pie, it made for a good, if very late night.

Zoned Out

The First Blog Reader Yesterday

Yesterday was all about flushing the remnants of the California time zone out of the system. I’ve always found it easier dealing with jet lag after traveling east instead of west and yesterday was no exception. My wife, who was Californiated a much longer time struggled a little more and didn’t arise until much later than usual. She’d lost none of her cleaning acumen and immediately called into question the amount of effort I’d expended during her absence in keeping the shower clean. Some questions are best left unanswered.

Mommy Completing a Bath

Ready for her Closeup

I’ve been blessed with the neighbors I’ve acquired since leaving e military and the move to Worcester is certainly no exception. When we drove in early Sunday morning I noted the mailbox had been knocked down. I moved it out of the street and was prepared to address it yesterday morning. Coming downstairs in the morning I found my next door neighbor (and proud member of the Worcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia) already outside with a shovel in hand starting repairs. He was surprised I was home and said he wanted to repair it before I returned. I did say “blessed”, right? We jury rigged a solution and had the mailbox standing proud, if a little shorter than previously.

Pee Wee Still in Wonder at the New Addition

My wife and I made the short trip down to Rhode Island to rescue Buddy from the younger version of himself. He spent our Californian sojourn at my sister’s house with her lab puppy, Remy. Remy is exactly like Buddy was at a young age which was bad news for the middle aged Wonder Pooch. I’m sure Whomever is in charge of karmic balancing arranged for Buddy to experience what being around himself when he was younger was like – he was exhausted. My sister conducted a thorough debriefing on what her new grand-niece is like. I could see the wheels turning in her head on how she would go about spoiling her from great distance.

Discussing Yesterday's Football Games with Daddy and Other Grandpa

Since neither my wife nor I were feeling especially energetic upon our return we hit the local 99 for dinner. It was so good after my month long series of solitary dining to have my Favorite Panamanian across the table from me again. Thankfully the Patriots were not playing yesterday so we approached the latter portion of the day with intense recovery operations. My wife burned out a couple phone batteries re-establishing contact with her many friends and apprising them she was back on the East Coast and no longer restricted from full voice by baby quiet hours. I paid appropriate awe for the wonder that is the NFL Red Zone and cleaned out some DVR detritus.

My Beautiful Dinner Date Yesterday

For those of you who thought my return from California would save you from more baby pictures of my singularly marvelous granddaughter you now realize that was a false hope. My daughter and Wingman are providing daily photographic updates and I’m entirely too proud of this little creature not to share them with you. Consider yourself lucky.

During my recent travels to Lala Land I finished off the next in my march through Lawrence Block’s excellent Matthew Scudder novels with Hope to Die. Scudder becomes involved in a double murder case when his assistant TJ happens to know the victim’s niece. He slowly pieces together that the “solved” murder was actually the handiwork of a truly evil serial killer whom he starts to track down.

Block changes up the style in this book and allows the reader to see the thoughts and actions of the killer (still cleverly disguised) as wella s Scudder’s. The two dance in increasingly smaller circles until the inevitable concluding confrontation. Block, as always, has the resolute Scudder serve as the part of implacable doom for purveyors of evil. Block also sets up an obvious sequel for some of the characters involved which is something to look forward to since they were so compelling, on both sides of the cosmic justice scale. I’ll leave you with some of Block’s words from Hope to Die as Scudder discussed the importance of imagination:

One expects writers to use their imaginations, but that portion of the mind, of the self, is as much a part of the equipment of a policeman. A cop would be better off without a gun or notebook than without an imagination. For all that detectives, private and public, deal in and count on facts, it is our capacity to reflect, to imagine, that points us to solutions. When two cops discuss a case they’re working on, they talk less about what they know for a fact than what they imagine. They construct scenarios of what might have happened, and then look for facts that will support or knock down their constructions.

Diasporing

Saying Some Heart-wrenching Goodbyes

“Then, depression set in”, spake the wise John Winger once upon a cinematic time. I know what he means. I was brutally separated from my newly formed granddaughter addiction by the vagaries of time and distance. Since I ostensibly have a life back here on the East Coast (although somewhat dimmed by Californian events over the past ten days) I had to return in the wee hours of this morning to New England.

Trying on Some of her New Wardrobe

The only upside was the return of my other half with me. The Favorite Panamanian is back at her post ably supervising the mundane details of my day to day life. As an infamous US naval personage once remarked, a line officer needs a good staff officer to keep him organized. While I don’t ascribe to this flawed line of thought it is good to have my commander in chief back on station.

The New Mom On Duty

Our flight didn’t leave L.A. until late afternoon so we got another half day with the California miracle known as the First Blog Reader. She tried on her first dress, purchased in my wife’s Thursday shopping spree. I’m not allowed to show it to you (for wifely reasons related to Christmas photos) but suffice it say, there were a lot of “ahhs” expended. Spending the past few days with this little marvel was about as much fun as humanly possible. The best part though was seeing my daughter and Wingman growing into their roles as new parents. I’m astounded at how well prepared they were and not a little bit chagrined at my performance a few decades ago in comparison. My granddaughter is in the best possible hands.

I tried to kid myself into thinking I could move to LA after meeting my granddaughter. That fantasy took a serious hit when Wingman drove us to the airport. The one biggest reason we didn’t settle in the DC area after retiring from the military was the traffic and LA dwarfs Washington when it comes to gridlock. The massive LA highway system moved at a snail’s pace even on an unremarkable Saturday afternoon. I don’t think I could subject myself to that but that new granddaughter has already demonstrated a remarkable ability to influence thinking.

Schooling her Grandfather

Didn't Want to Let Go

I was Eventually Convinced 

We were forced by price and schedule to use American Airlines for the trip back, something I’ve assiduously avoided based on their ingrained lack of customer friendly service. They were well on their way to convincing me they had changed their ways. We left on time, the boarding was well organized, the seats as comfortable as coach can be, and we weren’t insulted by the flight crew – this counts as a win for American. Then we arrived back in Boston around 1:00am and the renowned luggage handling expertise of American manifested itself. I think I speak for the entire crowd I waited with, that 40 minutes after landing is way, way too long to have the first bags emerge on the carousel; especially when it’s in the very early morning hours. American Airlines – you almost fooled me into thinking you’d changed your ways.

All that being said, basking in the afterglow of granddaughter, daughter, and Wingman time got us through the frustrating wait as my wife reacquainted herself with non-California weather. The drive home was blessedly fast, especially since my co-pilot was back in place chattering away for the entire trip (funny, the things you miss). We arrived home to find out mailbox had been knocked down but the house was intact and I survived the initial inspection of what my month long bachelorhood had wrought. Although I do hear her yelling just now from upstairs about how dirty the shower is. I can only claim if it was perfect, she would suspect I called someone in to clean.

I miss my granddaughter and those other beloved Californians.

Some More Photos from My LA Field Trip with Wingman

L.A. Field Trip Before Return to Perfection

Star of the Show

If you take a good look at the word “grandparent” it is possibly the most accurately constructed word in the English language. I loved being a parent and up until the past week, possibly the most redeeming experience of my life. Being a grandparent is certainly that, grand on a scale I couldn’t begin to describe. You get to see your own “kids” going through the same experience you had. The life long effort to tell them how important they are to you as parents is complete. My daughter admitted yesterday that she truly didn’t understand how important she was to us until she met her own daughter. Of course it’s easy when you have such an extraordinary child; get used to this, I’ll be serially bragging on my granddaughter for the foreseeable 20-30 years. I tried to load a video below which shows her waving to her adoring crowd.

Telling Daddy About Her Day

Gramma Time

As with all newborns there’s a definite cycle to the day, feeding, diaper changing and the crucial quiet times to allow sleep for both mom and child. During the afternoon quiet time yesterday Wingman stole me away to do a hasty tourist trip around the nearby L.A. environs. We went up to the Griffith Observatory where the movie geek in me almost exploded, so many movies having filmed there, including Terminator. Although we were in the middle of a huge park you got a real sense of how immense Los Angeles is spread out to the horizon on all sides. We came back down the hill to grab lunch at Tam O’Shanter’s restaurant which was a favorite of Walt Disney and recently featured in the Tom Hanks movie Larry Crowne. While eating lunch there were a couple Disney studio workers discussed work at the nearby bar, it was all very Hollywood.

Wingman in Griffith Park - Hollywood Sign in Background

View of L.A.

They Fired up a Tesla Coil for Us

The Observatory

Tam O'Shanter's

Chavez Ravine

View of L.A. from Elsyian Park

Some Sort of Art Memorial in Elysian Park

We wandered some of the back roads and turned into Elysian Park and Angel Point which provided additional views of Los Angeles including directly into Chavez Ravine and Dodger Stadium. It was strange to be in the middle of a teeming city and feel so isolated as the Angelinos had other things to do on this Friday afternoon. It was a nice quick trip around town and the above mentioned movie geek was in full flower spotting scenes where the too many movies I’ve seen were filmed. We returned to the apartment to find the First Blog Reader holding court with her thralls, amongst whom I proudly count myself.

Pee Wee Assisting with the Blogging Yesterday

My daughter's cat has really taken to the new addition to the family, demonstrating that my granddaughter's charms extend to the animal kingdom as well. The cat seems to have acquired social skills since moving to L.A. When they lived in the NYC the cat would try to find the nearest hiding place when we arrived. It could have been some early life experiences with Buddy the Wonder Pooch with whom we were associated. He seems to have forgiven us our canine predilections. He even jumped into my lap to assist with blogging yesterday.

Long Day Daddy

Since we’re leaving today we offered the new parents a chance to escape themselves for a couple hours last night after the star of the show launched one of her naps. The new mom was reluctant to leave though and we got one last night hanging around together which is better than anything else anyways. Wingman and I took a stroll around their neighborhood and I was struck by how peaceful and idyllic it was. It certainly not the L.A. you hear about in the news. We had the late shift and explored our inner geek once again with a showing of Star Wars movies preparing for the December return to a galaxy far, far away. The ladies of the house only nodded sagely at our affliction. Today’s going to be tough since we won’t see any of these L.A. personages until February. We’re going to put a serious dent in Facetime bandwidth over the next couple months.

Grandparenting Trail

Okay, still basking in the minute by minute revelations of what being a new grandparent is like. I think I went through the same gamut of emotions as a new father but was either too young, too dumb, or most probably, too scared to appreciate them. My granddaughter is training her parents on survival requirements and is fairly profound in her methods.

Photos Taken by New Mom Trying to Convince her Daughter She Should Sleep
Taken at 3:00AM

She sleeps for about three hours before demanding her mother/cafeteria immediately attend to her hunger. Wingman is a doting father and is ready to execute a fast becoming expert diaper change. They seem to be approaching this whole parenting thing with a lot more planning than I can remember doing. My granddaughter is the beneficiary of their devotion. I haven’t heard her cry a lot which is diametrically opposed to our experience with her mother.

The New Parenting Team at Work

My Favorite Panamanian was finally able to escape the apartment long enough to address the very real need to shop for her new granddaughter. Since the new parents didn’t know the sex of the impending child until the delivery room my wife’s shopping gene lay dormant until then. Since the new parents were busy being new parents she couldn’t do anything until her patsy, I mean husband, showed up. We addressed her serious “jonesing” yesterday and I mostly behaved myself. I was in charge of locating the baby stores in the large mall and keeping my mouth shut when it came to my usual poignant comments on the amount of time shopping with my wife entails. 

Christmas Tree in L.A.

She was seriously in her element as each store was apprised of just how perfect our new granddaughter is. I kind of enjoyed that part of the experience. We stopped for lunch in part of the complex while they were preparing for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony nearby. It seemed so incongruous with the eighty degree heat but I guess I should enjoy it while I can. I did re-discover how much fun I have hanging out with my Favorite Panamanian, even if there’s intense shopping involved. Maybe the granddaughter has already mellowed me out some.

My Wife Displaying Her Prizes

When we returned I kidnapped Wingman for an hour away from his parenting skills development. It’s important to stay well rounded and he had promised to show me a favorite brewery pub he’d found locally. Promises are promises and I think he liked the all too short sojourn. It gave us the chance to compare notes on fatherhood and I left even more impressed with this young man. He gets it.

Wingman at the Golden Road

The Golden Road Brewery is located right next to a railway and the first train that snuck up on me while we enjoyed our beer on the sunlit deck scared the bejesus out of me when it sounded its horn. Wingman knew it was coming and every single train that came by did the same thing as there was a crossing just past the brewery which required it. It was all part of the ambience but I couldn’t believe it was late November and I was sitting outside in warm sunlight talking with the father of the First Blog Reader. This would have to count as my L.A. pub crawl so I secured a t-shirt and since this is L.A. they were also selling baby “onesies” which we secured for the newest addition to the family. It had “Made in L.A.” on the back which is true.

The Earlier Generation Knocking Some Rust Off

We were back in the apartment for Thursday night football which starts at 5:30pm out here and is all over by 9. I could get used to that. Our hosts are the cable company’s realized fears about this new generation. They get virtually everything I do in my vast cable package but do it through a smart TV and the internet. I’m guessing they’re paying substantially less than I am. Wingman had been extolling the virtues of his approach and was a little miffed when he was unable to get the game to load. The TV must have been having a less than smart phase but after some maniacal tinkering it came on and all was right with the world. The First Blog Reader will not be allowed to watch TV for the first two years but she joined in the fun as her parents and grandparents extolled her already manifest virtues with the game in the background.

Not Getting Old - in the Least

We ended the night (at least for the grandparent side of the equation) binge watching a couple episodes of a series I’d heard about but avoided so far – Fargo. If you don’t have a lot of free time then don’t start watching because it will hook you; darkest comedy at its best. We’ll be picking it back up when we get back to Worcester. Well I’ve only got one more day here in L.A. so I’m going to step away from the computer and go back to staring at my granddaughter, can’t get enough of that.