Stressing the Positive

FBR and Wingman Out to Eat

My week in the third level of Hades continued today as I charged between negotiations, remodeling tasks, and a doctor recommended stress test. I only have one remaining doctor’s appointment to deal with this week, some minor finger surgery on Friday. I did have a really funny, somewhat poignant, moment the other morning. I came downstairs and as is my custom I went to the door overlooking the backyard to pay my morning respects to Buddy and his subterranean canine buddies, Skyla and Estrella. The picture below shows what I saw. A very pert rabbit was standing astride the rock placed over their grave. I laughed thinking my old friends were probably vigorously turning over just below the bunny’s feet and in their honor chased the rabbit away. (I’m no longer allowed to shoot at them.

The Temerity of Rabbits!

The stress test was every bit as much fun as I anticipated which wasn’t much. I was a little worried about my bad knee but they didn’t ask so I didn’t say anything. I was surrounded by women for the test with a doctor, imaging technician and nurse administering it so male pride was a factor when it came to performance. They hooked me up to an impressive collection of wires and then took some ultrasound pictures of my heart which were cool to watch.

I was then sent to the treadmill which was decidedly less cool. I was told I had to keep walking until I reached my target heart rate and then keep going until I wanted to quit. The treadmill’s pace and elevation would increase every three minutes. It wasn’t as hard on my knee as I feared and I took it as a challenge to keep going, again that damned male pride. After the fifth such increase I was beginning to wonder how long it was going to take me to reach the target heartrate so I asked the doctor if I was close yet. The doc told me I had done that in the first three minutes so the ensuing thirteen minutes I had spent were all extra as I hadn’t heard her. I asked because I got the impression they were wondering why I was still going. I went another minute so they wouldn’t think I was a quitter and then, covered in sweat, flopped down on the bed for the posttest ultrasound images. The good news was that everything came out as completely normal or as close to normal as I ever get.

The FBR is in one of her non-communicative phases on our recent FaceTime calls. She thinks the appropriate method of communication involves showing me how well masticated her evening meal is despite the very verbal corrections launched her way by my daughter and Wingman. Up in New Hampshire the BRS has a new chair suspended from an archway that allows her to bounce which looks like it could become her favorite activity.

I’ve been to the theater for the past two nights watching movies both set in Southeast Asia but as far apart on the estrogen scale as humanly possible. First up was Mile 22 which had Mark Wahlberg in the manic mode last seen in The Departed. He plays a hyperactive leader of a clandestine CIA team tracking down some dirty bomb ingredients in a mythical Asian country also trying to stay a few steps ahead (and failing) of some pissed off Russians. They are charged with transporting a key witness to the airport while seemingly the entire country tries to kill them. Iko Uwais, the luminescent star of the Raid movies, is the best thing about the movie especially when he gets around to administer the obligatory beatings. Lauren Cohan, from the Walking Dead, is also very good as a tough member of Wahlberg’s team. The action is almost non-stop but I had a real problem with the editing which was so jumpy and flashing between cameras that it was impossible to keep track of who was fighting who. The director, Peter Berg, got a little too impressed with his artistic side because this would have been a much better picture, even with the Raid homages, if he hadn’t gotten carried away in the editing room.

At the other end of the spectrum was Crazy Rich Asians which was one of the best movies I’ve seen all year. This could resurrect the rom-com which I’m always a sucker for (don’t tell anyone). There was some great comedic turns in this all Asian cast and the two leads were tone perfect. An Asian-American gal is taken back to Singapore by her boyfriend who she belatedly learns comes from one of the richest families on earth. Since Singapore is “veddy British” they imported the whole idea of a class system from the mother country which the American soon falls victim to. I really like the empowering message of the movie as the gal stands up for herself in the face of the classless upper crust. The supporting cast is a real strength as they all meld together for a truly warm and funny movie. I can’t recommend this film highly enough.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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

Afloat

River Cruise with Fabulous Hosts

I’ve haven’t been around the internet, much less Frail Deeds, for a couple days now (you are most welcome). The weekend was consumed with another crisscrossing of New England for a variety of very enjoyable passages (see below) while today was probably the busiest day I’ve had a work in more than five years. I went in early to get in some needed work on some scheduling software and that turned into an exercise in pure frustration. I threw in my weekly staff meeting and an afternoon long negotiating session with the union before I got back to drive a stake in the heart of the scheduling conundrum. That all culminated after 6pm so a very long day. There were some positive developments. Over lunch time I snuck out to the city offices to check on the status of my building permit application to find not only was it approved but they gave me an official copy to start work with. Deckzilla Dude was really pleased.

BRS Ready to Party

And Crawl

Abuela and Bis-Abuela (Great Grandmother) Time

That is all noise when I consider how I spent my weekend though. On Saturday we ran up to New Hampshire to hang out with my Favorite Son, the ABFA, and needless to say, the one, the only, BRS. Since I was traveling with two Panamanian women I went through my cat herding exercise which mitigated against the planned early morning departure. We arrived a little after noon following the obligatory shopping stop once we entered tax free territory. One of the implied purposes of our trip was overnight babysitting since the parents had an evening wedding to attend.

BRS is Moving to Solid Food But Peas Didn't Make the Cut
I Know Where she Inherited that From

Grampa time at the Pizza Place

And Abuela Of Course

After the usual hugs and mutual cooing session with the BRS we hurriedly loaded up the car with everyone to charge into Portsmouth. Certain Panamanians had planned on wandering the downtown streets to accomplish some more shopping since they knew they could foist me off on the plentitude of pubs co-mingled with the shops. The morning cat herding prevented that since my son and the ABFA had to be back home by 3:30 to leave for the wedding. We stopped by to see my son’s nearly completed parking garage project which truly impressed his grandmother.

Son and ABFA

4 Generation Gap

We then lucked into some convenient parking, an almost unheard of commodity in central Portsmouth (it was four flights up), and went underground to score some really tasty brick oven pizza. It was the same place where my Favorite Son met the ABFA on their blind date which has led to so many developments. The most important of those developments, the BRS, seems to revel in going out. She was a perfect young lady for the entire meal beaming at everyone which seemed to lend a little needed light to our subterranean environs.

Beautiful Family as Parents Head out for Wedding

Leaving These Two to Hang Oout

The cancelled shopping trip proved fortuitous since the customary, at least for this summer, Saturday torrential rain storm arrived shortly after we returned home. The “kids” got off for their wedding right on scheduled and we amused ourselves with the BRS for a few hours. She absolutely loves to FaceTime, since we connected with her cousin, the FBR. If I had to guess though I’d say that love of FaceTiming comes from her impulsive need to put the resident electronic device in her mouth. It’s so funny seeing her unable to reach the cell phone when she starts charmingly barking her frustration.

Wife and Mother in Law in Cruise Mode

Two Old Friend Looking Up River 

Official Panamanian Queen of the River

Host pointing Out the Sights

We were up fairly early the next morning and I was back into cat herding mode since we had to cross the state to Vermont by noontime. I had to convince the ladies that they had to focus not just on the time we were supposed to arrive but the distance we had to travel as well. It’s a learning process (lifelong). We eventually got on the road and I had to admit it was tough leaving that fun bunch.

Our Captain, my Friend

If I had to Guess I think They Enjoyed Their Day

We were enroute to Brattleboro, Vermont where we were finally taking a very old friend of mine up on his many offers to host us on his boat for an afternoon on the Connecticut River. We were very good friends in high school but lost track of each other over the years until I returned to New England after my military career. We see each other at the reunions and he is a faithful attendee of the birthday pub crawls. The marina we were headed to was directly behind an old roller skating rink I had last been to in junior high. I’m glad my friend had mentioned this landmark because the GPS was determined to send us further up the road.

He and his very gracious wife were the perfect hosts for an almost magical afternoon on the river. I’ve crossed that river literally thousands of times in my life but this was the first time I’d ever been on it. They have a fabulous pontoon boat with a lot of very cool extras. They’ve been boating on the river for decades and were superb guides pointing out many points of interest we would have missed without their expertise. They also seemed to know almost everybody else out on the river.

Lunch Break 

We pulled into a small cove for a quick lunch and then continued our idyllic trek north on the river. Since this trip did comprise members of KHS ’73 beer was involved in the festivities. This combined with my rapidly aging bladder system required a couple bathroom breaks which was the sole extra the boat was not blessed with. For the first one I had to brave a heavy riverside infestation of poison ivy. The second one was even more problematic not to mention more than a little embarrassing (more on that later). 

Our cruise took us all the way to Putney opposite the Westmoreland nursing home where my mother had worked for many years. The river patrol was out and we were scrambling to mask our open containers (not sure what the law is) but it turned out he was looking for a reported deer in distress in the river. We joined in the search but never saw the beast. The best part of the trip was catching up my friend. Although we’ve seen each other many times since re-connecting this was the first opportunity to spend some time really talking about each other’s intervening lives.

Meanwhile Down in New Jersey

FBR Still Hard at Work

We seemed to see new sights on the trip back down the river but still no deer. We were keeping an eye out for bald eagles which do some credible fishing in this stretch of the river. We ran into a guy with one of those car-boats from the 1960s. Of course my friend knew the owner as he pointed it out to us. We were just turning into the West River to return to the marina when the embarrassing stuff happened. I had to avail myself of a coke bottle since I didn’t want to do this once we were in sight of the marina which has a well-attended deck overlooking our approach. Our hosts were extremely good sports about my distress although it did impede the goodbye handshakes. They were such fabulous hosts for the afternoon in all aspects we hated to say goodbye and grabbed one more round of drinks in the marina bar where some well washed hands allowed the delayed handshakes. 

Friend hangs

1000 Watt Smile

I can’t say how much this afternoon on the river helped. It was so peaceful and just basic fun that stress seemed to waft away with each turn of the current. If you told me ahead of time that it would have that effect I would have laughed. Re-establishing contact with a good friend always had medicinal effects as well. I would have found today almost unbearable without yesterday’s river cruise to fall back on.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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

Pell Mell End

BRS - Ready to Launch

This week took on a momentum that I’m struggling to deal with. It’s had the beneficial effect of limiting your exposure to my ramblings as I’ve had scant time to write here on Frail Deeds. It’s not enough that each morning I now need assistance from my Favorite Panamanian to shave around the surgery wound on my neck and then apply a bandage although she is a very good, if overly strict, nurse. It culminated yesterday with a board meeting where the Voices of Inappropriate Worth were in full flower. There was an added ambiance to the meeting as the air conditioning for the board room failed. They don’t smell any better than they sound.

FBR Chilling in the Dentist Chair

I’ve been complaining about the politicians inability to make decisions (I know – redundant) but they finally did yesterday which has me in serious scramble mode since their decisions effected the budget, the upcoming service, and, oh yeah, I go back into union negotiations next week. So this will be a mercifully (for you) short posting to let you know I’m still alive and breathing and still hopelessly in love with both granddaughters.

It's Daddy-Daughter Day!!!!!

The FBR is thrilled to have her other grandfather visiting for a few days. She has a proven ability to turn grandfathers to absolute putty in her hands. She was at the dentist today which my daughter says she actually enjoys. We’ll see how long that lasts. Her granddad is joining Wingman for a full on schedule of Daddy-Daughter Day which seems to be in full swing. I also saw the BRS last night and she is fully up on her hands and knees and preparing to launch herself across the floor. Riggins seemed understandably concerned about this development.

Happy Anniversary Sis!

Finally I would be remiss if I didn’t wish my younger sister and her husband a very well earned congratulations for their third wedding anniversary. They’ve been together for five years now and I’ve never seen her this content. She kissed a lot of frogs before she found her prince. Congratulations you two lovebirds.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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

Pariah Look and A Big Shark

I’m not sure coming into work yesterday was the most brilliant move I’ve ever made (there’s a long list of such shortcomings). I had this fairly large bandage sprouting out of the side of the face which brought some interesting looks from a lot of my employees. Those who’ve known me longest accused me of having leprosy. The new employees thought their boss had been in a knife fight. I’m going to attempt to embellish that rumor as strongly as possible. My comment to some of them was – “You should see the other guy!”

I’m saying “not brilliant” because I had my usual reaction to anesthesia, even if it’s only local such as was the case yesterday. That reaction meant a brain drilling headache for most of the day. That’s always fun when you have to spend most of that day staring at a computer screen. It was really bad and seemingly immune to the best chemical attacks ibuprofen was capable of. My Favorite Panamanian immediately took steps to alleviate the headache when I arrived, which helped, along with the usual lecture on my idiocy for going into to work in the first place, which didn’t. After her ministrations I dozed off in a living room chair for about fifteen minutes which cured the headache for good.

The FBR was not interested in talking with us last night until she heard I had a “boo boo” and that drew her to the computer screen like a proverbial moth. Her morbid curiosity immediately translated into asking me to remove the bandage so she could see the cut. I demurred and she went back to building a castle out of blocks. The BRS was very happy to hear her abuela’s voice when we called and broke into one of her trademark grins.

Since my head was finally mended we headed out on date night and took in Meg. A movie about a huge shark and Jason Statham. I wasn’t going to miss that, even if it meant listening to my wife gasp appreciatively every time Statham took off his shirt. I’d read the book years ago and always wondered why they hadn’t made a movie about a huge prehistoric shark emerging to devour 21^st century humans. The movie took itself a little too seriously at times and had to vanilla-ize to stay below an R rating but it still reveled in the summer monster flick traditions. It was truly unnerving to see a great white shark the size of a freight train cruising around indulging for a penchant for Chinese food. Some of the attacks were startling and even diverted my wife’s attention from Statham’s pecs for a while. This was formulaic but extremely well done as the meg ate his way through the supporting cast. The ending was a bit contrived but did you really think he stood a chance against Statham. A lot of fun.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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

Moh Bettah

A short post today (you’re welcome) because I spent some early morning hours under the surgeon’s knife as they continue their effort to make my face look truly tragic. I had my third bout with Mohs Surgery this morning as they carved out a thankfully small spot of basal cancer cells just under my jawline. For the first time they caught it all on the first cut and didn’t require subsequent delving. I’ve got to wear this bulky bandage for the next couple days and made the mistake of letting my Favorite Panamanian back into the room to hear what my restrictions are for the next couple weeks. She is nothing if not vigilant.

My Chick Magnets look for the Next Couple Days

This was the first of the medical hoops I have to jump through over the next couple weeks and I’m happy to have it behind me and that it was so small. We got it over so fast I was able to get to the office before lunch time. I’m going to have to come up with a really good story to explain all these facial scars and I’m thinking about claiming a former life as a knife fighter would be a good start. I’m just glad it’s over, for now.

Thank God it Was a Small Spot!

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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

Panacea

A Very Happy Grandpa with the FBR and BRS

Mother Nature gave it the old college try to ruin a special day on Saturday but she failed spectacularly The expected morale boost was delivered despite what seemed to be Noah level rains. My daughter and the FBR bravely fought their way through the torrential downpours for nearly five hours to reach us for Saturday’s scheduled party. We felt guilty for asking them to make this herculean effort but I’d like to think we redeemed their effort with an extremely enjoyable party where they got to spend time with family and friends.

Friday Train Ride

This followed a Friday where the FBR took her first ever ride in a  big train with mom and dad for a fun day in New York City’s Central Park. The FBR was exceptionally impressed that she was able to add another zoo to her list. Both my daughter and Wingman were reportedly exhausted by the end of the day.

New York City!

My Favorite Panamanian was frantic as the weather report for Saturday devolved all week until there was little chance of conducting festivities out on Deckzilla. I’m firmly convinced that this a meteorological response to the shock of Soxfather’s family actually leaving their comfort zone marked by the northern border of Rhode Island. Each time they’ve come north to our house monsoons have ensued.

FBR Greeting her Great Gramma upon Arrival

Favorite Panamanian and Daughter

Three Generations of Beauty

We had spent part of the week clearing out the garage in advance of the upcoming renovation project so my wife decided we should bring Deckzilla furniture into the garage and have that area stand in for Deckzilla. It worked out perfectly as the large crowd of party attendees flowed back and forth all evening while the torrents ensued. I still had to venture out onto Deckzilla to man the grill and it seems Mother Nature had taken affront at our temerity of continuing to party in spite of her precipitationary excesses. As soon as I walked out the skies opened up even further to rain that reminded me of the tropics.

FBR Snuck up to Master Bedroom to Mes up her Abuela's
Carefully Stacked Pillow Arrangement

With her Gift from her Bis-Abuela

My shadow for the weekend, the FBR, did not like being restricted to the dry inside and repeatedly tried to sneak out to accompany me in my soggy state. I rigged the deck umbrella to cover the grill but that was made more for shade than protection against this kind of downpour. With the help of Soxfather’s brother in law we were able to shuttle the food into the house under an umbrella.

Inside Party Scenes

Everyone had bought some food and the combination of friends, family, neighbors and the Worcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia kept the luau themed party rolling. My Favorite Son, ABFA, the BRS, and the ABFA’s parents also arrived to join in the fun. Both of my granddaughters received a quilt with their name on it created by hand from their great grandmother who was meeting the BRS for the first time.

The Converted garage

Since Panamanians were involved dancing soon broke out in the house with the husband of the Neighborhood Mafioso coaxing my mother in law out onto the dance floor and then playfully ging her a full body pat down. The entire room erupted in laughter and my 85 year old mother in law took in all in stride with her trademark grace. It was a very fun party if you are catching my drift.  

Mother in Law's Special Dance Session

With Known Predator

I’ll have to tell most of the story via the accompanying photos because I was too busy accepting the infusion of morale offered by being around these most special people in my life. We were missing Wingman and my younger sister but this was a truly special gathering and came at a time I needed it for a variety of reasons. The coolest part of the weekend was having both of my kids and granddaughters stay over for the night after the party wound down.

BRS Meets her Great Grandmother

And her FBR Cousin Again

That required a little bit of bed room musical chairs with my wife bunking with her mother and my daughter daring to sleep in the same room as the early rising FBR. We concocted a plan of stacked pillows to mask her presence but this failed miserably in the face of the very inquisitive FBR. My son and his family had the master bedroom so I was consigned to the Man Cave along with Riggins. Riggins was happy for the company but I learned all it takes to bring the Man Cave to uncomfortable summer temperatures was the presence of a mouth breathing golden retriever. It was a small price to pay for spirit lifting these special people were able to bestow.

Proud Grampa

Silly Time with FBR

Sunday commenced with the early morning FBR awakening her mother behind the failed pillow ploy. My wife and I assumed duties so our daughter could sleep in some more. We were soon joined by her cousin as the BRS did not want to miss out on any of the fun. By the time everyone gathered for breakfast I had somehow narrowly avoided yet another viewing of Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer.

4 Generations

ABFA's mom with the BRS

Abuela Time for the BRS

We’ve discovered that Sunday morning is the best time to traverse the New Jersey to Massachusetts gauntlet so my daughter and the FBR sadly had to leave shortly after breakfast. I was happy to see it only took them the normal three hours to get home. We spent the rest of the morning being entertained by the BRS as she held court in the living room. She now gets up on all fours and seems ready to launch herself. I predict impending mobility which will make her parents’ lives very interesting indeed. My early morning exertions with the FBR combined with my Man Cave time overnight with Riggins meant I was operating on fumes. I made a mistake of sitting in a very comfortable chair which had predictable results which my wife was only too happy to capture for posterity.

Sunday Morning - Worth the Effort

It was in short about as perfect a weekend I could devise. My Favorite Panamanian’s party planning combined with the presence of these oh so special people meant Mother Nature really had no chance in the thwarting department. I don’t even mind Monday today because It’s given me a chance to reflect back on the special people who so thoroughly routed the best Mother Nature could throw at them. I am blessed.

BRS With her Gift

Me and my Saturday Shadow

Meeting up with that Crazy Uncle Soxfather Again 

FBR Directing me Mid-Deluge

ABFA's Dad with the Cousins

FBR Sizing up my Desert

A Little Jealousy When I Got on Floor with the BRS

Nirvana

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RECURRING CHARACTERS

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; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rdmusquetera (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 arrival of the BRS; 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