A Hero Walked

There was one area I thought the tweeterer in chief was actually competent and that was in his choice of General Mattis as his Secretary of Defense. The Trumpster seemed to let Mattis run the defense department as it should be and the assertive military actions of the first two years of the administration seemed to bear that out. Afghanistan stabilized as much as it ever seems and ISIS was dealt a nearly mortal blow after the hesitancy that created and then embellished those idiots during the Obama years. Then yesterday rolls around and Mattis is leaving as it seems the egomaniacal resident at 1600 can’t stomach having anyone in his administration receive any kind of accolades other than himself.

The real hero in this situation is, predictably, Mattis. The senior military leadership of the Vietnam era has always been taken to task, within military circles, for not resigning in protest for the politicians’ directions in waging that conflict. Trump’s decision to pull out prematurely from Syria or at least to loudly proclaim it in typical bombastic fashion was apparently the proverbial last straw and Mattis did what those earlier generals failed to do – he walked. He did it in a fashion that no one misunderstood the reason he was doing it. It’s so rare to see someone with real, tangible power be willing to give it up based on principle. We’re all the poorer for this and Trump’s ego will cost American lives as adversaries will now just wait for the artificial deadline he’s imposed. I can only hope Mattis considers a run for president in a couple years – he’s got my vote.

BRS Enjoying Tunnel at Day Care

She Didn't want to Leave
So a Staff Member was sent in to Coax her Out

On the decidedly more mundane and enjoyable level, Christmas is bearing down on us with a delightful inevitability. My daughter and the FBR are one day out and by Christmas Eve we’ll have all progeny and their families under the roof (which Deckzilla Dude finally polished off yesterday). The Christmas turkey is thawing in the refrigerator and we had a marathon gift wrapping session in the Man Cave last night while watching Venom (even funnier the second time watching it).

ABFA and the BRS

Before that we had a charming shopping session in two nearby Home Depots as my Favorite Panamanian and I chose the window blinds for the new addition. You’ll notice how I diplomatically said “we” chose. We all know where that decision authority rests. If all goes as it should we will be moving our bed into the new addition tonight or tomorrow morning.

We caught up with the FBR at Wingman’s new restaurant last evening where they were joined by Wingman’s dad. As soon as the FBR heard we were on video she demanded the opportunity to demonstrate her latest dance moves (seen above in a short video). That made a certain Panamanian abuela exceedingly happy. The BRS was similarly disposed when we caught up with them as the BRS was eating. She and her abuela were soon sharing laughing fits together as they seem to be developing their own special mode of communication.

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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

Christmas Spirit

I post the words below each year around this time on Frail Deeds for the self-stated reasons. I’m more than a little excited about next week’s gathering of the clan at the house to celebrate Christmas. This year we’ll have two granddaughters in attendance and the FBR is at that perfect age where the wonder of Christmas is just dawning on her. We can still use Santa’s naughty list to encourage her on the last bite of dinner vegetables. I hope each and every one of you can spend time with those you hold most dear. That’s my plan.

These Two Will be There

I am an unabashed and unrepentant lover of Christmas time, in all of its glorious corniness.  I love Christmas carols, Christmas parties, but most of all Christmas Day. I can remember Christmas as far back as the age of 3.  I still remember one special year in my early teens when I was overcome with Christmas spirit, feeling so good about the season and just general happiness that I wondered at myself. This feeling lasted until well after Christmas and no, to all you cynics out there, the feelings were not chemically assisted.  Every year since then has been an attempt to recapture that feeling. Most years I get it in bits and pieces, mostly associated with time I spend with my family and friends. I served 27 years in the Army and made it home every year for Christmas except for three years.

My wife and “kids” smile behind me, good naturedly, because they know how important Christmas is to me. I know there are those raging elements or hipsters out there that bemoan what modern Christmas has evolved to. Some say it overly commercialized or others not properly religious. It seems there are always those elements in society – “Grinchs” for lack of a better term. These seem to be people so unhappy with their own lives that they target times or traditions that bring happiness to others for scorn.

I could not care less about these self-important gas bags.  There is nothing in life more enjoyable than being around people you love and actually taking some time out of the all too busy lives we all lead to simply be together. So to all of you out there that bad mouth Christmas – get a life; the rest of us already have one and we’re going to have the merriest Christmas of all in spite of you or more correctly in homage to the love we are blessed with of each other.  Merry Christmas!

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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

Absentia

At the Tavern with This Great Group

I know. I’ve been away for a while but I consider that an excellent indicator that life, in all its panoply, has been exceedingly busy and diverting. Five days is the longest I’ve been away from Frail Deeds since I started this maddingly addictive activity seven years ago (really? – 7!!!).  A wealth of distractions arose to prevent me from writing either because I was having too much fun, too busy, or too exhausted. There’s way too much to cover so the accompanying photos will have to suffice for some of it.

Favorite Son and the BRS 

Small and in Charge

Happy Abuela

For the fun part, there was an excursion up to New Hampshire to celebrate the ABFA’s equally excellent father’s birthday. In addition to the guest of honor there was the august presence of the BRS herself in all her smiling glory. With four grandparents in attendance there was a real competition for holding time with my Favorite Panamanian being the most ardent of competitors. The BRS herself was much more interested in gaining access to the floor so she could continue the explorations that make sense only to ten month olds.

BRS Finally made it to the Floor

But Soon had Company

Birthday Boy

Wielding Bonecrusher

We gathered at a Londonderry, NH tavern completely decked out for the holidays to include a guest with an electronic Christmas suit. I hadn’t spent any time in Londonderry since I was twelve years old at Camp Carpenter (wonder if that place is still around). It was a fantastic time at the tavern and I got some extended time with the BRS conducting an inspection tour of all the decorations.

Meanwhile in New Jersey These Two Young Ladies WereOut

Daughter (center Front) Had a Karaoke Night with a Few Friends

We adjourned to the ABFA’s parents’ house for post dinner birthday cake and I also conducted an extended and through reconnaissance of my Favorite Son’s Christmas cookie production. His grandmother would be exceedingly proud of his efforts which trace back through my wife to her. Bonecrusher was deployed for the ritual cake severing before we had to painfully leave for a return home.

FBR Cookie Production

The busy and exhausting part kind of goes hand in hand. I’ve been painting up a storm lately in the new addition. I painted the entrance hallway, the three new doors (complete pain in the ass there), as well as the rest of the trim. The only thing left to paint are the bathroom walls which have been tough to get to with all the work that’s been going on in there (hopefully that goes down tonight).

Son and ABFA Tree Hunt

FBR Was Supposed to be Napping
Instead she Decided to try out her Teacher's Lipstick

I also took yesterday off from work to assist Deckzilla Dude in the creation of my wife’s dream closet. My part, in addition to writing checks, was carrying everything upstairs and then lifting whatever needed to be lifted while the Dude handled the technical aspects requiring any real skill (so each to his strengths). By the end of an exhausting day we had eighty percent completion and against all odds a seal of approval from my Favorite Panamanian.

New Closet Construction

We are really staggering to the finish line as, ready or not, we will move our bed into the new room on Friday night. The bathroom might not be fully operational for a while but everything else should be in place. Now to get to the geek squad for the installation of the new TV. My wife is more concerned about more mundane things such as window blinds (go figure). As exciting as this process has been it is nothing compared to my impending joy at having the entire immediate clan under the roof for Christmas - best gift ever.

My wife “dragged” me to the movies fro date night and we saw The Favourite which my wife hated. There is no denying the talent on screen as three dynamic actresses vie for supremacy despite one being the queen of England with that inherent advantage. It was hard to root for anybody and maybe that was the point as the idiocy of British class system was laid bare for parody and ridicule (not a bad target there). Nicholas Hoult is singularly hilarious as a 17^th century political fop and seems to be the only male capable of keeping up with the dynamic troika of actresses. Rachel Weitz plays a British noblewoman, confidant to Queen Anne of the early 18^th century. An ambitious cousin, Emma Stone, seeks employment is soon trying to supplant her cousin in the Queen’s court. I enjoyed the film but it couldn’t seem to figure out where it was going and the whole point seemed to be how ridiculous everyone was – kind of a pessimistic outlook. The scary part is that after some investigation the entire sequence of events seemed pretty loyal to the actual events surrounding the latter reign of Queen Anne. God help us all.

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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

Long Days

FBR at the Beginning of her Very Long Day

Apparently “long” days were in vogue yesterday. My Favorite Panamanian continued her Christmas cookie baking while I was back behind a paint brush. This was expected. Totally unexpected was our video conversation with the FBR. She was eating dinner when I asked her how her day went and she replied with a dramatic sigh and said “long”. She obviously picked this up from listening to adult conversations but my stunned daughter came over from the kitchen after hearing this. We both had a very good laugh as the FBR explained why her day was so long with an appropriate level of gravitas. Hilarious.

She is a Very Busy Young Lady

My Favorite Son has fought his way through his bout with the stomach flu but the ABFA picked up the baton from him and is not in the middle of her own fight with it. The BRS was blithely unaware of the infirmities of her parental units as she motored around the living room with my son in trail. She finds every opportunity to grab something and pull herself to her feet. Christmas is going to be so much fun this year with these two running around.

The Wife's Stockpile

My wife finished the cookie baking around midnight last night. She has a veritable cache of the sweet stuff. I was called upon to sample each type as they came out and I manfully stepped up to the task. It’s funny how many memories are tied to the taste of certain things. I spent the evening up in the new addition where I painted the ceiling and walls of the new hallway as well as the soon to be installed baseboards. I felt absolutely productive except for the whole back pain that seems to accompany all physical labor nowadays. The bathroom vanity counter will be installed today and the Dude is up on the roof finishing the outside work (finally). I’m taking a day off from work next week to help construct the massive new closet and we are closing on the finish line.

My Project Last Night - Freshly Painted Ceiling and Walls

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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

Tragedy, Tunnel Light and Fast Labs

Chris Roy, Hero

It’s been a sad week in Worcester as yet another firefighter lost his life this past weekend. It’s also sad that we don’t know these heroes well enough until tragedy strikes. We all know the inner workings of some of the most nonsensical people in the world through celebrity media but a guy like this and his brother/sister fire fighters are actually doing something vitally important each day without an infinitesimal fraction of the recognition. Please take a moment today to remember Christopher Roy, a single father devoted to his young daughter. He and his fellow firefighters ran towards danger instead of away to protect us and he was called upon to make the ultimate sacrifice. Honor him.

Wife Last Night Protecting her Brood

Deckzilla Dude finally finished his tiling extravaganza in the new bathroom so I was able to coordinate the shower glass contractor for what should be the final large muscle movement of the renovation project. I don’t think the Dude is going to make his promised October 2017 completion date. The glass guy will be in on Monday to measure the needed enclosure and said it would be five weeks before installation so we’re talking late January for that faintly beckoning light at the end of our construction tunnel. The best news is we’ll still be able to move in well before Christmas which is when we’ll need the expanded bed spaces.

This is a Target Rich Environment

I was applying primer paint to the new upstairs hallway last night because I despaired of waiting for my Favorite Panamanian to accomplish this. Despair is the wrong word because I wholly endorse her chosen method of avoidance. She’s making her annual batch of Christmas cookies – so – God’s work. This is a strong link back to my youth as she prepares the same cookies that my mother used to make. This was one of the few bonds these two ladies ever made and I remember the good times with my mother whenever I see a peanut butter blossom or spritz cookie. Granted, they taste so good which usually impacts directly on the lifespan of said confectionaries. She was up late at night baking because she was distracted during the afternoon reconnecting with a high school friend she hadn’t seen in decades. They were video chatting for a couple hours catching up on lost time.

My Wife (center) and her Friend (left)

I was out on Deckzilla earlier this week and saw the international space station speed by. I heard on the news it was scheduled for a fly by and happened to glance up at the right time.  Finally the dermatology lab was working faster than anticipated as my dermatologist called yesterday with the results of Tuesday’s biopsies. All three turned out to be cancerous (basal – so that’s good) One was completely excised by the biopsy and another can be treated with chemotherapy cream. The final one however will require another session of Mohs Surgery and of course it was the one on my face. I’m going to look like an incompetent knife fighter by adding another scar to this already challenged visage. At least the surgery will be after my vacation to Panama although I’ll be a little embarrassed to show up in that office with a tan in late February.

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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

Holiday Delving

FBR Watching Moana with Moana
Note the Unicorn Slippers - My Fashion Explosion of a Granddaughter

I thought I had a follow up dermatology appointment yesterday even though I hadn’t received the usual media blitz from the doctor’s office reminding me ahead of time. The confused look I received from the reception desk clerk confirmed something was amiss. They quickly determined they had made my six month follow up appointment on December 11, 2019 instead of yesterday. That part turned out okay as the dermatologist squeezed me in but who checks the year when they hand you the print out of your next appointment?

Latest Facial Excavation

I expected to breeze through the appointment since the last one had resulted in some needed Mohs surgery and I figured I was good to go for at least a couple years. Sadly that was not the case as the experience of having a fairly attractive strange lady run her hands all over my body was tempered by the need to take biopsies from three different locations, one on my face and two on my back. My Christmas wish is they all come back negative and there will be no need for further Mohs surgery.

My Pterodactyl Screamer 

My Favorite Panamanian asked me if I’d told the dermatologist that I was planning on retiring to one of the sunniest places on earth in a little while. I’ll probably have to invest in some sort of burqa to keep these two ladies happy. Even my wife admits this isn’t a result of my current sun screen practices which range into Betelgeuse makeup levels but more a reflection of being a serious gringo and being sent to a lot of very sunny places during my misspent youth in the military.

BRS and ABFA with her Namesake Great Grandmother Recently

The FBR immediately noticed the bandage on my face despite being in the middle of intense negotiations with her mother on the consumption of broccoli. The FBR caved with the promise of post-broccoli ice cream. The BRS was sound asleep after returning home with the ABFA from day care. My Favorite Son is fighting off a stomach flu that’s kept him out of work for a couple days. He reports that the power eating squawk the BRS emits during meals is now commonplace. He calls it her “pterodactyl scream” as she proclaims her dominance over her food and is happy with the taste.

Date night last night so the wife and I were at the cinema to see Green Book. This is not your typical road trip/buddy movie. Viggo Mortensen plays a stereotypical Bronx Italian tough employed to drive an African American classical pianist, Mahershali Ali, through the Deep South in the early 1960s. They run into the oppressive Jim Crow restrictions as the two diametrically opposed personalities grow into friendship. I was a little stunned to see Aragorn play a convincing overweight Yankees fan but that’s a tribute to the actor involved. Both of the leads are on the top of their game and there’s a lot of heart on display. Since this involves race issues I’m sure there’ll be detractors but this simple story elegantly lays out at least some of the despotic environment the South was in the not too distant past. Racism rarely survives for anyone with a modicum of intelligence by shining a light on it and this movie does that. It’s not perfect but weaves humor and heart into a very entertaining story that delivers an important message without preaching.

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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 involved in 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 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; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; 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