First BR3 Year Downrange

Today is a very important date as it marks the first birthday of the delightful BR3. As slow as the pandemic has made life, it seems somehow impossible that she has snuck a whole year in on us but today is the day. We will properly celebrate that event tomorrow at her how where she gets to meet a lot of her extended family for the very first time. I have it on good authority a sword named Bonecrusher will also be involved. Her abuela worked late into the night yesterday and continues today to prepare a special birthday cake. All I now is that the house has seldom smelled better, because she was also baking sugar cookies at the same time. I think I put on three pounds just breathing the air. Totally worth it.

Birthday Girl and I This Past Weekend - Good Buds  

Her Dad Though Remains the Biggest Hero

BR3 has been a revelation since her arrival. Although she is officially the family vampire as she awaits some upper teeth other than her two eye teeth to come in, she remains a devastating beauty. She has possessed a very discerning eye ever since her arrival. Whenever I am in her presence, I feel I am being coolly assessed by those deep, blue eyes. We’ve become good friends despite that assessment and our limited ability to interact over the past year. Last weekend she was asking to be held by her grandpa which caused my wife to claim BR3 is going down the same path as the FBR as far as grandpa appreciation. I am not opposed to that eventuality.

She’s going to be a strong willed young lass which she’ll need with her equally impressive big sister, the BRS. Her dad has a lot of experience in this arena and should be able to offer sage advice. As part of the gathering my daughter and the FBR are driving up tomorrow to take part in the festivities so count on me being even more than a little excited than usual that today is, in fact, the First Friday of the Week!

BRS This Past Weekend

Helping Abuela Out

Birthday Girl!!!!

I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to dampen that excitement by continuing the work outside. Yesterday I removed a section of the wall to open up a back pathway. Today I bought some grass which I’ll cut to fit the bare spot that was left. I may seek embroidery advice from my Favorite Panamanian but that course of action is fraught with unseen danger/supervision. I pried her away from cake/cookie preparation yesterday to return to the movies again. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be once I mentioned her favorite actor, Jason Statham was starring. You, see, I do have competition.

Where the Wall was Removed and the soon to be Carved Grass

Wrath of Man features a constantly scowling Statham without his usual sneaky fun personae leaking through. You gradually learned the source of the scowl which causes him to take a job as an armored car guard where he quickly demonstrates other worldly/Stathamesque  capabilities. This doesn’t have the director’s, Guy Ritchie, usual sense of whimsy as he seems to be emulating Michael Mann’s Heat. You slowly learn the backstory of the revenge quest through some fairly elaborate editing. If you’re not paying attention that could be confusing but the first third and the final act are crackling good action scenes with Statham being, well, Statham. The middle third wanders a bit but overall I really enjoyed another escape form reality thanks to Hollywood. It reminds me how much I’ve missed it over the past year.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Picturesque Dining and Walled In

I haven’t written for the last couple days because I’ve actually been called away to do all of things – work. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday driving across Massachusetts to visit New Bedford and then Brockton. Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I am allowed by the company to travel and these were the first two places to visit, along with my boss. Those two visits quickly ate up the ten hours I owe each week and actually got into next week’s allocation as well. The visits went well and it was good to get out and about. Both visits included business lunches with the clients at each location.

Son's Drive Home Sunday

In New Bedford we ate right on the harbor at a place called The Black Whale. Those of you worried about me eating at a seafood restaurant (you know who you are), they also served cheeseburgers. It offered great views of the port and brought back some memories. I’ve learned we have some serious family connections to New Bedford, my great-grandfather and great-grandmother on my mother’s side are both buried there and we visited relatives there when I was very young. During those visits I spent some time in the Whaling Museum which was right across the street from The Black Whale, so, memories.

During the Brockton visit we ate at the Easton Country Club at an incongruously named, especially for a country club, the 2 Jerks Grille. The clientele was appropriately stuffy as the surroundings which made the name of the place all that more interesting. The cheeseburger there was one of the best I’ve ever had. We were seated on the terrace overlooking the putting green and I had to bail out after a few minutes to retrieve a hat from the car as I did not want to return home with a suspicious sunburn. My Favorite Panamanian serves as my dermatologist’s greatest weapon.

2 Jerks Grille

I returned home yesterday to find I had a few hours to spend on my list of backyard repair projects. I’ve been jonesing to get out there but something has always come up, like the much more important family visits and the whole being in Panama for a month. The middle terrace on our back yard hill had developed a serious defect after four years. I blame the burrowing shrew (whom I met during my efforts yesterday) who undermined the footing. I thought I just had to remove the sagging part of the wall and relevel the base.

The Initial Incision

I was making good time until I reached the point to re-connect the repaired wall with the other side. I discovered that entire end of the wall had also sunk so I had to continue repairing the wall all the way. At one point the aforementioned shrew showed up and was totally confused by the lack of landmarks to enter his abode since I’d stacked the bricks up. He bounced off them a couple times before I could hit him with a nearby hammer and scurried back into his hole. I watched him descend through his exposed tunnels with my hammer in hand but didn’t want to chance a landslide with an attempted kill shot.

The Repaired Wall
Had to Go All the Way Around the Corner

BR3, Family Vamp

We’re gearing up for a special occasion this weekend. The BR3 turns 1 year old and she gets to meet a lot of her family for the first time ever. Being a pandemic baby, she has yet to meet her aunt, the FBR, Great Aunt, or Soxfather. Since that august adult group is now all vaccinated this will be a truly special party on Saturday. I finally found a picture that shows why we call BR3 the family vampire due to her two eye teeth coming in. The FBR was a little under the weather this week after her Pennsylvania adventure. She recovered quickly, as when I asked Wingman how she was feeling he reported that, “She was running around the backyard like a maniac”. Finally, in additional funny granddaughter news, my Favorite Son sent me the above picture from his drive home on Sunday. The BRS was having a melt down in the back seat because one of her dolls could not be properly secured with a seatbelt. The only resolution ended up having the doll secured with my son, because she could see that from the back seat., My son drove all the way home with the doll placed there which I’m sure raised some questions in the minds of passing drivers. The BRS can be a tough taskmaster.

Recovered FBR

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Normalling the New

I know. I haven’t been on Frail Deeds for several days now. You are most welcome. I have some very good reasons for my lack of productivity, all of them related to family and friends. My absence from the blog is welcome by my Favorite Panamanian. She complains that because I write here so often about what is going on with us that she has no information to share with her friends, since many of them read the blog. This is a serious issue for as dedicated a conversationist as my esteemed spouse. I didn’t stop writing because I had taken her complaints to heart though. I was just plain too busy to waste time haunting the Man Cave to type.

More Fun than Writing

We achieved a bunch of pandemic firsts since my last post. Our first trip back to the movie theater, an in person First Friday celebration, and an extended family gathering to mark Mother’s Day. Where to begin? Obviously the least important, was the return to the cinema but, if you’ve read any of this blog, you’ll know I’m an unrepentant cinephile – I love gong to the movies. That of course has been denied to most of us, those with a sense of preservation that is. The nearby theater is still closed but our old hunting grounds at Blackstone Shoppes was open for business. I was literally the kid in the candy shop walking in. My wife opined that “giddy” was not a good look for a 65-year-old, but I let this criticism waft away, carried by the overpowering and beloved smell of popcorn. We saw a very good movie, Nobody, reviewed below. It was a very different experience with assigned seating and social distancing but it was still – THE MOVIES!!!!!

First Friday!! In Person!!!

That gets us to Friday and the ritualistic recognition of the First Friday of the Week. While we’ve latched on to the very entertaining weekly First Friday FaceTime call with the family, that cannot capture the true energy and spirit of sitting around a table with friends and family. That point was driven home by the gathering of the vaccinated at our house Friday afternoon. Great Aunt, Soxfather, and Keene Friend all stopped by for a lively First Friday complete with non-stop laughter. First Fridays usually peter out around 7 but we rolled all the way to 8pm without even noticing it. It brought home how much this basic human interaction was missed. We made the obligatory soused calls to Pittsburgh College Roommate and the Cantankerous Friend which showed we are still capable of meeting standards.

BRS Immediately Helping Abuela

BR3 Wearing her Lunch

Good Buddies

Finally, I received a text message from an acquaintance who asked why I wasn’t at my assigned table at Brew City. That of course lit a flame for a return, in the hopefully not too distant future, to that hallowed ground. The messenger also made me feel really old as he reported he was retiring from the military at the end of the month after he pins lieutenant rank upon his son’s shoulder. His son is graduating from the same ROTC program that he did. As to the feeling old part, I knew the messenger as an ROTC cadet as I was his instructor. Has it really ben that long ago? Wow!

We’ve made our way to the pinnacle of my time away from Frail Deeds - Mother’s Day Weekend. My Favorite Panamanian has a shrewd understanding of how I celebrate Mother’s Day, basically meaning I cannot deny her anything. That explains how I found myself plant shopping on Saturday morning as well as searching for a replacement for her Virgin Mary garden statue (decapitated by the FBR in an unfortunate sledding incident).  Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a cement Mary and we did score a bunch of plants. Anyone who knows where I can find a cement virgin (I know, redundant), please message me.

Meeting New Friends

Why Abuela's Shoulder is Sore Today

This Turned out to be her Favorite Playground

Very Happy Abuela

This was all a prelude to the arrival Saturday afternoon by Favorite Son, the ABFA, the BRS and, of course, BR3. That launched a full house for an unremitting 36 hours and I could not have been happier. The BRS had a bunch of new stories and BR3 immediately set out to show off her increased mobility. She’s also officially the family vampire as only her two eye teeth have come in on her upper row. I kept expecting her to take her first steps, she is that close. The best part, for me, was the time I got to hang out with my son. He’s devoted to his family and his job which means I have to grab these times when they’re available. He’s truly become my best friend in adulthood. I know that will probably scare the hell out of him.

Fire Buddies

Giving Grandpa Some Tips

S'More Happy BRS

Consulting the Expert

Favorite Part of Weekend

Saturday evening saw the ignition of my beauty challenged fireplace to roast some marshmallows leading to the creation of S’mores. The BRS was my buddy in this effort and polished off a complete S’more by herself. The apple tree from whence she fell, the ABFA was right there as well, demonstrating the proper technique for the rest of the unwashed masses. There was also some time in the Man Cave where we watched a very funny animated movie where the main characters were a father and daughter with the same names as the ABFA and her dad. While it was funny in its own right, the parallels between the two fathers and daughters made it even more hilarious. The BRS slept in the official granddaughter big girl bed for the first time and loved the Elsa nightlight made famous by her elder cousin.

New Jersey Bunch on the Road

Speaking of the FBR and her parental units, they were atypically out of contact for the entire time. They had journeyed to the dark interior of Western Pennsylvania for a group weekend with two other couples and their kids. The FBR had waited with breathless anticipation, counting the down the days until the trip arrived and according to her very tired parents, reporting last night, the trip was everything and more that they hoped for.

FBR and her Crew in PA

Sunday morning was, of course, Mothers’ Day, which meant the moms in the house could not do anything except sit back and be pampered. My son and I were preparing a turkey dinner with all the fixings and that started at 630am followed by a breakfast of hojaldras. Neither my son nor I possess the appropriate light touch to make my wife’s signature breakfast but we gave it the proverbial college try. They were all eaten, so there. Shortly after noon the ABFA’s parents and Riggins showed up to join in the festivities which made the weekend complete. It’s telling that such a simple gathering can hold so much weight for the soul, but it was and did. It almost felt like pre-pandemic days when we took these occasions a lot more for granted.

Mom Day Mimosas!

Happy Grandparents

ABFA with her Parents

The dinner, if I do say so myself (which I most certainly am), was a complete success. My son and I even cleaned up after ourselves which was a definite first for this type dinner. My Favorite Panamanian was on her best behavior and didn’t complain once about the states her kitchen passed through under our stewardship (although she did keep a sharp eye on us). The work was made a little easier with the Red Sox game (and their latest win) on the nearby television during the bulk of our labors. Riggins became a huge fan of our cleanup effort, securing several random pieces of bird that flew off the counter. He became such a constant companion that we learned how the BRS and BR3 must feel at dinner time when a healthy percentage of their dinners end up on the floor.

Tower Building with BRS

BR3 Playing Peek a Boo

The problem with such fun times lies in their inevitable end. My son, despite his herculean efforts at providing an epic Mother’s Day to the ABFA and his own mom, still had an hour long drive home while corralling his two supremely energetic daughters along with a turkey sated golden retriever. It was sad to see them pull away but nothing could dim the joy their weekend presence had meant. We didn’t have to suffer in silence though as the ABFA’s parents stuck around for another hour for a very entertaining conversation. We talked about how special the weekend had been and how much we had missed our times together over the past year. We are singularly blessed in the “in law” department. Eventually they had to head home as well and the house fell back into its pre-weekend silent mode, although a house with my Favorite Panamanian in it is never really that quiet (in a very good way, I hastily add)

The ABFA is in Charge of Marshmallows for Sweet Patatoes

She Insists

We Always Stock Up

For this Reason

Table Ready

Dinner is Served

The movie Nobody proves Hollywood is still there and kicking. In some real movie magic the dumpy lawyer, Saul, from Breaking Bad, and Jim from Taxi, are transformed into lethal killing machines. Huh? The Russian mob needs to look into their cinematic selection of potential victims as they once again run into a buzz saw when they pick on the wrong guy. Bob Odenkirk wouldn’t be your first thought when you’re asked about dangerous leading men but he delivers. He’s a seemingly nebbish businessman whom life is beating to a bored pulp when those unfortunate Russian mobsters decide to liven things up. This will rightfully be compared to John Wick for a lot of reasons but Odenkirk, as Hutch Mansell, comes out of nowhere. There are some incredibly funny dark comedic moments amongst all the havoc and death as well. I wasn’t sure what to make of this after the first few minutes but you slowly and effectively see the veil slipped off his character. A truly fun return to the movies, pure Hollywood escapism at its best.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn