Move in & Creamy January

The last phase of the great garage makeover is complete. Yesterday I moved the last displaced items back into the garage and we were finally able to park the cars there last night. We’d become very spoiled having the cars inside over the years and don’t even own a windshield scraper which was needed a couple days over the past week. I know, my problems seem astronomical. I’m growing to really like the new floor although it’s taken some getting used to. I now don’t want to get it dirty at all which is problematic given the inside outside traffic it experiences daily. Somewhere my Favorite Panamanian is smiling when she hears me wanting to keep floors clean.

Move in Complete

The filial units are completing Christmas cookie baking efforts with the last batches successfully out of the oven over the past couple nights. The granddaughters are doing their part when it comes to taste testing, a time honored family tradition. A position I rightfully gerrymandered into my resume as family patriarch. Tough job, but, you know. I’m so excited about their impending arrival starting tomorrow!

FBR Doing her Part

Inspecting Results

And, of Course, the Most Important Part

The dermatologist hasn’t called me yet but I get notifications of lab results and the biopsy they took Tuesday was visible today. It is cancerous and will have to be treated. I’ve had so many of these damned things that I can now read the results and know what she’s going to tell me. The cancerous tissue reached the edge of the biopsy which means they didn’t excise the whole thing with the biopsy. This means when it heals up, I’ll have to start treating it with chemotherapy cream for a month, the last week of which is always a stone-cold bitch. So, it looks like sun screen isn’t the only cream I’ll be lathering on at the beach in January.

Three movies fell in my A-Z effort, all keepers, Dark City (infinitely weird but ultimately compelling), Dark Tower (enjoyable but short of what Roland deserved), and Dave (I’d vote for Kline)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Delved Again and Magic Return

What would a Christmas week be without the obligatory doctors’ appointments. Both my Favorite Panamanian and I have long scheduled appointments this week. Which means we’ve been bombarded with messages on every spectrum, email, to text, to land line, reminding us that where we’re supposed to be. I guess they really want you to show up. Mine was yesterday and involved the semi-annual dermatology appointment where an attractive young lady runs her hands all over my body. While I would normally relish this type of attention (official as it is) these type of appointments usually end in pain.

Such was the case yesterday. I thought I was free and clear, a true Christmas present, when she noticed something on the back that required yet another biopsy. It really isn’t that painful, just the part where they inject the local anesthetic, and then gouge out a fairly impressive hunk of skin and supporting flesh. It will keep me out of the pool for a couple days which is the only downside. I actually burst out laughing when the nurse asked me if I’d ever been through this before. I told her I considered it a win that there was only one this time. They also froze three spots on my right hand so I’m ready for the beach. I summoned up enough courage to tell the dermatologist that I would be spending the next three months on a tropical beach. I assured her that since I started hanging out with her ilk that I hit the beach fully garbed up with a swim shirt and Betelgeuse level sun block.

My wife spent the entire day yesterday down in Rhode Island hanging out with an old friend acquired form the time we lived in Rhode Island in the late 80s. That reminded me of our struggle for my wife to learn English after moving to the states. The first place we lived, Georgia, another Panamanian gal lived right next door. Our next assignment in Virginia also provided a wealth of Spanish speakers to help her, including the original three Musqueteras. I thought moving to Rhode Island, ostensibly away from the military, would finally force her to learn English. The aforementioned friend was our next-door neighbor and, you guessed, was a Spanish teacher. She and her family became fast friends with ours and we’ve maintained the friendship over these many intervening years. They’re truly special people.

The Rhode Island Friend Yesterday
Christmas Lights Gone Amuck

They recently moved into a new house and my wife went down to help wrap presents but I think more so to just spend time with her good friend. She was little nervous about depending on the GPS but I assured her it was easy. I underestimated my wife’s ability to confound GPS and her absolute lack of any kind of geographical sense of direction (she so reminds me of Great Aunt in this respect). We allow each other to track each other’s location on our phones. The most recent upgrade to the iPhone allows us actual live tracking. When I knew she was headed back, I checked in on her and saw she was on the right road and was about to put it away when I noticed her taking an exit sending her in the exact wrong direction. This led to an entertaining if somewhat nervous ten minutes as she eventually made her way back to the correct road.

With all our competing appointments this week we figured out that Monday was the only day this week my Favorite Panamanian and I could take in a movie, together. That was an important note because this week’s movie was special, Avatar: Way of Water. I was wondering if all the time and effort Cameron spent on this sequel would be worth it. It is, and then some. I should have known after the revelation that was Terminator 2 but all the many years of work were readily apparent on the screen as we returned to Pandora. On Pandora no one is ever really, seriously dead so both Sigourney Weaver and the lead bad guy return, in spades. It’s a great adventure taking place 15 years after the original with the Na'vi now faced with a determined and upgunned human invasion. Jake takes him family to supposed safety with an ocean based clan. He’s faced with fighting a guerilla war as well as teenaged offspring, learning one is much tougher than the other. The persistent message of living in harmony with their natural world is still present but not as overpowering as the first film. The technology is so seamless and impressive that you really forget this was all generated on a computer and completely suspend disbelief. A truly massive achievement.

One movie fell in my A-Z effort, a keeper, Daredevil (better than I remembered, real chemistry between Affleck and Garner, go figure)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Merry Christmas

I post the words below each year around this time for the self-stated reasons. 2022 came with its losses but this time of year furnishes so many memories of the departed loved ones that it can be rejuvenating, remembering how much they loved this time of year which is part of what makes it so special. The cookies are baked, the presents are wrapped, the turkey is thawing, and I find myself a little giddy waiting for the arrival of the rest of the clan this weekend. I hope you reading this have a special group of family and friends approaching how special mine is. If so, you can’t help but have a merry Christmas. Please also remember those in uniform serving in far off lands preserving our freedom. I was unbelievably lucky to only miss three Christmases at home during my 27 years of service but they hurt. Honor those who keep us safe.

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 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!

Two movies fell in my A-Z effort, both keepers, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (heart reding tragic love story amidst all that king fu fighting) and Dances with Wolves (one of best westerns ever made)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Wrapping Up

No, I’m not talking about proper football tackling form. The Man Cave had become the repository over the past month as Amazon (my contribution) and my Favorite Panamanian (boots on the ground shopping element) filled the office section with Christmas gifts. Since the buying phase was complete the dreaded wrapping chapter was upon us. I turned on the heat in the Cave which allowed my Favorite Panamanian to join me for the day long exercise. That meant football and the Bruins game were not available. We turned on some of those dopey Hallmark Christmas movies that infect the airwaves this time of year. My wife is in complete thrall to these and I have to admit I might have enjoyed them as well yesterday. That’s a comment on how much I love the holiday season.

Wife in the Cave Wrapping Station
The Wine Always Helps

Tree Stocking Starts

Latest Batch of Blossoms Blooming in Kitchen

By the end of the day every single present was wrapped and most ended up under the tree in anticipation of next week. Some of the bigger ones had to be strategically hidden from probing granddaughter eyes due in later this week. That was not the only Christmas related activities undertaken within the family this weekend. Both my daughter and son launched their own cookie baking efforts while my Favorite Panamanian augmented her own. The granddaughters play a critical role in this effort, playing the all-important taste testing agents. This is a vocation I also take a great deal of pride in, including braving determined countermeasures employed by my Favorite Panamanian. It warmed my heart to see the granddaughters seem particularly adept this year.

The Taste Testers - BR3

The BRS

Meanwhile in N.J. - the FBR

Son and Assistant

Blossoms Also Blooming in NH

Two movies fell in my A-Z effort, both keepers, Crocodile Dundee (still funny after all these years) and Crossing Over (simplistic immigration drama but Alice Eve, Yikes!!)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Floored

It’s been an interesting couple of days filled with adventure with the company installing the new garage floor. It all started with a fire. Relax. A fire of my own starting, in my style challenged, backyard fireplace. When I cleared out the garage in preparation for the new floor, I came across a bunch of random pieces of wood including an old end table that had been consigned to eventual conflagration. I was genuinely interested if it would burn (my pyromaniacal side emerges) since it was constructed of some sort of fake wood. In short order I had a major conflagration going and started worrying about my busy body neighbor down the hill would call the fire department on me (again). It all worked out and I was left with a great bed of coals that the overnight rain storm handled with aplomb.

FBR Helping with Christmas Cookie Prep

The installers showed up on time Friday morning and I wasn’t immediately filled with confidence. They were herd workers but it seemed like a bit of a fly by night set up. The company apparently sub-contracts the installation, a fact not shared with me ahead of time. They had some cool machines though, including one that shaved the top layer of the existing concrete floor. I’m a sucker for heavy duty machines that accomplish exotic tasks. That stage went quickly and they then filled in the small holes and cracks with a filler. The next step was the bottom layer of the new acrylic floor and I noticed at this point they weren’t paying a lot of attention to the side walls.

The Ex-Table

When I signed the contract for the work, I specifically chose to have the side walls done as well. I brought this up and they said that wasn’t put on the work order and recommended I call the company to sort it out. I did that and they blessedly answered the phone on this first call (last time that happened all day). You can probably read into that comment that I didn’t get a lot of satisfaction. They said they had to check with the production manager and would get back to me. Needless to say, the getting back to me part never happened. I called and left four separate, increasingly pointed, messages for the rest of the day. Meanwhile back in the garage, the installers had started spreading the flakes that provide the texture to the floor.

The Cool Concrete Shaving Machine

Shaved Floor with Holes Filled

They didn’t finish the last foot of the garage floor near the opening since it was still raining steadily and said that would compromise the seal. They packed up and left at this point, promising to return today to finish it up. I wasn’t filled with an abundance of confidence based on my interaction with their company throughout the day. I knew it wasn’t their fault but I let them know that I had left all these messages and please try and talk to the production manager about the side walls. It was at this point my Favorite Panamanian decided to get involved and lecture me about my failure to get the side walls done. She was mollified when I told her I hadn’t paid yet, other than a deposit, and wouldn’t until they fulfilled the contract. I (and she) was fortunate the First Friday Family Facetime call rolled around at this time to put me in a much better mood.

Spreading the Flakes

End of Friday Work

I was still pissed this morning when I received a call from the installer informing me the production manager had directed him to pick up additional material so he could do the side walls when he came. My calls apparently had some effect but it would have been better (and basic customer service) for someone to call me back on Friday to confirm that. They showed up and got back to work on that last foot of the floor and all the side walls. In fact, I had contracted only for about five inches of the walls but they covered the entire side wall, up to the height of the wall sill. I didn’t complain, figuring this was recompense for my frustrating Friday.

Final Result

The final step was a top layer of acrylic to seal the whole thing up and it looks great. It will take two days (because of the winter temperatures) before we can walk on it and four days for the cars but I’ll take it. As the guys were packing up to leave, I thanked them for putting up with my angst and gave them a healthy tip. So, the floor is done, I’m happy with how it looks, and less happy with the customer service folks at the company but, hey, it’s Christmas, so forgiveness is in the air. The final “benefit” of the new floor is the overwhelming smell of the acrylic in the house now. So we’ve got that going for us. I might have heard about that from a certain Panamanian a couple dozen times.

Four movies fell in my A-Z effort, all keepers, Creed (the franchise that just won’t die – new life with Michael B. Jordan), Creed 2 (interesting linkage back to original trilogy), Criminal (love this movie with Costner playing against type), and Crimson Pirate (1950s silliness but this was my favorite movie as a kid so it stays, hasn’t aged well)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Dangerous Locations and Evacuations

I made a dangerous decision on Tuesday that went against all of my personal edicts. I went shopping with my Favorite Panamanian. I know. Perilous territory. In the truly “what was I thinking” arena, I ended up in a New Hampshire shoe store with her. Shoe stores are literally her favorite hunting ground which I have always avoided like the proverbial plague. I knew although our stated target was a pair of shoes for a Christmas gift that I was in for the long haul. What the heck though, it's Christmas time and I was promised a continuation of the trip on to Keene and a reunion with friends there. We quickly found the targeted shoes but my wife had a semi-glassy stare in her eyes as she took in the wide array of shoes for sale. To her credit it was only another hour before we left with an additional Christmas gift for that Panamanian I’m married to.

Favorite Panamanian in Heaven

It was a day of startling firsts. Not only did I accompany my wife to a shoe store (gasping again at the memory) but she also hunted down a restaurant via her phone while we were enroute. Now my kids are gasping but yes, it did happen. She tracked down a place for us to stop for lunch on our way to Keene. I was more thana little impressed, as was she. It was a fun excursion, even with the shoe store, as we got to hang out with each other instead of dealing with the distractions life at home usually provides (my Favorite Panamanian and the international phone system – I’m looking at you).

Great Friends at the 'Nuche

We descended on Keene to find Keene Friend and the Cantankerous Friend awaiting our arrival. The three of us ambled down the street to Penuche’s while my wife made a be line for additional tax-free shipping opportunities. The three of us set up shop in an almost deserted Penuche’s and promptly solved all of the Red Sox’ many off season dilemmas. Now to only get that information to Boston. I put out a couple of feelers and we were joined for a great interlude by the Kindergarten Friend and the CRC. As I’ve stated numerous times before, there is something truly medicinal about spending time with old friends.

Unfortunately Shaped Trench Saved me from Spilled Beer (not mine)

The CRC Also Showed Up

Of course, life has a way of making you pay for the good times and yesterday the bill for Tuesday came due. Since we’re having a new floor put in the garage tomorrow, I had to clear out the garage and store everything on Deckzilla. That was nowhere near as much fun as it sounds, especially with a brisk wind and temperatures in the 20s. I found some plastic wrap from one of our earlier moves and used that to wrap up my tool chest and a couple of other vulnerable items because, of course, it’s supposed to rain heavily tomorrow. By the end of the day, I was frozen but everything was outside. Deckzilla must be a little miffed as it now looks like a scene from the Beverly Hillbillies (older people will recognize the reference).

Tool Chest Wrapped Up

Before Picture

Deckzilla Indignity

After Picture

I finally got to see a movie I missed at the theaters with the Banshees of Inisherin. It was worth the wait. I realized for the first time watching this what a talented actor Farrell is. I’d never given him enough credit (probably because of Alexander the Great) but he is both hilarious and tragic as the monumentally dim co-lead. He is one of two lifelong friends on a remote Irish island in the 1920s when one of the two decides to abruptly end the friendship. What follows is a sometimes grotesque journey as the two friends and the island’s population deal with the fallout. The film reunites Farrell with Gleason and they pick up on the chemistry as if they’d never left Bruges.  Beautifully shot, the Irish countryside has a full-fledged role in the story. I loved this movie.

Two movies fell in my A-Z effort, both keepers, Crash (Academy Award best picture, story really stays with you) and Creator (love this movie with Peter O’Toole as brilliant and mad professor facilitating love)

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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

Weekend Adventures

For the past few years, I’ve taken to Frail Deeds around this time to comment on how many Christmas parties I end up attending. While not exactly complaining, there were a lot. This year, not so much. I miss them. We didn’t host our own party this year and since I am no longer gainfully employed, those all went away as well. Luckily the local Latina Mafia came to the rescue over the weekend and had us over to their house for a Christmas party. The only one we’re going to/been invited to, this year. As my Favorite Panamanian and I refuse to do anything simple we also scheduled a trip up to NH to see my Favorite Son and his family and return last night at the height to the first winter storm of the season.

Chaos Incarnate

The party was a lot of fun. It took place at a house near where we used to live in Charlton and where we usually spend the 4^th of July. It was surreal being there in the winter and seeing no leaves on the abundant trees and pool, which usually serves as the focal point for summer parties, all closed down. The key element though, the people, were there as well as a veritable treasure trove of Christmas cookies (I did say fun, right?). Since I was on my best behavior, having to drive to NH later, I only had one beer. I think that shocked my host who usually takes it as a point of honor to keep me well lubricated.

The Party Hosts at Far End of Table

Wife with a Full Plate

It was one of those raw winter days where you can almost smell the approaching snow which made the gathering of friends in a warm house surrounded by the aforementioned holiday confections all the more pleasant. We missed out of seeing our Czech friends who were supposed to be there but admitted hey were operating on a “Panamanian timetable” which meant they were so late arriving that we had already left. In a major surprise to certain people married to my Favorite Panamanian, we actually left at the planned time, despite the fifteen minutes (her not me, needless to say) required to say goodbye to literally everyone.

BRS Prepping of Holiday Baking

BR3 Immersed in the Ball Tent

The drive north to NH went well. We wanted to visit because we hadn’t seen BR3 in more than a month since she decided to blow off Thanksgiving by getting sick. The entire family realizes her potency when it comes to passing on afflictions so she stayed home and we missed her. I say the ride was interesting because of the gasoline situation. The GPS said we had 87 miles to go and the car said I had enough fuel to drive 120 miles so I thought I was good. I proudly informed my Favorite Panamanian of the same during her predictable concerns when the gas gauge reads below three quarters full.

One of the Many BRS Costume Changes

ABFA and her Ladies

My theory started to evaporate along with my margin of error as we made our way north. I will admit some speed limits may have been exceeded (alright they were damn well shattered). At any rate I saw the two estimates of miles of travel remaining and gas to drive them grow inexorably closer as we approach the NH border. When they were within ten miles of each other my concern was reflected in the rather sedate (and gas efficient) speed I was now traveling. My wife had the good grace not gloat (too much). They finally converged as we pulled off the highway. I was left wondering if we would have run out of gas before getting to our destination. I have no problem not knowing the answer to that.

BRS and Abuela on House Duty

BR3's Turn

We were very excited to pull into the driveway and be greeted by the BRS and BR3. I swear you could tell the difference in size from the last time we saw BR3 in person. Her ability to carry on an actual conversation had also blossomed. She is even more formidable than before. Scary thought. Our schedules had worked out well since the ladies were busy all morning with ballet and other assorted activities. The BRS immediately wanted to launch into a game of “Monster”. I’ll leave it to your imagination who was cast in the title role.

BR3 Correcting Abuela's Placement of Candy

We tried to catch up with the ABFA and my son as the ladies swirled around as only dedicated agents of chaos (all my granddaughters qualify) can. I’m so pleased that walking into either my son’s or daughter’s houses feel like a little bit of home. Another of life’s blessings that would easy to overlook. Riggins, the family dog, has perfected the “I’m a so long-suffering victim” look and had his best pathetic visage prepared for us. It has to be tough going from being the number one attraction (prior to the girls’ arrivals) to a distant third. In an interesting development, the BRS is now treating Riggins with very grown up petting sessions which will endear her to him even more.

Favorite Son with his Ladies

We suffered through some nonstop Blippi watching (BR3 requirement) before the Monster game really took off. I’m a little embarrassed to admit those two had me winded in very short order. It’s what granddaughters do.  The girls let us sleep in until almost seven am on Sunday when my Favorite Panamanian was roused to create her signature hojaldras for two of her biggest fans. My son and I took a quick trip to the local Best Buy to procure an item for a Panamanian uncle. I always feel better buying technology with one of my kids along to advise, for the all too obvious reasons. The ABFA had a planned girls’ day out with some of her friends so the granddaughters had us outnumbered two of them to only three adults for the rest of Sunday.

Rare Quiet Time for These Two

My Favorite Panamanian took one for the team when football time rolled around as she engaged the granddaughters in Gingerbread House construction and decorating. Almost as much candy went onto the house as into their mouths. BR3 claimed ahead of time she wanted to watch football with us to “see what what’s going to happen”. I guess she lost that craving somewhere along the way. I truly enjoyed watching the Red Zone with my son as we followed the fortunes of his fantasy team up and down. We were also called upon to make referee calls of our own as two very energetic young ladies vied for attention. A great afternoon.

The Way Our Son Found Us

Problematically, afternoons always lead into evenings which meant out short visit was coming to an end as we were planning on leaving as soon as the granddaughters hit the rack. It was fun watching the practiced routines of my son preparing these two high energy clients for bedtime. The ladies have taken a page out their aunt’s (my daughter’s) playbook by becoming very quiet and non-intrusive when they realize the appointed hour is approaching. As my son was putting BR3 to bed, the BRS climbed into my lap and held hands with my wife. When my son came down a few minutes later, he found the BRS sound asleep in that position with neither grandparent wanting to move and break the magic.

Deckzilla This Morning, Had to Shovel Lower Part 
Since I have to move Contents of Garage There Later this Week

We’d been monitoring the weather all day long as that storm was predicted to roll in Sunday night. Being a weather person in New England has to be tough so we always take their predictions with a grain of the white stuff. Speaking of white stuff, Worcester was supposed to only get a coating from this storm. We headed into the night and soon found ourselves encapsulated in fairly vigorous snow storm where there wasn’t supposed to be one. Our timing turned out to be good as the earlier part of the storm had resulted in a bunch of accidents which had been cleared by the time we hit the interstates which were in good shape. It was still an intense drive home, especially when we got to Worcester and found that predicted coat was pretty thick. We ended up with over three inches which meant the drive up our hill was an adventure. Thank God for 4-wheel drive.

FBR and Wingman at the Diner

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the FBR had her own adventures. She was signed up for both a flu and Covid booster shot on Saturday. I’m sure, based on her reaction to that news, that she wasn’t involved in the decision matrix leading to that event. She was smart enough though to parlay her acquiescence into a trip to a diner boasting the best pancakes in the world. The FBR proclaimed the title was earned after downing a stack that featured pancakes with M&Ms inside. The girl knows how to negotiate.

Three movies fell in my A-Z effort, all keepers, Copshop (Great set piece action, Alexis Louder shines), Crank (Unkillable Chev Chelios debuts), and Crank 2 High Voltage (taking absurdity of first movie and ramping it up).

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

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