Travels with Grumpy (and Grumpy)

San Geraldo and I returned yesterday from New York. It was a wonderful visit with My-Mother-The-Dowager-Duchess. The Duchess is not a hoarder, but she does have her share of "stuff." The Kid Brother doesn't help, having left some of his own stuff behind temporarily when he moved out 26 years ago. Among his things was a set of plaster dwarfs (of the Snow White variety), all seven of them. That collection has dwindled down to two. Either he eventually took the other five home or they broke and were tossed (more likely). Ironically, Grumpy (Gruñon) was one that remained (click to see my recent post).  I ignored the other Dwarf — he was bashful anyway — and I adopted Grumpy. Well, I actually kidnapped him; but don't tell the Kid Brother.

Look Who's Smiling
Grumpy's frown wasn't painted on very precisely. San Geraldo, my own Gruñon, thought Grumpy was smiling and, therefore, a different Dwarf.

"That's not Grumpy. That's Smiley," he said.

I had him look more closely at the facial expression and explained to him that there wasn't actually a Dwarf named Smiley. I then touched up the frown myself.

To be honest, there was a 1991 "Snow White" movie that had only six dwarfs and, in that version, there was in fact a Smiley. But, don't tell San Geraldo; he'll think he was right. Besides, in the original Brothers Grimm story, none of the Dwarfs even had names.

FROWNING ABOUT HIS VIEW OF CONEY ISLAND FROM THE BEDROOM WINDOW.
(THE CYCLONE, WONDER WHEEL — AND RETIRED ASTROTOWER — IN BACKGROUND.)

FROWNING OVER MOCHA AND LEMON POUND CAKE AT STARBUCKS, BRIGHTON BEACH.
(THE OTHER GRUÑON BEHIND HIM READING HIS KINDLE.)

WALKING HOME FROM STARBUCKS.
(GRUMPY OPTS FOR THE "Q" TRAIN.)

ONBOARD AND IMPATIENTLY AWAITING DEPARTURE AT KENNEDY AIRPORT.

IN FLIGHT. TWO GLASSES OF WINE.
 DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE MILANOS COMPLEMENTS OF THE DOWAGER DUCHESS.
AND STILL GRUMPY. (WELL, THE WINE WAS CRAP.)

ABOUT TO DEPART MADRID FOR MÁLAGA ON THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN.
(DON'T LOOK AT ME! HIS NOSE WAS BROKEN BEFORE WE MET — SAN GERALDO'S, TOO.)

Happy Cats

By the way, the cats clearly missed us but they're fine. Our neighbor María Carmen took tender loving care of them. Moose is presiding over San Geraldo's desk and Dudo is on my lap... again. Except for jet lag, all's well in Fuengirola.