2026 was a year that was literally a puzzle (read on).  What should have been a routine gathering of the Father Jewels elite was upended suddenly when brother Marty notified on the Tuesday (Feb 24th) of arrival to the brethren that his presence would not be felt.  A family obligation had interfered.  With provisions already procured, Dana and Frank vowed to carry on despite this setback.  So with one less Corona to raise for a toast, the festivities kicked off with the Father Jewels traditional steak and potato dinner.  To accommodate the missing seat at the table, the typical NY Strip cut was replaced with a Porterhouse.  It proved to be the right call as Palmeri cooked the steak to perfection.  As usual, the Charles Krug Cab was a great compliment.  After dinner and with a glass of Scooootch in hand, an emergency meeting of the disciplinary committee was convened to address the absence of brother Solomon. Based on the by-laws that clearly state that only death and hospitalization are the only two acceptable excuses, it was quickly decided that the following penalties would be issued:  Dishwashing duties for 2 years.  Beer fetching for 3 years.  Limitation of the SMC restroom facilities to the Junior John for 1 year. And finally Blue Room and parking privileges suspended (in consultation with the FJPA - FJ's Parking Authority) for 5 years. In addition, until rehabilitation is complete, the pink ball rule shall remain in effect.  After a restful slumber, the boys headed to the slopes for the first day of skiing.  The weather was cooperative with light snow falling giving the boys a soft coating of snow packed trails to traverse.  After a traditional lunch at the club including some Bloody's the boys headed home to wash up and start night two festivities.  But instead of the traditional shuffle board and billiards, activity switched to the dining table where a thousand piece jigsaw puzzle lay in desperate need of completion.  Despite a marathon session that lasted until midnight, the task remained 40% unfinished.   There was no rest for the weary as the boys convened for breakfast at 7:30.  A quick meal of scrambled eggs and Taylor ham (no relation) was followed by an early exit out the door and to the slopes where the conditions were perfect.  Upper 20's, a mix of sun and clouds and properly groomed slopes with a thin coating of powder made for a ski day for the ages.  And as the ski bums returned home to get ready for their evening trip back home, the only missing piece from 2026 was the beer growler that lay quietly untouched in Newton, MA.

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