Partied – Going Away

The PanaGals rested from shopping yesterday.  I think this had more to do with the reality of suitcase capacity then any desire to stop.  They’ve started the packing process which really should be classified as a spectator sport as they confront the need to get all of their recent purchases into the two suitcases they each brought and still make airline weight limits. 

Turkeys Prepped

While they started to meet that challenge we geared up for a going away party for them in the late afternoon.  I was charged with preparing the two turkeys I ran to ground on Friday.  This was a lot of fun since a couple of the PanaGals were looking over my shoulder so they can bring the technology back to Panama.  My wife had sixteen other things she planned on cooking at the same time until I enforced eminent domain on the oven if the turkeys would be ready for the party.  She’s not one easily thwarted and I was shortly carrying two platters of potatoes over to the neighbor’s house where she’d arranged their cooking.

Turkeys Finished

The turkeys finished barely in time and the two PanaGals took up station to watch the carving.  They were aghast when I started throwing away bones that had even a shred of meat hanging on it.  They seized control of one of the carcasses before I could toss it.  They attacked it with forks for a few minutes and then prepared a plate for Buddy before allowing me to dispose of it.  Buddy was suitably thrilled.  He looked at me to ask why I didn’t do this routinely.  We even fielded a call from my son on his Hawaiian honeymoon.  He reported a great time as they entered their second week in paradise.  He did say it was unfortunate timing with Discovery Channel’s shark week; they were staying in the shallow water for the rest of the trip.

PanaGals Attacking the Carcass

My excellent boss and his wife showed up fifteen minutes after the party was supposed to begin and found me alone in the kitchen.  They asked if they had the wrong day but I assured them we were dealing with a “Latina” sense of timeliness.  Over the next hour all of our neighbors, a contingent of the Worcester Panamanian Mafia, and the BFA’s parents all showed up and the party was on.  It was a gorgeous day and there was a contingent of kids as well who took over the back yard.   

Sister and Brother in Law with BFA's Dad

My sister and brother in law arrived and Buddy attached himself firmly to my sister’s hip.  He correctly identified her as the easiest mark for treats snuck off the food table.  She explained that since she couldn’t eat everything due to her dietary restrictions it was only appropriate that she take her fair share of the food and do with it what she wanted, which was to feed Buddy.  Buddy nodded sagely at this legal opinion.

My Wife and PanaGals In the Middle of the Party

If it’s even possible, this party was too much fun as this eclectic group melded into non-stop conversation and laughter.  The table was overflowing with food.  The PanaGals charmed everyone and time started doing that velocity increase whenever too much enjoyment is going downrange.  The best time of the night was when I sat around the table with my sister, brother in law and the BFA’s parents for long while.  We were still basking in the afterglow of last week’s wedding.  My sister made an impassioned plea to get the BFA’s parents to join Facebook.  The clincher may have been when we informed them of the birth of one of the BFA’s bridesmaid’s first child which they didn’t know about.

Beautiful Day

The mosquitos invariably drove everyone back inside and Keene Friend 2 showed up.  His girlfriend had the first printed photos from the wedding which became an immediate hit.  My brother in law tried to tie dye my wife’s favorite table cloth with some misplaced merlot but she had it in the washing machine and replaced without breaking stride.  She can be semi-amazing dung a party.

Wearing my New Favorite T-Shirt with the BFA's Parents

Since this was a going away party there was a little bit of sadness as we neared the later hours.  The PanaGals came up with their standard response and dancing started up in the family room.  Even the gringos were drawn into the dancing and my brother in law made up for his inappropriate merlot with another demonstration of his prowess at rug cutting.

Wedding Photos on the New Table Cloth

Since most people had a long way to drive or children to put to bed the party eventually petered out around 11pm.  It was a fitting send off for the PanaGals who invited every single partier to visit Panama.  It was kind of cool to capture a shadow of that feeling of camaraderie experienced a week ago up in Nashua.

Dancing into the Night