Disaster Strikes Finalizing Successful Trip

With my Wife and Mother in Law on Day 1

I am a complete dumbass. My three day sojourn in the tropics went extremely well. I was able to accomplish what I set out to do, not without some hiccups (more on that below), and saw both my wife and mother in law. What should have been a triumphant return was scarred irrevocably by the above mentioned dumbass move of leaving both my iPad and Kindle e-reader atop the payment booth at the Economy Parking Lot at Logan International Airport. Full disclosure is included below.

Meanwhile in California - Some Socializing

But for the good things first. I flew in Panama accompanied by the Maine Musquetera who is staying for a few weeks with my Favorite Panamanian. I was extolling the virtues of my wife’s timeliness when it came to airport pickups as we waited at the baggage storage area. I was therefore a little put out that for the first time ever she was not waiting for us when we emerged from customs. The Panamanians are extending their new subway system out to the airport and the accompanying traffic jams delayed her arrival. They finally showed up after 45 minutes and shortly before we were heading back into the terminal to find food.

And Shopping

The check into the hotel was seamless. I became a hero when my wife saw the upgraded suite I’d reserved for us. We immediately moved into the attached restaurant since the Maine Musquetera and I hadn’t had anything since breakfast, eight hours earlier. We ended up at the table for more than six hours as family members came and went. We finally adjourned back to our suite which had a living room where the reunion continued well into the night. I’d paid for my mother in law to fly down to Panama City with my wife because she’d been a virtual prisoner in her house for the past two years as my father in law’s health deteriorated.

Post Dinner Gathering in our Hotel Room

I think she really enjoyed getting out again and seeing long distant family members who live in the capitol, far from her home. I was a little exhausted by the end of the night but thoroughly enjoyed the laughter and sense of family we were immersed in all evening. It was an early start on Tuesday as we tackled the whole reason for the trip – diving into the Immigration Ministry’s Byzantine visa process. Our lawyer had traveled down from David overnight and met us at the teeming ministry. The lines form there at 5am and everyone gets a number that’s eventually called via a closed circuit tv system when they open for business at 8am. It looks like absolute chaos from the outside but it actually works fairly well. Once we got out number we never had to wait longer than twenty minutes which was astounding considering the size of the crowd.

And Sliding

Our lawyer thinks I have some sort of back channel connection because of how fast the process has moved for us. When we completed out application in July we were told it would probably be a year before the interview and then another six months after that before I received the 2-year card (which I was getting Tuesday). She had another client that started before me that has yet to be called for the interview I did back in Augusts. I’d like to be mysterious and claim some sort of high placed friend but I think it has more to do with the overwhelming evidence that I am in fact married to a Panamanian and have been so for more than three decades.

Panama City Skyline from the Causeway

So we were sailing through the process. I sat for the ID picture which would require some gymnastics on my part due to the inconvenient location of the camera (note to self – check out yoga class for increased range of motion). At least I can explain why I’m leaning to the right on the photo. After emerging from this seemingly final event I asked the lawyer about the stamp needed for my passport. She acknowledged I needed one and back into line we went but once again we were seen fairly quickly and all seemed set. That is until the very nice lady behind the glass, firmly in possession of my passport, said we’d need to return in three days to pick up the passport. Cue the feeling of abject horror as I told my lawyer in no uncertain terms that was impossible and that I needed the passport back. She performed some magic with the help of the lady’s supervisor explaining I had a plane ticket for the next day. My wife had to run back to the hotel to get a copy of the ticket and we waited to see if this guy could convince his boss to make an exception for me. He came out at one point and said I needed to return for urgent medical reasons, right? My lawyer immediately confirmed that was the case and we eventually received the stamped passport whilst my wife conjured up possible maladies for me if we were asked (we weren’t).

Tuesday Night Dinner on the Casueway

The serial waiting and stress of the morning combined with my prior days exhausting schedule had me on the ropes after lunch. I bagged out of accompanying the ladies as they went, wait for it, shopping! I went back to the hotel and crashed for a few hours which went a long way in restoring an energy level for the first time in a long while. I eventually reunited with the shoppers in a three car family caravan to the causeway where we had a very fun dinner with superb views of the Panama City skyline across the Bay of Panama.

My Nephew's First Girlfriend to be Introduced to Family

Back to the airport yesterday morning and difficult farewells for the all too brief reunion but I knew I had a whirlpool of work awaiting my return as my gallant subordinates kept the dragons at bay for the first few days of operating out of the new facility (as written earlier – may be the most inconveniently scheduled trip ever). The flight back went well and I was out of US customs and headed for the Economy Parking Lot in record time.

This is where my inner dumbass fully manifested itself. I charged off the bus so I could be first in line at the pay stations. I put my iPad and Kindle on top of the machine while at the same time reminding myself not to forget them when I left (based on some sorry prior history with doing this type thing). Of course I blissfully headed back to my car leaving both devices on top of the machine.

I was congratulating myself on my timely escape as I wended through the evening traffic out of Boston driving down to Rhode Island to pick up Buddy at the Soxfather/Great Aunt’s house. Buddy was very happy to see me and the resident Labrador, Remy, picked up on the excitement and joined the reunion huddle which left my groin exposed for the inevitable jump in by Bailey, the third dog in residence. It was a lot of fun (well except for the whole groin thing) and I had a fabulous dinner prepared by Great Aunt.

I drove home to Worcester and thought I should place a FaceTime call with my Favorite Panamanian. I started looking around for my iPad when it all came horribly rushing back into my consciousness. I knew exactly where I’d last seen it – when reminding myself not to do what I had obviously done – left it, along with the Kindle, back in the Economy Parking Lot. I jumped back into the car for a very hurried drive back to the airport (possibly the very last thing I wanted to do at that point). They were of course nowhere to be found when I made it back to the garage. I was directed to a nearby State Police office who didn’t have it. The duty sergeant gave me the number to lost and found for Massport. I left a message there and if I get a call back that means someone turned it in. If not, and I quote, “the item is still considered lost”. So fingers crossed but not real hopeful. I got home well after midnight and was so consumed with inner rage at my own stupidity that sleep was extremely elusive. Just what the doctor ordered for my first day back into the breach.