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| Back with My Favorite Panamanian |
Okay – so I woke up to this view (see
below) this morning which made the charging around the last couple days more
than worth it. Keene Friend gave me a lift into the airport on Tuesday morning
just ahead of the Patriots’ Championship Parade celebration (that last bit was
for the Steelers fans). This was the first trip I had scheduled flying first
class by cashing in accumulated miles and it has everything to recommend it. I
felt guilty dozing off because that meant I wasn’t taking full advantage of the rare luxury
if I was sleeping.
The only glitch was the connecting
flight into David where the pilot did one of the old touch and goes. I thought
we were going kind of fast and I glanced out the window to see the terminal passing
by with no touch down yet which meant we were more than half way out of runway.
Clenching of certain body parts was followed closely by the pilot gunning the
engines to do a go around and the second landing was a little rough but safe.
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| A Little Goofy at El Fogon |
It turns out the delay was needed because
my bags were the first off the baggage claim wheel and I walked out into the
terminal to a find a breathless Favorite Panamanian. She had literally just
walked in the door after trying to accomplish too many errands before driving
to the airport, Crisis time management is just her style. It was so good to see
her and she proudly showed me our (really her) new car. This will save us thousands
we used to spend on rental cars as we used the money we received for selling
our land last year to acquire it. She might even let me drive it one of these
days.
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| Alright Dear, I'll Settle Down for a Serious Picture |
There was a whirlwind trip back to my mother
in law’s house where we acquired the requisite family members and headed to my favorite
David hangout – El Fogon. Our favorite waiter treated me like a returning
family member and we settled in for a truly fun evening joined by my brother in
law and his very fun spouse. Traveling though is nothing if not exhausting even
though I did nothing but sit on my butt for most of the day.
Unfortunately the
dogs of the neighbors decided Tuesday night was their scheduled night for continuous
barking. They put a serious dent in my love of the canine species.
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| Our Table at El Fogon |
We were up early since we were
commuting to Panama City for the day. We caught an early morning flight back to
the capitol because after everything was approved with my residency status I
still had to get a “cedula” which is the ID card all Panamanians have to get
and is the basis of just about everything. My wife’s uncle picked us up at the old
Albrook AFB airfield and dropped us off at the Tribunal Electoral. This is a
newly built, very impressive, huge structure right next to Ancon Hill smack dab
in the middle of what used to be the Canal Zone.
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| The Tribunal |
As with many of the Panamanian built
structures I’m sure there was a message being sent that this is their land, now
and forever. Can’t say as I don’t blame them. It was somewhat fitting that the
process of this residency status really started 37 years ago when I married in
a civil ceremony (that my wife didn’t recognize until we got to a church) just
a block from this new building. We were sent to the Foreigner ID card section
which after a few more bouts with the bureaucracy I sat down for the photo and
fingerprinting. It will now be two weeks before it’s sent up to David where my
wife will have to retrieve but it is finally done.
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| The Immense Ball Pit |
We spent a fun afternoon afterwards
with my wife’s uncle and his girlfriend. They took us back to the Alta Plaza
mall for lunch. This is where I saw the 4D movie during my last visit. I had
the best burger I’ve ever had in Panama (not a steep climb but it was good). I
spent the rest of the time monitoring my wife as she sought out the well-hidden
bargains. She’s become adept at drawing the “gift of a granddaughter card”
whenever she has to convince me of the importance of a purchase. The center of the
mall boasted an immense ball pit surrounding a large climbing tower. I imagined
the FBR relishing the opportunity it offered every time I looked at it.
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| FBR is Goggle Ready |
We returned to Albrook to catch our
late afternoon flight back to David. We were both exhausted thanks to the neighbor’s
dogs and slept most of the 40 minute flight. My wife’s sister picked us up and
there followed a trip to two separate grocery stores where we shoehorned in
food for coming week as well as my baggage and set out for Las Lajas. The condo
building was deserted when we pulled in well after 10pm but that was a good
thing since the elevator was all ours for the shuttling of supplies upwards.
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| Following a Long Line of English Pirates to Invade Panama |
Now we have to get everything
configured for the weekend arrival of both of our “kids” and their families.
This has been a vacation several years in the planning and I can’t wait to
initiate both the FBR and the BRS into the mystical beauty of Las Lajas and hopefully
forge a lifelong bond with this magical place. I better stop writing because I’m
getting the stink eye from a certain Panamanian which tells me there are some
chores that I need to address.
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RECURRING
CHARACTERS
BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR
- First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA –
Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé
& MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son
in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school
from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great
Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since
grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to
attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school
friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla
– our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine
and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US
sisters, my wife is the 3rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA
the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died
in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy,
son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; 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; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close
friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife
(of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday
of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at
work; Deckzilla Dude – senior
citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth -
members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all
are on public assistance along with demeanor issues
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