Beach Solitaire

I’ve been abandoned by my Favorite Panamanian. Granted, it’s only for a couple days and it was my decision, but there it is. She needed to go back to David to renew the registration on our car and then drive her mother to a doctor’s appointment today. She strongly hinted that I could accompany her but I knew that meant I would be sitting in her mother’s house while she did all the errands. I opted to remain in our paradisical condo by myself. I know. Huge sacrifice.  With the Sunday departure of both my Favorite Panamanian and the other two families at the condos, I have had the entire building to myself for the last two days.

Alone on the Beach but I do Get the Sunsets

And This View from our Condo

The strangest (well, maybe not so strange) part is that I found myself missing human interaction. I often tell myself I would love the solitude and lack of supervision this type situation would mean. The truth is I think human interaction is a very basic need and I haven’t had any for a couple days. I have binge watched the series Yellowstone (awesome) and playoff football but I find myself looking around for the Favorite Panamanian so I can share some of my less than cogent thoughts on the state of the world. I think I’ve been married way too long to be allowed this much alone time. I miss the flashing eyes, eve when they flash danger for me.

Past Couple Mornings on the Beach

I was hoping the whole Tonga volcano would result in some bigger surf but, although it made a major hit on the coast of Peru, we’ve nothing to show for it. My boogie boarding has been consigned to the much smaller than usual waves here. I did make the acquaintance last week with some rays. They were the small ones you see in the petting tanks at many zoos although these haven’t had their stingers removed so I beat a fairly hasty retreat. I was struck by their grace as I saw a couple zoom through a wave directly in front of me just before it broke. As I made my way back to shore, I was surrounded by at least a dozen in a swarming pod. I just stood stock still until they made their way around me. It was kind of cool but the ole heart was racing a bit. My Favorite Panamanian saw a huge manta ray jump out of the water just beyond the surf line when I returned from my adventure.

Site of So Many Memories

My morning walk on the beach went in the other direction this morning, a little further than I intended. I ended up at the beach resort where I first fell in love with Las Lajas and the center of so many great memories of family gatherings over the years. It was there that Wingman contemplated asking for daughter’s hand in marriage as we sat around a late-night campfire only to wait until he was a few thousand miles away to broach the subject. It was here that Keene Friend almost broke his neck bodysurfing but during the same visit he also danced. So, it would probably be appropriate for there to be some sort of historical plaque put up stating that on this spot we had a verified sighting of Keene Friend dancing. Lots of great memories, as I said, and definitely why we chose to buy the condo here.

BRS & BR3 Enjoying their Own Water Sport

I’m still setting up the beach chair for the sunset each day accompanied an appropriate libation as well. The sunsets have not disappointed. I checked the ring camera back home yesterday morning when I came in from the beach and saw 6-8 inches of heavy wet snow blanketing the front of the house. The beach, while a bit lonely the past couple days, has it all over trying to move heavy wet snow.

2 Days Worth of Sunsets

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn