Nostalgic Reunion

I learned an important lesson yesterday and I’m willing to pass it on. You should never try to fly out of Newark International Airport on a federal holiday. It is not for the weak of spirit. After my flight into Newark I thought I was sneakily falling in love with the convenience compared to JFK and, God forbid, Boston’s Logan International. That love affair came to a screeching halt yesterday after the New Jersey bunch dropped me off. The check in was deceptively easy and I was directed to the security check in and was horrified when I saw a veritable sea of people walking along seemingly endless series of switchbacks. I was briefly encouraged when the security guy told me my security check in was in a different place. That encouragement died a quick death when I found the correct area and it was even worse. I spent the next hour walking back and froth through this huge hall as the line snaked towards our goal of x-ray machines and shoe removal. While the lines were long, they moved, offered some great people watching opportunities, and I was impressed when I finally reached the machines and saw how well organized they were. If they didn’t have to contend with the innate stupidity of some people it would have gone much faster. My flight’s departure was delayed over an hour as they had trouble loading the bags. This gave me the opportunity to get better acquainted with the overweight teenage boy with no concept of personal space in the next seat over. He eventually figured out to keep his fat rolls on his side of the hand rest through some vigorous use of eminent domain.

Wife and I With Canal and Bridge of Americas Behind Us

The pilots did a great job once they got us into the air and we landed only twenty minutes after scheduled time. Since I didn’t have to wait for luggage, I sped through immigration and charged outside where I spotted Tia Loca’s car at the appointed meeting place. It was at this point that I was accosted by a beautiful Panamanian woman who charged into me from the side. My Favorite Panamanian had waited with the crowd of taxi drivers to effectively ambush me while I was walking towards where I thought she was. This was a great surprise and really needed after a couple weeks of heartache and six hours with the aforementioned teenager. The world kind of clicked into place. As I engulfed her in my arms, I realized how much I had missed her steadfast support over the time we were apart.

One of the Cool Panama City Skyscrapers

Favorite Panamanian in front of Canal

Bridge of the Americas

Tia Loca and her son dropped us at our hotel in Panama City and we took off to find some food since I hadn’t eaten since New Jersey (the two cookies the airline offered didn’t count). We found everything closed (Monday night) and settled for a late-night Chinese mini-mart for a meal of snacks which I was completely fine with. Mostly because of the company I was now keeping.

Wife with her Cousin

Near the Spot I Proposed

After a hotel breakfast this morning we were picked up my wife’s cousin who volunteered to chauffeur us around the city. We consider her one of the bravest people in existence as she endured a thirty minute marriage to the Cantankerous Friend during the bus ride to the hotel during my son's wedding reception. The marriage didn't last after the lights came on. Our first stop was the US Embassy where we learned we needed to make an appointment via email before anyone would see us. Since I was in a very good mood (finally) after spousal link up operations, I didn’t remind my wife I had told her this a couple weeks ago.  Our next stop was in the heart of the Panama City in the Punta Pacifica area which sports some of the city’s soaring skyscrapers. The drive through the city reminded me why I try to avoid spending any amount of time in the city because of the choking traffic but it also brought back a lot of fond memories of my last single days over forty years ago, most of which I cannot write about (it’s a statute of limitations thing).

At Lunch, Ancon Hill in the Distant Background

View of Panama City from Restaurant

The Causeway Nowadays

That Lieutenants' Spot

Looking Back to Causeway from the City

I loved living in Panamá City a young man, for a variety of unspecified reasons. I’m a huge fan of nostalgia and today’s trek through the city brought plenty of that. Since it was our driver’s birthday we treated her to lunch after our final errand. We stopped by the edge on the Panama Canal in what used to be Fort Amador for some picturesque views of the canal. It was also the spot where I proposed to my Favorite Panamanian, so, nostalgia on steroids. We’ve been back to causeway numerous times over the years but this was the first time in a very long time that we went during the day. The restaurant we ate at offered stunning views across the bay to  the city and I realized it sat on the location of the former Ft Amador Officer’s Club beach. More than forty years ago, just a short distance up the causeway, a group of hungover lieutenants gathered on each Sunday to test the “Hair of the Dog” theory. Since I wasn’t driving the traffic morass didn’t bother me as much and I kind of wallowed in the memories of that long ago times when single lieutenants strode the earth and had way, way too much fun. After the heart-rending times of the past couple weeks saying goodbye to Soxfather, it was almost therapeutic to remember those days, especially since the flashing eyes those days resulted in were still seated next to me. Maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to smile again.

New Jersey Bunch Out for Adventure After Dropping me Off

FBR Lurking Under a Bridge

Frozen Waterfall

FBR & Wingman

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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