Nuclear Option Exercised

I don’t know what Great Aunt was thinking trying to supplant us as the preferred FaceTime option for our granddaughters. We accepted our second-place status for a while but last night decided to exercise our fail safe. When the FBR called, after Great Aunt of course, my Favorite Panamanian ran over to the caretaker’s rooms to borrow his puppy and kitten. They are impossibly cute and we were finally on a level playing field with Great Aunt and her menagerie. I’m, of course, kidding but it was fun to finally be a hero to the FBR again after receiving almost teenager level disdain from her at times. The caretaker isn’t supposed to have his pets with him but we’re the only residents this week and he understands we’re safe with the information. The puppy and kitten are growing up together and are so funny attacking each other. This was, regrettably, a one time shot though. On her next call, I’m sure the FBR will request the animals again and we’ll be unable to produce them. Second place, here we come again.

Sunset Watching Positions

The condo painting proceeds as the painting company brought in their own big guns. After getting a crane mired in the sand last week they brought in a very large one today and have deftly maneuvered it around to the front to paint the balcony side of the condos. I was eating breakfast this morning when a friendly painter descended outside the balcony and asked how the bacon was.  

Our FaceTime "Ringers"

FBR Back to Rapt Attention

Painting This Morning - Our Condo with White Chairs

My Breakfast Visitor

Beach Walk This Morning - birds Refused to Move

Other than that excitement we had a very quiet day at the beach yesterday; that is if any day with my Favorite Panamanian in residence can be described as “quiet”. I coaxed her down to the beach for the nightly sunset extravaganza. She spends most of that time glued to her iPhone and the latest WhatsApp gossip. I’ve reminded her of a time, when smart phones first appeared, where she talked derogatorily about people who couldn’t look up from their phone. She counts on me to let her know when the sky is worth checking out. I joined her for a time watching silly videos as the evening sky was doing its usual colorful gymnastics. Once we declared victory and were walking back across the lawn, the sprinklers had come on. I walked around the spray and yelled to my wife to watch out, twice. She, totally focused on the latest video, kept walking straight into the spray which left her soaked. I was laughing too hard to have any pity. She asked why I hadn’t warned her and was appropriately contrite when I told I had. Twice. She admitted to hearing me say something but she dismissed it as unimportant when compared with the video she was watching. Proof of what I’ve always assumed about wifely listening hierarchy. She hadn’t joined me swimming in the afternoon because she hadn’t wanted to get her hair wet. Someone, not me (not that brave), would label this as justice.

Last Night's Sunset

Beach This Morning - Surf Still Up!

Wife Snapped Pictures of my Tethered Swim Workout 
You Can See Line my Foot is Tied to

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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