The Cantankerous One and I continue our
1967 York Beach reunion tour displaced a half century later to Las Lajas Panama.
After our respective families embarked on joint summer vacations at North
Sands, York Beach, Maine all those years ago a plethora of memories were
generated for the younger versions of Cantankerous and I. It’s natural to harken
back to those days now that we find ourselves at another beach together. There
are a lot fewer people on this new beach and the water does not take your breath
away when you stick a toe in it.
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Displaced York Beachers Yesterday
Using our Beer "Cookies" (Coozies) |
My Favorite Panamanian abandoned us for
the entire day yesterday trusting me to execute the lunch meal she prepped. She
seemed really nervous about that. She had promised to take an aunt to a doctor’s
appointment back in David so we were left to our own devices. Now that I think
about it, that was plain reckless, but we did not burn the place down in her
absence. We had a great day hanging out on the beach, reminiscing about those
long ago York Beach days. The Cantankerous One is honing his boogie boarding skills
in the surf and now fully appreciates the physical effort to push through the
waves.
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| Sunset Last Evening |
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| Cantankerous Toasting |
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| Favorite Panamanian Returns! |
We were in the pool imbibing the latest
Panamanian test brews, Balboa and Cristal, when we noticed the sun setting. We
moved out onto the beach to continue our contemplations. That is where my
Favorite Panamanian found us upon her return and immediately started to editorialize
on the amount of beer we had apparently consumed. I reminded her that it was
her decision to leave us unsupervised. She relented in good humor and joined us
for the last part of the celebration. Now that I think about it, both
Cantankerous Friend and I are wondering why my Favorite Panamanian is being showered
with sympathetic messages of support and prayers when people learned she was
being saddled with the two of us. C’mon folks!! We’re not that bad! Honest.
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| Two Happy Guys |
I was just glad she hadn’t returned with
any more guava fruit. It’s a long set of large seeds encased in a hard shell. I
have unfortunately acquired a skill at twisting the shell open so she can get
at the seeds. The seeds are surrounded by this cotton candy like substance that
she loves. I think it looks kind of disgusting but she swears by it. Thankfully
they seem to be moving out of season because she returned empty handed. I’m down
on the guava because of my designated role of twisting and opening as sometimes
you get a surprise when it pops open, both flora and fauna related. This qualifies
as excitement.
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| Wife with Opened Guava |
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| She Eats the White Stuff, Yechh! |
The Cantankerous One joined me again on
the beach this morning for the workout. He demonstrated improved boogie boarding
skills. We then walked down the beach where we were once again challenged by
deep sand due to high tide. It was an easier go as we headed in the other
direction and were rewarded just short of our turn-around spot when a well-endowed,
blonde, bikini clad lady passed by. She was the only other human we saw during
our fifty-minute walk. Honest, we were at the turn around spot which meant we
had to turn around and follow about 25 yards behind her. The Cantankerous One
admitted to appreciating the scenery. I dutifully reported the sighting to my
wife who said she would be accompanying us on future walks.
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| Beach This Morning |
We’ve had limited interaction with granddaughters
over the past week due to some flaky Wi-Fi signals. The FBR was bubbling a little
bit about staying up really late last Saturday night. The Curbside Gals got
together along with their children. The Curbside Cousins enjoyed a very fun time
as their moms conversed into the night. It is cool to see these second gen
curbsiders falling in on the deep friendship of their moms, and, a very late
night as bedtimes were forgotten for once. Meanwhile in New Hampshire BR3 took
a header off the new couch yesterday and was having her recovery snuggle with
dad when I called. She immediately forgot about the banged up head as she wanted
to show me her improved couch bouncing technique. Her dad wasn’t pleased. BRS
looked at her younger sister with just the right amount of older sibling
disdain but did grace me with one of her dazzling smiles.
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| Curbside Cousins |
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| Not Sleeping |
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| Dance Party |
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| BRS & BR3 |
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| Popsicle Time! |
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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 3rd 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
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