Panama Day

A very heartfelt and warm “felcidades” to my many Panamanian friends and family members as well as the honorary Panamanians that comprise the far flung Panamanian mafia. A few years ago, we would have been ramping up for a major party in the house to gather said mafia to properly recognize this important date on the Panamanian calendar. All of you who leapt to the conclusion that my comments about prior years meant that we’ve grown too old to host a party like that. I am truly insulted if you thought that. In reality we have a complete dance card into December at this point. We’re up in Keene on Saturday for a final crawl recon and then leave Sunday for New Jersey and the FBR birthday Disneyworld extravaganza. That’s followed by my birthday, the pub crawl, and Thanksgiving. We top it all off with a major garage project at the end of the month, so, December.

Our Flag Pole Today

My Favorite Panamanian finally noticed I had a flag pole in the back yard and earlier in the year asked if I was going to fly her Panamanian flag on this day. I assured her I would remember. In a major surprise, I did, but she couldn’t remember where she had stored it until late Wednesday. I was out there first thing this morning to raise the flag and then couldn’t remember which side was supposed to go up. After a quick consultation online, I correctly got the red square on the up side. I’m pretty sure my Favorite Panamanian was pleased. Again, Happy Independence Day to my Panamanian Friends and Family, I wish we were partying together, although if I know this bunch at all, there is some serious partying going in. Which is as it should be.

Two movies fell in my A-Z effort, both keepers, Catch 22 (may be the funniest and darkest military satire of all time) and Cedar Rapids (so much heart, always thought Ed Helms would become a much bigger star after this).

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course