Birthday-a-Palooza

We’re in the middle of celebrating 171 years’ worth of birthdays this weekend. It’s testimony to the incredible achievements of those we are celebrating that only two people are involved. Yesterday we were at the home of the Latina Mafia’s husband as he celebrated his 80^th birthday. Today there is a big celebration ongoing in David, Panama for my incredible mother-in-law who turn 91 years young today. We add to the total later this week when Keene Friend reaches his day of birth.

Birthday Girl with my Wife's 2 Sisters

Yesterday was the usual amount of fun at our destination, which means a lot, when we arrived at the Leicester home of the birthday boy. His wife, the Latina involved, had done a spectacular job of preparing for the party. There was large tent pitched on the back yard which was a Godsend with the very un-September like, oppressive heat and humidity. We set up shop at a very fun table featuring the Neighborhood Mafiosos and the Czech friends. My Favorite Panamanian was a bit more subdued than usual, due to her persistent vertigo, but more than ready to engage in non-stop conversation.

Our Very Fun Table Yesterday

Birthday Boy is Serenaded

Cake Time

My Czech Shadow was in fine fettle as well, threatening me with her soon to be black belt karate abilities. Luckily a young child showed up to be entertained by her before I was in any real danger. We provided some sombreros for the birthday boy and his wife as they had a mariachi singer to serenade the couple just before the birthday cake. I had to behave myself since my designated driver was still hors de combat. I mentioned during our table conversations that I might have made a mistake in revealing this to my Favorite Panamanian. She can now claim the vertigo returns whenever she feels the need to enforce behavior prior to future social events. Hmmm.

Boquete Time

Tia Loca with her mom

Mom-in-law Walking in Boquete with her Daughters

Meanwhile the mariachis were out in David, Panama early this morning as well. My wife’s two sisters, her twin and Tia Loca, arranged a mariachi band, fully garbed up, to show up at 6am to awaken their mom. My Favorite Panamanian was shown a video of the event later in the morning and was wiping away tears, as was her mom, during the serenade. Yesterday the two sisters had arranged an idyllic overnight stay for their mom in the mountain resort town of Boquete. They spent an entire day plus in the town, escaping the coastal humidity of David, where they were joined by one of the the birthday girl’s granddaughters.

Birthday Girl

91 Years Young

With her Granddaughter

My wife’s two sisters were finally able to celebrate her birthday with their mom since the 90^th birthday last year was celebrated on Deckzilla (memorably I might add). Tia Loca traveled up to David from her Panama City home which I know meant a lot to her mom. I feel a little bad for my Favorite Panamanian to have to party vicariously through the video messages with the celebrants. She’s upstairs as I write this watching an extended family birthday dinner. I told her she now knows how her sisters felt last year. The key issue being that my mother-in-law is properly recognized on her birthday. Happy Birthday Mami!!!

One movie fell in my A-Z watch, a keeper: Frequency, interesting sci fi crime thriller

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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; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; 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