As
our days here in paradise are winding down, we are hosting an unexpected, at
least for me, Panamanian Mafia reunion. A member of the Worcester Chapter of
the Mafia relocated back to Panama a few years ago. A couple weeks ago my Favorite
Panamanian linked up with her and thus was born the plan for this weekend’s
reunion. Accompanied by one of the redoubtable PanaGals, she arrived yesterday
in time to engage in the afternoon boogie boarding session and the sunset
ceremony. I brought my wife’s iPad down to the beach for the First Friday Family
Facetime call while the ladies cavorted in the nearby pool. My Favorite Panamanian
deigned to emerge from the water long enough to see the assembled
granddaughters.
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| Sunset Ceremony Yesterday |
The
said granddaughters are facing their own challenges back home. The New Jerseyites
experienced a fairly robust earthquake yesterday; strong enough that my
daughter had to grab her computer monitor to keep it from falling over. If you’d
told us back in December who was more likely to experience an earthquake in 2024,
my bet would have been us in earthquake prone Panama, certainly not epicentered
in New Jersey. It was strong enough that my son felt it all the way up in New
Hampshire. During the call, the BRS excitedly related that their dad was
allowing them into his home theater that night to watch the movie Wish. The FBR
heard that and the movie choice for her was also sealed. It was funny, because
we took all three granddaughters to see that movie last year. It marked the
first time BR3 had ever been to the movie theater. So, they once again shared
the movie together, albeit a few hundred miles apart.
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| Beachside First Friday Call |
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| Meanwhile the Ladies Cavort |
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| Thwarted Sunset |
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| Still Kind of Cute |
The
sunset was once again comprised by the pesky western horizon cloud bank which seems
to delight in thwarting our view as rainy season descends. The sunset, however,
isn’t required to enjoy the sunset ceremony as we inculcated our visitors into
the social aspect of the beach gathering each night with our upstairs neighbors.
This was followed by a two-car convoy to the village for our Friday pizza
session. Sunset Pizza (honestly, that’s the place’s name) was up to its usual hijinks,
providing pizzas made from dough sourced directly from Italy, that’s the claim
at least. Chow Mein the cat, made his usual appearance once it was clear there
was pepperoni scraps to be had.
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| Pizza Time |
Only
one more weekend, after this one, to be had at the beach this year, so I’m
happy my Favorite Panamanian has some friends in to share it with. As beautiful
as the beach is, the best aspect of living here is hosting visits from friends
and family. I’m going to write in a future post about our departure and the attendant
feelings but I’ve convinced my wife we need to enjoy the time we’ve got left
instead of worrying about how short that time is growing. I should take my own
advice. I was down in the beach this morning in girding loins mode before my
usual morning workout when the usual solitude was shattered by the arrival of
the ladies for an atypical early morning swim. I’ve been saying all along that the
best time for the pool is the morning before the tropical son heats it up to
sauna levels by the end of the day. They finally took me up on it.
Earlier
in the week, I saw Madame Web. I’d heard really bad things about this flick but,
since it was a Marvel movie, I thought I would give it a chance. Big mistake. This
is undoubtedly the worst Marvel movie ever made and maybe the worst superhero
film as well. I felt bad because I’ve always liked Dakota Johnson and certainly
Sidney Sweeney but this was a complete mess. Despite their best efforts the
stilted dialogue was a huge distraction. The plot of Johnson babysitting three potential
spider women brought the forward movement to a screeching halt. I was looking
for some reason to like this and failed, just like the filmmakers.
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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 3rd 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; Seis Amigos
- two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger
sister; Wingman
– my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s
mom, of course
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