Kickoff Complete

Well, here I am, in 2026 and in our tropical paradise winter home. That’s all to the good, especially considering alternatives to each situation. It also feels like the first day since before Christmas that I’ve been able to sit back and take a breath. The time between Christmas and New Years was filled with celebrating, then getting down here, and situated. The situating part was seriously involved since my Favorite Panamanian decreed we had to raise the condo to her cleanliness standards (nowhere near as easy as it sounds). Once we achieved that, we returned to David to celebrate New Years Eve with her family.

New Years Eve

If there is one thing you can say about Panamanians, it is they now how to party – to celebrate life. My wife’s sister-in-law had discovered an offer that included a hotel room, dinner, a rooftop disco from 10:30pm to 6am on 1 Jan (as I said they know about partying), and a breakfast. We signed up for this along with Tia Loca, my mother in law as well as the aforementioned brother and sister-in-law. The Hotel Ciudad David proved to be a very modern hotel with great amenities. Another thing about Panamanians, the women certainly know how to dress up. We assembled in the dining room for dinner, and I had to assert a serious amount of self-discipline. My wife was keeping a very close eye on me as a veritable parade of Panamanian pulchritude dressed to the nines passed by. Dinner was a lot of fun and allowed for the obligatory posed pictures in front of the 2026 balloons.  

Wife, Tia Loca and their Mom

Wife and I with her Mom

Okay, Enough with the Photos

Sisters

We lingered over dinner until it was time to head upstairs to the roof. My wife was a little put out that there wasn’t a dedicated dance floor but that didn’t turn out to be a problem as everyone just danced wherever they were situated. The roof allowed sweeping views over the city of David, a fairly substantial city. The real treat happened at midnight when the entire skyline lit up. Fireworks are semi-legal in Panama and traditionally are set off at the New Year’s arrival. For twenty minutes there was a constant ring of fireworks for 360 degrees. It was something I’ll never forget. The attached video doesn’t do it justice. Keep in mind this was all private individuals. It was amazing they didn’t burn the city down, but they’re experienced at it and it provided a fantastic show.

Rooftop View Before Fireworks

Wife and I with Fireworks in Background

We got our dancing in, and this included my 93-year-old mother-in-law. Once again, partying is in Panamanian’s blood. We had a great time on the roof dancing in the new year although we didn’t make the six-a.m. cut off. We had to make some acknowledgement to our no longer completely young bodies. We did, however, demonstrate to the much younger crowd that we were still in the game. I was on short rest the next morning when I woke up as I was on a mission. Each year upon our return to Panama, I am charged with preparing a typical American turkey dinner to celebrate the new year. This started decades ago when my father-in-law pronounced my turkey the best he’d ever tasted. I’m not sure I’m grateful for the endorsement.

Rooftop Time

Brother in Law and His Wife

Tia Loca Posing

Brother in Law Dancing with his Mom

Anyways. I left my sleeping Favorite Panamanian in the hotel room as I set out for Las Lajas around 8am to put the turkey in the oven. I had prepped the bird the day before. It was strange driving out of David. I felt I was in some post apocalyptic horror movie because the city streets were deserted. While that was a welcome relief from the usually onerous traffic, it felt surreal. The usual bustling city was sleeping off the prior night’s celebratory efforts. My wife stayed for breakfast with her family at the hotel and then drove down to the beach with them.

Turkey Dinner Time

I got the turkey in the oven, had breakfast, and got in a quick swim workout before starting in the potato peeling. There was a welcome respite from that when I got the opportunity welcome the Upstairs Neighbors who had arrived while we were in David. Since our Panamanian Friends were also in their condo downstairs we had the Seis Amigos together for the first time in a long time. The condo AC was severely tested with the arrival of my wife and her family while three burners as well the oven were going full blast for the dinner prep.

Sunset Crew

The Upstairs Neighbors joined us for the dinner and brought along a truly fabulous chocolate cake (just add another day to my post-Christmas cookie engendered workout regimen). We had to set up another table to accommodate the whole dinner crew but it was a fun time with jokes flying in both Spanish and English. By the time the tryptophan was kicking in it was time to adjourn to the beach for the sunset ceremony. The sun was a little shy, hiding behind a thick cloud but the rest of the sky lit up with appreciable effect. The main point though, as always, was the gathering. This nightly social hour is one of the things I missed most about our time away from Las Lajas and we had a representative bunch with my wife’s family and the Upstairs Neighbors in attendance as well as the nearby rest of the Seis Amigos. So. 2026 is off to a great start and I can finally take a breath (until my Favorite Panamanian sees me underemployed).

Sun was Behind that One Cloud

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course