Surprised Party

Yesterday was supposed to be a low key day with nothing really on the schedule.(or so we thought)  My wife was completing her typical week long packing exercise, de rigueur for any trip back home to Panama.  All that remains is the fateful weigh in which usually leads to another round of packing.

Awaiting the Coup de Grace

Buddy and I made our way through the wind swept snow to administer last rights to our gallant Christmas tree.  I was stripping the branches so we could mulch it with its seven predecessors while Buddy was in hot pursuit of something that was moving below the snow.  He kept launching himself face first into the snow whenever his quarry moved.  He didn’t catch anything other than a very cold nose but seemed to thoroughly enjoy demonstrating his hunting prowess.

The Tree Sadly Defrocked

My wife was getting a little antsy since she’d been confined to the house for most of the past couple days due to the storm.  I convinced her to go to the movies (one of my signature moves) and we were halfway to the theater when she gave a horrified gasp.  She’d completely forgotten that one of the Panamanian Mafia couples was hosting a dinner party that we were expected at that night. 

Buddy on the Prowl

She jumped onto the phone (her signature move) and confirmed we were expected since this was the last time they would be seeing my wife before she left for her two months in Panama.  The good news was she remembered in time because we had a whole 45 minutes to turn around, get ready, and travel to Worcester.  At least she remembered before we were in the theater.

I knew this meant missing the two NFL playoff games but I didn’t think the wife would understand any logic associated with me watching football while a Panamanian Mafia get together was afoot.  I consoled myself with the fact I didn’t really care about any of the teams involved and I never fail to have a great time with this bunch of people.

The Dignified Ladies of theWorcester Chapter of the Panamanian Mafia

My faith was redeemed with an excellent night spent with these exceptional people.  It was low key but the effortless cascade of conversation that falls amongst old friends is priceless.  I cherish times when we put aside all other distractions and just enjoy the company of good people.  We even met some new friends which added some interesting spice; one of whom was a guy on a keto diet also.  He’s only been on it for a month (rookie) so I was able to add some sage advice (at least I think it was sage – could have been paprika). 

Their Slightly Less Dignified Male Counterparts

Since we’re dealing with a gathering of Panamanian women the party inevitably descended into some dancing (the cultural signature move) while the men held forth at the dinner table about the importance of something (can’t really remember but it sure seemed terribly important at the time). 

They Got Us to Calm Down (a Little)

It was a truly tremendous night and an appropriate send off for my wife.  The hosting couple’s son came up to report we’d missed two fantastic NFL playoff games, both of which came down to the last minute, including a 45-44 score!  While this caused a minor groan I wouldn’t have traded the time we’d had with friends for any couch potato time.  Besides, I’ve got two games scheduled for today with a promise of brother in law support and maybe even the Keene Friend.

Of Course There Was Dancing - Passing On to Another Generation
My Wife Was Predictably the Ring Leader