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| The Birthday Gathering Atlas Beer May be Involved in my Facial Expression |
The water eventually returned yesterday
just in time for the surprise birthday party my wife and her siblings planned
for my mother in law. We also had a more serious monsoon rain for the better
part of an hour around mid-day. The street in front of the house was literally under
water for the better part of an hour and that is notable because as with most
streets in Panama it is severely crested to deal with the rain. Thankfully
everything fell into place for the party which was the predictable amount of
fun whenever my wife’s family gathers.
Her young sister, one blessed with an excessive
amount of personality, showed up from Panama City with her son shortly before the
party and contributed her usual amount of bedlam and laughter. Since it was a
rare fresh day following the rain we staid mostly out on the front porch and
car port. We imported a veritable landslide of chicken wings and my wife made a
memorable cake. Friends, neighbors, and family continued to show up throughout
the evening and it was more fun than I thought possible.
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| Wife and her Two Sisters |
Earlier in the day I was volunteered
to help my mother in law with some landscaping work under the very direct
supervision of my Favorite Panamanian. As you can imagine with the tropical
climate and non-stop rains there was a lot to trim back. I also volunteered to
cut down a small tree in the back yard that was blocking the sun from the
resident banana tree. It reminded me of my infantry lieutenant days in the Panamanian
jungle as I was given a machete to cut the tree down. Maybe it was because I
was forty years younger because it seemed a lot easier back in the 1980s. Of
course it could be the machete I was given would probably have trouble cutting
bread given its dull blade. At any rate I just imagined the faces of the legion
of bureaucrats I’ve had to deal with over the past few years down here and
brute force and ignorance had the tree down fairly quickly.
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| The Fallen Tree |
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| Meanwhile, Back Home |
The final piece of business prior to
the party was finally picking up the check for the sale of our land which has
been a two year odyssey. This was the land we were planning on building a second
home on before the condo opportunity emerged. We’re very happy with how that
worked out but it was another exercise in extreme patience working our way
through the sale process. Back home Keene Friend provided the above photos
as an update to renovations taking place in our absence.
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RECURRING CHARACTERS
BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR
- First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA –
Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé
& MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son
in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school
from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great
Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since
grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to
attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school
friend, also a “minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla
– our backyard deck which
grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got invole din planning; Maine and
Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters,
my wife is the 3rdmusquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA
the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died
in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy,
son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals –
female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia –
inevitable group of Latin friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived
& their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close
friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife
(of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday
of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at
work; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who
come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public
assistance along with demeanor issues
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