Sunset Colada

The trip into David yesterday cut into our beach time but we recompensed ourselves by taking up station on the deserted beach to take in another Las Lajas sunset. While I love being around my wife’s family it is nice to have this time for just the two of us, especially as my days in Panama are dwindling. We took a distressing call from my Favorite Son who reported the BRS had spiked a serious fever over the past two days. She would only allow the ABFA to touch her which was doubly frustrating for the dad. The Tylenol had apparently kicked in when we called because she delivered about seven very loud “hi’s” to us. Usually she demands the camera be moved away. It’s tough to be so far away. My Favorite Panamanian wanted to charter a plane to go help.

The Sunset Crew

We opted instead to wander down the road to the Show Pony hotel. My wife is definitely a city girl with abject fear of the wild creatures out and about after dark. Walking down a dark road in a remote part of Panama helps feed that anxiety with a veritable chorus of strange noises accompanying us. For that reason we made the short walk using my I-Phone as a flashlight. We found a bunch of ex-pats, including one who came from less than thirty miles from Worcester, in the small bar who we were chatting with by the end of the night. My wife had a bad pina colada at this place last year so she initially refused to order another one. Eventually the Costa Rican bar tender convinced her he was up to the task. Boy was he. My wife was enthralled with her beverage and they even threw in another half a glass for free.

At the Show Pony

A Happy Colada

After another “danger filled” walk back to the condo we watched some Netflix which has been a godsend on this trip. This morning the guy who will reupholster the couch showed up which led to some interesting gyrations to maneuver the larger section down two flights of stairs since it wouldn’t fit in the elevator. I relied on my many years of watching movers in the many household moves the Army required. The key is standing the thing on its end to get it around stair corners. None of Ross’ pivots J  My wife took the following pictures of a very old man boogie boarding out this morning. I have at least three sessions each day here. I think that will be severely curtailed by my return to the USA.

Our Condo Building from Low Tide Mark

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; 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 involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Truant Returns

Okay. I know. I’ve been away from Frail Deeds for almost a week, an almost unheard of diversion. That is the key word though. Diversion. I’ve been diverted from writing by spending most of the intervening time on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches surrounded by some of the best people in the world. You throw in the annual Panamanian Carnivale season and, well, enough said. Last Friday we drove inland from the beach to pick up my crazy (loca) sister in law who had driven up from Panama City with a co-worker who lived in the village of Las Lajas.

I Blame This Lady for most of the Diversion

We grabbed her and headed further inland to my mother in law’s house in David. This trip was necessary because Saturday would see a Carnivale Party hosted by my wife’s cousin of the legendary laugh. My wife’s entire family would attend and that was a recipe for entirely too much fun. I’ve spent nearly four decades going to parties at this house and they only get better which is incredibly difficult considering how much fun they’ve always been. They have a raised, covered platform in the front yard where I usually set up shop. One of the traditions of Panamanian is free flying water. At the big city level celebrations fire hoses are used.

Another Challenging Afternoon in Las Lajas

Loca on the Loose with Garden Hose

My Favorite Panamanian Providing Cover

My “loca” sister in law was the first to acquire a garden hose in the driveway and soon everyone within squirting range was soaked. This is an interesting problem now that everybody carries less than water resistant electronics. Mine ended up in the rafters of the platform because I was one of the prime targets of my beloved sister in law. Target one though was her brother and the battle was epic. The party started around noon time and didn’t wind down until nearly midnight. That is the longest time I’ve continuously drank beer in a long time. Certainly not a record though, remembering my college fraternity days and St Patty’s Day, but I digress.

Picking Oranges for the Party

The Party Grill

Cooking by I-Phone Flashlightn

My Wife and the Pana-Gals Garbed up fro Carnivale

Of Course Dancing Broke Out

With the Ring Leader I'm Married To

The Next Generation

Sunday we loaded up the car once again and took a side trip up to the picturesque mountain town of Boquete. We tried out a new restaurant my wife had located and then returned to Las Lajas with both my mother in law and the loca. We got back in time to enjoy another breathtaking sunset on the beach. For some unknown reason my Christmas turkey is something of legend within my wife’s family. She somehow acquired a butterball turkey in Panama and I was charged with re-created an entire Christmas dinner for her extended family on Monday. It was a bit of a challenge with the small oven we have and I’m not a great estimator when I have to cook in centigrade. A bus load of the party survivors showed up in the early afternoon.

Boquete Lunch

The Cook at Work

Had to Bend the Ends of the Pan to Fit it in the Oven

Locusts Descending

La Loca

The meal was a huge success with my wife running samples of the dinner to other friends within the condo complex. That’s another change due to Carnivale the condo was as full as I’ve ever seen it. We usually have the entire building to ourselves but the parking lot of was full. This also had the corollary effect of really slowing down the Wi-Fi which is another reason I haven’t posted, when it takes nearly a minute for a single picture to load. Well that, and my wife staring daggers at me when I’m at the computer instead of socializing.

Cook Eats Last

My Wife Sat Between us to Referee

The Main Table

Star Gazing with La Loca

On Monday my now dried off brother in law and his wife showed up to spend the night with us. Of course my wife had saved a sample of the turkey dinner for them. I was really touched they took time out of his very busy schedule to come down and hang with us. It is definitely a spectator sport to watch he and his sisters go at it. With their presence the condo reached its maximum population and the inflatable bed had to be deployed.

My Kindle is Perfect for the Beach

Five Books Down since I arrived

I should mention what traveling the roads are like during carnival which peaks on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, just like Fat Tuesday. The Panamanian police take drunk driving very seriously. In anticipation of the partying ongoing there are nearly ubiquitous police check points set up, including on interstate level highway. Each car pulls up to the police who checks the driver’s eyes. This is much more active than US police customs and probably wouldn’t be tolerated up there. It does get your attention though. We had to divert on some dirt tracks as we traveled through the village of Las Lajas because the entire main street was closed off in order to properly celebrate carnviale.

The rest of the week was spent at the beach as the condo population gradually dissipated as people had to return to work. My loca sister in law’s ride back to Panama City was a co-worker who stopped by to spend the afternoon with us on the beach along with her teenage son. She was a lot of fun and I can only imagine what that six hour ride was like. Thursday saw our last guest depart as my wife and I drove her mother back to David. Driving back into civilization after a week in very isolated paradise was eye opening. Traffic in David is always like a roller coaster ride and it was more startling given our car free existence for the rest of the week. My wife and I charged around on a couple of errands and hurried back to spend the last three days of my vacation with just the two of us in the condo. I sense some additional diversion upcoming.

Meanwhile Back in New Jersey

The FBR is Perfecting the Eye Roll

And Escape Technique

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; 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 involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Star Gazing

The vacay kicked into high gear yesterday in terms of relaxation and just plain fun. It was our first complete day in the condo. We established a standard day. We get out onto the beach before breakfast to swim and enjoy the beach and pool. We’re back in to eat a late breakfast around ten because that’s about the time the tropical sun brings down the hammer. In the tropics then you need to respect the sun a whole lot more. Somewhere my dermatologist is smiling. We wait out the hottest part of the day until heading back out to repeat the beach and pool for the late afternoon until the spectacular sunset.

View from our Balcony
Our towels (r) is Where we Spend most of the Day

We had an added benefit yesterday as a fellow tenant, a good friend of my wife, showed up and helped us watch the sunset. We ended up talking as long as the Atlas held out which was well into the evening. I walked out onto the beach as we were preparing to head inside and was once again absolutely dazzled by the night sky. We’re well away from any city lights and it felt like you could reach out and touch the millions of stars. I called my Favorite Panamanian and her friend out to experience it with me.

The New Lights

My wife has not been inactive before I arrived. She had a new main room air conditioning system installed, new rollers on the balcony doors, and a bunch of new lights. I’m sure the reason she wanted to change the dining room lights had nothing to do with the unfortunate card playing incident I was involved in last year that still causes the ABFA to double over in laughter when I’m reminded of it. Those dangerous lights are now in our master bedroom and we have new lights in the table, along the kitchen bar, and under the kitchen cabinets. I’m not sure why my wife felt we needed lights with protective rope around the globe.

View out the Side of Our Condo
They've planted some new Palm Trees
Along What Looks like a Future Road

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; 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 involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn

Reunification Operations Underway

This is one of the most difficult posts I’ve ever written for the very simple reason is that I have so much better things to do than write but Frail Deeds summoned me back. To truly understand the difficulty involved please take a look at the picture below which shows what my view is right now. I just took that picture from my seat as I typed this. I came in from the beach about a half hour ago after a couple hours of boogie boarding followed by a swim in the pool. I should hasten to add that the best part is that I am now accompanied by my Favorite Panamanian. The absolute best part.

The Best Part

My View as I Write This!

The flight down here was flawless. Keene Friend dropped me off at the airport and a few hours later I took off the sweater I was wearing as I walked out into tropical heat in Panama City. My flight to David was delayed a couple hours but I still made it there before sunset. I was greeted by my wife’s entire family and I had a real sense of coming home. They are special people. We immediately adjourned to a nearby steakhouse where the laughter didn’t stop for two solid hours. We spent the night at my mother in law’s house.

With my Wife's Family Upon Arrival

The First Atlas (of many)

Yesterday morning we were up early to hit the grocery store before driving south to the condo. I surprised myself by how much less we had to buy now that I’ve given up diet coke and am ketoing hard again. We arrived at the condo to find we would have the entire building to ourselves, probably until Friday. After wrestling with the couch for an hour (explained below) we spent the rest of the remaining daylight on the beach. We made the obligatory Facetime calls back to our family in the much colder climes. My Favorite Son related he’d spent an entire day dealing with sleet and freezing rain. That somehow made the sun and surf just a little more poignant. The sunset was Las Lajas supreme.

Heading to Beach Trying to Hold Elevator Door
While My Wife Takes Picture

To the Surf!

Great February Afternoon

Tuesday Night Sunset

Finally, that damned couch. The tropical clime has not been kind to the condo couch. I love the couch, it is incredibly comfortable and perfect for the living room. Unfortunately the salt air caused the upholstery to start dissolving after only three years. Before my wife left she found a Chinese company selling custom fit sofa covers that’s she immediately ordered and I ferried down with me. The instructions said they were dummy proof. We sure gave it a try. After an hour of attempts we finally got the covers on and they looked okay, all while the surf was calling within earshot. We’re getting the thing completely re-upholstered after I leave. But the couch is once again presentable and the surf waited for me, at least it was still there when I finally got out there.

The Newly Covered Couch

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – inbound granddaughter #3, BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law; 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 involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; 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; 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; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn