Anyone
who knows my Favorite Panamanian knows that she is individually and seriously blessed
with the gift of gab. She literally lives to talk, hence her fairly serious addiction
to the telephone. She always accuses me of not taking enough. My usual
rejoinder is that there isn’t room for me talk with her torrent of dialogue. Sometimes,
though, her gift comes in really handy, like yesterday; but before I launch
into a recitation of that adventure there are more important events to
recognize.
 |
BR3, 11 Months Old
I Love This Picture |
 |
With her Very Proud Dad
Absolutely Dominating a Hat |
 |
| Will be Walking So Soon |
BR3
is fully eleven months old now which somehow seems impossible. Even though the
past year has crawled by at pandemic pace she seems immune. She’s now a
crawling maniac. Her favorite trick is to crawl as fast as she can to the
stairs and then climb all the way up. I’m thinking a stair gate is in her immediate
future. She is something extraordinarily special. She has a devastating smile
that she wields with abandon. Thanks to the ABFA for posting the included
photos marking BR3’s 11 month birthday.
 |
| That Smile |
 |
| Wears her Food Like a Champ |
Now,
to my non-beach related adventures of yesterday and my wife’s “gift”. We drove
back to David yesterday for some shopping and mother-in-law retrieval
operations. She’s going to stay with us for a while as we have been here long
enough to be safe around her, Covid-wise. We’re gearing up for a big event this
weekend when my crazy sister-in-law and my wife’s other siblings join us for Christmas
dinner. I know that sounds a bit chronologically challenged so let me explain. I
just learned this story. My late father-in-law hated turkey, refused to eat it.
The first holiday season after my wife and I married I prepared the usual Christmas
turkey dinner I grew up with. He absolutely loved it and for the rest of his
life he would only eat turkey that I prepared. It therefore became a tradition
every time we came for a visit that I would prepare a turkey dinner. That
happens on Saturday with his gathered family, thank you Don Neco for this fun
tradition.
 |
| Mom in Residence Last Night |
In
way of explanation, that was part of the shopping expedition. Finding the
needed ingredients can be a challenge, especially translating some of the ingredients
needed into Spanish. Last week we lucked into a 25 pound turkey our condo oven
will be challenged to contain. The other part of shopping was buying the eight
gallons of paint my wife and her accomplice/friend arrived at for the condo redecorating
plan. It was a full car for our return where our adventure started.
 |
Beach Rainbow This Morning
Discovered by FBR During Wakeup Call |
After
a traffic stop a few years ago I religiously follow the speed limits on the
Inter-American Highway, the road to and from David from Las Lajas. This sometimes
leads to discussion with my Favorite Panamanian who feels less encumbered. The
real reason I behave much better than I do back home is the Panamanian police
always patrol that stretch of road. We usually hit three to four speed traps in
the hour long drive. I was behaving, although I can see both of my children
shaking their heads in disbelief as they read this.
 |
| We Could See Both Ends |
There
is one stretch where the speed limit drops from 100 KPH (a little over 60MPH)
to 50 KPH. I dropped my speed accordingly and thought I was through the reduced
speed zone. The first indication I was incorrect was a police officer stepping
out and waving me over. Apparently, the reduced speed zone extends much further
than I imagined. Here commenceth the
adventure. He asked for my driver’s license and when it saw it was an American one,
he asked for my passport. Recently my wife took responsibility for carrying passports
since she said I was putting too much wear and tear on my mine by carrying it
in my pocket. As soon as I looked at her, I knew we had a problem. She didn’t
have the passports.
 |
| Beach This Morning |
Even
though I had my Panamanian resident card, the policeman explained I was
basically driving without a license. If I was relying on the resident card, I
needed a Panamanian driver’s license. If I was using the American one, I needed
the passport to show how long I had been in Panama. I was basically screwed. He
asked me to get out and we walked over to a nearby bench to discuss. He showed
us the regulation which stated he was required to seize our car. Enter my wife and
her loquaciousness. She and the policeman started a 15 minute conversation at
the end of which they were talking like old friends. I was smart enough to nod
every now and then. He basically knew our complete family history by then. He
did seem to take special notice when my wife casually mentioned I was a retired
colonel. He seemed like a really decent guy. He finally handed me back my cards
and wished me a good evening. I’m not sure if this was his way of getting out
of the conversation with my wife or he was just taking pity on us. As we were
driving away, I thanked my wife for being such a silver tongued devil. She
nodded in a particularly superior manner.
 |
| Sunrise This Morning |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECURRING CHARACTERS
BR3 – 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; Kindergarten
Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; 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 3rd 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
No comments:
Post a Comment