Halftime Sunset

Okay, it really wasn’t halftime but between games yesterday. My Favorite Panamanian departed the realm Sunday morning to return to David to pick up her mom, aunt, and uncle for a visit that starts today. I was cordially invited to accompany her but I had the perfect excuse, besides managing the aftermath of my recent poor ear choices, in the NFL conference championship games. I was therefore left to my own devices which meant uninterrupted football watching. This helped deal with the whole lack of beach and pool time my ear demands. It was a tough day to miss the beach because there were actually some other people on the beach including a very attractive set of neighbors with Brazilian visitors.

Sunset Last Night Between Games

This made the commercials interesting as my view out the window from my football watching seat offered dazzling views, of the beach as well. The games were interesting with the Bengals pulling off a stunning upset of the team I thought was going all the way. The NFL scheduled the games so I was able to go out to the beach to enjoy the sunset in the twenty minutes between the two games. While I was walking down to the shoreline one of the aforementioned ladies, a good friend of my wife, tried to coax me into joining them on the beach.

Beach This Morning

Being a dedicated fan, I explained I had to get back upstairs of the next game. This had nothing to do with the fact they were all enjoying adult beverages while I am currently forbidden, honest. I am that dedicated a fan. I also forgot my sunglasses but that’s another story. My daughter informs me the movie Coda actually is supposed to have subtitles for the sign language but the version I watched did not, either way, a fantastic movie. The beach walk was lonely this morning without my Favorite Panamanian but she returns later this morning. In other big news the Cantankerous Friend is actually looking into flights to come down and visit us. He would be our first Stateside visitor of the year.

The Daily Morning Pelican Conga Line

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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 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

Into Each Life

I know my frozen fellow New Englanders were expecting me to launch eloquently into how much luckier I am in the tropics while they suffered through the first blizzard of 2022. While I’ll probably get around to that, doubtlessly, I once again proclaim that life is not without its challenges her in paradise. Yesterday was a great example of that. While friends back home were digging out of more than two feet of snow I was officially banned from both boogie boarding and swimming in the pool for five days. Shocking. I know. Let me explain.

Our Sunset Walk Last Night

About a week and a half ago I noticed my left ear was itching deep inside. I went with my default response which was to insert first my little finger and then a series of q-tips to address the itch. I learned yesterday that wasn’t the smartest response. I learned that from a very cute Panamanian doctor but in reality my Favorite Panamanian has been telling me that for years but, well, you know. I kept waiting for the ear to feel better but it was taking the opposite tact. I didn’t tell my wife about the condition because her default response to even the mildest of maladies is a doctor visit.

We Watched the Weather Coverage Yesterday

The FBR was Ready to Play in Snow

I’m a victim of my upbringing in the Army where, especially if you were an officer, you were expected to ignore sickness and injury. It is the ultimate “rub a little dirt on it” organization. You were expected to grin and bear it and God forbid you go see the readily available doctor and get issued the dreaded physical profile. I’m guessing that attitude doesn’t work as well with a 66-year-old body as it did forty years ago. I’ve always been pretty good with pain but the ear was getting steadily worse. On Friday my jaw started hurting on that side while I was chewing and I thought by Monday maybe, just maybe, I would need to see a doctor.

Friday Sunset

Saturday Morning on Beach

Yesterday morning during our morning walk on the beach my wife noticed the ear was swelled almost shut and I then mentioned the jaw pain. This stopped her in her tracks and she said we had to go to a doctor. She was even more shocked when I agreed (see above comment about my Army instilled attitude and our forty years together). She realized at that point that it was probably worse than I was admitting. She turned us around immediately and was soon on the phone back to her mother and sister who secured an appointment with the aforementioned attractive doctor.

Wife During First Friday

I was truly impressed with the medical facility after a mad dash from Las Lajas to make appointment time. It was immaculately clean and professionally run. The doctor examined the ear while hearing a recitation of my malfeasance in regard to ear care from my Favorite Panamanian. She told me the only way you should clean your inner ear is with your elbow. I, of course, fell for it and told her that was impossible and she said, “Exactamente!”. She said the ear was seeping pus and had spread to my throat. She said if I waited until Monday, it could have been serious. I thought it sounded fairly serious on Saturday.

Sunset Last Night

I was prescribed an anti-biotic injection as well as a series of other drugs. We have also arrived at the point where I received my five-day ban from swimming. She said this type ear infection is typical at this time of year in Panama and can be traced to swimming pools. Oh, and to my wife’s delight I will not be able to drink beer during the five days due to the anti-biotics I’m taking. While my wife settled up the prodigious bill (less than $30), I was sent to get my shot. I was greeted by an even more attractive young nurse who shepherded me to a bed as she drew the curtains. She then launched into a set of instructions spoken very quickly in Spanish.

I’m fairly proud of my ability to speak and understand Spanish but I was a bit confused. I thought I was going to get a shot in my arm but I could swear she told me to lay face down and drop my pants and underwear below the butt cheek I wanted the shot in. She had departed before I could confirm her instructions. I figured I was getting the shot in the butt but I was also concerned my Spanish had failed me and she’d come back to find me with my pants down while she was going to give me a shot in the arm. Nothing ventured, northing gained at this point, so I followed the instructions I thought I was given and was rewarded with the butt injection which took longer than I expected. I think I set a personal record for having a needle stuck in my nether regions.

Beach This Morning

We followed up the medical visit with a stop by my mother in law’s house to thank her and my sister in law for their help with the appointment. We secured the prescribed medications and then secured a meal of chicken wings to share with them before returning to Las Lajas. Over lunch as my wife waxed happily about my beer ban, I remarked I was lucky the ban would be lifted in time for First Friday. My Favorite Panamanian disagreed and said it was for a longer period of time before I assured her, I had completely understood the doctor and she specifically mentioned “Thursday” as the end. My wife is nothing if not dedicated. We also noticed the swelling was already going down thanks to the shot. Las Lajas greeted our return with a truly spectacular sunset as my Favorite Panamanian and I completed the walk we started that morning.

Last night, at the urging of my daughter, we watched a movie I truly hopes wins the upcoming Academy Award for best picture. If you haven’t seen Coda yet, do yourself a true favor and do so. This movie is all about family and heart. It surrounds the story of a high school girl who is the only member of her family who can hear. They cast deaf actors to play the family and they were awesome. I really appreciated that they didn’t subtitle the many conversations conducted strictly through sign language and the actors involved truly rose to the occasion by telling the story eloquently if silently. The movie was set and filmed in Gloucester which I visited earlier this year. I defy anyone to watch the last ten minutes of this movie and not get teary eyed. After the movie we took a picture of my wife attempting the last sign language used in the movie which means, I really love you, and sent it to my daughter to thank her for recommending this special movie.

Photo We Sent to Our Daughter

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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 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

Shower Investigations

I’m feeling a little embarrassed today as I watch the news reports of the storm heading towards the east coast and virtually everybody in the States that I love. I’m listening to the waves break outside the balcony as I type this with temperatures in the low 90s and a nice off shore breeze. The people I care about are facing what the hyperbolic news crews are calling a “bomb cyclone” of a Nor’easter. That doesn’t sound even mildly nice, hence the guilty feeling. While I am a huge fan of lording my tropical surroundings over my frozen friends and family usually, I do feel a bit remorseful that I’ll be having it so easy while they are getting pummeled. Honest. I’m being completely truthful here. Not buying it, huh?

Sunset Crew Last Night

I’m sure the granddaughters are psyched as they are all huge fans of the white stuff, especially if a certain saucer is involved. The FBR doesn’t like to appear on the Facetime screens anymore but she popped right up when I mentioned the storm and possible snowfall. My daughter confirmed that there would be enough snow to play in. I’m trying to remember the age where I stopped looking forward to snow storms. I’m sure it was about the point my parents split up and I, as the newly crowned “man of the house”, was getting hauled out of bed at oh dark thirty in the morning to shovel the driveway so my mother could drive to work. We had a long driveway.

Sunset Last Night

Nothing much to report on here, however, just to demonstrate that life in the tropics is not without challenges, the hot water heater in the condo is on the fritz. I know. Devastating. It was one of the things I had my wife confirm when we were looking into buying the condo, it needed to have hot water. It’s not something that’s common in many homes in Panama and my Favorite Panamanian has always laughed at my absolute need to have hot water to shower in. A hold over from my Army days was to cherish the piping hot shower to wash the grime of weeks spent running around the woods with well-armed friends. I should explain that the water that comes out of the faucet here isn’t really cold, a la New England. It is, at best, lukewarm.

Sunsets Sometimes Have a Second Wave of Spectacular Colors

We’re going to get it fixed but until then I’m showering with “cold” water. I know, poor baby (saying that before Great Aunt can). It’s not as if I can forego the shower either because of the whole sand getting into every nook and cranny during my daily boogie boarding and beach time. After “intense” investigation I have learned that lukewarm showers and air conditioning are mutually exclusive, at least for a wimp like me. The upside, there’s shower in the common area at beach which is not airconditioned and I can comfortably take my nightly shower down here. I’m just glad the towel I wrap around my waist hasn’t failed. Yet. I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling happy about that.

Beach This Morning

Finally, for those of you concerned about the sea bird my wife wanted to adopt yesterday, we ran into him again today during our morning walk. He is now officially an ex-bird. This confirmed my concerns about trying to help him, especially if he didn’t die of old age. Nature was running its course as the seemingly ubiquitous hordes of beach crabs were having their way with the carcass. Speaking of carcasses, a puffer fish washed up on shore last evening but apparently even vultures have standards because they swooped down repeatedly this morning but after checking it out, they left it alone. I was wondering about this and learned the puffer fish is the second most poisonous vertebrae in the world. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote. Things that make you go hmmm! Vultures are smarter than they look.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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 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

Date Night Revival

Okay, I’ve been away from Frail Deeds for a couple days. I know all you frozen New Englanders have been missing my daily recitation of just how beautiful life on a tropical beach paradise can be and yes, I know all about the potent nor-easter bearing down on you for Saturday. (honestly, I do feel bad about that) I had to tear myself away, actually under orders from my Favorite Panamanian, to make a supply run back to David. We were out of beer so it was a mission critical situation. We also needed some food, I think. It was weird as this was the first time in a couple weeks that I wore shoes and long pants. I missed the beach almost immediately. The evening before we left, the local pelicans put on a stunning aerial display. I see them every day, mostly cruising in large lines along the top of the surf. They must have finally spotted a school of fish because they were dive bombing into the water between waves. It was pretty cool.

Favorite Panamanian and I on our Beach Walk This Morning

Hard to See Photos of Pelican Dive Bombing Campaign

We used the opportunity of our return to my wife’s hometown to rejuvenate our Tuesday date night tradition by going to a movie while in David. We went to a brand-new theater in a recently opened massive shopping mall (yes, they still have them down here). The movie was godawful but the theater was a delight and not just because we qualified for senior citizen tickets of $2.25 apiece. Everything was top notch (except the movie – reviewed below) and the seats were more comfortable than back home in Worcester. They had all the same Covid protocols that we have to follow there as well. Before the movie, we took my mother-in-law and my wife’s twin sister out for lunch at a new (for me) restaurant I had driven by on my last visit. It was called “Beef” so there is no need to explain the attraction.

Wife and her Mom Amidst the Bougainvilleas

The Bird

We followed that with a trip up to the picturesque mountain town of Boquete. The stated reason was to secure Italian ice cream but my wife was also in search of a turkey to follow the tradition of creating our normal Christmas dinner here for her family. We thought we would get lucky in Boquete since there is a large population of ex-pat Americans living there. We were a day late as the store managers said all the turkeys had been sent back, literary the day before. It was still a nice ride up into the mountains. I was inveigled into a stop on the way back at a plant and flower vendor. My Favorite Panamanian has a plan to plant three bamboo plants in pots on our balcony to soak up some the worst afternoon sun since it interferes with her afternoon telenovela watching. We didn’t find the bamboo plants but she is totally incapable of walking by bougainvillea plants. I consider these thorn ridden plants as my personal nemeses back home. She has three large ones that invariably end up pricking me whenever I walk within range. My wife narrowed it down to two of the beastly things and asked me which I preferred. My answer of “neither” was noted but ignored. The damned thing pricked me all the way back to the beach from its back seat perch. I also saw a dramatic bird flitting through the store, it was solid black with a striking red band . The picture I was able to get doesn’t do it justice. Panama ends up being the winter home for many migrating birds and this was probably an example because I’d never seen the like before.

We returned late yesterday afternoon to find blood on the kitchen floor. That was an unnecessarily dramatic way of saying our freezer door had popped open and the hamburger in the door had thawed and bled out. My wife was convinced the freezer had failed but I noted it was still working and that if you’re not careful when you close the refrigerator door the freezer door pops open. Apparently this happened as we were leaving the day before and the freezer was open to tropical temps for more than 24 hours. We closed the door and prayed (okay that was mostly her) and after a couple hours things were freezing again. I was treated to a truly spectacular sunset while my Favorite Panamanian went to church in nearby Las Lajas (we hadn’t confirmed the freezer was really working yet).

Sunset Last Night

Seen from the Pool

This morning the buzzards had stolen another fish carcass from one of the sea eagles directly in front of the condo. The eagle seemed to making his case to the deaf ears of the vulture. My Favorite Panamanian joined me for the morning beach walk to insure I received my daily ribbing about the mystery woman I wrote about last week. The walk was wildlife laden. We came upon a pack of five stray dogs. They looked to be having the time of their lives cavorting in the waves. They were friendly enough but quickly passed us by when they figured out we had no food to give them.

Buzzards and Eagle

Beach This Morning

The Dog Pack

On the way back we came upon one of the ubiquitous beach birds sitting on the beach. We knew something was off when he didn’t fly away upon our approach. We stopped and my wife immediately went into her hypersensitive mode, concocting all kinds of scenarios on how the bird ended up there. I got a good look at him and said he was just old and tired. She wanted to pick him up but I intervened saying picking up a potentially sick bird was an incredibly bad idea. She claimed the dog pack we passed by earlier would come back and eat him. While I thought that was exactly what was going to happen, I told her they had passed him by once and if they came back, he would probably find the strength to fly. For some unfathomable reason she listened to me and we don’t have a pet sea bird, although she did roundly counsel the flock of birds further down the beach for abandoning their elder.

The Sedentary Bird

The movie we saw was Vanguard by old friend Jackie Chan. Since we saw the movie in Panama all the Chinese logos were present including a lead in by the Chinese Communist Party. They also made several funny remarks such as suggesting a Captain America doll was actually a Captain China doll and Captain China could kick Captain America’s butt. As stated above, it was a Jackie Chan movie so I didn’t go in expecting Shakespeare. It was dubbed in Spanish and Jackie was equally eloquent in Spanish as he is in English. It was nice adventure yarn surrounding a Chinese businessman protected by Jackie’s security agency who run afoul of an Arab terrorist network. There was some really bad CGI but awesome action scenes featuring the new generation of Chinese martial art actors. I found myself pulled in, what can I say, I’m a fan. Jackie in deference to his advanced years, left most of the action to the youngsters but did get in a couple fights himself, although shot from a comfortable distance. I’ve always appreciated Chan’s self-depreciating humor. There was a very funny scene when the youngsters jumped off a balcony in pursuit of the bad guys; Jackie runs up as if to follow them and then, with a smirk to the cameras, went in search of the nearest escalator. A lot of fun but inch deep in anything outside of the fight scenes.  

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course; 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 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