We got our 2022 guest hosting off to a
great start yesterday which shouldn’t surprise me since it featured some of the
stalwart member of the Panamanian Mafia from our days in Northern Virginia. The
Panamanian involved is also a Chiricana (native of the province of Chiriqui) like
my Favorite Panamanian and we picked up the friendship like a day hasn’t passed
since we were last together. That’s the mark of really good friends and these folks
certainly qualify. They were also amongst the few friends able to visit us here
last year during our April-long stay.
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| Our First Guests of 2022! |
One of the best parts of that last visit
were the huge waves that my counterpart and I challenged with boogie boards. My
only complaint about our stay here so far has been the uncharacteristically
small waves. I was commenting on this to him as we walked out into the surf. We
hadn’t been out there for more than ten minutes before some more representative
waves started rolling in and the rides were on. I complimented him on fixing my
boogie board issue as his presence seemed to reawaken Las Lajas’ large waves.
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| Beach Time |
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| At the Show Pony |
The ladies were back on shore devouring
one of my wife’s pizza dips which hasn’t lost anything off its fastball with the
trip south. It didn’t last long after the boogie boarders returned from the
surf. After declaring victory over the pizza dip we walked the short distance
down the beach to the Show Pony Hotel for a very fun lunch. One of the characteristic
expressions of my wife’s province of Chiriquí is “Meto!” which is used for
everything and reminds me of the Army’s overuse of the expression, “Hooah!!”. I
mention this because I had my first ever “Hamberguesa Meto” at the Show Pony
and it was fabulous. The company was even better as we celebrated being
together again.
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| Sunset Prep |
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| And First Friday, Of Course! |
They treated us to the lunch in celebration
of our pseudo 40
th anniversary and I walked them through the origins
of celebrating the first Friday of very week. This translated nicely as we
returned to our beach and continued the revelry. A short time later, the Family
First Friday Facetime Call started and my frozen family members back in the
states were appropriately jealous as the palm trees swayed in the background as
we talked. My wife, who as a Panamanian should know better, set up her chair directly
below one of the palm trees and its package of coconuts. I mentioned this might
not be smart for which I received the usual wifely response of superiority that
I dared to question her. The rest of the group moved to the pool while I
finished up the call.
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| Mafia in the Pool |
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| The Near Miss |
Shortly after my wife left, a small coconut
fell directly in front of her chair and would have nailed her feet if she had
been there. I made sure she was aware of this near miss and for just a moment
her wifely disdain was shaken. It’s all about life’s small victories. After the
pool we set up on the beach for the sunset. While last night’s sundown was
probably the least spectacular so far it was certainly the most enjoyable
because the group we had assembled to view it. Life is all about time spent
with family and friends and these friends are close to meeting both labels.
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| Beach this Morning |
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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 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
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