Pelican Watch

Great Aunt and I have been abandoned by my Favorite Panamanian! Of course, we’re getting the better part of the deal since we get to stay at the beach while my wife drove back to David to run errands for her mother for the next couple days. I’m suer shopping will sneak in somewhere along the line. My big sister and I are enjoying the panorama that is Playa Las Lajas. She is particularly taken with the abundant pelicans. They cruise the top of the breaking waves in the morning and spend the afternoons gliding in huge formations on the thermals above the beach.

Pelicans Cruising Great Aunt

Great Aunt is committed to getting in better shape and we’ve increased the length of our daily beach walks each day since she’s been here. Yesterday the pelicans chose to recognize her effort and came out in formation to greet her. She’s a nature lover and was entranced. The condo building was relatively full over the weekend, with four other families in residence, but she still marvels at how uncrowded this place is. She confirmed my impression that if this beach was in the USA it would be overrun with development. We have the entire condo complex to ourself today. She’s down on the beach as I write this, which she has completely to herself. I’m guessing immersion in her “happy place” (the pool) is imminent.

Great Aunt Contemplating the Pacific

Sunset Last Night

We watched the NFL conference championship games together yesterday, sandwiched around the daily sunset viewing ceremony. Both teams we wanted to win  lost but so it goes during the Patriots downturn. This chemo-site on the back of my shoulder is growing increasingly troublesome each day but my resident nurse, Great Aunt, approved of the work it is doing on the biopsy site (still, itches like crazy when it isn’t painful). I’ve taken it upon myself to continue Great Aunt’s immersion therapy in the Marvel Universe. I’ve only got some of the movies here but she’s now seen Infinity War and Endgame which raises more interest in the movies that preceded it. I have taken it as my sacred duty to bring her up to speed. Right now, I’m due out there for our beach walk.

Beach This Morning

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Sibling-ing

Okay, I know that’s not a word, deal with it. Great Aunt has learned, to her delight, that all the praise I’ve heaped on Las Lajas over the past years was not exaggerated. I often said to my Favorite Panamanian over those same years that my big sister would absolutely love this place. She’s a real beach and pool person. Needless to say, we’ve got both with the added benefit of not having to worry about such mundane things such as cold water in either location. Great Aunt used to get mildly upset when I would send her pictures from here while she was suffering through a polar vortex back home. She abashedly admitted to doing the same thing over the past few days with some of her friends.

Sis and I at Saturday Sunset

With my Favorite Panamanian as well

Great Aunt is freaking out my Favorite Panamanian a bit with her sun worshipping. My wife has taken on the role of pseudo-dermatologist due to my repeated bouts with skin cancer. Speaking of that, putting this chemotherapy cream on my shoulder twice daily has turned into true torture, one week to go. My sister is freaking her out because she doesn’t think she needs to wear sun screen. We’ve tried to convince her that the sun down here is much closer than northern climes and can bring an absolute beating if ignored. She has begrudgingly applied some sun screen the last couple days.

Beach This Morning

She’s spent most of the past two days in either pool or enjoying the gentle breezes under our bohio on the beach. She’s a huge animal lover and is thoroughly fascinated with the wide range of birds that cruise the beach. She’d never seen a live pelican before and she’s now inundated with them each day. There was a very funny moment during the Family First Friday Facetime call. The FBR was shocked to see Great Aunt with us in Panama and quickly noticed that she had just come from the pool. You could see the longing that the pool-loving FBR experienced with this revelation. She’ll be here in a couple weeks and we anticipate a difficult time getting her out of the pool.

A Sampling of Saturday Sunset

We’ve fully indoctrinated Great Aunt into the mysteries of our daily, well lubricated, sunset ceremony which involves joining the rest of the condo residents on the beach to watch the sun sink into the Pacific. Friday was a bit of a disappointment as a distant cloud bank obscured the final moments but Saturday more than made up for it with a typically spectacular light show. Great Aunt also seems to have brought typical dry season Panama weather with her for the first time since we arrived. No rain, no humidity, temps in the 80s, and constant cooling breezes. In other words – paradise. The best part of the trip is the obvious relaxation she’s experiencing – she has more than earned that over the past year

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Sistah in the House

In an actual sense as well as Great Aunt arrived yesterday, taking her first vacation in years. There is no one on this green earth (at least here in Panama where it remains that color) who can deny that she wasn’t in need of a vacation after the past year. She and Soxfather were planning a trip here together last year when he was felled. We drove back to David yesterday to prepare for her arrival. Cantankerous Friend joked with me on Facebook about why I hadn’t partaken in the shopping with my Favorite Panamanian which I chronicled in my last post. He knows the answer all too well as I despise shopping on a very basic level.

Arrival in David

He would therefore have been laughing yesterday as I spent the whole day trailing behind my wife as we bought all the “needed” items for the condo to insure my sister’s enjoyment. I kept reminding her that we had to leave space in the car for Great Aunt’s luggage which she blithely assured me that she would make sure everything fit. Meanwhile Great Aunt had smartly spent Wednesday night in a Boston airport hotel; which facilitated the early morning flight call on a snowy day. We arrived in David to find a text from her saying she was on the plane awaiting takeoff.

Dinner at Terra with my Wife's Family

I sent her a detailed list of the different steps she would have to take to get on the plane and then make her way in Panama City to the domestic flight to David. Meanwhile I was in the seventh pit of hell shopping all day. Comically we ran into our new upstairs neighbors in one of the first stores we hit. My wife’s counterpart had accompanied her on the Monday shopping trip and had successfully dragged her husband back to David to further explore all the avenues my Favorite Panamanian had opened up for her. I shared a look of commiseration with my counterpart.

Beach This Morning

In the late afternoon we made our way to the airport to await Great Aunt’s arrival. She had a bit of adventure in Panama City where a long line at the immigration and customs counters caused her to almost miss the domestic flight. . It was so cool seeing my big sister walk through the door dragging her luggage. She was very excited to finally have a stamp in her passport. The domestic flight ended up doing a touch and go at David with the pilot claiming there were high winds that caused the need to lift off and circle one more time. Both my wife and I looked outside where there was virtually no wind blowing at all. It wouldn’t be a trip to Panama without some adventure inserted

Great Aunt with her Morning Coffee

My Favorite Panamanian volunteered to sit in the back seat, shoehorned in amongst our many purchases for the day. That meant Great Aunt was exposed up close and personal to the “delight” of driving in Panama, not for the weak of spirit. I tried to take it easy on her. My Favorite Panamanian’s family met us at Terra Ristorante which we identified as one of the two restaurants in David that offer a gluten free menu that my sis needs. The other one was a sushi place so my selection was fairly immediate. My wife’s family wanted to welcome my sister to Panama and we had a fabulous dinner. We’d never been to Terra before but it had the best pizza I’ve ever had in Panama. We’ll be back.

Beach Walk this Morning

A quick drive through the center of David to show my sister the church where we got married and we ran into a festival in the central square. We stopped in a yet another supermarket on our way back to Las Lajas to secure more gluten appropriate foodstuffs. All this meant a fairly late arrival in Las Lajas. After we unloaded everything and showed her around the condo. I then took her out to the dark beach where she could see the panoply of stars without the usual light pollution of Rhode Island living. She was properly amazed this morning when she walked out of her room to see the day time view. She’s currently in what she calls her “happy place”, the pool.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Hosed

Since we’re expecting a VIP guest tomorrow, Great Aunt, my Favorite Panamanian has been on one of her legendary cleaning binges. That means, so have I. Beach time was sacrificed today in order to fully clean windows that are usually covered with curtains. I’m told it’s important. The vacuum cleaner has been a true hero today, not so much the guy wielding it (I think she can sense my lack of total devotion to the effort). The already pristine condo will be sanitized to unprecedented levels by the time my sister arrives. Then the fun will start up again.

Wife Studying on the Beach Last Night

We also realized a long planned goal today by installing a dryer vent hose. I wasn’t here when the unit was installed so I always assumed the dryer was vented out somewhere behind. It was. Directly into the room. Our new upstairs neighbor came up with a cool way around this conundrum. They attached a hose and then set it in the window during use. This was much easier than trying to get a large hole drilled into the building. As you can see from the photos it is pretty close quarters in the utility room so not optimal for someone with size, like me. The upstairs neighbor volunteered to help and was sprightly enough to jump in behind the unit and handle the connections there. This was after I vacuumed up four years’ worth of dryer lint. I was impressed.

New Hose Deployed

And Stored

I’m into my second week of applying the chemotherapy cream to the biopsy site on my back. This, until I finish in a couple weeks, is not a lot of fun. An area about the size of a small tea cup looks like it’s been scorched. It also hurts, but only when I move my arm. The cool water of the pool and the Pacific Ocean help to a certain degree so life isn’t intolerable. This sucks but it beats the alternative.

Was Out on Beach Star Gazing Last Night
Saw this Sliver of the Moon Reflected in the Water

Beach This Morning

Both my wife and I are studying for our driver’s exam. We have the 133 test questions of which ten will be given to us on the appointed day. I’ve learned that horses that ride on the public ways must be fitted with horseshoes. I took the test after four beers yesterday and scored 131 out of 133 so I think I’ll be okay. My Favorite Panamanian is stressing a little because she wants to understand why certain answers are right. I’ve tried to impress upon her that understanding isn’t as important as remembering the right answer. I’m a work in progress.

Yesterday's Sunset

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Spousal Safari

So, we’re getting to know our new gringo neighbors upstairs. They usually join us for our nightly worship of the setting sun and are close enough in age that we get along well (the old shared experiences situation). I bring this up because last week we were discussing their ongoing efforts to set up their newly acquired condo and bemoaning the fact they weren’t well acquainted with the shopping establishments in David, the nearest big city. You can all see where this is headed. I just so happen to be married to one of the Western World’s most accomplished and dedicated shoppers – my Favorite Panamanian. She also is a native of David so it was a match made in heaven (unless you’re considering cash flow considerations).

Had my Walking Partner Back This Morning

Yesterday's Wifeless Sunset

They set up a trip to David yesterday with a laundry list of items to purchase. They were accompanied by our resident PanaGal who was returning to David anyways. I heard rumblings throughout the day as my Favorite Panamanian informed me of the great items she found that she didn’t even realize we needed. I know. Amazing good fortune. I was sitting on the beach as the sun set with the other guy when our wives called to report their pillaging was complete, having run out of daylight, and were headed back to Las Lajas.

Husbands with our Carts Last Night

They showed up a little after eight last night and both of us went down to view the damage. My wife already had a wagon sized cart to haul our resupply runs up and our new neighbor was convinced it was a “need to have” item. The funniest moment of the day was seeing both of the carts fully loaded with the day’s booty dragged by the husbands into the condo. Although the ladies didn’t buy a couple of things they listed as the prime targets, boogie boards and curtain rods, they seemed to have done okay with supplementals, two wagons worth.

Re-Energized This Morning

I had my walking partner back for this morning’s walk where I received a full debrief on yesterday’s adventures. I didn’t receive one last night because she was so exhausted that she immediately went to bed. While she was gone yesterday, I took Facetime calls from the granddaughters. The FBR was encouraged to show me her injured foot which she sustained when, despite repeated warning from her parents, she performed gymnastic evolutions on the living room couch. She discovered the edge of the coffee table does not provide a soft landing spot. She sniffily reported that it didn’t hurt any more. The BRS and BR3 were in their usual high voice, aimed at each other for the most part. The BRS wanted to know about the crabs on the beach. I assured her they posed no risk and she would enjoy chasing them. BR3 attended her first official day of pre-school yesterday, having been promoted from the toddler class. By all reports it was a complete success. BR3 seemed to be preening with additional maturity.

Pre-Schooler

And Excited About It

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Visitation and the Playoffs

It’s been decidedly less isolated here over the past week. We had the PanaGal remain with us after her family returned to Panama City on Friday. This gave my Favorite Panamanian a partner in crime so I was left to my own devices, never a solid course of action. The visit was fortuitous since it coincided with this weekend’s NFL playoffs so I didn’t have to worry about the not so silent censure I sometimes receive for watching too much football. Added bonus – they made brownies!! It’s amazing how fast those things disappear, a complete mystery, of course.

First Friday Sunset

This meant I was on my own for my morning beach walks over the past couple days which is okay because it remains to be extremely cool to be walking on a tropical beach and having it completely to myself as far as I can see. I was finally able to get a picture of one of the roving crab herds I wrote about in my last post. It was a small one so imagine this herd about ten times larger and you’ll have an idea of what I’m seeing each morning. The birds have also discovered the enhanced menu and are in a serious swooping cycle to thin the herds, thoroughly entertaining (probably not for the crabs).

The Crab Herd

Friday Sunset

Saturday Morning Sun Rising over a Thankfully Extinct Volcano

Saturday Sunset & Wife

My beachside reading continues apace. I’ve now knocked off ten Jack Reacher novels since I arrived in Panama and am getting to ones I remember well. I love the Kindle’s ability to store so many books and last year discovered how much fun it was to circle back and read books from years past. Last year it was the Travis McGee novels and this year it’s all Reacher, so far. This has reduced the frustration of waiting for favorite authors to publish something new. An unintended consequence of getting older, I can’t remember the books I read years ago so it’s like experiencing them new all over again. Pretty cool.

Sunday Morning Beach

Solitary Beach Walk

Wife's Family Arrives

Our Bohio Was Full

Yesterday we were joined by large group from another branch of my wife’s extended family. It did everything to make me feel really old as the mother of two young children was someone I remembered as being a child herself seemingly last year. Her mother, now a grandmother twice over, is younger than either of my own children. Like I said, I’m old. It’s truly weird, or self-deceptive, how often that still surprises me. They were a fun group of ten that stayed the entire day with us on the beach.

Wife Happily Surrounded by Kids

Happily with a Baby

Beachside Nap Time

Wife with her Fam

Sunday Sunset

They had a four-month-old baby which immediately, and predictably, ended up in my Favorite Panamanian’s arms. I classified this as a needed granddaughter fix. This all freed me up to watch yesterday’s playoff games with even less of a chance of being in trouble. The games were fun and my upstairs neighbor joined me to watch Buffalo go down. The increased visitors this year is a great tendency and it only gets better from here. Later this week Great Aunt will be joining us for more than a week!!! Shortly after she departs, we’ll have all three granddaughters and their parental units in! It just doesn’t get any better than that. Oh, yeah, it’s snowing in Worcester right now.

FBR Had a Daddy Daughter Weekend

Intense

How do I Get One of those Axes?!

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RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                     

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete - my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during him her single days in Brooklyn; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; 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; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate– high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Soxfather - my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course