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Since this will be my last post of 2023, before I have trouble remembering we’re in 2024 (thank God I rarely write checks anymore), I am pleased to report our annual southern deployment is complete. It was not without its challenges, the main being having to get up at 2am on Thursday morning. We went with Knight’s Limo for the trip to the airport and the van showed up just before 3am. This was preceded by the usual two days of intense cleaning supervised by my Favorite Panamanian. I would be a little more circumspect if I was in charge, since only the house sitter will see the conditions over the next four months, but I’m not my wife. We tried to go to bed early and I thought, as tired as we both were, this meant we would get some sleep. I was wrong. According to my trusty watch I obtained two hours of sleep prior to the wakeup. I’m a victim of my night owl ways.

The Greeting in David

The rest of the trip went really well. We opted for business class seats as a Christmas present to ourselves and that made all the difference. We arrived in Panama City around 1:30pm and were on a plane to David a couple hours later. My wife’s entire family was waiting for us and our bags were some of the first that came out. Luckily my brother-in-law had a truck because we do not travel light for this four-month sojourn. Although we were operating on fumes at this point, we had to make the traditional family dinner at El Fogon. My favorite waiter required I catch him up on everything since we left last April.

Dinner at El Fogon

There was no problem falling asleep Thursday night even though we went to bed early. Apparently operating on 2 hours sleep and traveling five thousand miles is what it takes. We spent Friday laying in supplies at a couple grocery stores and the local vegetable stand (that last was predictably all my Favorite Panamanian). Since we were bringing my mother-in-law and my wife’s two sisters with us, we had a logistical problem, especially since, even without these passengers, we’d be hard pressed fitting our luggage in the car, not to mention all the food we had bought. Once again, my brother-in-law came to the rescue and we all set out for Las Lajas together.

Our Car Packed
No Room for the Luggage

Pizza Dinner

We arrived just as the sun was setting to learn that the condo elevator was not working. That meant everything in our vast collection of luggage and supplies needed to be carried up two floors worth of stairs. The new condo caretaker stepped up and helped (a lot) and although I was completely soaked in sweat after we got everything upstairs, it really felt like coming home as we set about putting everything away. After the kitchen was taken care of we drove back to the village of Las Lajas and renewed our relationship with the best pizza place. We were remembered and the pizza was excellent. My wife was a little upset that the accompanying gelato place was down due to a faulty freezer but the owner had saved some selections in her freezer which were very tasty.

Good Morning Beach from our Balcony

The Crowded Beach This Morning

Back to the condo where I tackled my one suitcase and quickly evacuated the bedroom as the four Panamanian ladies descended on my wife’s five suitcases. A lot of those suitcases were taken up with presents and clothes she was gifting to her sisters. That meant an hours long fashion show that stretched to after midnight. Luckily I got Netflix working while this was going on. That was followed this morning, after I re-established my morning beach workout routine, with getting the Super Streamer operating. I waited out the peak sun hours watching the Patriots latest debacle and then the Red Zone. Our upstairs neighbors showed up later in the day as we got in our pre-sunset boogie boarding (yep, still doing that). The ladies are prepping for our New Years celebration so I better get this posted before they note I am unemployed. Just so you won’t feel deprived I’m including the obligatory sunset photos (you had to know that was coming).

My View at Breakfast

One Very Happy Camper

As Promised

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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