Of Pelicans, Small Dogs, and Shopping Purgatory

We returned late last night from our day in David, too late for the caretaker to help me lug our purchases up the stairs (he was asleep). It was our typical Tuesday back in my Favorite Panamanian’s hometown as we laid in supplies for the week with the added and welcome requirement of insuring we had enough for Great Aunt when she arrives on Friday. We were uniformly successful; we even located the elusive half and half. We failed on this last year as it isn’t a regular on Panamanian grocery shelves and we’d never noticed because neither of us drink coffee. We hit a total of eight stores in our quest. We had a few other purchases to make, including longer HDMI cables for the television so we could take full advantage of its new mobility. We ended the day at the movie theater before the late-night drive back to the condo.

Wife and I Sunsetting
Our Condo Behind Us (with sun screen down)

I’ve written before about the pelicans of Las Lajas. They are a fairly ubiquitous feature of the beach. They cruise the top of the waves each morning. I always greet them with a loud “Pelicanos!!”, when they pass by during the morning bogie board session. In the afternoon they cruise much higher in a stately formation above the beach, usually right by our balcony. I knew I I was going to write about them so I was looking for a picture of them as they passed by in the afternoon (the morning was easy). I kept the phone ready as I lay on the couch watching the NFL playoffs and missed each time they floated by (they never came by on a commercial!!!). I finally got a shot of them as they headed into the sun after passing by, take my word for it though, it’s a very cool sight. I guess you’ll have to come to Las Lajas to fully experience it. Note – just as I was writing this a huge formation passed by but I was too late to get out there to capture it. These daily observations lead to a question of when these guys eat. I know they descend on any fishing boat out in the bay but it would seem they waste a lot of time cruising the beach, but hey, who hasn’t?

Morning Pelicans Cruising the Waves

Elusive Afternoon Bunch
Halfway between Sun and Treeline

We had some day visitors on Monday when my brother in law’s ex and her two daughters as well as my mother in law spent the day with us. They brought a very small dog (true rat with a hormone problem) with them. It was a long, hot hazy day at the beach and I could tell my Favorite Panamanian had aimed the rat at me with the intention of continuing her campaign to get me to buy a small dog for her. I will admit I enjoyed playing with it although I was more concerned about that the large birds that frequent the beach would take a run at him. Dogs, of any size, are true companions but I couldn’t stand the constant yapping of a small dog.

Visiting Rat

Newly Mobile TV - New HDMI Cords worked!

We went to see Anyone But You while back in David. I wasn’t prepared to like this movie as much as I did. I will admit the chance to see Ms. Sweeny in various bikinis did a lot for me but this movie is an equal rights teaser as my wife is now in love with Glen Powell. They both make a hugely attractive couple jumping through the rom-com hoops as required. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would and the setting of Australia was beautifully shot. The two stars meet in a Boston coffee shop (meet cute all the way) and spend a glorious day together only to fall afoul of fate (otherwise, no movie) and end up hating each other. They are thrown together with an invite to the Australian wedding where the predicable happens despite all the roadblocks they as well as their friends and family throw up. It was about an inch deep but a thoroughly enjoyable, harmless romp. The screen credits at the end were absolutely hilarious.

Sunset, Of Course

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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

Weekend Rescue

Continuing the chronicle of my life of indolence. Our upstairs neighbors had to travel this past weekend which endangered our social prospects for the weekend. Luckily the lately arrived final members of the “Seis” (see last post) rode to the rescue. They were scheduled to leave on Sunday but they delayed that until Monday which granted us an additional sunset social hour. The “Seis” did perform one last turn Friday night before the upstairs neighbors departed Saturday morning. We knocked out the sunset ceremony and then re-assumed our seating in the Panamanian couple’s truck for the drive into Las Lajas for Sunset Pizza. We were joined by Chow Mein, the stray kitten that haunts the outdoor plaza (I mistakenly called him Chop Suey). It was the usual good time whenever this bunch gets together.

Friday Night at Sunset Pizza

The condo was fairly well stocked for the weekend but without the usual complement of teenagers. The sunsets were truly magnificent, some of the best we’ve experienced this year. The sunset social hour usually lasts until a little after 7pm after the sun disappears around 6:45. However we were having such a good time that the Saturday social hour extended until well after 9. We were joined by another group from the condos and they had a very cool small, portable fire place which added some serious atmosphere. Eventually we ran out of beer and declared victory.

Saturday Night Fire

Sunday Night Sunset with the Gang

I was challenged on Sunday’s sunset with the NFK playoffs around the same time but the social hours won out so I missed the second half of the AFC championship and the first quarter of the NFC. It was time well spent though. We completed our catch-up session with the Panamanian couple. At the recent condo meeting my Favorite Panamanian volunteered for the committee charged with beautifying the condo complex so there was a lot of Pinterest photos exchanged. This is what retirement was supposed to be like; having good for friends make it even more so. I am singularly blessed in my life with the friends I have been bestowed with. We’re now gearing up for the Friday arrival of Great Aunt, totally psyched!

Finally, the ABFA sent this video of BR3 indicating she is feeling much better, although she has passed on her flu to both her parents as she retains her title as the family’s Typhoid Mary. The video is way too cute. It may be hard to hear but she says, referring to her art project, “I made this for abuela, she will love it because it was made by me”. That kid.

The Latest Sunsets

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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

The “Seis” Ride Again

I’m a little distracted today despite some very positive developments around here. BR3 had a health crisis yesterday involving a very high fever, including a visit to the emergency room, that can be very scary. My mother went through it with me and my Favorite Panamanian and I did likewise with BR3’s dad when he was only eight months old. Her fever spiked in the afternoon and she was rushed to the hospital. My son was just going into a dentist appointment when he was informed and left immediately (so, silver lining). BR3’s usually so full of life, including a call with us the night before, that it was shocking to hear. This is the downside of being so far from family at times like this. She went home last night and our son FaceTimed us this morning so we could see her. I was poolside with my ab workout when my wife called down that BR3 wanted to see “Grampy” (her newest nickname for me). That was the fastest I’ve mounted those stairs in the entire time we’ve been here. She looked a little wan but had the same devilish twinkle in her eyes. We’re all praying she gets through this, diagnosed as a bad case of flu, without any setbacks. She informed me during the call that she was going to swim underwater when she visits us here in a month.

The Seis Amigos Yesterday

Now to those positive developments; the last two of what we’ve taken to calling the “Seis Amigos” (six friends) arrived at the condo yesterday. We had the annual condo association meeting the night before which was every bit as exciting as it sounds. The couple that comprise the Panamanian element of “the seis” combined with the upstairs neighbors and us for a sunset reunion. We were last all together at the sunset of the day my wife and I left the condo in April of last year. As is the case with good friends, we picked up right where we left off and the sunset ceremony lasted until well after 9pm. It was so good to all be together again.

Son and BR3 Last Night

Earlier in the day, my Favorite Panamanian’s latest home redecorating project took place. Note – I blame Pinterest for all of this. She decided the wall behind the living room television needed a face lift. Pinterest gave her some ideas and she landed on a composite wall covering. During the time she spent in David this week she met with our handyman and bought the necessary materials. He showed up yesterday with his assistant to install. The first thing they did was start banging on the wall with hammers which caught my attention. They carved out a trench into which they installed a PVC pipe where all the USB cables connected to the TV will pass. After that they systematically went about gluing the material to the wall. I have to admit it looks gorgeous and is definitely an upgrade. They also installed a new swivel mount for the tv so we can tilt it towards the table where we usually eat. I’m amazed at talented craftsmen at work. When it came time to install the new tv mount they didn’t even look at the instructions, they just figured it out looking at all the parts. It would have taken me an hour and they did it in five minutes. We’re going to have to buy longer USB cables if we want to take full advantage of the new mobility. My Favorite Panamanian has scheduled a meeting with another craftsman who will hopefully build a new set of cabinets to go under the tv. Damn Pinterest!

Sizing up Where the Trench will Go

First Piece of Material Goes Up

Final Result - Awesome!

Of course, the biggest positive development was the return of my Favorite Panamanian from that David stay. She came back a little tried from squiring her mother around but with a certain sense of having done the right thing. I passed her initial inspection of the stage of cleanliness of the condo (it was a close run thang). To stay out of trouble, I completed a puzzle that I found in storage. It had all the pieces which was major surprise. So, all positive here on the beach but I can’t help my thoughts swimming north to my son and his family.

Completed Puzzle

Beach Yesterday Morning

Last Couple of Sunsets

Father in Law Stopping By

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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

Solitarity

Yeah, I know it’s not a word, but maybe it should be. I’m into day three of a five day period of solitude as my Favorite Panamanian is spending some time with her mom back in David. I don’t begrudge her this because I know how precious time with an aging mom is. I was cheated out of the same with my mom by her untimely death just a couple years before I retired from the Army and returned to New England. So, I’m here at the condo with no car and a dwindling supply of food and beverages, but she’ll be back tomorrow.

Daily Sunset Ceremony with Upstairs Neighbors

Her absence has caused me to reflect (so sue me). I’m not cut out any more for a life of isolation. When I’m being counseled by her(which happens daily), I wish for some alone time. while time with the wife can be challenging with her, at times, orneriness; I miss the almost constant entertainment her presence can also represent. She’s always full of energy and a continuous source of opinion, much of which is rightfully aimed in my direction. She makes me a better man, or at least more honest with myself. She’s also possessed of those flashing eyes, which have lost nothing in terms of impact. I’m so married.

She’s stayed busy back in her hometown. She’s taken her mom for visits to Bocaron (home of a former member of the Worcester chapter of the Panamanian Mafia) and Boquete (where gelato will probably be involved). In the interim, she’s also met with the cell phone vendor to sort out a problem and purchased what is called a “pergola wall” to go behind the condo’s living room television. That last item is proof positive that Pinterest is a dangerous website. She also met with our handyman who will install the new wall on Thursday.

Could Not Stop Laughing When I saw this
This Happens So Often with her

Life has been a lot less stressful here at the beach. I’ve continued my assault on the expanded waistline those damnably delicious Christmas cookies produced. I haven’t washed the dishes immediately after the meal and toilet seats are in a constant state of present arms (there are some benefits to her absence). Thank God for the upstairs neighbors who are the only other residents in the condo now. He came down to watch the NFL game Sunday night. We had a full complex over the weekend including some more thongs (win!). A fairly well-crafted wooden chair washed up on shore on Sunday. This kind of thing happens a lot here, probably due to ocean currents and weird happenings on boats beyond the horizon. The upstairs neighbors claimed the chair and have plans for refurbishing it to become a conversation piece, complete with barnacles.

Chair Rescue

Sunset Ceremony Last Night

Yesterday they invited me to attend a party of American ex-pats down the beach. My immediate thought was that I didn’t want my wife to hear I was out partying while she was chaperoning her 91-year-old mom, so I turned them down. I was later roundly criticized by the Favorite Panamanian for not attending (I’ll take that because I know how she’d react if I had gone). That left me alone on the beach for the daily sunset ceremony. This meant no beer because I refuse to drink alone. That was when I felt the most alone but my wife’s dad stopped by for a visit. My wife is convinced a small bird that joins us right at sunset each day is inhabited by the spirit of either her dad or similarly deceased sister. It brought a smile to my face when he showed up.

Father in Law Stops By

My Morning Workout Location

Last Few Sunsets

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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