Final Geo-Batching

I have been abandoned, once again, by Favorite Panamanian as she enjoys three of our remaining days with her mother. I certainly don’t begrudge her this time with her mom, which everyone my age can tell you is something to be cherished. Having to spend my time as a geographical bachelor isn’t really onerous given my location. She didn’t depart without giving me a couple missions to accomplish. It’s almost like she’s worried I can’t handle the time unsupervised. I’m really getting anxious (in a very good way) about our impending redeployment date. The rainy season has descended in force over the past few days with bright mornings followed by gloomy afternoons and tropical downpours in the afternoon. There has even been a concerted effort by Mother Nature to deny us the typically spectacular Las Lajas sunsets. (I know, I can hear Great Aunt now, Poor Baby”). This doesn’t, of course, mean the upstairs neighbors and I haven’t gathered daily to celebrate the sunset, even unseen. Yesterday, when we assembled, we were literally surrounded by thunderstorms and at one point we had to retreat under one of the beach ranchos when the rain arrived, but we kept the faith. Sunset, unobserved, was cerebrated.

Surrounded at Sunset Yesterday

I’ve completed the two major tasks my distant spouse assigned me. The first was to re-caulk the wall of windows in our condo living room. This was certainly needed as a couple of the more vigorous rains have seeped through the bottom of the windows in places. Removing the old caulk was easy as it been baked in direct tropical sun for the past six years. I accomplished the removal during a cloudy period and I thought I was all set for the application phase. Such was not the case as the sun returned as if it resented my work. So that was fun. When I spoke with my Favorite Panamanian last night about today’s task, removing rust form the balcony railings, she couldn’t resist offering me some advice/direction. She said I should do it before my morning beach workout as that would mean before the sun hit the balcony. Based on my solar adventures of the past day I did just that, although I didn’t tell her. I have to maintain a modicum of dignity.

The Window Caulking

Balcony Railings

While dodging the rain at the last few sunset ceremonies, I’ve expressed my frustration to the Upstairs Neighbors about the large tree root that drifted onto the beach a couple months ago. It has led a charmed life while obstructing views. There have been several attempts to drag it away or send it back into the surf, all unsuccessful. For a couple weeks I’ve been planning an evening bonfire centered around it. It has baked in the sun for those two months and would have gone up like tinder, just those couple weeks ago. I’m not a superstitious guy, but I swear it’s taking to laughing at me as it gets soaked each day and to add insult to the equation, we’ve had the highest tides of the year this week so it’s getting further soaked. One dry day though and it will be ashes. Yep, just about time for me to go home if driftwood is talking to me.

The Cursed Root

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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; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother in law; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course