Rarity and the Incredible Shrinking World

We’re experiencing that rarest of events, especially for this time of year in Las Lajas, today– a gloomy day. Even as I’m writing this the sun just broke through and is burning off the cloud cover that uncharacteristically covered my morning beach workout. It was the remnant of a vigorous overnight rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning. It is yet another sign that the rainy season is about to descend upon us which in turn spells the end of our stay down here. Anyone who spent time in Panama during the rainy season (May-December) will understand the need to escape the torrential rains and pervasive humidity. I, of course, may be a bit prejudiced against it because I harken back to my lieutenant days when I spent a lot of time in the Panamanian jungle getting soaked for days on end. Granted, life is a whole lot easier now, what with the condo on the beach, but I do remember those days in the jungle being amongst the worst in my time in the Army (you ever try to fall asleep with rain falling on your face – you have to be really, really tired). I was so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best Soldiers I ever served with, who suffered alongside me.

Sitting with All my Friends for Sunset Yesterday

Yeah. I’m feeling a little reflective today. That happens when I must contemplate leaving this paradise in a couple weeks. I’m actually looking forward to that. Yesterday I was on my own for the First Friday of the Week sunset ceremony. It was an amazing sunset with the sky lit  up for a full 360 degrees (rare that). The Upstairs Neighbors were escorting their visitors to Panama City for their long flight home while my Favorite Panamanian was once again in church. I like to think she spends so much time there because she realizes what a long pull she has when it comes to praying for my soul. As I sat alone on the beach for that truly remarkable sunset, I brooded about how much smaller the world is getting.

That Sunset

I know what generated that line of thought. We had our usual First Friday Family Facetime call and Wingman joined us from Australia. He’s touring there with his band and woke up just in time to join us. It’s probably because I’m in Panama that these thoughts invaded. I remember, back in those lieutenant days, when I had to go to the post office and rent a booth to make a phone call to the States (like the time I called my mom to tell her I was getting married in a couple months - ouch). Now, I push a button on an iPad and I’m looking at not only my sister, my kids, and grandkids back in the States, but Wingman in Australia. The Upstairs Neighbors’ visitors, who spent the week admiring the sunsets with us on the beach are now in the air, somewhere over the Atlantic, winging their way home to the Middle East. A couple weeks from now I hope to be sitting down with my high school classmates in a small town in New Hampshire. Yep, a much smaller world.

Wingman in Australia

Those visitors, before they left, had the opportunity to meet the other two members of the Seis Amigos, which should be required for any visit to this beautiful country. I currently am the only resident of the condo complex. My Favorite Panamanian created a fabulous cake but I didn’t get even a sniff of it. She made it for a group of underprivileged children whom the church is hosting for lunch today. I did my part, in addition to fighting off the urge to steal a piece of cake, by helping her make sandwiches last night. So, she’s back in the village pursuing sainthood while I’m left alone to do my reflective bit. It is strange, for a weekend, that I’m the only one here as we usually get some of the Panamanian condo owners in. This gives me a full appreciation for the Upstairs Neighbors and their companionship.

Four of the Seis Amigos in Panama City

I’ve done my usual reading of the entire Travis McGee series (an annual event here on the beach) and, after knocking off a couple new books that showed up on the kindle, I started re-reading another of my favorite book series, the Matthew Scudder novels penned by Lawrence Block. It’s been a while since I revisited old friend Matt and I am once again caught up in his world as he struggles with guilt, crime, and alcohol. He’s such a compelling character who has to do a lot of introspection which is in line with my current mood. New York City is another character in all the Scudder novels and I once took a day trip to NYC just to visit all the different Scudder haunts Block writes about. That was one of the coolest days I’ve ever had, despite being by myself. Well, time to sign off, the sun is back out, gloom displaced and the waves are calling for my boogie board. It’s a tough life, but someone etc. etc.

My Wife's Cake for the Kids (damn 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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Gaming and an IT Breakthrough

It’s been a busy last few days. That is, busy for our usual tempo, what being a tropical paradise and all. I place the blame squarely on the Upstairs Neighbors who have some visiting family which has amped up the activity level in all the right ways. They’ve become an established part of the sunset crew and, as is wont to happen, fallen in love with boogie boarding. Their daughter showed up for the sunset with a half-coconut, filled with a rum drink. That, I just find inspiring. We convened another beach game night in their honor. We exposed them to the fun and frustration of Flip 7. The visiting son in law is a math teacher and saw some real world application within it. The ladies, unfairly, teamed up in what is supposed to be an individual game and won each round. Still, a great way to spend an evening. They’ve been a lot of fun to have around but unfortunately start on their long way home tomorrow. We’ve decided to convene a special pizza night for them since Sunset Pizza is supposed to reopen today and they should not leave Panama without experiencing the best pizza in the country along with the gelato. We’ve missed that so over the past couple weeks.

The Sunset Crew Including Third from the Left Whom I 
Mistakenly Left Out of a Sunset Crew Post

Daughter with her Coconut

Game Night with Cheating Ladies

I’ve become something of a handyman around the condo over the past couple days. No. I haven’t injured myself, which is the first question my Favorite Panamanian or my kids will ask when they hear I’ve been DIYing. I installed a couple rechargeable lights next to the new bed. They will come in handy when the next, inevitable power outage occurs. However, the main object of some sneaky pride on my part was my next completed task. I changed out the Wi-Fi router in the condo. I’ve never done anything like this and while it is remarkably easy, I was supremely nervous since it serves as our contact with the outside world. That became necessary when the condo association upgraded the internet provider and our old router (the original one that came with the condo eight years ago) was struggling at times to handle the data flow. Since you’re reading this, that means I was successful and I’m a little amazed at how much faster the connections now take place. I even updated the passwords in all the devices, including both TVs, all my wife’s devices, and the super streamer. Again, I know this is a simple task but tell that to someone from my generation attempting it without the help of their children (my dedicated IT advisors).

The Las Lajas Pelicans are Migrating North

The New Lights

I bought the new router yesterday when my Favorite Panamanian and I snuck back to David for groceries and a movie. It was a fun day despite the oven like heat always present in my wife’s hometown. We discovered a new lunch place, called Foster’s, located in the same shopping plaza where we signed the documents for our condo those eight years ago. The burger comes in third place for Panama which isn’t bad. My mother-in-law and both of my wife’s sisters joined us for the movie which was a lot of fun. We followed the movie with dinner at nearby Terra’s which was its usual awesome. There was a very funny display in the men’s room, of all places, featuring the three worst wines which plays on the what the word “Vino” means in Spanish. In addition to meaning “wine” is can also mean “is coming”. The three wines were “Vino de Suegra”, meaning the mother-in-law is coming, “Vino la Quenta” which means the bill is coming; and No le Vino, which can mean it’s not coming (with some other more ribald possibilities). We returned to the condo around ten last night just as the Upstairs Neighbors were returning from a day spent with their visitors in the mountains around Boquete.

Lunch at Fosters

Movie Time

Dinner at Terra's

The Funny Wines

The movie we saw was Jason Staham’s (my wife’s boyfriend) latest. A Working Man is an excellent action flick with Statham’s once again playing the everyman blessed with a back story involving elite military skills. The bad guys, once again, fail to take that into account when they kidnap the daughter of a close family friend. The expected carnage follows but this is so well done and Statham is so believable in both his acting and his athleticism that it is a joy to sit through. You almost feel sorry for the bad guys as they make the mistakes leading to their eventual comeuppance and loss of body parts. David Harbour shines in a small role as a former military buddy. This is an excellent follow-up to last year’s Beekeeper and proves Statham is still at the top of his game.

I’ve included a couple of other photos which found their way into my possession. The first features Namesake Nephew’s new daughter. She’s every bit as beautiful as reported. Those glowing reports come from Great Aunt who truly relishes her new role as grandmother. I tried to warn her how much fun it would be. The second is from my Favorite Panamanian's week back in David. She hosted a bunch of her high school friends for a baseball game which was roundly enjoyed. Panamanians are dedicated baseball fans and it’s hard to beat getting to hang with high school friends. I’ve done some dedicated investigation into this activity and can confirm it without hesitation

Newest Addition to the Fam

Wife with her Buddies

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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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

En Fuego Chapter 2

It has turned into one of the best weekends of the year so far. It all started on Friday, as weekends tend to do. The First Friday of the Week was significant as it marked the return of my Favorite Panamanian from her “Mom Week” back in David. While she missed the family Facetime call she returned in time for the Friday sunset which was marginally back up to Las Lajas standards after a grim week. She, of course, took credit for the return of the nightly light show. After the sun was adequately witnessed on its western journey, we amped up for the First Friday pizza in the village. Sunset Pizza is still closed for vacation (damn it) so we were back at Naturlamente, new home of Chow Mein the cat.

Friday Night Pizza

There was a nice addition to our usual crew as the daughter and son-in-law of the Upstairs Neighbors. Those new additions arrived after a truly epic journey across the globe, flying through Cairo, Toronto, and Panama City before arriving in David. While they had to be exhausted, they were still up for a pizza night proving their bona fides as worthy progeny of the Upstairs Neighbors. Chow Mein the cat made her usual appearance and seemed to have re-acquired her taste for pepperoni. She charmed the newly arrived son-in-law out of most of the pepperoni on his pizza.

Chow Mein in Begging Mode

As part of their visit, the Upstairs Neighbor had requested we do another beach bonfire, which we planned for Sunday. There was another huge piece of driftwood embedded in the beach near where our last conflagration took place. On Saturday I noticed that the tide, thanks to a new moon, was at its highest point since we arrived, including reaching our target. Since I knew the incursion of sea water would have a deleterious effect on any planned fire, I recommended we conduct the fire Saturday night before the next high tide.

Pool Time with New Friends

The target is a huge trunk of a palm tree that had been a resident on our stretch of beach for more than a year. For that reason, I expected it to go up as quickly as its neighbor in our earlier blaze. My Upstairs Neighbor and I had gathered a large pile of driftwood over the past week in preparation. We had to ward off a couple Panamanians who got their truck stuck in the sand nearby and saw our wood as the way to get out. They managed without it.

Saturday Sunset Crew

After the sunset ceremony and a brief break for dinner, I was back on the beach prepared to start the fire which I had prepped just before the sunset ceremony. Unfortunately I put the paper I was using to start it (yeah so what, I am no longer in the boy scouts so I had no problem cheating and using paper) in my pocket which was wet from the afternoon boogie boarding session. A quick trip to the social area bathroom provided enough paper towels to get the fire started.

Fire Prepped

It turned out to be a respectable fire which quickly claimed most of our horde of driftwood. I may have been a little energetic in feeding the fire. It’s what I do. I’ve written before about my pyromaniacal side which thankfully finds sufficient outlet in these occasional bonfires. A little while after we started, a group of Panamanians started some fireworks off just down the beach from us. We applauded the show at its conclusion and a little while later one of their group walked up to us.

The Pyro in Action

They are staying at the hotel directly behind the condo and wanted to ask a favor. Another member of their group was planning on proposing to his girlfriend and wanted to do it in front of a beach bonfire. We were more than willing to share the blaze in the interests of love. He had a small crew with him, and they started off down the beach to find more driftwood for the fire. They placed that in the fire and said they would return with the soon to be happy couple. While we waited, the Upstairs Neighbors’ visitors showed my Favorite Panamanian how to pair up her speaker with her phone and we finally had music for the fire (she had noticed we didn’t while I was blissfully unaware). Shortly after the music started, I found myself dancing in the sand with her. It’s what she does.

The Fireworks Show

New Friends Arrive

After a long wait, the soon to be engaged couple finally showed up, along with an entire troop of supporting family members. They threw some more wood on the fire and lit a couple torches, and the proposal took place. The whole group stayed around for a while and broke out some marshmallows to roast. Predictably, my Favorite Panamanian ended up being fast friends with them. They were a fun group and I eventually found myself in conversation with the newly engaged guy. He was a lawyer from David who now lives in Boquete. He turned out to be a Celtics fan and made a pilgrimage to Boston last January where he caught a game. He loved the game but had the usually Panamanian reaction to numbing cold weather. After my wife collected enough phone numbers to insure she could contact her new friends, they departed and we were left by ourselves to watch the fire descend into embers. A great night.

The Overdue Proposal

I had been suspicious of the target log all night as it didn’t seem to be burning along with the other driftwood. My fears were realized this morning when I went out for the morning boogie board session. The overnight high tide had stopped a few feet short of the site of the fire which was still smoldering. The target log had been reduced little bit but stared back at me with an unmistakable air of superiority. It had survived. I figure if it could put up that kind of fight, it deserved to be left alone; until next year, if it has the temerity to survive that long. So, a great weekend, and the best part, it hasn’t ended yet.

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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Baby Sat

For those of you Facebookers who are wondering why I haven’t posted sunset pictures for a few days, there’s a good reason. There hasn’t been one! While I’m sure the sun has in fact set below the horizon, it hasn’t been visible from our beach because of clouds. I think it’s a sure sign that the rainy season is imminent but we’ve had these type clouds occasionally since our arrival. I’m sure it has something to do with some sort of atmospheric river or El Nino, something someone a lot smarter than I am would understand. That’s not to say the stalwart sunset crew has not been on station. My Upstairs Neighbors and I gather each day at the appointed hour to monitor the situation and, oh yeah, socialize. (which is the whole point anyways)

Dinner Last Night

Rain Coming in As Seen from Living Room Window

The Upstairs Neighbors have also had the onerous task of baby sitting for me. I’m into my fourth day of geographic bachelorhood as my Favorite Panamanian is spending the week back in David. I was told she wanted to spend the time back in her hometown so she could hang out with her mom. It is somewhat disturbing then, to hear the news reports that she’s spending (the key word) a lot of time shopping with Tia Loca. The Upstairs Neighbors have taken their responsibilities seriously as they took me out to dinner last night at the Las Lajas Beach Resort (always a good time along with best cheeseburgers in Panama). He also joined me for the afternoon boogie boarding session which involved a serious workout. The waves have been humongous, with a lot of attitude, over the past week. That means getting out to the proper launching point is hard work, fighting the current.

Last Few Sunset Crews

Monday Sunset

Tuesday

Luckily, we had the pool to hang out with and rest some tired muscles. His wife snapped this picture of our “recovery” from their condo. That wasn’t the only buddy I had on the beach yesterday as, for the first time this year, a beach dog stopped by to hang out. This used to happen almost daily in past years, which makes me wonder at the fate of those dogs. This poor guy wandered in and after sniffing me out realized I was acceptable. He set up at my feet while I read and we had an ongoing conversation. When I went up for breakfast, he took off. I ran into him at the resort that evening. As my Upstairs Neighbor will tell you (since, unplanned, she walked the distance last week), that is more than 2.5 miles. The dog covered some miles and on only three good legs.

Boogie Board Recovery Operations

My Beach Buddy

While I will sheepishly admit that I sometimes look forward to some alone time away from my Favorite Panamanian, I really miss her. I also have issue with the fact that she has ruined me when it comes to cleanliness. I mean, I actually made the bed this morning! (although I didn’t put the 47 decorative pillows on she normally emplaces – I have to draw the line somewhere) I usually wait to mop the floor until just before she returns. This past weekend, during her cousin get together, someone decorating the floor with some drops of coffee. By Tuesday it was bothering me so much that I went ahead and mopped the whole floor. As stated above, ruined!

Wife Misplaced her Favorite Hat Which Can be Measured in Acres
Sent her this Photo to Prove I found it

Finally, I am ready to return home, as much as I love this beach life. My high school classmates have started up a monthly luncheon which I could not attend. I also would love to sleep without air conditioning (although I will miss the sound of the breaking waves). There is also some great news from back home that will require some celebration. (am a personal fan of all types of celebrations) Also, the Red Sox may have a finally created a winning team. They open the season today. The Upstairs Neighbor will join me for that. This baby-sitting gig is probably more than they signed up for.

Yesterday's Sunset Was a Little Better

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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 her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); 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 (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course