Canadian Club

No. I’m not talking about that rye whiskey from up north which I’m sure is doing really well these days up there since they won’t buy American thanks to our idiotic commander in chief. Isn’t it great to have a “businessman” as president! But I digress, as usual. No, I’m talking about last evening’s sunset crew which was liberally filled out by our Candain neighbors from down the beach. An added treat was the addition of their two adult sons who were in town for a short visit before returning to the frozen tundra of Alberta. They were a very fun addition to the crew, solid guys, and I enjoyed speaking English again. That’s been a limited opportunity since the upstairs neighbors left. The sunset itself was appropriately spectacular for the biggest sunset crew of the year.

Sunset Crew (Canadian Club) 

Sunday Sunset

Sunday Partner in Crime

Monday Sunset

For some unknown reason (which my Favorite Panamanian wishes she could access) I felt industrious yesterday. I started the repair process for the damaged boogie board as well as three or four additional tasks that had been hanging around awaiting the dissipation of my tropical induced sloth. The boogie board repair was interesting. Usually when the board’s underlying Styrofoam breaks, we throw it away. Since I had more than a healthy attachment to this particular one, I decided to give it a try. I watched a YouTube video which gave me some ideas and last week scored the gorilla glue that I needed.

Initial Gluing

This Morning's Work Space

Yesterday I mixed some glue with water (even though you’re not supposed to) and applied it to the crack after inserting some toothpicks. It looked exactly like the video, so I was encouraged. I taped it up and waited 24 hours for it to cure. I spent an hour this morning stripping off the excess dried glue which was really messy. In a stroke of luck, my Favorite Panamanian left earlier for David for some eyebrow related maintenance (don’t ask). She would have been appalled at the mess I created but the vacuum seems to have gotten it all picked up. The repair seems solid, but we’ll see tomorrow when a couple hundred pounds of gringo jumps on it to ride down a seven-foot wave.

Final Result, Let's See How it Works

I got a couple batches of photos from the granddaughter realm in the past couple days. Since the stated reason for the blog is to chronicle their youth and my dotage, I include them here. My son and the ABFA took the BRS and BR3 to northern New Hampshire to visit an ice castle. They were joined by the family of my son’s best man. They said they had a fantastic time but that it was beyond frigid. My son’s half-Panamanian side was severely tasked by that but he rangered his way through for his gals. The two granddaughters were exhausted by having way too much fun (which is kind of their job at this point). When they got home, they went to bed without issue which is not typical. The BRS sort of woke up to go to the bathroom and instead of making the longer walk back to her room, ducked into BR3’s room and climbed into bed with her to snuggle and fell asleep. That’s where their parents found them and took this adorable picture.

Son and ABFA with Friends, Looks Cold

BRS and BR3 (in pink) in the Castle

Still Cold

BRS Invades BR3's Bed

The New Jersey bunch provided these photos which they finally received from their New Years’ Eve celebration. It looks like the FBR threw herself (literally) into the event. I know her abuela (AKA the Dancing Queen) was pleased to see the photos of her dancing with our daughter. The dancing pair are due here in about ten days and I am officially in psyche mode for that. I feel a little more separated from the family this year because the internet continues to be terrible here in the condo. It works fine for a couple minutes and then fades out for twenty to fifty seconds. This makes the Facetime calls that usually provided my granddaughter fix has been nigh on impossible. Live is much better anyways.

FBR (l) Enjoying the Party

Family Shot with Wingman and Daughter

The Dancing Princesses

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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