In full recovery mode after a weekend filled
with more than the usual ration of fun and entertainment. That is all due to my
Favorite Panamanian’s incredible family. This was her annual “Cousins Weekend”
where she summons as many of her female cousins along with her sisters to spend
the weekend at the condo. As you might imagine, the decibel levels within the condo
were elevated for the entire three days with six Panamanian ladies in residence.
(remember, the loudest one gets to talk in any conversation) I tried to keep a
low profile so my wife could fully enjoy the time with her cousins. Long ago, the
wife of one of my cousins, after seeing my and her kids playing together,
stated the simple truth, “There’s something special about cousins.” That reality
was fully explored this weekend.
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| Wife with Last Two Cousins Before they Left This Morning |
As Saturday rolled around, the ladies
took up residence in the condo pool while Tia Loca resumed her role as my
Boogie Board Buddy. She managed to quell her usual requirement to excavate for
clams. Following the very fun sunset ceremony we gathered for a game night
under the stars and lights on the beach. This is another of the traditions of
the Cousins Weekend. I lay a grateful blame on Wingman for this, who has
installed the worthiness and absolute fun it can be to put down cell phones
long enough to enjoy various table games with friends and family.
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| Saturday Pool Time |
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| Heading to the Pool |
We ran the usual gamut of Left, Right, Center
wherein I continued to extend my lifelong losing streak. Tia Loca won, finally,
and celebrated with a lively dance on the condo lawn until her joy overtook her
ability to control certain bodily functions, which had the entire table
laughing along with her. We then played both Flip 7 and Uno Flip well into the
night. This was another late night for the Upstairs Neighbors who joined us for
the fun. Combined with Friday night’s beach bonfire and game night, he stayed
up much later than usual. That can happen when you’re having that much fun.
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| Saturday Sunset Crew |
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| Game Night |
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| Upstairs Neighbor Frozen in Flip 7 |
Sunday was a little more sedate as the David
element of the ladies prepared to depart, leaving just two Panama City based
cousins in residence. We bid the David bunch off with lunch at the Las Lajas
Beach Resort where our meal was overseen by a large iguana. The ladies ordered
sangria which had me worried given the troubled history of my wife and her guests
with that concoction. In a first we were able to end the meal without serious
incident (and zero arrests) after they finished their sangria.
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| Ruh Roh, Sangria Comes Out |
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| Lunch at Beach Resort |
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| Sunday Sunset |
Time management will never be a strength
of my Favorite Panamanian and it was evident it was a family trait. On Saturday
they lost track of time in the pool (easily done) and by the time they realized
lunch prep needed to start the sun was headed west. My wife recognized the
passage of time when I came out for my afternoon boogie board session, which by
mutual agreement with her and my dermatologist, cannot start before 4pm. So, we
had lunch at six and then ran outside to form up for the Saturday sunset. I was
very pleased to see my wife so happy all weekend. That’s what being around
family will do to you, especially when you’re blessed with the quality her family
presents.
 |
| Son and his Gals |
Back in the good ole US of A my Favorite
Son’s wrist had recovered enough from surgery to escort the BRS and BR3 out for
some fun this weekend as well. The BRS is sporting a new haircut, featuring bangs
for the first time and she looks fabulous. I think I’m almost ready to leave
the beach because the Facetime calls just aren’t doing it for me anymore. I
need some granddaughter hugs as well as some time with their parents. April 17
is bearing down on us, the day we return. Meanwhile my Favorite Panamanian just
left to spend the rest of this week with her mother. That’s where the titular serenity
comes in.
When she was bemoaning having
to leave me alone,
I pointed out to the beach and assured her I would stay out
of trouble. I reminded her one of the reasons we bought this place was to give
her more time with her mother; something I always regret not being able to
accomplish for myself.
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| BR3 |
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| BRS with her Bangs |
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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 3rd 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
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