508ing Again

Happy Easter to everyone as I finally have time to sit down and write. The first such opportunity since we arrived back in the 508 area code late Thursday night. I put the blame, thankfully and with a lot of appreciation, on my two kids and the irrepressible granddaughters. Wednesday night, in David, we had a farewell family dinner with my wife’s amazing family. My Favorite Panamanian wanted a place where we could order a bunch of platters and then graze on those. We chose a favorite place from the past and met up at Gallardo’s. When we sat down the waitress assigned to our table refused to take our order until she finished her cell phone conversation. This was a rare instance of poor service in Panama. A passing waitress noticed the issue and immediately came over to take our order. She was great and I gave her a huge tip. I made sure the head waiter mentioned the size of the tip to the cell phone addict.

Farewell Dinner

Wife's Brother and Sister

Our flights back to the States went perfectly. I may never fly anything other than business class again, such a difference. The fluidity of our trip came to a screeching halt once we walked out of the Logan Airport terminal. Our usual very reliable van service was nowhere to be found. I called the dispatcher and was told the van was close. A half-hour later I repeated the call  and was assured the van was just around the corner, which it was. I should mention at this point that is was in the forties, temperature wise, which meant 50 degrees less than we were used to in Panama. The Favorite Panamanian made the wait in a heated enclosure limo drivers use. The van finally arrived in a cloud of smoke (not a good sign).

FBR Immediately Raided Abuela's Closet

We got loaded up and on our way with the driver speaking non-stop about how much she hated this particular vehicle. Her feelings were augmented when the van broke down, halfway through the trip home. We spent a lovely twenty minute sojourn on the side of Route 9 waiting for a replacement van to show up which I thought was actually a fairly quick response. We arrived home around ten and I left from there to hit the grocery store so we would have some food in the house. That would be needed since my daughter and the FBR were inbound. They arrived an hour later, before the house was fully back to comfortable temperatures.

Daughter and FBR Explored Some of Worcester

The FBR is recovering from a facial injury but she was still on point when it came to energy levels. That energy wasn’t always welcome by my daughter, especially when it came to administering the required anti-biotic, which the FBR detested and made overly dramatic objections to. Having these two ladies in the house was a great way to welcome us home. If I am perfectly honest though, I am looking forward to sleeping-in tomorrow morning for the first time since we got home. Returning home has created the usual adjustments, in addition to temperature levels. After four months living in the condo both my wife and I are struggling to remember where things are, after getting used to their locations in the condo.

Cousins Together Again

One Very Happy Grampa

Wife and ABFA

I also found the front storm door was inoperable. The house sitter notified us of this. When I went out to look at it and removed the handle, I decided it wasn’t worth salvaging and removed the entire door. That is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds. My daughter and son conspired to reunite the granddaughters on Saturday. Since my daughter was returning early today the cousins would not have seen each other if we hadn’t done this. The ABFA located a bowling alley/arcade about halfway between our respective locations and we met up there late on Saturday afternoon. I hadn’t been candlepin bowling since my teenage years, which you may have heard was a while ago. I was therefore a little excited to return to this sport that I used to watch my dad do every Friday night at Pastime Lanes when I was very young. That excitement lasted until my first roll. My back clenched up as soon as I released the ball which predictably headed for the gutter. That was a sign of things to come as the back twinged every time I bent over to throw. I made it through two games although my youngest granddaughter, BR3, beat me soundly in both games. In my defense, she was using a ramp.

Scenes from Bowling

After this very entertaining episode we went to a nearby restaurant for dinner. In a new record, there was only one major spill. The ladies were well behaved (most of the time). The FBR and BRS created a hand clapping game that was complicated and hilarious. We had to beat a hasty retreat after dinner in order to get my Favorite Panamanian back to Worcester in time for her to attend the Easter vigil while my son’s family went to the ABFA’s parents’ home for today’s celebration of Easter. We arrived back in Worcester with five whole minutes to spare. After we quickly unloaded, my wife took over the car and pulled away a vigorous rain squall descended. My daughter and I looked at each and grimaced, knowing my Favorite Panamanian would have to walk into the church through the rain. As I’ve written many times, despite coming from one of the rainiest countries on earth, my wife abhors the rain and refused to get her hair wet.

Dinner Time

Clapping Game

I had a great time in the Man Cave all weekend with my daughter as we compared notes on movies and television series I should be watching. I can count on both of my kids getting me involved in watching things I have no time for but end up doing anyways. My A-Z watch will have to wait another day before restarting. My Favorite Panamanian had spent a lot of time getting Easter baskets ready for all three granddaughters. I was volunteered for early morning easter egg distribution ahead of the FBR‘s hunt. My wife thought it would be more “fun” to have it outside despite temps in the forties and high winds.

FBR Garbed up for the Hunt

Abuela Created Easter Basket

Bunnied Up

The FBR was a good sport and made short work of the hunt, beating the backyard chipmunks that inhabit my wife’s vast garden complex, to most of the hidden treats. While my daughter and the FBR made their way home this morning my Favorite Panamanian and I journeyed north to New Hampshire to link up once again with my son’s family at the ABFA’s parents’ house. It was great seeing her parents again and, as always, they were perfect hosts to a very fun celebration. I felt a real sense of being home being surrounded by all these excellent people since we arrived. I’m back in the Cave now figuring out which of the dozen or so missions I should address tomorrow. I’ll start easy, getting the rubbish out in the morning. I do not miss the humidity.

Abuela With BRS and BR3's Baskets

Namesake Nephew's Daughter's First Easter

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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