Birthday Sunset

Although we are not “officially” celebrating my Favorite Panamanian’s birthday until we have assembled a quorum of some of her best friends and family, the actual date was this past Thursday. This auspicious date was certainly not going to pass without appropriate recognition though. It is a well recorded fact that my favorite restaurant in Panama is El Fogon in David. Wait a minute, why am I going out this tangent about eateries when I was focused on my wife’s birthday. Hang with me, I’ll get there. The Panamanian part of the Seis Amigos, who drive from Panama City to Las Lajas, reported that El Fogon had opened another restaurant a few miles down the InterAmerican Highway from Las Lajas. We decided her birthday would be a perfect opportunity to find it.

Last Night at Sunset Pizza

I was getting a little nervous about how far we were going but Waze was assuring us it wasn’t that far. It was part of a very modern-looking rest area complete with gas station along the highway. The restaurant was brand new and food was every bit as good as the David original, but without my favorite waiter, Everardo. So, a new place to eat within striking distance to our beach life. Since it was her birthday, my Favorite Panamanian decided to forego her self-imposed fasting away from sweets as we stopped off at Sunset Pizza for their matchless gelato on our way back to the beach. Our appearance may have shocked the owner (used to our weekly Friday-only invasions) who stopped by with birthday wishes.

Birthday Lunch at the New El Fogon

The best part of the day was our daily sunset social hour where our fabulous Upstairs Neighbors serenaded and danced my Favorite Panamanian around the beach in celebration. Las Lajas also rewarded us with one of its signature sunsets. I haven’t posted sunsets on Facebook for the past couple days as I was saving them for the blog. As you can see, more than worth the wait.

Wife Being Serenaded and Danced by Upstairs Neighbors

Birthday Sunset

The Sunset Social Crew

The newest addition to the family also celebrated a birthday on Thursday, her first! Namesake Nephew’s daughter/Great Aunt’s granddaughter has been a luminous presence since her arrival last year on my wife’s birthday. She brought Great Aunt back to us to a certain extent as she immediately and permanently became a Godsend for her grandmother, who was understandably in a funk after the passing of Soxfather. It’s hard to see this latest vision of perfection without thinking how much he would have reveled in his granddaughter.

The Other Birthday Girl

Celebrating!

Very Happy Grandma

And Proud Daddy

I wrote above about the upcoming assembly to celebrate my wife’s birthday. That’s already started. The Rhode Island friends have been in residence in the condo complex for a couple weeks. The Maine Musquetera and her sister arrived in Panama City on Thursday and the Czech Friends on Friday. They are all staying to tour the city over the weekend before flying up to David on Monday. My Czech Shadow is already talking smack about schooling me on boogie boarding. I’m smiling because she hasn’t seen the waves here yet. Today they are at least three times her height. Education to follow, which will be thoroughly chronicled here on Frail Deeds. Of course, the most anticipated arrival will be my daughter and son, with the ABFA and Wingman, along with those granddaughters of mine. The Czech Shadow may have even learned how to boogie board by then.

Czechs at Airport Including Soon to Educated Shadow

My Favorite Panamanian ran back to David yesterday in the latest of pre-party supply runs. She missed another memorable sunset which was appropriately honored by the Upstairs Neighbors and myself. It’s what we do. We arranged to link up with my wife and her Rhode Island friend who stopped at Sunset Pizza on their way back from David for our weekly First Friday of the Week pizza. A great addition to the crowd was Tia Loca and my mother-in-law who joined us for this weekend. It should be an interesting one as Panamanian Carnivale is cranking up, peaking next Tuesday. The entire country has the next few days off from work. Party on!!!

Friday Sunset Crew

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course