Cupcake Rescue

It will go without saying (but I’m going to anyways), that I am not a happy camper after watching the Super Bowl last evening. The Patriots were completely outplayed and did not deserve to win. I think that’s why, although I’m not pleased with the result, I find it a lot easier to digest. Certainly more so than the two Super Bowl losses to the Giants (impossible helmet catch for the first and Wes Welker may you burn in hell for the second) and the one to Philadelphia (Belichick why did you sit Malcom Butler!!). So, I learn it’s easier to accept the loss when they were never really in the game, kudos to Seattle for a brilliant defensive game plan. I liked the halftime show which surprised me. Th best commercial was the Dunkin's with Ben Affleck and a bunch of cameos.

Kickoff with Sunset Behind Us

We had fun anyways with the Upstairs Neighbors and the visiting Rhode Island friends joining us to watch the game. This was the only reason we would forego the daily sunset ceremony so it was appropriate that the lineup for that social event was together. We saw the sunset from our living room windows as the kickoff took place. As I look at the photo above, I feel it is strange to be watching a football game from that locale, but I’ll take it. We had a lot of fun sharing the misery of the game. The Upstairs Neighbor lady was wearing Seahawks colors but she was appropriately understated, given the room packed with Patriots fans. Despite her sartorial failure, she turned out to be the savior for the night.

She brought a well-received dip for the group that lasted most of the first half. I, of course, did not participate in that repast, content with the hojaldras my Favorite Panamanian was feeding us. The Upstairs Lady achieved pure heroine status in the second half. My morale was reaching its nadir when she retrieved the highlight of the night by unveiling a set of unbelievably tasty chocolate cupcakes. I was powerless to resist their siren call. They were that good! I think I have a semblance of what it must be like to be addicted to cocaine because I made a complete fool of myself with those delicacies. I was full but I kept shoveling them in. She truly rescued the night for me. This morning, I started my penance by doubling the time in the pool for my swim workout. It’ll take more than one day of that, but, again, they were so good!

Painful but they Earned it

An update on the troubling incident for the aftermath of my Saturday night bonfire. I know those of you who read about the attempt of a late night bogarting of my fire with a failed attempt to throw a stump and some brush onto the embers after we left for the night. This robbed me of the satisfaction of seeing the huge pile of driftwood I started with reduced to a flat bed of ashes the next morning. I rectified this obvious faux pas and present these photos to chronicle the crime along with what it looked like after removal of the offending interlopers.

Pre-Fire

Immolation

Offending Additions

True Aftermath

We had the full crew for today’s sunset social hour and we were rewarded with one of Las Lajas signature dry season explosion of colors on the wester horizon as the sun sank into the Pacific. The sun seems bigger this year and the cupcake empresario, our astrophysics expert as well as fabulous cupcake creator, reported that the earth is closer to the sun this year resulting in the increased size. Whatever the reason, it has resulted in amazing displays. You’ll notice in one of the photos I captured our Rhode Island visitor walking along the shore with the sunset behind her. She likes to walk the surf line each day as we gather on the beach. It’s not something she could be doing in Rhode Island now. My God, those cupcakes were so good!!

Today's Sunset

The Wandering Rhode Islander

There She is Again

The 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