School Was in Session

The Czech Shadow and entourage (her parents) showed up yesterday fresh off making some inflammatory marks about how she was going to school me on boogie boarding. I admired her spunk if not her judgement. More on the results of her initial education on the subject later, but first I need to catch up on the very entertaining past couple of days. In addition to the Czech Friends, the Maine Musquetera, her sister, and her sister’s husband arrived on the same plane from Panama City. To say they were a lively combination would be severe understating.

Welcome Lunch at El Fogon

We followed protocol and escorted them to El Fogon where they were treated to fine Panamanian food as well as exemplary service by Everardo. Both groups had rented cars so their first exposure to driving in Panama was wending through the streets of David as part of a three car convoy led by yours truly, not a recipe for stress reduction. After the obligatory grocery store stop we headed east on the Interamerican Highway where I continued to educate them on Panamanian traffic laws and spotting speed traps.

The Shadow Created Artwork for my Wife

Presented During the 1st Night Here

Because My Kids Might See This
Wanted to Include a Photo from Valentines Day Sunset 
I Can See them Shaking their Heads in Consternation 

We arrived in time to catch the very end of the secondary sunset, which was sufficiently awesome to impress our guests. My Favorite Panamanian arranged for them to rent condos within the complex which will make for a very lively leadup to my wife’s birthday party on Saturday. My Favorite Panamanian was complaining about how tired she was and proclaiming she was going to bed early as a result. This did not take into effect the combination of being in the same room as the Maine Musquetera. Their conversations well into the wee hours of the morning are legendary. I was sitting in the living room when she came in three hours after her proclamation with a sheepish grin about the Musquetera effect.

Wife Prepared a Fabulous Welcome Lunch Today in the Condo

Then Led the Ladies in Boogie Board Training

I was relaxing under our rancho this morning after my workout when the Czech Friends emerged. My Czech Shadow looked a little less confident as shew as confronted with the Las Lajas surf for the first time. About twenty minutes later she was sufficiently chagrined at having made her scurrilous statements. I tried to assuage her pain by reminding her I boogie board twice daily for four months each of the last six years. This meant that, despite my advancing years, I was not someone who could be “schooled” by a precocious shadow.

Today's Sunset

The Crew

It was very fun day at the beach as the Latina contingent as well her the Czech Friends got to experience the warm water and gentle breezes which make this place so special. I bemoaned the fact that it was a crowded day with the Carnivale influx which they thought was funny because there were so relatively so few people compared to the size of the beach. They also got to experience a full sunset social hour instead of just the secondary. We were having way too much fun hanging out with each other to call it a day after the sunset. My Favorite Panamanian arranged some tables under the beach lights for a what turned out to be a very lively game of Flip 7. Only my wife and I had ever played the game but the group quickly caught on and there was serious laughter echoing under the lights. The Czech Shadow recovered some of the mojo lost in the morning surf by winning the game. A very good day.

The Flip 7 Game

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------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