First of all, Happy Easter to all. I hope you were able to spend the holiday with family and friends. My Easter was a work in progress. We originally planned on hosting Easter dinner here at the condo and my Favorite Panamanian volunteered me to cook another turkey. She purchased the aforementioned bird as well as all the other needed accoutrement. Then my mother-in-law had her fall and was hospitalized. The Easter dinner evolved to a dinner at Tia Loca’s home when my mother-in-law was released from the hospital. Then my mother-in-law had a relapse involving dehydration issues and went into the hospital again. The dinner evolved to take place at her house, planning on her being there. The final evolution took place on Friday when we learned she wouldn’t be discharged from the hospital until Monday at the earliest.
Round One
Since we already had the turkey and
everything else, we decided to go ahead with the dinner at my mother in law’s
house, even though she wouldn’t be able to attend. Since my wife’s siblings
were rotating duty at the hospital, we had to have the dinner in shifts. I
prepared everything except the mashed potatoes at the condo on Saturday. It was
a very interesting cart laden with the meal as we headed out this morning. Preparing
the potatoes in David was as hot and humid as I anticipated. My Favorite Panamanian
was a heroine by standing in the kitchen doorway holding up a fan to keep the
air moving in the un-air conditioned kitchen. 
Round Two
The first round of the meal involved
Tia Loca, my wife’s twin sister, and my wife’s brother’s daughter. Despite the
fractured process of creating the meal, everything turned out nearly perfect.
The Upstairs Neighbor had prepared one of her fabulous chocolate cakes. Despite
my declared intention to forget to bring it with us so I could devour it all myself
when we returned, my wife is made of sterner stuff and insured it traveled with
us. It was every bit as good as I anticipated. Tia Loca relieved her brother at
the hospital and along with his wife, they joined us for the second round of
dinner. He brought the best news which was his mom is steadily improving and will
hopefully get her release tomorrow. 
The Turkey Prepped
So, a very interesting Easter. No egg
hunt and a decided lack of chocolate bunnies (inside family joke involving my mother
and Great Aunt) but still fun. That always seems to happen when I get to spend
time with my wife’s incredible family. Even though they’ re dealing with the uncertainty
and concern with their mother’s situation, they were a lot of fun to hang out
with. I returned to Las Lajas alone since my wife, in her continued procession towards
sainthood, volunteered to take the night duty with her mom for the rest of the
week. My return to geographical bachelorhood
had the usual benefit of the sunset social hour with the Upstairs Neighbors today.
The Dinner Loaded Up for Transport to David
My earlier episode of geographic bachelorhood
included the celebration of the First Friday of the Week. The Upstairs Neighbors
performed their usual role augmenting celebratory requirements. The festivity
included our weekly trip to the village for Sunset Pizza and gelato (they had
Oreo flavored!!!!). We had a canine kind of time at Sunset. The owner’s in-house
dog, a miniature Jack Russel, has finally decided to emerge from hiding behind
the counter. She identified me as an easy mark (it was probably the scent of
pepperoni pizza versus any inherent attraction) and I kept feeding her a steady
stream of pepperoni. As we sat outside with our gelato, a gorgeous chocolate
lab showed up and adopted me. I was tempted to take him home with us, but I
have a track record with my wife in terms of showing up with unannounced
Labrador retrievers. I didn’t think there was any way I could be as lucky as I
was with Buddy the Wonder Pooch.
Sunset Pizza Friday with Upstairs Neighbors
Owner's Dog
I wasn’t the only one overachieving
on Friday night. The BRS and BR3 had a parents night at their school. The BRS
took first prize in the duck throw which involved throwing a stuffed duck a
half court distance in the school gym with the closest one to an “X” being the winner.
The BRS, given her very athletic parentage, nailed the X to take first prize.
BR3 also got to spend some additional quality time with her kindergarten teacher
whom she has apparently thoroughly charmed (it’s what she does). I can’t wait to
see them soon as our Stateside return bears down upon us. 
My Lab Friend
BRS Competing 
The Champ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS: 
BR3 and her Teacher
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; Upstairs Neighbors – American
couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course
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