Panama Invasion

That may be an unfortunate title, given past geopolitical indiscretions, but it accurately expresses what I’ve happily undergone since last Friday. The Panamanian Mafia met last week at the 4^th of July party and decided they missed some of their usual dishes and resolved to get together to prepare them together. They, as it inevitably happens with Panamanians, decided to turn it into a full blown Deckzilla Party on Saturday. My Favorite Panamanian volunteered to lead the effort and was ably assisted by the rest of the mafia. Their lead elements assembled on Friday night to prepare some of the dishes.

Wife with the Food Table and her Mounted Gown Behind Her

I sought sanctuary in the Man Cave as the decibel level rapidly rose in the kitchen as more and more arrived. I was summoned only to mount the grain mill to the counter so they could grind up some corn. I expected to be called upon to perform said grinding since this is usually my lone task in such events. I am trusted to turn the crank while the more enlightened Panamanian women feed the hopper. As I was watching the Red Sox in the cave, I heard the cranking start up and was not in the least bit upset that someone had taken over for me. I went upstairs to check on progress to find the Neighborhood Mafioso was ably manning the device.

Friday Night Prep

Mafioso Manning the Mill

Saturday morning was pre-party prep which my children will acknowledge turns their mother into a fairly strident taskmaster. It helps that she’s also fairly cute. I was charged with preparing Deckzilla which included a full washing and then assisting the CinC with decorations. This meant taking down the swing so there would be room for the food and dancing (because with Panamanians, there’s always dancing). In addition to the Panamanian flag, I assisted my wife in mounting her beautiful folklorico dancing gown as the centerpiece.

Deckzilla Prepped for Party

As the crowd started showing up, I was charging around arranging additional extension cords as several heating plates were deployed at the far end of Deckzilla. As the party was starting to crank up, I had to sit down because I felt uncomfortably tired. I self-diagnosed that I was dehydrated (part of the whole getting old scenario), so I downed a couple bottles of water before I continued with Coors Lite. This produced a remarkable turnaround. It was a very fun crowd with the mafia and the Czech Friends (at this point honorary Panamanians). I am under strict orders from the Czech Shadow to give her appropriate credit for most the photos that accompany this post.  

Gang Starts to Assemble Czech Friend with Mafia Husband

My Incredible Frail Deeds Photographer The Czech Shadow

I was "Required" to Wear this Hat
No one Mistook me for a Panamanian

Very Fun Crowd

Mafia husbands and a Syrian(c)

The food kept coming and I was impressed with the sheer amount that made its way to the Deckzilla tables. We needed more than a couple to handle the load which is testament to the ladies involved. This is a short list of most of what was presented: Empanada de maíz con carne, empanada de harina con carne, enyucado de carne, yuca frita, tasajo, hojaldre, chicharrón, almohabano, plátano a la tentación, chicha de piña, chicheme, pinolillo. Those of you who know me are probably pondering what I would end up eating as most, if not all, of that list is way too exotic for my simple tastes. The Czechs came to my rescue by showing up with a healthy plate of schnitzels, so my requirement for dead animal flesh was sated.

Some of the Food

The World Cup game was important to most of the guests (if not their host). I kept the game on in the kitchen and decided to root for England since all the ladies were enamored of some ponytailed Norwegian guy they were playing against. We checked in on this game as well as the follow on one involving Argentina which had most of the Panamanians rooting for their fellow Latinos. That game seemed to turn on a play where a Swiss guy obviously took a dive to try and draw a foul which is one of the reasons I don’t enjoy watching these games, with their almost WWE level of acting. At least they caught this guy and he was kicked out, crippling his team.

The Extra Hot Plates

Exotic Beverages As Well

Best Part Were the People

Star of the Show

With her Husband

The Panamanian Mafia

Honorary Panamanians

Mafia Husbands

All the Ladies

It was a great party with the usually festive Panamanians. Once the food was sent downrange, the dancing started up since we had a lot of excess consumption to work out. We added Ghana to crowd when my wife’s newest acolyte, the other next door neighbor’s daughter, wandered over. She was immediately sucked into the vortex of dancing. At one point a series of folklorico music came on and my Favorite Panamanian, an accomplished folklorico dancer, performed a series of dances to demonstrate she’s still got it. I got a little misty eyed watching her and remembering seeing her perform the same dance in the dress hanging on the wall over forty years ago. I was so touched that I sent the video (below) to her kids just after she finished.

Wife Starts the Dancing

Guys Did Get out There Eventually

We decided to spare the neighbors the continued loud music as the night wore on. This meant a game of left-right-center was bound to break out. I’d like to say that I was able to break my life-long losing streak in that benighted game but it was not to be. It didn’t help that the Czech Friend won and happily reported this was the third time she had won in the last couple years. Despite this debacle, nothing could take the shine off a very well spent Saturday night on Deckzilla with those incredible Panamanians, one of which I am lucky enough to be married to.

Ending with a Game of R-L-C

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