42 and Counting

As we deal with the inevitable let down of the empty condo as opposed to the saturated past week with the kids and grandkids in residence, today is kind of a special day. Forty-two years ago, in the central church of David, Panama a fairly nervous lieutenant watched a radiant young Panamanian lady walk down the central aisle on the arm of her dad. And nothing was ever the same again. Thankfully. My Favorite Panamanian has a serious problem each year when I post photos from our wedding because she absolutely hates the hairdo she had that day. It's been 42 years and she still seethes at what a hairdresser did. That’s how serious it is. I had more important things to worry about that day, like how none of my family was there with me. It took me a few years to live that down (Great Aunt is still a little pissed).

Best Sunset Buddy

42 Years Ago
I'm Going to be In So Much Trouble for Posting this Picture

More Recently

I had my Army family there, my fellow lieutenants, who were true brothers. You’d have to serve in an infantry company to understand the bond between infantry platoon leaders. Thrust into leadership roles, leading thirty to forty troops, including very experienced NCOs and trying not to make the mistakes all second lieutenants always make is a bonding experience. I was singularly blessed with my Army family in Panama in the early 80s. We were operating in what was probably the most challenging and realistic training environment in the entire Army at that time. While we worked very hard, we partied even harder, so much so, that I swore for years that meeting my eventual wife (and proposing three days later – best snap decision ever) saved my life. We all cut a fairly active swath through the abundant Panamanian pulchritude, to the point a couple years after we were married, I had to be careful when I took my wife dancing at the officer’s club. One former “lady friend”, grabbed my posterior as I was escorting my wife to the dance floor. That is called living dangerously.

Through the Years

As I look back on the ensuing 42 years, I am immediately I impressed with my Favorite Panamanian. She left a life and family in Panama, speaking no English, and took on what is rightfully called the toughest job in the Army, that of an Army wife. It speaks volumes to her courage and strength of character that she not only survived, but excelled. By the time I was a battalion commander, I would introduce myself as her husband because she was (and is) something of a force of nature. She raised our two kids by herself for long stretches of time as I was sent by the Army to run around strange places with well-armed friends. The greatest testament to her quality are those two “kids”, now thriving adults.

Speaking of those two kids and the aftermath of their recent residency. My Favorite Panamanian, with some spousal assistance, has returned both our and the upstairs neighbors’ condos to their regular pristine condition. The lone exception are the glass walls on our balcony. The balcony served as the sun block application station for the three granddaughters where their parents liberally smeared them with lotion before they descended on the beach/pool. That, of course, resulted in some of the lotion ending up on the glass walls, especially since BR3 seized control and declared the balcony was “her domain” during the week. She was undoubtably the biggest donor of the glass lotion. We’re reluctant to remove it. I guess it helps dealing with their absence to have this reminder.

Beloved Smears

Sunday Sunset

We were back in David yesterday and took in a movie around all the shopping. Dune 2 is that rare example of a sequel being better than the original (think Empire Strikes Back level). Dune is a really dense story with so many concurrent themes and plots intertwined. After earlier versions I thought it would be impossible to adequately translate this beloved story to the screen. I was wrong. The director brings home the Atreides comeback story with style, fantastic acting, and landmark cinematography. Chalamet continues to impress as one of, if not the best, young actor around as the central figure of Paul Muad ‘Dib. My favorite characters from the books were the Fremen and they are finally portrayed with all their lethality. While this sets up the inevitable third film , it could also serve as a fitting conclusion. The best movie I’ve seen in a very long time.

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Aftermath, Turtles, and New Lights

My Favorite Panamanian and I are dealing with the aftermath of having all the close family here for eight delight filled days. Saturday and Sunday were very tough. Both of us were tired, not surprising given the level of activity for those eight days, well above our normal level. That being said, so much fun. There is also a smidgen of depression connected with the departure and that can sap energy. We finally got our car washed which was literally caked with dust from multiple transitions of our legendary approach road. I’m not sure the kids realized what color the car was. The wash restored a bit of dignity there and it wasn’t so embarrassing driving around, although we’ve got a new layer of dust starting.

Sunset with Friends

Car Before

And After

The biggest assist we received to deal with our very empty condo was the presence of the Panamanian couple of the Seis Amigos. They went to First Friday pizza with us where they got to meet the fam. We returned to Las Lajas on Saturday and basically went to ground. We emerged in time for the sunset ceremony where our friends joined us. They had a surprise in store as a new set of lights strung between the palm trees along the beach were unveiled. It made a huge difference. Once it was fully dark, you could see the stars gleaming on the outside but there was a very nice lighted area to enjoy the company. We were treated to another passage of the ISS as well. The sunset ceremony lasted until 10 PM. What can I tell you, tropical beach, under the lights, with good friends and they had a first-floor condo which made beer re-supply easy. Sunday morning the friends joined me for an extended boogie board session as the waves finally returned in force. I was exhausted at the end of it but it was a rare sharing of the waves with the friends before they left to return to their Panama City home in the afternoon.

The New Lights

For the Sunday night sunset, the condo caretaker was walking by my Favorite Panamanian and I when he pointed out some strange markings in the sand. They were left from baby sea turtles that had hatched somewhere nearby and marked their progress towards the sea. If I’ve learned one thing about the Las Lajas beach, it is that there is an abundance of predators. A couple of the trails led to a dead end which I took to mean one of the omnipresent birds had swooped in for a turtle delicacy. Still, pretty cool. Finally, I know I included way too many (or not enough) photos in my last post. Fortunately, the ABFA shared some more, nearly 200. I’ve only included a few here but it is testament, once again, of divinity of spending time with family, especially in a tropical paradise.

Turtle Tracks and Sunsets

ABFA and Fam

Cousins

BR3 Trying to Pull Me into Pool

Panama City Meetup with Cousin

Late Night FBR Return

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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 him her single days in Brooklyn; 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; Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course