Fuego Again

I’m writing this on my last full Thursday in Panama. While at times I grow nostalgic about leaving what Great Aunt refers to as “my happy place”, I’m more than ready to return home and catch springtime in New England. This way I can still claim to have experienced all four seasons, although, watching a recent Red Sox game made me think I’ll also qualify for winter. Anyways, I’m looking forward to experiencing a little less humidity which has become a daily, albeit totally unwelcome partner here. To counter this I did what any self-respecting pyromaniac would do, I lit a fire.

Shortly Before the Fire Broke Out

Actually, this was done in conjunction with the neighbors. The pesky palm tree stump that defied my last conflagration was still mocking me each day as I sat in the rancho reading. I decided to give it another shot and the high tides during the last fire resulted in a new crop of driftwood to utilize. There was another, thick branch of a buried tree sticking up directly behind my foe and I decided to add another small fire to the show. We had a huge pile of wood gathered by all of our efforts. Whenever the neighbors returned from a walk down the beach they came carrying more fuel.  

The Targets

The fires quickly consumed that fuel and we had a glorious blaze going for several hours. I checked this morning, two days later, and there are still hot spots as the coals simmer. My enemy, unbelievably, is still there as well. I’m beginning to think this tree was made of concrete. Any further attempts to burn it into the sand will have to wait until next year. The secondary fire completely removed the smaller obstacle so there was a minor victory. I count it as a major one though because we got to hang out with our most excellent neighbors beyond the usual sunset ceremony.

A Couple of Our Sunsets This Week

The condo cleaning has begun as we prepare for its eight-month hibernation. My Favorite Panamanian’s plants have been relocated from the balcony to below so they can be watered during our absence. As much trouble as I gave her when she started her mini jungle out there, I find myself missing them. Towels are disappearing into storage containers which led to a frustrating situation last night when I found myself leaving the shower only to find my wife had stored all the towels that weren’t in the washing machine. Looking back at it, pretty funny stuff, but only because hindsight has given me the time to calm down a bit. The woman just loves to store things.

The Birthday Girl

Finally, today is also the birthday of one of the Seis Amigos. One of the few downers this year during our stay in Las Lajas was the absence of the Panamanian component of the Seis. She, a lawyer by trade, was appointed to a job for the new Panamanian president. That’s kept them both in Panama City as she’s been too busy to grace us with her presence except for a couple quick stop-bys. On one of those brief visits, her husband was responsible for my excess beer consumption that sent me on a midnight crab hunt on the beach. That’s my story and etc. etc. Happy Birthday to this fabulous and glamorous member of the Seis! We hope next year will see more of her in Las Lajas.

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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 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Winding Down and Reinforcements

Our time here in paradise is winding down as the rainy season begins its implacable advance. The humidity is way up and Sunday night our daily sunset ceremony was rained out for the first time since we arrived. I take an almost perverted pride in being out on the beach for the sunset and if it starts raining then I decamp to the balcony. That’s only happened once but Sunday was a different story. There was an overly active thunderstorm intruding and I’d have to have a death wish to wander out on the beach or the balcony. I’m not the brightest guy around but I know being the tallest object on a very flat surface during lightning strikes is not a good idea. We’re leaving a week from this Thursday although we leave for David the Wednesday before. This humidity provides the needed motivation.

The Reinforced Sunset Crew Yesterday

In a more pleasant development, our next door neighbors arrived over the weekend. He’s a guy from Oregon married to gal from Brazil whom he met in Panama; a very cosmopolitan situation. We and the Upstairs Neighbors recruited them last year when they were wandering on the beach and came over to talk with us. They bought the condo right next to ours and we’re looking forward to becoming friends with them. He still works so they can’t be here as long as we are, but Las Lajas will probably affect his retirement calculus. It does that.

Yesterday's Sunset

From Behind the Sunset Crew 

The sunset made a stunning comeback yesterday which coincided with the Upstairs Neighbor’s return from their Panama City adventures. My Favorite Panamanian didn’t attend because she was back in David running her mom around to different medical appointments. Leaving Panama will be a lot more difficult for her than me as it is every year. As her mother advances in age, I know my wife worries this will be the last time she sees her. My Favorite Panamanian has already started to keep herself (and by association me) very busy getting the condo ready for its eight month hibernation. She’s also started what she regards as an artform, suitcase packing. It’s always easier going north as we don’t have the results of her eight months of purchasing things for the condo and her family to pack.

I saw this picture while wandering the internets and it sums up life very succinctly. It is a very short ride and when you reach the exalted age I’ll achieve this year, reflecting on just how fast it got here is borderline startling. It seems like just a little while ago that the Cantankerous Friend and I “borrowed” change from our parents to buy candy at Arnold’s Convenience store or he and I played basketball at the Franklin School playground with Keene Friend and the PCR. Both Arnold’s and that basketball court have been gone for decades now which somehow seems impossible. Life will do that to you.

Finally, today is my brother-in-law’s birthday. He’s had a very busy year as he was selected by the incoming president to oversee the environment for the province of Chiriqui (analogous to a department of interior appointment). That’s, unfortunately, kept him very busy during our time here but he’s the prefect guy for the job. We’ve seen him on the television many times. Panama takes the environment seriously.  He hasn’t been too busy though as he found time to get married. Attending his wedding will serve as one of the highlights of our time in Panama this year. Feliz Cumpleanos Hermano!!!!!

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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 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Rarity and the Incredible Shrinking World

We’re experiencing that rarest of events, especially for this time of year in Las Lajas, today– a gloomy day. Even as I’m writing this the sun just broke through and is burning off the cloud cover that uncharacteristically covered my morning beach workout. It was the remnant of a vigorous overnight rainstorm, complete with thunder and lightning. It is yet another sign that the rainy season is about to descend upon us which in turn spells the end of our stay down here. Anyone who spent time in Panama during the rainy season (May-December) will understand the need to escape the torrential rains and pervasive humidity. I, of course, may be a bit prejudiced against it because I harken back to my lieutenant days when I spent a lot of time in the Panamanian jungle getting soaked for days on end. Granted, life is a whole lot easier now, what with the condo on the beach, but I do remember those days in the jungle being amongst the worst in my time in the Army (you ever try to fall asleep with rain falling on your face – you have to be really, really tired). I was so fortunate to be surrounded by some of the best Soldiers I ever served with, who suffered alongside me.

Sitting with All my Friends for Sunset Yesterday

Yeah. I’m feeling a little reflective today. That happens when I must contemplate leaving this paradise in a couple weeks. I’m actually looking forward to that. Yesterday I was on my own for the First Friday of the Week sunset ceremony. It was an amazing sunset with the sky lit  up for a full 360 degrees (rare that). The Upstairs Neighbors were escorting their visitors to Panama City for their long flight home while my Favorite Panamanian was once again in church. I like to think she spends so much time there because she realizes what a long pull she has when it comes to praying for my soul. As I sat alone on the beach for that truly remarkable sunset, I brooded about how much smaller the world is getting.

That Sunset

I know what generated that line of thought. We had our usual First Friday Family Facetime call and Wingman joined us from Australia. He’s touring there with his band and woke up just in time to join us. It’s probably because I’m in Panama that these thoughts invaded. I remember, back in those lieutenant days, when I had to go to the post office and rent a booth to make a phone call to the States (like the time I called my mom to tell her I was getting married in a couple months - ouch). Now, I push a button on an iPad and I’m looking at not only my sister, my kids, and grandkids back in the States, but Wingman in Australia. The Upstairs Neighbors’ visitors, who spent the week admiring the sunsets with us on the beach are now in the air, somewhere over the Atlantic, winging their way home to the Middle East. A couple weeks from now I hope to be sitting down with my high school classmates in a small town in New Hampshire. Yep, a much smaller world.

Wingman in Australia

Those visitors, before they left, had the opportunity to meet the other two members of the Seis Amigos, which should be required for any visit to this beautiful country. I currently am the only resident of the condo complex. My Favorite Panamanian created a fabulous cake but I didn’t get even a sniff of it. She made it for a group of underprivileged children whom the church is hosting for lunch today. I did my part, in addition to fighting off the urge to steal a piece of cake, by helping her make sandwiches last night. So, she’s back in the village pursuing sainthood while I’m left alone to do my reflective bit. It is strange, for a weekend, that I’m the only one here as we usually get some of the Panamanian condo owners in. This gives me a full appreciation for the Upstairs Neighbors and their companionship.

Four of the Seis Amigos in Panama City

I’ve done my usual reading of the entire Travis McGee series (an annual event here on the beach) and, after knocking off a couple new books that showed up on the kindle, I started re-reading another of my favorite book series, the Matthew Scudder novels penned by Lawrence Block. It’s been a while since I revisited old friend Matt and I am once again caught up in his world as he struggles with guilt, crime, and alcohol. He’s such a compelling character who has to do a lot of introspection which is in line with my current mood. New York City is another character in all the Scudder novels and I once took a day trip to NYC just to visit all the different Scudder haunts Block writes about. That was one of the coolest days I’ve ever had, despite being by myself. Well, time to sign off, the sun is back out, gloom displaced and the waves are calling for my boogie board. It’s a tough life, but someone etc. etc.

My Wife's Cake for the Kids (damn it!)

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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 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course

Gaming and an IT Breakthrough

It’s been a busy last few days. That is, busy for our usual tempo, what being a tropical paradise and all. I place the blame squarely on the Upstairs Neighbors who have some visiting family which has amped up the activity level in all the right ways. They’ve become an established part of the sunset crew and, as is wont to happen, fallen in love with boogie boarding. Their daughter showed up for the sunset with a half-coconut, filled with a rum drink. That, I just find inspiring. We convened another beach game night in their honor. We exposed them to the fun and frustration of Flip 7. The visiting son in law is a math teacher and saw some real world application within it. The ladies, unfairly, teamed up in what is supposed to be an individual game and won each round. Still, a great way to spend an evening. They’ve been a lot of fun to have around but unfortunately start on their long way home tomorrow. We’ve decided to convene a special pizza night for them since Sunset Pizza is supposed to reopen today and they should not leave Panama without experiencing the best pizza in the country along with the gelato. We’ve missed that so over the past couple weeks.

The Sunset Crew Including Third from the Left Whom I 
Mistakenly Left Out of a Sunset Crew Post

Daughter with her Coconut

Game Night with Cheating Ladies

I’ve become something of a handyman around the condo over the past couple days. No. I haven’t injured myself, which is the first question my Favorite Panamanian or my kids will ask when they hear I’ve been DIYing. I installed a couple rechargeable lights next to the new bed. They will come in handy when the next, inevitable power outage occurs. However, the main object of some sneaky pride on my part was my next completed task. I changed out the Wi-Fi router in the condo. I’ve never done anything like this and while it is remarkably easy, I was supremely nervous since it serves as our contact with the outside world. That became necessary when the condo association upgraded the internet provider and our old router (the original one that came with the condo eight years ago) was struggling at times to handle the data flow. Since you’re reading this, that means I was successful and I’m a little amazed at how much faster the connections now take place. I even updated the passwords in all the devices, including both TVs, all my wife’s devices, and the super streamer. Again, I know this is a simple task but tell that to someone from my generation attempting it without the help of their children (my dedicated IT advisors).

The Las Lajas Pelicans are Migrating North

The New Lights

I bought the new router yesterday when my Favorite Panamanian and I snuck back to David for groceries and a movie. It was a fun day despite the oven like heat always present in my wife’s hometown. We discovered a new lunch place, called Foster’s, located in the same shopping plaza where we signed the documents for our condo those eight years ago. The burger comes in third place for Panama which isn’t bad. My mother-in-law and both of my wife’s sisters joined us for the movie which was a lot of fun. We followed the movie with dinner at nearby Terra’s which was its usual awesome. There was a very funny display in the men’s room, of all places, featuring the three worst wines which plays on the what the word “Vino” means in Spanish. In addition to meaning “wine” is can also mean “is coming”. The three wines were “Vino de Suegra”, meaning the mother-in-law is coming, “Vino la Quenta” which means the bill is coming; and No le Vino, which can mean it’s not coming (with some other more ribald possibilities). We returned to the condo around ten last night just as the Upstairs Neighbors were returning from a day spent with their visitors in the mountains around Boquete.

Lunch at Fosters

Movie Time

Dinner at Terra's

The Funny Wines

The movie we saw was Jason Staham’s (my wife’s boyfriend) latest. A Working Man is an excellent action flick with Statham’s once again playing the everyman blessed with a back story involving elite military skills. The bad guys, once again, fail to take that into account when they kidnap the daughter of a close family friend. The expected carnage follows but this is so well done and Statham is so believable in both his acting and his athleticism that it is a joy to sit through. You almost feel sorry for the bad guys as they make the mistakes leading to their eventual comeuppance and loss of body parts. David Harbour shines in a small role as a former military buddy. This is an excellent follow-up to last year’s Beekeeper and proves Statham is still at the top of his game.

I’ve included a couple of other photos which found their way into my possession. The first features Namesake Nephew’s new daughter. She’s every bit as beautiful as reported. Those glowing reports come from Great Aunt who truly relishes her new role as grandmother. I tried to warn her how much fun it would be. The second is from my Favorite Panamanian's week back in David. She hosted a bunch of her high school friends for a baseball game which was roundly enjoyed. Panamanians are dedicated baseball fans and it’s hard to beat getting to hang with high school friends. I’ve done some dedicated investigation into this activity and can confirm it without hesitation

Newest Addition to the Fam

Wife with her Buddies

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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 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; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course