Granddaughter Eve

It’s an exciting time here at the condo. Tomorrow, we journey up to David to link up with the inbound families of our “kids”. We talked to both tonight and the granddaughters are reported to be over the moon excited about their imminent international travels. I confided earlier in the week to my son and daughter that I was concerned about today because it marked the “day of cleaning” as my Favorite Panamanian attempts to reach surgical level cleanliness in the condo. I am usually the fall guy for shortcomings in this area leading to inevitable tension. I took a different tact this time, actually volunteered to help in a couple areas. Once my wife got over her initial shock, she was very pleased, apparently a man willing to clean is very sexy. I’m not a complete idiot though (despite widespread opinions to the contrary) and waited to mop the floors until she was safely out of the condo running an errand in the village. I thus avoided relentless supervision which leads to confrontations (my kids are both nodding their heads at reading this).

Sunset with New Friends

The preparations are pretty much complete. I have to frost the cupcakes I made for the granddaughters, including the sprinkles specifically requested by BR3. My Favorite Panamanian is decisively engaged in her final prep for feeding the masses this weekend. We’ll be joined by a significant percentage of her family who look forward to these visits almost as much as we do (editor’s note – no one could possibly get as excited as we are). We’ve been the sole occupants of the condo complex for the past few days, something that was common a couple years ago but we’ve been spoiled this and last year with the arrival of the upstairs neighbors. They’re traveling in Peru for the next couple weeks which frees up their condo which they generously volunteered to house our kids this week. I received n update from the travelers today as they rode a train over the Andes. They saw a volcano erupting right next to their train as they passed the 16,000-foot mark in elevation.  

View from Their Train

The sunset ceremonies have therefore been fairly lonely with just the two of us. Last night I was on my own as my wife disappeared after attending mass in the village. I became a little concerned when the sun was long gone and she hadn’t shown up. When I called her, she reported she was stuck in a “cattle jam”. This was a previously unused excuse which I didn’t immediately believe. It turned out to be true as a herd of cattle had escaped their enclosure and were on the road to the beach. She eventually admitted to a gelato date with a fellow parishioner and the usual socialization for which she is rightfully famous.

Seems there was a Cattle Jam

Former Drab Entry Hall

Her social graces have landed us a couple new friends down the beach. We stopped by their place a couple days ago and today they joined us for the sunset ceremony. He’s Canadian and she’s a Panamanian lass who is extraordinarily glad to meet my Favorite Panamanian at church. We had a great time with them today and I’m looking forward to them meeting not only our visitors but the upstairs neighbors upon their return. It would be very cool to have a neighborhood group to hang with.

Transformed

Our designated handy man was back in the condo complex yesterday but not for us (at least initially). I’ve written before that my Favorite Panamanian had volunteered at the last condo association meeting to be part of the beautification committee. One of their big projects was to upgrade the entry hallway which was kind of drab. That was certainly rectified yesterday with the materials my wife and the Panamanian couple of the Seis Amigos purchased this past weekend. He finished it all within the day and still had time to stop by and move the light over our dining room table and paint a light switch. For some reason my wife likes to move lights when they aren’t exactly centered over a table (she did it earlier this year back in Worcester). I’m of the opinion it would be easier to move the table but I only get 49% of the vote. No problem as the best First Friday of the Year unfolds tomorrow with our arriving guests. I’ll have to brush the rust off my early morning defensive moves to protect myself once the granddaughters launch themselves at my sleeping form. A great problem to have.

A Couple Sunsets

And a Pretty Cool Moon

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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

Logistics and a Russian Agent

We are in the midst of gearing up for the Friday arrival of both kids and their families. I have it on good authority (the subjects themselves), that all three granddaughters are extremely excited about their visit to Panama. It’s interesting that the most exciting aspect so far for them is that they will all be on the same flight from Panama City to David. We had planned a trip to David later this week to lay in the appropriate amount of food. This was supplanted when I had to take my Favorite Panamanian back to David on Sunday to address some sort of allergic reaction she was experiencing. I dropped her at the emergency room of a private hospital. It is just down the street from her mom’s house so I set up there reading and awaiting her call.

Powerless Pool Time

That came about three hours later after she’d had a bunch of tests and an IV. The total cost of the emergency room visit and a bunch of tests, $60. It would have cost that much just to ask a question of the receptionist to an American emergency room. We spent Sunday night in David so we could hit the grocery stores on Monday. I knew it would take the equivalent of the gross national product of a small nation to address the requirements. My Favorite Panamanian had created a menu for the entire week and whenever we walked by something she thought a granddaughter would like, the shopping cart would be further encumbered. I’m helpless in the face of her playing the “granddaughter card”.

Beating the Heat

We returned to Las Lajas in the early afternoon facing the prospect of lugging the vey burdened car’s load up the two flights of stairs. Because that wasn’t challenging enough, the power went out ten minutes before we arrived. That meant no air conditioning after I finished the half dozen trips up and down the stairs. I might have mentioned in the past, Panama is very hot. Our refrigerator was not up to the level of food we had arrived with so it was fortunate the upstairs neighbors have lent us their condo for the upcoming visit and we made it work, barely, with their refrigerator. After everything was stored and both refrigerators connected to the generator powered common areas down the hallway, my Favorite Panamanian and I went soak some tired bods in the pool. That turned out to be a very good decision as we awaited the return of power.

Walking Down the Beach

Sunset as we Walked Home from Canadian Visit

Dinner in Las Lajas

Chow Mein Visit

After a couple hours in the pool, we took a walk down the beach where we ran into other power-starved refugees from the other residencies. As we were walking by the nicest house on the beach my wife suddenly veered left and entered the property. She then gestured for me to join her. She had met another Panamanian lady at Sunday mass and learned we were neighbors, as this new friend lived in the aforementioned house. She and her Canadian husband hosted us for a very fun social hour. I’d always wondered about this house which proudly flies a Canadian flag along the beach. I learned a lot about the recent history of the beach development and it’s very cool to have additional friends in the area. We planned on a trip into Las Lajas for some Sunset Pizza until I remembered they were closed on Mondays. We made do with their next door neighbor/competitors, Natrulamente. Ther pizza isn’t as good and neither was their service last night as we waited nearly an hour for the food to arrive. The neighborhood alley cat, Chow Mein, paid us a visit to help pass the time.

Agent and his Handler

The more I hear about politics back home, the more I become convinced Donald Trump is an agent for Vladimir Putin. There have been too many instances where he has actively worked to support him whether attacking NATO or the EU, both pillars of the strategic check on Russian aggression. Recently his minions in congress have taken an active role, I’m sure at his behest, to block aid to Ukraine in their desperate fight against Putin’s aggression. Earlier they hid their opposition behind our own border security but that was put to the lie when they wouldn’t consider a bipartisan bill aimed at just that. I spent my entire adult life in the Army training to fight the Russians and it burns my ass that one of the leading candidates for President is an agent for a Russian leader who’s stated goal is to return to the halcyon days of the Soviet Union’s death grip on eastern Europe. Trump’s supporters and their inexplicable blind faith in this con man won’t change. The chaos and division Trump revels in is right out of a Russian strategic information war game plan. When will we wake up?

Two Inbound Princesses

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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

Unwanted Close Encounter

One of the activities from which I derive more than a little bit of joy is my twice daily boogie boarding sessions. I know that as a sixty-eight-year-old man (man, it doesn’t get easier seeing that in print) I should have more serious or sedentary, dare I say respectable, aims in my twilight years, but I’ve never been accused of being overly mature. This is all in the way of introduction to what happened yesterday during the afternoon session. I’ve gotten used to boogie boarding with the Las Lajas sting rays. They show up mostly for the afternoon and I can see them gliding effortlessly and elegantly through the waves as those approach me. I have a personal rule that if I see more than two at a time, I head for shore.

First Friday Sunset

They seem harmless but there’s the whole sting part of the sting ray to consider. I didn’t want to be in the middle of a decent slide down a wave only to cause one of them to think I was a predator worthy of a swipe. I have brushed up against them numerous times as they aren’t overly aggressive. It feels like having a thick piece of rubbery paper slide along your leg or arm. Not welcome, certainly (again the sting part) but it’s never been a problem. I had just seen my second one yesterday and was thinking of heading to shore when something much larger hit my upper thigh. It felt like someone had kicked me really hard.

One of my Swim Buddies

This all happened as I was making my way back out to the launch point and the water was swirling with sand between waves, so I couldn’t see what hit me. I immediately yelled, “What the F--- was that?!”. Of course, there was no one within a half mile to hear me and adrenaline was certainly flooding my system at this point. I didn’t wait around for a definitive answer to my shouted query and caught the next inbound wave. One of the things that always enters my mind when I see sting rays is that they are a preferred food source for sharks. I’ve never seen a shark at our beach (no reef) but I have the unfortunate habit of catching bits and pieces of Shark Week on TV each year where I learned that culinary fact about sharks.

Sunset Prep

In reflecting on the situation, I definitely don’t think it was a shark. There are also some pretty large fish swarming along our coast, hence the omnipresent small fishing boats. I’m guessing one of those larger fish was chasing a smaller fish and because of the murky water, ran into my leg. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. I thought it would be important for me to get right back out there this morning. I’m a victim of the Army drilling in the credo of never taking counsel of fears. I was more nervous than I thought I would be and, of course, immediately noticed some sting rays zooming around. I violated my rule about heading in after seeing two or more but the rays and I got along fine.

Beach This Morning

With this afternoon’s departure of the Panamanian couple of the Seis Amigos, my Favorite Panamanian and I will be the sole inhabitants of the condo complex with the upstairs neighbors touring Peru. That is strange for a dry season weekend but I’m guessing most of our other neighbors are recovering from Carnivale last week. We made the most of the First Friday of the Week yesterday. The Panamanian couple and their sister joined us to send the sun west into the Pacific and then we journeyed together down the beach for dinner at the Las Lajas beach resort. That was an easy sell for me based the quality of their cheeseburgers. Maybe we’ll do the usual Friday pizza tonight. Decisions, decisions, life can get tough that way.

Friday Sunset

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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

Interlude Between Storms

It’s patently unfair to refer to the two events I find myself between as storms but I’m feeling a little literary today. For the first time in a while there are only two residents in the condo today, my Favorite Panamanian and myself. While some would celebrate the peace and quiet, that’s not what makes life entertaining. Answering the immortal question posed by Maximus Decimus Meridius, I have been thoroughly entertained and expect that to continue. Earlier in the week we concluded the annual Carnivale time in Panama which saw not only my Favorite Panamanian’s birthday but also the in-condo residence of Tia Loca, her son and my mother-in-law.

Wife with her mom, Tia Loca and Nephew

As anyone can tell you about my younger sister-in-law, there is rarely a dull moment when Tia Loca is in residence. She became my boogie boarding buddy for the late afternoon session. She’s so much lighter than I am that she thoroughly out boarded me. She and her son returned to Panama on Wednesday but will return for the start of the second “storm”. My wife and I drove back to David yesterday to drop off her mom. My wife also volunteered for the condo association beautification committee so there was a shopping expedition on tap for yesterday afternoon with the wife of the Panamanian couple of the Seis Amigos.

Fridge was Stuffed to Bursting

In what turned out to be the best missed call in my lifetime, and possibly recorded history. My wife, enroute to getting a manicure, was summoned to meet with her fellow shoppers. I was safely back at my mother-in-law’s house and missed the call where my wife was coming to pick me up. Failing contact, she continued on without me. Saved!!!! As afternoon started edging into the evening I began to wonder what was going on and checked in with her. They were still trying to decide (four hours later). Talk about dodging a bullet. I got to spend the hours reading in air conditioned comfort while my Favorite Panamanian was engaged in her afternoon long efforts.

Upstairs Cake Ceremony

We were supposed to see a movie and go out for dinner (delayed Valentines Day date) but after the final decision was made she requested she still get the postponed manicure and pedicure. Since I was at a critical point in my latest Travis McGee novel and she sounded like she needed a break, this was an easy decision. Travis took down a squad of domestic terrorists while my wife got whatever the hell gel nails are emplaced. Win. Win. She eventually showed up as the sun set and the movie time had expired. W opted for chicken wings instead of the planned sit down formal dinner and had a genuinely great time before driving back to Las Lajas.

Beachside Cake

The second storm is the imminent arrival of my son, daughter, Wingman, the ABFA, the FBR, the BRS, and BR3. This is rightfully labeled a storm because it will also see the arrival of a significant percentage of my wife’s family; lots of high winds and aunts spoiling granddaughters even more than I do. I can’t wait. Facebook reminded me this morning with a proposed memory which is this photo from last year as we all sat on the beach for their final sunset. The Upstairs Neighbors of Seis Amigos fame, are visiting Peru and donated their condo for the granddaughters’ parents so they’ll be a lot closer this year. Color me extremely excited.

Last Year's Last Sunset

Meanwhile, Back in N.J. - Daughter's Back Yard

BRS is Ready for the Beach

As is Little Miss Chaos, BR3

Immediately after my last Frail Deeds post, we celebrated my Favorite Panamanian’s birthday. I had earlier bought a cake mix and frosting and was going to give it a go. Everyone was rescued from my culinary adventurism when we made another trip back to David allowing me to purchase a cake. It was fairly large so after singing happy birthday in the condo with the family, we took it downstairs to reunite with the Seis Amigos in the midst of the Carnivale celebrations ongoing on the beach. My Favorite Panamanian does not like attention lavished on herself but she was a good sport as the many people joined us to sing again and then partake of the cake. A very nice lady (I’m a little biased) was properly recognized on her birthday therefore.

We rectified the lack of movie date when we got home last night by watching the Iron Claw on the super streamer. I’ve never been a fan of the professional wrestling circus but this was a very poignant and heartfelt family story. Zac Efron transformed himself into a caricature but his acting raised the character to award winning levels. He plays the oldest surviving Von Erich brother and watches as his father’s overbearing personality plants the seeds for his family’s ultimate tragedies. Efron’s nuanced performance truly lifts this film from just another sports biography loosely based on real events. I’m still not a fan of wrestling but find myself finally convinced the former high school musical lead has what it takes. Good flick.

As Always, A Couple Sunsets to Send You On Your Way

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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