Our builder did show up and we spent about 2 hours in a meeting going over all that was important and more. He again apologized to Yella and ME for the Text Messaging Showdown!
We left feeling hopeful.
We are not fooled. We have been hopeful before. This is more about us feeling good for a few hours that any real, tangible results.
What's that old expression...you can't take the stripes off the Zebra.
Now for music.
I have been avoiding playing my guitar because, well, I'm really not very good. Most people thing I am being humble but I'm not...it is simply a fact that I am a sloppy, out-of-practice amateur with a tin ear.
When I played professionally (I use this term loosely), we were drunk, the audience was drunker and the music was loud. It was perfectly OK to miss cords, buzz strings and only play a few of muffled notes. Beer was way more important than sounding good. Hell, sometimes I didn't play at all and partied while the band played!
But the bar is pretty low here, so Yella has enticed me out into the music scene.
Oh boy...are my fingers sore!
I forgot how much it takes to get the finger tips of the left hand into shape and to develop calluses. We have been playing on most days and I have been feverishly practicing on the other days, just to keep from making a fool of myself. Probably won't help.
We are playing 3 songs with another couple at the Bistro on Saturday night. There will be a big crowd because this couple is popular. The rehearsals sound good. Yella and Richeal sing well, the songs are great and Gordon plays a mean guitar with me following along. Oh, Yella bangs a tambourine on her butt too.
No worries. It will be loud in the Bistro and nobody will be able to hear the mistakes...I hope.
It is fun to be playing again. I am thinking about getting back into it and taking lessons and practicing. But, I have these thoughts often and don't necessarily follow through...we'll see.
Now for the sweat.
I finally bought a pick axe and went to work on my road building drainage swales and ditches. I have been thwarted for about 2 weeks by the inability to find a pick. This is a common tool here but, as is everything in panama, at times the most common items are not available.
I got started about 9 am and, as it turns out, this is about 3 hours too late. It gets damn hot early in the morning!
I worked for only 2 hours, in the tropical sun, on a muggy day. The sweat was pouring off me. I would work a couple of minutes and then sit down in the shade for 5 minutes. I only brought a liter of water which was woefully inadequate. I seriously thought I might die of heat stroke.
I don't believe I have ever sweat as much as this morning. I was soaked, and hot, and drained. I did get one swale completed so I felt good.
My steel worked walked past me and immediately said I needed to get help. My condition was pretty obvious. So we walked up to my new neighbor's house and asked him if he wanted to work on the road. He will start Friday. I have no idea how that will work out because I have never employed a Spanish speaking person before.
But, oh, my lower back is paying for this frisky little adventure!
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