Bud

1 hour ago, Penny said:

This is why I grab a big handful of forms whenever I'm in the tax office in David. For those of you who need one (Alan and Bud) I have one for you.

Penny,

You are an angel.   Thank you.

13 hours ago, Penny said:

...bureaucratic governmental processes...

Going off-topic in one way, but still on-topic about the text I quoted above.

Been trying to pay the tasa unica (the annual "fee"/"tax" for our foundation), but without success. This government fee has to be paid in cash at either Banco Nacional or Caja de Ahorros (two governmental banking institutions here in Panama).

My trips to Banco Nacional in Boquete have been unsuccessful. Sure, I get to the bank with cash in pocket, but they don't have the correct form on which to document the payment. Thus no transaction is allowed. I finally got out of the bank manager (on my last trip last Thursday, which is a guy's day to be out and about) that the office in PC that takes care of printing and distributing those forms is closed and has been closed since the beginning of the quarantine. I asked repeatedly when will they get the forms, and the result is something I call the "reserve salute" (meaning, I don't know and I don't care). At least I now know hot to try again until things really open up.

But aha - an alternative solution. Caja de Ahorros can also receive the payments. However, the Boquete office is closed.

The way I drive, there is no way to get to David (and that is assuming they have the correct form) and back in two hours.

I have until the end of June to pay the tasa unica, otherwise a penalty results. If a penalty is imposed for non-timely payment then I am going to start protesting (hopefully peacefully, but at times I wonder if I can restrain myself).

The most difficult part of this scenario is the "I really don't care about your problem" attitude.

(Okay, now I feel better. I got this off my chest.)

We also bank at Multibank (and only Multibank). We have been pleased with customer support over the past many years, but NOT found a good solution to this current issue. The way I drive (it takes an hour for me to get to David) means that going to the Multibank branch in David is not an option. And other people who can make it to David and back in the allotted time window can't do our personal banking for us; it has to be us at the window.

There are a lot of things we used to take for granted that now are under our looking glass for reassessment.

9 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

The editorial is criticizing members of the National Assembly,  not the President.

Well aware of that. My reply was just an editorial comment about one thing that is happening right now.

Cortizo's legacy is being written right now. It is being written by others, not by Cortizo, and I suspect he is not pleased.

If you don't like the long lines for the grocery stores right now, think about the lines for the beauty salons, barber shops, and manicure/pedicure spas after they reopen. 🤪

Writing here as an ex-Navy guy: the captain's career has now ended.

I was not aware that any ISP was providing FTTH in our area. Was hoping someone would respond, but not yet.

Have you learned anything more since posting?

I suspect your use of “PON” terminology went over the heads of just about everyone. Guess you might be a geek. Not trying to disparage, just commenting.

Just received from a friend who lives half time in Boquete and half time in the US, enjoys golf. They got stuck in the US, and can't get back home right now. Somewhat lengthy, but it put a smile on my face.

Quote

March Madness is cancelled, the NBA is shut down, the Masters is postponed, and my Aunt Marge’s senior bowling has even thrown in the towel. Now restaurants and bars are closed, and our 40-handicap governor is threatening to shut down all entertainment facilities including golf courses. I have not tested positive, but the coronavirus is killing me.

There is nowhere to go and nothing to do. My wife suggested we take a walk, but I don’t walk anywhere unless I have a golf club in my hand, and it’s cart path only. My kids have a restraining order on us and won’t let us come within 200 yards of the grandchildren. And we can no longer eat out, but when we tried to cook at home, there were cobwebs in the oven.

The network channels are inundated with coverage of the virus. The golf channel has been showing reruns of old tournaments, which are almost as riveting as watching my brother-in-law’s video of his family camping trip to Yellowstone. And my wife is so desperate for something to do, she is even considering sex, and maybe even with me.

Paranoia is off the tracks. Before the shutdown, we were having dinner at a local bar. I let out a loud sneeze and everyone at the surrounding tables started yelling "check please." My stock portfolio is plummeting and most of our cash is currently invested in toilet paper. I am washing my hands 137 times a day. I don’t touch anyone. I don’t even touch myself. I have been using tongs to go to the bathroom. This has to stop.

Our society and economy have been crippled by a microscopic virus. Scientists have not yet determined the exact origin but have narrowed it down to a Chinese fish market or Rosie O’Donnell’s bathtub. And no one is sure how to prevent or cure it. In the past, the ways to prevent contracting a contagious disease were simple: don’t eat in restaurants with cat on the menu and don’t date my college roommate’s sister.

I don’t consider myself to be in the high risk category. I have been building up my immune system by eating one meal per day at MacDonald’s for the last 25 years. Germs just slide through me. My only pre-existing condition is an inability to launch a golf ball further than 180 yards. And, according to the CDC, symptoms of the coronavirus are sweats, dizziness, and trouble breathing, which I experience whenever I am standing over a 3-foot putt. I can handle it.

 So, I proposed to my regular foursome the idea of escaping from our self-imposed Stalag 17 and venturing outside for a round of golf. Everyone recognized the danger and severity of the situation. But when faced with the decision to remain sequestered with our wives or to risk contracting a deadly virus, it was a no-brainer. Every man opted to play golf.

Our foursome does not pose a medical risk to mankind. My friend, George is virus free. Social distancing has not been a problem for him. Other than us, he doesn’t have any friends. Bob, my neighbor is a urologist who has been working from home for several weeks. He has developed a way to do remote prostate exams by having patients sit on their cell phone. And our other partner, Jerry tested himself with a kit he bought online. However, he thinks he may have gotten the wrong kit. It showed no traces of the virus but indicated that he was pregnant with twins.

The federal government has established guidelines for social engagement. For example, you must stay at least 6 feet apart and no more than 10 people are allowed at a gathering, which means Patrick Reed’s fan club can still meet. In addition, our foursome drafted our own specific set of rules for Pandemic Golf.

Rules of Play:

• Hazmat suits are permitted. As an alternative, one can wear a college mascot costume or big bunny pajamas.

• Masks are not permitted, because we would look more like stagecoach robbers than a foursome.

• Leave the flag in. And to avoid retrieving balls from the hole, any putt shorter than Lebron James is good.

• Ride in separate golf carts and don’t come closer to another player than a fully extended ball retriever.

• Don’t touch another player’s balls. This is always good advice.

• No high fives. Fortunately, we seldom have a reason.

• No petting the geese or the cart girl.

• Don’t use the spot-a-pot. More disease in there than in all of Wuhan China.

• No excuses. Slicing or hooking are not side effects of the coronavirus.

• Make an online bank transfer to pay off your bets for the day.

• Straddle the sprinkler on the 18^th hole before getting into the car.

These rules and restrictions adequately protected us from contamination. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for bad golf. I had trouble gripping the club with oven mittens, but it was an enjoyable afternoon which ended way too soon. There were no handshakes on the 18^th green, no beers at the bar, and we drove home separately.

As the pandemic plays through, it is giving us a glimpse into our inevitable future where all meals are delivered, all entertainment comes through the TV screen, and all human interaction is through our cell phone. Where schooling is online at home, exercise is on a stationary bike in our basement, medical testing is done at drive thru windows, and colonoscopies are performed at Jiffy Lube.

The world is changing. It is becoming less interpersonal as technology consumes us. So now that we have time on our hands, everyone should take a moment to cherish this fading era, when friends still get together to hit a little ball around an open field for no good reason other than to enjoy the companionship of their fellow man.

Not giving up on the "to go" restaurant service, we had a wonderful experience yesterday (Wednesday, April 1^st) with Big Daddy's Grill.

I called Big Daddy's (using their WhatsApp cell number of 6250-1948), and it was Chef Chris himself who answered. Chris told me that they are still providing the service, but that there is a minimal delivery fee. There are four main menu items for the delivery service: spare ribs, burrito (two varieties of chicken or beef), chicken wings with a choice of different sauces, and something else which I did not write down. We opted for the spare ribs and chicken wings (Buffalo wings, not the hot stuff). Chris told me after checking for a moment that they were out of ribs, but that he would substitute a whole roasted chicken. I said yes to the roasted chicken and chicken wings dinners.

A short time later I got a WhatsApp text from Chris as to the total charge, including delivery fee (which turned out to be $2.00). Delivery would be approximately 5:00PM.

A few minutes before 5:00PM a white Chevrolet appeared at our entrance gate. Bryan was the delivery guy (he's a veteran who is helping Chris make these deliveries), and out of the passenger side popped Chris himself. They both were wearing masks and gloves. Our food orders were delivered in two large, heavy duty paper sacks. Things were still quite warm, and the aromas from the sacks were enticing.

Warning: if you take advantage of these delivery options from Big Daddy's, be advised that the servings are large, and the side orders (in our case they were mashed potatoes and gravy, plus red beans and rice for our roasted chicken order) are large also. In fact, the side orders for the roasted chicken are JI-NORM-US (for those who don't speak Texan, that means enormous). We have enough food from this one delivery to feed the both of us for several meals.

Recommendation: if you wish to take advantage of this restaurant delivery service I recommend that you call late morning to midday. Suggest that you not call at 4:00PM and ask for delivery by 4:30PM. Give them a chance to plan and schedule things.

Below are the front and back of the Big Daddy's business card that came with our food order.

RIP.

Not having a good experience here. Beginning to look like a good idea that went south.

La Posada restaurant is now closed. I tried four other places on this list and none answered their phone.

Will just stay home and have leftovers.

On a related matter, I called La Posada just now for a "to go" pizza, and they have told me that their restaurant is now closed, as in shut down (hopefully only temporarily). It was NOT where they are going to open later today, but they are closed until this pandemic thing is history.

Can someone confirm that I did not misunderstand the Spanish?

On 3/18/2020 at 8:38 AM, Keith Woolford said:

Rico's is on the list, left column.

Iris and Bill have opened a second location in Alto Boquete, just north of IVAN's

Thanks. I missed it. Guess I am getting too old.

15 hours ago, Marcelyn said:

Necessary business trip to David today (Friday) so decided to purchase a few things for us at PriceSmart plus shopped for two other families living in Boquete who don’t have transportation.

Only Panamanians in PriceSmart (Bud & I were the only gringos that I saw). Everyone friendly (yes, I know a few Panamanians can be “crusty”, but most are polite and helpful).  Everyone paid attention to keep your distance tape on the floor. Staff counted number of people in the store and wore mask and gloves.

Door monitor was wearing mask and gloves; dispersing (required for entry) hand cleaner from a huge bottle, and alerting every shopper “no cash...credit card only for payment”. Of course some potential buyers left immediately.

Overall it was a pleasant experience.

One aspect of this pandemic is bothering me. We had to use a hand sanitizer at the entrance to PriceSmart. I don’t have a problem with doing that. We have hand sanitizers at home and use them frequently. Marcelyn even carries one in her purse, which we use prior to eating out (she offers it to others if we have dining guests). As an aside, I also frequently scrub both hands with hot soapy water while we are home. The soap is a liquid anti-bacterial variety.

What bothers me is that hand sanitizers are anti-bacterial agents, and yet Covid-19 is viral in nature. Seems to be a disconnect there. What am I missing?

In addition to the above posting by @Sassy Blake, which was good information along with the other comments, I need to add that there has been some private communications initiated by Sassy to me. We are fortunate to have community members like Sassy who work to make things better for all of us.

I now better understand some of the issues and constraints that PriceSmart deals with. Those issues probably face other businesses as well.

Thank you, Sassy.

Interesting comments here. Thank you.

Yesterday afternoon (due to an unplanned but necessary trip to David), Marcelyn and I found the Cascade (granted it is the powder version) and facial tissues (actually Kleenex brand) at Super 99 in David. That is a store that we do not frequent, but were pleasantly surprised to find these products.

I am loosing confidence in PriceSmart with regard to stocking policies. Some for instances here.

• They used to carry both a meat and vegetarian versions of frozen lasagna. I recall the brand name had something like Michael in it. We haven’t seen supplies of either variety in more than two years, even though asking store management about it.
• We haven’t been able to find facial tissues (Kleenex) for months.
• We haven’t been able to find dishwasher soap, either liquid or pods or powder, for some time. Also can find none at Romero, Rey, Super Xtra, Super Baru, or the smaller M/S stores.

And yes, we know not that many locals have dish washing machines, but some do. What do they use for soap? And no, the shortage of facial tissue is not because of coronavirus because the shortage predates coronavirus.

We finally ended up ordering supplies of Kleenex and Cascade pods from online stores in the US.

Hi, Squirt. Miss your songs and your company.

Marcelyn and I had to go to David yesterday (Wednesday) on business and for the requisite stop at PriceSmart. We had an early lunch at home then hit the road. We had three fairly short business stops before heading toward PriceSmart, followed by three business stops after PriceSmart. It was quite warm and the a/c was much appreciated. As we started the short ride to PriceSmart, at this time about 1:30PM, the outside temperature gauge started going up. By the time we got to PriceSmart it read 44C. Wow! That’s hot. Our time in PriceSmart was only about 30 minutes, and as a side comment the warehouse was notably uncrowded, which is a rare occurrence. After leaving PriceSmart we had three more business stops. As we were heading toward stop #2 the outside temperature then read 45C. That is the highest I’ve ever seen that gauge read in my 19 years of living here. As we were heading for stop #3 the gauge went up to 46C. Broke a personal record. 46C is about 114F. Note that I am NOT saying David was 46C yesterday as many factors affect what the car’s outside temperature gauge is reading. But It was more than uncomfortably hot in David yesterday afternoon. The a/c was straining to keep us comfortable.

Upon transiting homeward in Bajo Boquete we were back to 25C. Nice. So glad I live in a place where I sleep under a blanket year round.

Just now watched this video, well some of it. Immediate reaction was marketing hype similar to International Living.

6 hours ago, Father Michael said:

Only truth can set us free.

Yes. And here I suspect you are talking more than just the dictionary definition of truth.

We live in an area with water service by other than the Boquete municipal water system. We had no recent outage. However, we are now hearing from friends that the entire Boquete water system was shut down for a long period on Tuesday last. Cannot attest to the veracity of that information, nor the reason, assuming it to be true. Is your water back on now?

In general we believe water accounts are rarely shut down, and certainly not without notice, for non-payment or late payment.

Wonder if this means we can expect more lengthy electrical outages (as we had on Saturday, Sunday, and yesterday)? But then in the area where I live we don't need high winds to go without electricity.

Yes, we do have a generator, and I know I am being negative.