WEEKENDS IN THE WINTER

Besides asking why we would ever want to move and retire to Panama, and then being told (by those all knowing) that it's a third world country and what about all the crime, the other thing that most people ask is "what will the two of you do together all day everyday?"  Ray and I will be together 24/7 until we make friends (we do have two wonderful one's living there now) and until we make the move to venture out on our own on that first errand.

 Weekends in the winter are different in that the lake house is quieter.  Without the sun and warmth luring friends and family to the lake, we don't even see the roomies as much.  Yesterday our plans changed and left us "alone" together.  We had things to do, things to shop for (Christmas in ten days!), and a movie that interested us ("Hitchcock"), and since it turned out that it was just us at the lake house, we decided not to hang out (this was part of the plans that were changed) the entire weekend.  So yesterday we set out bright and early to run those errands.  I did try to incorporate my sister or a friend into the plans for later in the day, in case Ray got tired of listening to me, but that failed.  We visited four stores, had an early lunch at Chili's, watched some TV back at the house and left the house again for a late movie.  After the movie, we stopped at the bookstore to get hot chocolate for him and chai latte for me.  We walked outside to the Spotsylvania Town Center Christmas Tree to see/hear the six minute Concert in Lights (we didn't know it was six whole minutes).  After leaving the lake house in Bumpass at ten in the morning and returning to the Stafford at ten at night, being together all day today and about eight hours on Friday, we still like each other.  Today it has been a miserably rainy day, so we accomplished wrapping gifts, vacuuming, baking and catching up on recorded DVR shows. 

Spotsylvania Town Center Concert in Lights

 Of course, I realize that when we are retired in Panama we won't have the weekdays to "catch a break" from each other like we do now.  I also realize that we finish each other's sentences, we say the things the other one is thinking when the other is getting ready to say it, we help each other with the mundane chores, and we hope, pray and want pretty much the same for each other, our daughter, extended family and  family.  

In Panama, we will stay busy initially with all those horrendously long, overwhelming tasks of finding a lawyer and realtor, renting a house, buying a car, trying to open a bank account, passing our driver's license tests, establishing our Visas, signing up for health insurance and so much more.  We will do this with excitement and nervousness.  But we will do it all together.  And will be just fine..."alone",  24/7, and retired in Panama.