Cocktails In Boquete

Sad to say but I'm back in the States after having to give up on getting the rest of my stuff back. I'm lucky to have friends that gave to the cause with cash and places to stay while I figure out my next move. Friends in Panama and Costa Rica were extremely helpful, and if it hadn't been for certain people in Panama helping out (you know who you are but will remain anonymous here) I would have literally lost everything but the clothes on my back.

I thank everyone not only for their faith in me, but for sticking with me when things got rough. I'll remember the kindnesses and endeavor to return them when I can, as well as whatever cash I can muster up over time. This gives me a reason to set out again and find another adventure, though the direction isn't yet clear. Will I learn from my mistakes? Who knows?

When I was a kid a group of us used to climb up to the top of a thin tree and swing it back and forth until it bent enough to fall toward another tree where we would all try and switch over before the decreasing ballast allowed the original tree whip back. Of course we pushed it- taller trees, more kids, more risk, more danger, more adrenaline, more broken branches and thuds from the ground. The payoff was to look back and say wow, look what we just did. Somehow nobody died.

Cocktails in Boquete was kind of like that. The looks I get from my friends back home remind me that I lost thirty pounds getting there, endured sickness, hundreds of bug bites, corrupt officials, simply dangerous and armed people, lack of sleep and an astounding lack of professionalism in virtually all the professions.

The bar was a success in all but endurance, and yes, that of course would be the most important part of any business. And though it sucks, and hurts, to have not made it pay off, I can still look back at it and say wow.

That doesn't mean I will let up on the fat one- that's just a public service. I'm just going to have to figure out how to balance my revenge (in as healthy a manner as is possible with such a thing) with my need to move forward into something new and pay my bills. If nothing else I hope to continue to entertain here as I sort through my options.

Thanks again for the support.

Posted by petefredbob at 01:13 PM | Permalink

Last night was fun and we took lots of pictures. It was our first really busy night and the crowd was here right up until closing time, on which exact minute the police came in the door asking for who was in charge. It was all very genteel and all of that and we booted everybody out lickety split after.

Bad new is that I've been laid up all day with a dose of food poisoning and have no energy to do anything. Maria handled the day by herself but we're going to have to be closed tonight, and you'll have to wait for photos. Bad luck for a Friday.

Posted by petefredbob at 06:32 PM | Permalink

Did a 'classic' strawberry daiquiri and another caipirinha. The daiquiri had too much lime (limon) and the caipirinha had a different flavor tonight because of different limons. We're going to have to try and find a good regular source of fruit.

A couple of fellas came by with a sack of 'oranges' that Sandi had her eye on. She thought one of them looked like a Mandarin because of its color. She peeled it, it looked like a good eating orange. Until she bit into it. She made me try it too. It tasted like a lemon. Weird.

No Cubans came by tonight so we cranked up the samba.

Posted by petefredbob at 08:31 PM | Permalink

The first day is over and behind me. Last night I sat exhausted and happy. I felt I had gotten somewhere even though the place isn't close to being what I had envisioned. It is; close enough. There were happy faces; there were margaritas, caipirinhas and Canadian (rye) whisky. The lights were right, the music was right, the mood was right. It doesn't get any better.

We'll still be working out the bugs this week: bathroom issues, refrigeration issues, workflow and more construction, but it's there.

To everybody who saw that this was a fun project worth saving and pitched in to help: thank you.

Bob, Sandi, Sieg, Mark, John, Phil and Phil, Claudete, Lolita, Gary (who must still be nursing his poor back) and many others who helped in their own small ways from encouragement to disparagement (telling me that I 'can't' do something is probably more motivating to my psyche than an 'atta boy').

The feedback from readers of this blog has been encouraging as well, especially when Will came in with a gift bottle of Crown Royal and recounted his amusement of the 'bench' story. Thanks guy. And when we get the ice right and the nervousness out of our hands we'll pour you one 'just right.'

Special thanks to Gail Jean McGilicuddy for the sign, the bar spoon and the muddler- and most of all for being a friend to pour out those frustrations that just weren't proper for a family blog.

Posted by petefredbob at 09:04 AM | Permalink

Whew! Well, it's as done as it's going to get for the moment. There will be a few things put in place tomorrow as we gear up and the bartender checks in but we're good to go.

The roof lights didn't get up as it was raining and I'm stupid but not that stupid. But the outside seating lights are in place and two of what will likely be a good number of bug zappers. I could go on about what didn't make it but I'll not. Stuff will get done as we go on.

A few final pictures as we go into what may be a short lull in posting unless Sieg decides to give a report or two over the Boquete Cocktails wireless.

Tchau for nau.

Posted by petefredbob at 01:14 AM | Permalink

Updated with pictures!

Late post as Outlaw Bob and I ran into Harlan during our outing yesterday and made plans for Amigos. I got there late, as my sometimes obsessive nature had me fitting light fixtures as soon as I got home, and then Bob left after sharing one drink. I was on my way back home to obsess some more when I got chatty with the new owners of Amigos, Marcus (I think) and his lovely wife Jennifer. Wound up closing the place talking international politics with a Dutch couple. I think the staff were frightened.

Big long day in David yesterday getting stuff as wrapped up as I can for the final push. Glasses were the big buy; martini, margarita, Collins, rocks, beer, brandy, wine, shot, yadda. A cocktail shaker, drink mat, serving tray, condiment dispenser, various jiggers. Then over to Rey and Super Baru for some cocktail onions, olives, bitters, some Coco Lopez and other stuff. And pizza makings that might be tested out today.

From the Do It Center I settled for a relatively shallow double sink, as putting together three small individual sinks (and none too deep) or having one fabricated are not options at the moment. The faucet seems relatively sturdy but I don't see it lasting more than a year. And light fixtures! And the glass bottle shelves which will be delivered on Monday, or if one has high hopes, today. High hopes are not my strong suit at the moment. And mirrors for the bathrooms.

And a day without issues is like a day without sunshine, or something like that. Too windy to do anything else with the roof for the past two days, so it's still waiting. Roberto Carlos was having problems in the morning, but I didn't know what they were or how serious until last night. He asked me for a hair dryer as the material wasn't 'stretching' the way he needed it to. I didn't have one and left him to his own devices while I went to town.

Sandi had come by to garden while Bob and I were out and when we stopped at their house for some lasagna (yum) she mentioned Don Carlos had not finished- and- was to be hunting for some wood trim. Wood trim? There is to be no wood trim on the bar bumper! Wood is hard on the elbows, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of a soft spongy thing.

When I got home, and as I stared at all the exposed staples and rough tile edges in disbelief, it looked like he had either measured very wrong or blew it on the design, thus the 'stretch' remark in the morning. As the bench seats wound up being the design he had originally showed me (kind of like an aileron) instead of what I asked for, I'm going with design problem.

Staples not pretty


Flying bench aileron

Having hired plenty of contractors in the past and having been a contractor myself the rule is that if you fuck up, you eat it. I've eaten my share of mistakes. As a matter of fact I've eaten 50% of my profits on this particular project, as my new co-owners can tell you (hey guys!).

This is not the way in Central America. It usually goes something like this: they ask for more money (because they have to work more on the project and they expect to get 'paid' for the 'extra' work), they don't show up (either for a few days or never again), they resent it when you point out that they were the ones that made the mistake (you think you're better than me? Well do it yourself!), and/or why do you need it that way anyway? My way is just as good. Just look at this nice wood trim/aileron!

Not. Going. To. Happen.

There will be more material bought and Senor Carlos will make a nice cushiony cover for the staples and tile and we will find a decorative way to attach it. It will look nice. Dammit. I doubt if I see him again before Monday or Tuesday, though I pray I'm wrong, as I still need him to weld something for me. And he has to deliver the other two bench cushions.

Window screening. Will not be black. Two places, one compromise, three misunderstandings. It will be gray. It will be more work. It will suffice.

Sconces. Not sconces. They are wall fixtures so I guess they could be technically called sconces, but not what I had envisioned. Lumicentro has seemed to collect in one large place some of the ugliest lighting fixtures on the planet. The sales girl agreed. After about fifteen minutes the brain switched into 'forget ugly, what is the cheap?' Three for nine dollars each, one for five.

Before I hit Amigos I fitted the fixtures, resorting at one point to actually read the "instructions," and wound up switching around the hardware to make it all work. I left them dangling by their ground wires, which aren't actually grounded per se, so when I eventually get downstairs today I'll just twist up the hot and neutral, flip the switch and see what happens.

Hanging lights.

After I do the lights this may turn into a day of rest, or maybe just cleaning, especially if Don Carlos doesn't show. We'll talk later.

Update: 10:20 AM. My faith in humanity is restored. Roberto Carlos has just left, and to the best of my ability feel that I've conveyed my preferred solution for the bar bumper. I He's off to make the piece. He also asked for 75% of his fee in advance. I gave him 50%. He needs to buy a sack of dog food. Seriously. I tried to get Outlaw Bob on the phone to go with me and fetch the other two bench cushions but he apparently has a life outside of doing me favors.

Update Later: Got the lights attached to the walls but otherwise we rested. Don Carlos returned while I was napping and he started hammering away. After a bit it seemed like overmuch hammering and I went downstairs to see what was up. We had discussed decorative carpet or furniture brads to attach the coverup piece.

These don't look all that decorative.


They're not even spaced evenly. He said he would come back with the good stuff, maybe Monday. I'm happy to report that I did not stab myself in the eye after viewing the above, though there was a strong urge to do so.

It will be fixed.

I finally got to try out one of the pizza machines today. The pre-made crust was a little crusty, so I'll adjust the bottom element on the next try, but overall I'm happy with the machine's result. It worked as advertised and we can always adjust the ingredients as we find better stuff.

Yum.

Posted by petefredbob at 09:24 AM | Permalink

Man that heat is knocking me out down in David. I think I'm getting old. Did my citywide search for a drill adaptor this morning to no avail. I bought stuff I didn't need because I may have been able either to marry it to some other piece found in some other hardware or auto parts store or just 'para explicar' to the next hapless chap as to what it was I was looking for.

During the course of my travels I did learn something about diamond cutting saw blades, namely that out of the three types that are made, only the two that I don't need are for sale in Chiriqui, unless it's the wrong size with a diamond shaped center hole which won't fit my machine. The one I want is 'liso,' or smooth.

Remember I said I laid two rows of block for the roof support yesterday as a test for the mortar? I wandered out back to see what Hidalgo was doing and he had managed to disassemble that and start rebuilding it in another location. w? t? f? We corrected the situation before I went off on my initial search. Primo continued with the wall.

I returned empty handed and frustrated. It was dawning on me that I would have to make another trip to David and repeat my search there and was thinking of calling Bob for a ride. But first decided to call the Do It Center to see if I even had a chance. No one answered the phone. I heard a car on the gravel outside, poked my head out and found my old friend Rene pulling up with his taxi.

Rene used to be my airport and border taxi back in the days when I had no patience with the bus and a lot more money. I'd rent his services for days at a time and sometimes his wife Janet would ride along with us. I hadn't seen him in months as he normally works out of the airport, but today he had a fare close by and came to see what had become of me. I gave him the nickel tour.

I explained to him what I was looking for tool-wise and he said of course he knew where I could find anything I wanted, so off we went. But first, remember the blocks Hidalgo was building? Supposedly using my level? Rene and I poked our heads out back just before we left and burst out laughing, as Hidalgo was in the process of building a pyramid. Sometimes you just can't get angry and sometimes it's just so funny it hurts.

Primo declared himself 'done' with the mudding and mending so I handed him the paint pot and told him to follow up where Hidalgo had 'painted' before and finish the top half of the men's room. The following shot is what a self-proclaimed expert calls done:

Here's the wall.

Off to David.

After the Do It Center, two other places and almost two hours later we came upon a new joint that any American would recognize as a tool or parts place. I felt hope, esperanza. Rene launched into his spiel, counter guy's face had the look of an android, like Hymie on Get Smart or Data from Star Trek without the bad makeup. He produced a number of offerings that were a no go. I asked him if he had a Stanley catalog. Blank stare: I pointed to another catalog in front of him on the counter: recognition.

We started from scratch and I went through the items he recognized. The socket that Materiales Karen had supplied Hidalgo with last week was a fifteen-millimeter with a half-inch drive and it almost fit. He had the bolt with him at the time so they could size it correctly.

Android boy took another measure of the bolt (yes, I was loaded down with everything) and determined it was a nine-sixteenths. The socket he presented during our Kabuki fit, well, better. We finally got down to brass tacks and realization dawned on him as to what we actually needed. He presented an adaptor. It was for a quarter-inch drive. And no, there were none either in three-eights or half-inch available. Oy.

But I did buy the 9/16ths three-eighths drive socket, and an extender- just in case. Rene had a brainstorm and off we went, ultimately to a place that fixes diesel fuel injector systems that he knew had scrap metal and a welding machine laying about. We were just going to get a piece of steel and cut it to fit between two of the adaptors that I had picked up this morning. It would be 'good enough.'

The owner was an old friend of Rene's and we had fun chopping up pieces of metal until the guy made the suggestion that if we would just go buy a cheap hex wrench he would cut it and weld it into one of my extensions. We did, and he did and here 'tis. Done.

But we were hungry by this time and I had seen a new Pizza Hut open on the main highway. I wanted a meat lover's pizza.

After thirty minutes without having one single waiter or waitress look us in the eyes, studiously ignoring our pleas as they accelerated past our table, I went up front to grab the 'hostess.' She appeared affronted that I would actually call our plight to her attention. She also began avoiding our table by directing new customers to their seats via the far side of the room, so we headed toward KFC, until I heard the sound of a Jack Daniel's cheeseburger from Friday's calling my name.

I also remembered there had been some interest from two of their bartenders wanting to come to work for me (one was the national champion in an inter-Friday's competition). We had lunch, I left my number with one of the guys I know and then we went to pick up Janet to accompany us back to Boquete. On the way to get Janet, Rene pulled out a ratchet from the glove compartment with a 14-millimeter socket. I tried it on the bolt. It fit perfectly.

Hidalgo was waiting, guarding the place after hours (I'm never going to fire this guy) and he called us out back to see his handiwork. It was almost as I had pictured it in my mind (slightly uneven but, fix that in the morning with a bit of mortar). It was a beautiful sight to behold.

Feeling lucky in a very Clint Eastwood kind of way I grabbed a ladder while Rene loaded up the drill ('taladro electrico' for those following the bouncing ball). I picked the most out of whack bolt on the beam, and it seemed like it wanted to grab, but…..

The second one was the charm. It worked, and tomorrow I'll be attacking the remaining bolts as the fellas get to work on the two side beams.

Posted by petefredbob at 08:08 PM | Permalink

Having trouble thinking up stuff for this post as the day seemed to drag on forever with all the excitement of watching paint dry. Which, by the time Deyanira was done putting it on with the brush, it almost was. The mudding of the wall went on all day and still isn't done, and only two out of the four security screens are up. Another screwdriver bit was worn out from abuse. Every time I think I've got a running start at it the Panamanian version of 'Manana' kicks in. It was a warm and gorgeous day and I'm thinking the crew would rather have been elsewhere.

The upholstery Viejo came by today (MS Word keeps capitalizing 'Viejo' so I'm just leaving it) with his measuring tape and I'm just waiting to either wince or cry in relief when he gives me the quote. I hope it's not the 'wince' thing as I just don't have time to learn a new trade.

Fernando came by to tell me again how my electric circuit for the lights is screwed up and will be back tomorrow with more stuff to fix it. He still won't answer me about splitting the light circuit from my main upstairs circuit, which means he can't or won't do it. He also feigned off his answer about the band to his drummer, which means they're going to want to charge. I'm going to offset whatever it will be with free drinks and see if he bites.

By the time 2 o'clock had come around motorcycle Phil came by and we headed next door for a beer. Hidalgo came into the bar a few times but it wasn't until I finally went back over around three I figured out he was trying to tell me he was out of small screws. Tomorrow 'is' another day and by gum that beam will go up even if Sieg is hogging my new bar slave Gary.

Posted by petefredbob at 08:25 PM | Permalink

Updated:

Kinda stumped today. The wood hadn't been delivered by noon so I wandered over to the lumberyard to find the gate locked. A couple of worker bees were in the back but nobody who could help me.

Earlier I heard something outside that didn't sound right and as I looked out there was a truck getting ready to dump a load of sand on my new gravel under Hidalgo's unwavering supervision. I explained to the driver that I did not order any sand, and to Hidalgo why it would not have been a great idea to put it where it was headed.

The first of the cement has been applied around the bricks and we'll finish after lunch. The roof post 'might' get placed by the end of the day. It's Friday. It's slow. Probably just as well, as I managed to tweak my shoulder getting the bench together yesterday and I should rest it.

Plenty of small stuff to do over the weekend, especially if I can talk Sandi and Bob into giving me a lift into David to pick up the tile and wood for the bar, and maybe the hot water tank.

Creature Feature Update: Short version; as I accidentally deleted my first try at an update. Just home from drinks at Amigos you see.

I hate scorpions. I hate them more than wasps. I found one today. I killed it dead. Here is a picture. I will have trouble getting to sleep tonight without more booze.

Posted by petefredbob at 12:44 PM | Permalink

I'm beat. Garden was attacked and weeded today and the initial covering up of the bar is done. Lots of detritus to be cleaned up and disposed of. First of the benches to be framed up starting tomorrow. Done.

Posted by petefredbob at 07:28 PM | Permalink