Author Archives: Don Ray

About Don Ray

US retiree living in David, Chiriquí Panama. David, Chiriquí Warden for the US Embassy in Panama City.

A Surprise

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The ExecutionI went by the postoffice yesterday and had a note stating that a package was being held for me. The package was a signed copy of The Execution. This was the second copy that Sharon Cramer, author of The Execution, had sent me.

The first was not sent registered mail and walked off. I contacted Sharon, after I thought sufficient time had passed for me to receive the first book.

I regret that she had to pay $22 to send this one registered, but I am grateful that this one survived the Panama mail system. It was postmarked January 21 in the US and I was unable to find the date it was received in David.

The Execution has been a memorable experience for me. In my original post, i wrote how I came to find the Execution and how the writing affected me.

However, to me the book brought me more enjoyment than just a good read, because I gained a friend by getting to know the author. Only a friend would send not one but two books to ensure that it was received. The Internet has allowed me to meet several wonderful people that I would not otherwise have met.

The Execution, which I would say is intended for an adult audience, is on the opposite end of the spectrum to Sharon’s other books which are aimed at the younger generation, such as my grandkids. Her books can be found on her webpage.

Sharon has been fortunate and The Execution is being released as a movie. I think every author’s dream is to have his or her work turned into a movie. I congratulate her. Her books are available in hardcopy in all the major distribution formats. The Execution FaceBook page is located HERE.

Thank you Sharon for this memorable experience. I look forward to the movie.

Water Out

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Glad I had my shower early this morning. It was cold because there wasn’t much pressure, but I made it.

Now at 9:30 AM, there is no water. Hopefully it will return soon.

Noon: Looks like the water outage is over for the moment.

1:15 PM The water is back off. :( May be time for a dip in the pool.

7:30 PM Sometime between 5:00 PM and now the water came back. Whew!

MultiMax Selectron

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For some time, Lilliam has wanted to have a better TV on the terrace where she has her sewing machine. She had an nine year old 10 inch Panasonic that was on rabbit ears.

A couple weeks ago, I bought a 32 inch Selectron (MultiMax’s store brand). It is an LED and the best display and energy efficient technology on the market. $199 was an unbelievable price.

The wall I mounted the TV on is the same room that has the master bedroom’s TV. That allowed me to drill a hole into the bedroom and run a second cable from the cable box to the new TV. Now there is cable TV on the terrace.

It does mean that the TV in the master bedroom and the TV on the terrace both are on the same channel. When I go to the US next time, I plan on buying an IR receiver/transmitter device and then I will be able to change the channel without the need of going to the bedroom.

Since the two TVs are never on at the same time, the inconvenience of having both sets on the same channel is no bother.

I didn’t buy my wall mount at MultiMax. They cost more than I wanted to pay. I went to Premier and they had the best wall TV mounts/prices I have seen in David. I got a heavy duty swivel mount for $22. It would handle up to a 42 inch LCD TV. A similar item was around $49 in MultiMax.

While at Premier, I looked at their TVs. Their 32 inch LED was $189 and included a wall mount. Maybe I bought too soon. I didn’t see any difference in their TV and MultiMax’s TV and suspect they are both built in the same factory in China. Both sets have a 2 year warranty.

Premier also had a 50 inch LED for $499. I am considering it for another TV need we have. It is nice having so many technology options in Plaza Terronal. There are PanaFoto, AudioFoto, MultiMax and Premier. While DoIt has TVs, I didn’t find them competitive with the others.

It is amazing to see the price drop in TV technology today. I bought a 42 inch LCD low end TV in PriceSmart in 2005 and think I paid around $1000. That is the one that needs to be replaced now and the reason I am considering the 50 inch Premier.

Selectron

32″ Selectron TV – $199 February 2014

Lost Pet – Siberian Husky

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Posted by request

Niko

Mi Nombre es NikoSoy Husky Siberiano y tengo 4 meses de edad.
Me llevaron de la casa el Jueves, 27 de Febrero Por favor ayúdenme a reunir con mi familia Hay recompensa de $100 por su devolucion. llame #6812-7187

My Name is Niko.

I am a 4 month old Siberian Husky
I was taken from my home on thursday February 27th.

Please help me reunite with my family.
There is a $100 reward for my return. Call #6812-7187

A Saved Day

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We have guests in from Panama City for Carnival and yesterday, after church, we decided to try a restaurant I don’t frequent often, that being TGIF. Currently, the cheapest burger is about $11.25 at TGIF and most other meals are higher. For our party of seven, we would probably have had a bill over $100 and a tip over $10. 10% is the expected tip in Panama.

When we entered, there were two large dirty tables and no staff in sight. There was another table of 6 waiting with menus ready to order. There was no one minding the door and seating people. We pulled three tables together and found a couple menus.

After about 10 minutes the other table of 6 left, because no one came to take their order. We looked for someone to wait on us and were basically told that they would be by soon. After another 5 minutes, we decided that something as special as TGIF was not to be had today. If the TGIF franchise becomes aware of how this management and staff are preforming, several people will probably be looking for jobs. It will be a long time before I decide to try it again.

I suggested we go to the new Verona Pizza place. It turned out to be the perfect place. For me, it has my favorite pizza in David. However, I love thin italian crust pizza, which is what Verona serves.

We ordered pizzas, sandwiches and salads and everyone was extremely pleased. For dessert, we had one of the Nutella pizzas, which was outstanding. That was a first for me, but won’t be my last.

We enjoyed great food and outstanding service for less than $50 including tip. It turned out to be a special day after all. If you are not aware of Verona’s Pizza, you can see my original post HERE. Also, Verona’s Pizza has a new Facebook page here.

If you stop in, tell Chef Franco that Chiriquí Chatter sent you.