Quick note ... Whining, OK!?!

We.want.our.stuff!

When last seen, it was leaving Gearhart on January 11, 2013 ... this just before we closed the doors!  You can't SEE all the "good shit", BUT we want it ... NOW!  

Roy wants his hammers and his sawsall & his pans ... I am sure he wants it all, but that is what I am hearing, daily, repeatedly.  I want beds, sheets and our pillows!  Oh, and the bikes, and the chairs, and the toilet brush and the ...................................................!  We were told "mid-week" ... it is 9:47 on Wednesday night ... mid-week es pasado!  

I keep telling myself, Tenga Paz,

K

A long day, filling the hours until our "stuff" arrives!

Up @ 5:50 this morning, coffee'd up, showered and hit the road for Alajuela.  Light traffic and I've taken the "interior" road many times lately, so arrived in just under an hour @ Hotel Los Volcanes to have breakfast with our friends, Dennis & Cheryl, from Oregon and get them on their way.  Ate, went to the bank and stood in line (aargh ... hate going to the bank here on Monday), changed $$ to colones, loaded up the "bouncezuki" and took them to SJO to catch their Sansa flight to Tamarindo.  They obviously got there, as Cheryl posted these:

Wishing we were THERE!

Stopped @ (ew, ick) Walmart, bought a few small things, reacquainting ourselves with just what they might have that we didn't remember, and headed to PriceSmart, where we, of course, forgot to buy kittie litter!  **Note to self:  begin making lists again ** Tried calling M&M several times, but I forgot my phone, and  for some reason, Roy's had NO SIGNAL ALL DAY!  So, went to their house anyway, had a nice visit, left via a "short-cut" that REALLY WAS and went to AutoMercado ... picked up a few things and headed to Friajanes (the "back way" home", stopped to say "HI" to Camilo @ Chubascos for a few and came away with a wonderful head of green leaf lettuce, stopped to see Marilynn in Friajanes for a bit and got home just after dark!  12 hour day ... What a way to take our minds off the fact that we are still camping!  Hopefully, this mid-week, things will change!

Tenga Paz, Pura Vida,
Katheen

I love this!

So, when you do a google search for "San Luis de Grecia Weather", this is what you get ... look closely at the bottom:

8 hour round of golf? Really? And it cost WHAT?

So, I had the opportunity, and honor, to be invited to play in the annual DHL tournament (benefit for children's hospital) at Cariari Country Club on Friday ... albeit at 6:30 a.m.  So, left home at 4 on Thursday afternoon,with a stern command to call home upon arrival, in the "bounce-zuki".

Traffic was, mercifully, light and I made it to M&M's in just under an hour (so much for 45 minutes to the Golf Course ... more like 1.25 hours!)  Way quick for the "back" road, that is to say, NOT the "freeway" ... but the route the bus takes.  New pavement all the way (what a concept in this country).  Had a wonderful visit with Mari and Marco, picked up the documents on our car (we are SO legal on that now, insurance, registration and everything!), ate ravioli w/Mari's really good homemade sauce, drank a bunch of Imperial and finally got to bed around 10:30 for a wake up at 4:30.  Ahhhhh ... a bed with Sheets!!!!  However, it is the "City" with it's accompanying noises.  As much as I complain about Oso & Chara (the barky dogs next door, less barky these days) I really appreciate living en el campo!

Marco & I were off to Cariari at 5:15 for registration, cart & club rental (remember, I STILL don't have my CLUBS, shoes, gloves, balls, tees, or towels!!!) secure a caddie (mandatory), ate breakfast, met my playing partners (a couple of 30-something sweeties) and at 7:30 we tee off.  We started on a Par 3 with heavy wind right to left ... and to the left was a ravine edged by elephant bamboo.  My tee shot (very pretty, I might add) ended up in the greenside bunker and both the guys' shots went LEFT ... EEK!  Victor was fortunate, however, as he hit a big stick of bamboo, bounced onto the apron, and we didn't have to hit out of the bunker.  I made an excellent approach shot, but we two putted ... pretty much a harbinger of things to come.

We had a GREAT time, even though we didn't score well.  Neither of the guys has much chance to play these days ... oh, yeah, me either!  Gee, it only cost around $260!  Not a price to which I am accustomed!  Works out to $32.50 per hour.  I can think of a LOT of things I enjoy that cost less than THAT!  Probably won't be playing that many charity tournaments here ... at least without my "stuff".  Although, I haven't spent dime one on golf for 2.5 months ... but still!  Just sayin'!

We didn't get back to M&M's till 4 p.m. and I was totally beat!  Rested for a few minutos and then back up the mountain.  Made it home in an hour, even with following a "Pipe" truck from Tacares all the way to Grecia ... many kilometros and the odd sugar cane truck (how do they GO that slow?)!  Roy had had a remarkably interesting day too, which I may make him post on his own at a later time ... it WAS interesting!  Slept like a log till 6 this morning ... LATE for me these days.

Sorta quiet, lovely morning with coffee, scrambled eggs w/ham, tomato with cheese & fresh basil and catching up on email.  Load of laundry on the line, etc.  Around 2 or so, some neighbors (two doors up with a vollyball field!! and 10+ hectares (pretty much 25 acres)) stopped by on their way home from their walk.  We visited at our house for a while and then were invited up to theirs.  Visited for around 1.5 hours and got to know them a little.  Macho, Emma & David.  Macho is tico, no English, Emma is a tica, but was born & raised in the US (as was David).  Their home is pretty much what we would like to see in ours ... open, vaulted ceilings and full of hospitality!  Macho has a sister who works @ Municipalidad (City of Grecia) and is going to check out how few hoops we can get away with jumping through on our "project".  Sounds like there won't be all that many (fingers crossed).

Our load is due to be delivered mid-week and I am really getting tired of hearing Roy say "Oh, for a hammer"!  Soon!  Beds with sheets, "sawsall", hammers, ladders!  Life is about to get serious!

BUT, our friends, Dennis & Cheryl, will be here tomorrow night, not "here" here, but in Alajuela.  They are bringing "a few" things for us, so we will head to Alajuela early Monday morning to:  a) welcome them to CR;  b) get our "things";  c) go change money @ BNCR (we have accounts, therefore don't get charged an extra fee);  d) take them to SJO for their flight to Tamarindo.  Won't see them again 'till probably Saturday next and hope they have a WONDERFUL time in Tamarindo ... in 96 degrees, while we are here in 80 degrees ... comfy! It is after 9, so it is (or after) my bedtime ... Tenga Paz!

K

Heading to Alajuela soon ...

Spending the night @ Marco & Mari's, heading to Cariari around 5 am, to play golf.  I forgot to post a photo of the basket I bought a couple of weeks ago at the Feria.  $5.00  Pretty, no?

News travels quickly en el campo!

Sitting on the front porch, having coffee and trying to plan out the day.  Just now, some of the locals ... don't know what these ladies do, but they get off the bus and walk up the hill just after 9 each morning ... and they stopped and asked how my Scorpion sting was doing!  I am relatively certain they don't read this blog, but they heard about it somewhere!

Yesterday afternoon, decided to go to town to deal (yet again) with a small double charge that happened at PeriMercado on the 1st.  Stopped off at Copebolivar, paid the water bill (around $5), recharged my cell phone and headed down.  Dropped Roy @ Steve & Brenda's to deal with a Windows 8 issue, grabbed Brenda and off we went.

First Stop:  PeriMercado.  Now, I've been dealing with this since last Wednesday, when they said they would email the bank and have them reverse the charge ... supposedly to be completed in 3 days.  It wasn't. Spoke w/Rosemary (again), who has great English skills, and explained that it still wasn't fixed.  She contacted the lady in the office, who said she would send another email to BancoNational.

Next Stop:  BancoNational.  Needed to get money and make a deposit, plus they told me last week that, if PeriMercado didn't handle the situation timely, I should go to "la Plataforma" ... one of the desks, not a teller window (caja).  So, took a number for each and waited ... and waited ... and waited.  I should know better by now than to go to the bank on a Monday!  Eventually, my number was announced for la plataforma and I got Marvin ... I am sure Javier (who opened our accounts) was glad it wasn't him, although he smiled, waved and said HI.  Marvin doesn't have English, so he found a gal who did, I explained the situation ... again ... and she said that if I got a note from Peri, they could reverse the charge.  I had the bank call Peri and explain what they wanted, so off to Peri again.

Next Stop:  PeriMercado.  Walked in and waited, and waited, and waited for the "note".  Waited about 1/2 hour.  Finally got the note.

Next Stop:  BancoNational.  The hour is 3:47, as I waited sooooo long @ Peri.  They close @ 3:45 ... the bank is still full of people, you can get out, just not IN!  Tried to talk the security guy into letting me in to see Marvin, he went inside and checked ... twice ... and came back and explained that either I could come back tomorrow or go to the other branch ... way the hell and gone out toward the Autopista ... that was open till 7.  Sigh. I took a look at the "note" and noticed that they had dropped a digit, making 11,162 colones into 1,116 colones ... not acceptable to ME.

Next Stop:  PeriMercado.  As we enter, Rosemary visibly cringes.  Bear in mind, despite all the bu11 $hit, I've been VERY patient up to this point, but I think she realized that that patience had now worn not just thin, but through.  I handed her the "note" and asked her to read it back to me in English ... which she did ... till I pointed out the error.  The manager, who wrote the note, was standing right there was very embarrassed and immediately hustled off to re-do the "note".  While waiting for the revised document, I sorta let Rosemary "have it" ... in a nice way.  I know it isn't her fault, but someone had to feel my angst!  

So, long story long ... I still don't have my 11,162 colones ($22.44) and yet another trip to town is in the offing.  Never dull!

El dia del escorpión!

Yesterday morning, our friend Steve called and said he and Brenda were going to Grecia to play in the park for a water conservation benefit.  Sounded like a good thing to do on a beautiful Sunday morning, so we got ready to pick them up on the way down the hill, even though they said they would take a taxi.  Picked up my purse and then ... have any of you ever been stung by a Scorpion?

Don't!  Hurts like hell!  Scares you half to death.  Sucker nailed me on my left index finger!  I'd rather be stung by a fire ant!   So (after flattening the culprit), weak kneed and shaking (me, not Roy), Roy hustles me to our neighbor Clarissia's house for First Aid, which consisted of a good calming down.  They suggested Vodka ... told them we had Gin, no Vodka, but they insisted that Vodka was the thing.  Never did figure out if it was to be used topically or internally, but whatever, we didn't have any anyhow.

Having decided that I would live, we headed down the hill, now late, to pick up Steve & Brenda.  Piled in the Suzuki with guitar & mandolin plus all of us and off we went.  Fortunately, found a parking spot right on the park ... rarely happens on a Sunday, but we DID have Roy and his amazing parking karma so there IS that!  The Farmacia (fortunately and unusually open on a Sunday) provided me with a couple of big time anti-inflammatory pills & six pain + anti-inflammatory pills with verbal instructions as to their dosage.  Grabbed a glass of water @ BurgerKing, ate a couple of pills and headed into the park, where Steve & Brenda were already drawing a crowd.  Here are a couple of shots:

This young man had listened to them in the park around Christmas time and it made his day to have the personal concert!  

After playing for a while, we all trundled across the street to Bro, a bar & restaurant, for a few cool ones ... that cold beer bottle sure felt good on my insulted finger!  Met some new people, two of whom, Pete & Donna, are a couple ... he is a Brit, she is from the good ol' USofA ... who are moving back to Blackpool England soon.  He announced that he didn't want to take his golf clubs and said I could borrow them ... too long for me ... but he would like to sell them WITH his hard airline case for only $100!  I thought Marco could use some new clubs, so I called him and he wants them, so I get to make that happen this week.  

Then, after a brief trip to the Liquor store, we went to La Galeria and had a lovely late lunch/early dinner, then back up the hill.  

I guarantee the sleeping bags were well shaken before bed last night!  

Pura Vida,

Kathleen

Quiet lately ... but a few more tidbits

I know I've been quiet lately (me?), but not a lot going on except waiting for our stuff.  Friday, went (in our car) to Grecia w/Isobel (of the restaurant) and my new friend, Brenda.  Sort of nice just us girls!  Not necessarily in this order;  went to Peri Mercado, lunch at a new (to me) Pizza place (huge, loaded "individual" pizza w/a pop for 2,100 colones ... around $4.20).  Went to a "Ropa Americana" store and bought a pair of shorts and two sun dresses for around $10 total.  Then a quick run through the Feria Grecia for some herbs, veggies, fruit, juevos, queso, whole wheat sourdough bread and other "stuff", then quickly back up the hill to get Isobel home by 3 to open the restaurant ... didn't make it!  Fortunately, her older daughter, Jasmine, and her kitchen help were there for the eventual early customer.

Stormy up here in the highlands the last couple of days ... winds reported up to 110 km/hr ... read just over 68 mph.  We lost power off and on Saturday night, but nothing prolonged.  Apparently, this is the result of the freaky weather that is happening on the East Coast of the US ... go figure!  We lost two Plantain plants ... the whole thing ... and two branches off the Agucate tree.  What a mess.  So, cool and windy up here ... only got to around 70 today.  Actually went to Grecia yesterday to get warm ... and for ciggies.  Much warmer today!  I think I will wash "heavy" stuff tonight, for hanging on the line in the morning, without fearing that it will end up halfway to Alajuela from blowing off the line!   As to that, hanging clothes on the line is NOT like riding a bicycle ... you DO forget!  The good news is that it has been so breezy up here that nothing gets stiff from line drying!  I (and Roy) constantly check to see what has blown off the line ... often something is partially off.  Sigh!  I don't want a dryer yet, though.  Give me till the rainy season, then ask me again!

Took off this morning with Steve & Brenda and headed to Los Angeles, but ended up clear down in Grecia.  Ate a late breakfast at a new to all of us restaurant and goofed off for a while ... window shopping mostly.  Brenda & I went to a different Ropa Americana store and I actually bought a jeans skirt!  Of all the things I did bring, a denim skirt wasn't one of them!  Roy & Steve went to Rojos y Monge (a lumber yard, etc.) across the street and Roy did NOT find what he wanted.  Back up the hill, heading home and bought a round ended shovel and a pick-axe  in Los Angeles ... de Greica ... at the Ferreteria.  Cost for two fairly well make tools and nearly a gallon of lacquer thinner (don't ask why he wanted that) was only around $26.

Paid the phone bill online through the bank ... see what I mean?  Pretty quiet ~  mopped the front porch when we got home ... now has kitty and Roy tracks.  Tomorrow, we go to Isobel's restaurant for an authentic Mexican dinner at 3.  Started washing clothes tonight in order to hang 'em up at zero dark thirty tomorrow.

For all of you who might think that we live in a desolate, third world country ... Costa Rica has a female president (albeit rather conservative), a 96% literacy rate and at least 1/2 the country is either bi or tri-lingual.  Personally, I am pulling for Epsy Campbell for the next Pres.  Very progressive lady.  The only things "third world" about Costa Rica are the lousy roads and the lack of signs thereon.  We once asked our close friend, Marco Castillo, how many languages he spoke ... he grinned, with a twinkle in his eye ... and he said "Three" ... I then asked, "OK, Spanish, English ... and what?"  He laughed and said "Pura Miedra" ... which I had puzzle out and then asked "is that sorta like caca del toro?"  "Exactly!", he said!  So, he speaks the language of "pure shit" ... makes sense if you know Marco.  On that same trip, I naively asked "Why are the roads two lanes, but the bridges are only one lane?"  He answered, with a totally straight face, "why, so only one car can cross at a time".  See what I mean?  Smart, and VERY funny!  Love it!

Nearly time for bed ,,, Pura Vida,
Kathleen