The Sea is a Salty One

  I am not sure why exactly there's a roll of toilet paper mounted by the gas pumps at my local Tico gas station but here it is. Sort of fits the theme of my days. We got our guests back to the airport and onto their flight after something of a quick chaotic stay. I learned something important during their stay, that I have to question the guests I don't know well, and manage their expectations from there. Particularly if they have never been to Costa Rica and are arriving at the tail end of dry season when there are severe water restrictions on. We're used to them, people from the States flip out. Also why are they coming? To drink and party? To visit all the great natural places? To relax? Immediately after we dropped them off Jim and I ran up to the Nicaragua border for our every 3 months visa run. We ran into a friend at the border, and ended up having dinner with him. Saw coatimundis crossing the Pan American highway, and some small bluish parrolettes. Just about hit s...

    Between a rock and a hard place today sitting at Witches Rock posting because our internet has been out two days. Yesterday has been a day of privilege. Not my privilege but the misplaced privilege of others. Other gringos here in Tamarindo. It happens right now we’re hosting some of Jim’s family, and I’ve been some what surprised by behaviors of these ladies in my age group. In all actuality I’m rather horrified by the need to bar hop and drink until late in the night and fry on the beach all day long. Right now they’re at one of many bars in Tama. It’s an effing Monday night, give it a rest! That part of the culture here bores me stupid. I used to bar tend and wait tables in a night club back in college. I got my fill it then. Add in the fact that I have copious amounts of alcoholics in the family and I am a teetotaler of many years now. I am so puzzled why older folks are acting like such drunken jackasses. Young people I understand that desire to do those things, b...

  You're going to get tired of looking at iguana pictures before I'm done. They are everywhere now, and using the pool to drink and swim. We had something of a slightly insane day. First the bank for moving around a few investments. The bank is pretty weird to me because about a year ago we got our own personal banker. If we need anything we call, make an appointment and Jose Drysdale (not his name really) makes it happen, even if he has to drive out here. I feel guilty every single time we swan into the bank and around the madding crowd to the offices in the back. We never wait, and he's accommodating. But it was the afternoon that got strange. We were invited over for lunch to someone we both knew very slightly from church. A lady I'm going to call Sunshine (not to be confused with my friend Sunshine that gave me a huge candle for Christmas) who was living in the back of beyond up a mountain, down a ravine within sight of the beaches north of Cabo Velas.  The lunch wa...

  This girl has started to hang about and I'm not mad at that. It's not raining here yet beyond a few sprinkles but at one point I saw at least three iguanas hanging out together, including an emerald green one swimming in the pool. Crunch time here in one way. A few weeks ago I lined up and bought all the tickets for my husband's vacation adventure to Montana. Didn't buy my own because I'm kind of at loose ends, unsure of what I'm going to do and where I'll be. Holy mother of Cheese Whiz! The tickets skyrocketed in mere days! I didn't book, but I have to figure something out by this afternoon. Good thing I have a big credit at one of the airlines. One thing I hate is when you try to find a flight and the only options are 29 hour flights. Example, one flew from Liberia to Miami, from Miami to New York's JFK where you had an overnight layover. I'll be traveling alone, I hardly think I want to snooze there. Wish it was a daytime layover as I'd ...

 A female iguana visited today. We usually only see the males because they are quite territorial. This gal was very relaxed as you can see. Today it thundered off into the distance.Jim and I looked at each other and said "Thunder" at the exact same time. Why? It spells the end of dry season. I think we had a sprinkle a few nights ago around midnight, and it drizzled for five minutes while I was replanting the window boxes. I would welcome some rain from our unnaturally cloudy skies. I am better. The kidney pain is down to a dull roar that does not need narcotics. Interestingly enough being put on antibiotics is clearing up the hot mess of torn up needle marks that were trying to turn into abscesses. I could never be a junkie, my veins suck too much. This week is going to be crunch time. We have visitors arriving on Saturday, but I should be able to knock this place into shape. It's not bad now, and the maid comes again tomorrow. Need to make a list of what I want done, an...

   Photo of the beach at Brasolita. Should have been there this evening. They had a memorial service at the beach for a friend of mine named Richard. But I'm in the bed. This morning I woke up and decided to file my receipts for the drugs I'm on with the insurance company. Felt too crappy to do anything. The pain med is doing de nada and the kidney pain is much worse. While I was looking up the drug names of a few of the new ones I ran into a large problem. That pain relief that I decided this morning is useless? It's banned in the good old J.S.of A. because of serious side effects. Plus the amount of codeine in it is useless. Give me those Tylenol 3s or 4s, but not this stuff. Even with better pain relief now (new prescription) I'm still feeling punky. Slept a lot, read a lot and I crocheted a lot.  Sort of freaking out because we have guests next week and I've been wiped out physically this last six weeks. I have to bring someone in to clean the guesthouse.  Plus ...

  Bananas on the banana tree in front of my neighbors yard this very afternoon. Sort of the theme of today. Last night I started getting kidney pain on both sides and my temperature jumped back up to over a 100 again. I haven't felt great since getting out of the hospital and haven't bounced back. Our car in the shop due to the wheel noises that started Tuesday morning. Jim had a meeting first thing today and the car was supposed to be ready first thing. It wasn't, but we made plans for me to go to the clinic asap today to see if I had a kidney infection or a continuation of my bladder issues. Just as soon as the car came back. Our mechanic kept delaying this time until finally fed up I called up Cissy and asked for a ride to the clinic. You know, the same Cissy we're toted innumerable places for 19 months? Bless her soul, I'm embarrassed I moaned here so much about her. She took me to the clinic this morning. I felt pretty sure she was going to make an excuse, but ...

Grande this week. I'm slowly trying to regain function after my recent medical fiascos that have been ongoing. Monday I scrubbed and organized my bedroom, installing a small file cabinet and printer so I can keep submitting my insurance claims. Yesterday I went shopping at the fruit stand and at the grocery store alone. Today was me attempting to do a few gardening things. I was busy clearing out planters, adding dirt and planting a zillion flower seeds. I want flowers in all colors! Very slowly regaining strength. I am determined when I fly back to the States next month I am walking, cane or no cane, none of this being wheeled around in a wheelchair. Yesterday was a banner day. On Monday our bete noire wanted to be driven on Tuesday to the Caja for a medical appointment. She was insisting on it early. I told her no initially, Jim had meetings at school and I never get rolling that early. Then she approached Jim, who volunteered me. We had big words about that one. Particularly sin...

The actual fire has passed, it's completely out after burning for three days, now it's just me, pissed off beyond belief again. Usually when I get like this it means bad asthma is on its way. Could be. Last night I'm sitting here doing a small editing job for someone when my messenger pops up. It's Cissy, wanting to know if I can give her a ride tomorrow morning for the women's retreat at the church. I say no, she presses again, I tell her truthfully that I no longer go to women's groups in any way, shape or form, just not the why. Why? Because every single time I've attended these things, even in different churches, it's been an enormous and frustrating waste of time. There's some prayer gossip, downright gossip, and theology/study aimed at controlling women and their pesky emotions. Ain't nobody with a brain got time for that! Then she comes back and asks if I'm sure-sure. I point out that I'm barely a week past four days in the hospita...

  The mountains behind my house. Yes, that's fire. They've been burning for more than three days now. One of the scary things about living here is the dry season. It stops raining in Guanacaste in mid November and not a drop fails until sometimes in April. Mix that with the Tico tendency to rake up and burn their leaves and it can get hairy.  I told my gardener the other day to just pile our leaves on top of our gardening frames to mulch them, something I've done every year in Virginia. He refused, making all sorts of claims that mulching creates all sorts of things that I know are untrue. I nodded and left him carrying on raking and burning the leaves, but insisting he have a nearby hose. You cannot fight culture. What happens is that not everyone here bothers to watch their small gardening fires, and they sometimes get out of control, taking out entire neighborhoods. This year has been particularly intense, burning thousands of acres near Sardinal and by Cabo Velas. Three...