Nicaragua Missions Day 2
If day one was an eye opener, day two was good follow through, although I was a bit worried when I saw the kids trolling the dump first thing in the morning. But as we drove by, they stopped, smiled and waved. We again started the day with the plan of building two houses. We divided back up into teams, split up and got to work. Our team managed to finish our house by about 12:30 which was a perfect transition into the first day of vacation bible school.Our plan was to open up the school to 50 kids, all invites by the pastor, Marcos. An hour before the doors opened kids were already showing up. The church had one solid wall and three gated walls, with a concrete floor, a very nice building by the neighborhood standard. Unfortunately the one solid wall blocked the wind we so craved. Somehow the 50 kids grew to 68, not unexpected and not unplanned for.
- The family we built a house for today.
The shy son
Dorian and Dad making paper airplanes
The first activity of the day was to make and color a paper airplane. Our plan was to teach them how, which was quickly abandoned because of the sheer volume of tiny, tanned, dirty faces surrounding the table reaching out for just a bit of attention and love. It was if we had food to give and they were starving;tiny dirty fingers poking and prodding all over, ” no tengo” they would squeek, pointing at a blank piece of paper as if it was a small treasure. So we made paper airplanes for them as fast as we could, and they colored them to make them their own. A story of Christ’s birth was then shared before moving on to snack time. Snack time was the quietest most peaceful time of the day. My theory, they had been trained already by the daily provided lunch, sit quietly, patiently and you will be fed.
Prepping for VBS
The VBS building, the nicest in the area.
faces of Nicaragua.
- The crew
One of my favorite little girls
At times it was chaotic, it was always loud, and it was hot muggy and uncomfortable. Even the kids were saying they were thirsty. But similar to yesterday you could see the joy in the kids eyes and the excitement and glow in their faces. It was not easy to look past the ill-fitting filthy clothes, or the dirt stained faces, but the smiles and their eyes really brought a level of warmth to my heart. I could not take enough pictures of their faces. But my heart still hurt for the hundreds of kids that were not able to attend. It still felt like this was a band-aid, just a temporary fix, and it left me longing to do more.
here she is again
begging for an airplane
Katherine loving on a little boy
loving her balloon animal
There were some fantastically bright shining moments such as when I told them that they had done ” my bien” or very good coloring their airplane. they would repeat it to themselves and tell their friends, smiling ear to ear. And quickly show me any more improvements for another tidbit of praise. Or they joy they took looking at the myriad of photos I took of them. Or the simple things like when one of the teen girls with us washed their hands, and afterward they smelled their hands in joy. I know these are small things, and to me they don’t mean much, but it is what we can do and I have to deal with that. Perhaps, in time, I will be able to do much more, but for now I must just enjoy the moment for what it is, a memory for them and another life changing moment for me.
Music with a Mission
I don’t often quip about music on here, but today is a special occasion. Last week a friend of mine, Nick Higgins, had the launch of his new album, No Laughing Matter. The reason this is so special is that this is his first album and secondly, he made the album to specifically donate the proceeds to the mission field of stopping human sex trafficking.
Now if you have the pleasure of knowing Nick, you know he has a touch of ADD, he is a bit of a busy body, always moving, always doing something making things happen. So for him to take months and months of his life to write, play, sing and produce an album was likely not an easy task. I know he spent hours studying, reading and learning, hours upon hours of mixing, remixing and producing, most of which I imagine involves sitting still for long periods of time, or near torture for Nick. It likely helped that he produced the album during the midst of the deepest darkest part of the Alaskan winter.
The album is a Christian album “churcy” as it has been called. But don’t be fooled, Nick likes his electric guitar and the album clearly reveals that; right at the open of the first song with a rocking little electric riff to open up the album on SHAKEN and followed up with NO MORE ROOM a catchy drum driven praise song heavy on the guitar. Even in the softer side of MAYBE, with the acoustic lead you can clearly hear Nick ripping it up with some electricity in the background. The lyrics all come from Nick’s heart, as most of them were written by him. Songs like HAVE YOUR WAY are reminiscent of a rocking prayer, while MAYBE is a heartfelt cry for faith, and strength. Nick even includes his version of P’WER IN THE BLOOD, an old hymnal classic, an acoustic, soft harmonizing, unplugged sweet intro, that, in Classic Nick form, rocks it out in the end. But the cherry on top is that essential Nick song, ECCLESIASTES. It’s like everyday Nick got to come out and play, it’s quirky, it’s funny, it’s even catchy, it’s Nick, and I laugh every time I hear it, contrary to the album title, typical Nick. Who mentions Tupac in a “churchy” song? Nick does. And show me another Christian album where the closing line is ” Somebody get me some money!”
I know I downloaded it because he is my friend and because it is for a great cause, but I also know that it is now part of my most played playlist, and the catchy rocking tunes fit great into a workout playlist. So at the very least go to itunes or Amazon and give it a preview, and remember when you download it you are giving to a great cause. Now somebody go get me some money!
A Blended Family
Our big move to Central America has made me realize that we are a blended family. Sure, in Alaska we were somewhat of a blended family, but not to the extent that has emerged as we struggle to adapt to our new surroundings. In fact, in Alaska I am convinced that we were more of a frothy family, with slight hints of blending, primarily in June or July. But here the climate begs for blended families. Fruit is cheap and always available, ice is sold everywhere, and the heat, the constant searing heat has your core begging for relief in the form of a chill. So we blend. We blend in the morning, we blend at noon and we blend at night. We have yet to discover a bad time to blend, unless of course everyone in the house is sleeping, especially mom or dad.
The remnants of a pineapple, orange, mango, coconut smoothie.
In the morning I might start with a strawberry yogurt smoothie, in lieu of eggs. A great refreshing way to cool the core and start the day. After an intense workout, covered in sweat, drained of all energy from the workout and the 85 degree gym, I long for my coffee protein blend with ice and coconut milk. The first cool coffee laden sip that crosses my lips and cools my throat all the way down to my inner core is the reward my body craves. The only way it could be any cooler is if I poured it over my head.
secret ingredients
Then in the late afternoon or evening is when Tracy steps in; A banana mango smoothie, a piña colada smoothie, or whatever combination of fresh fruit she has sitting around. In the mid day scorching heat, the frozen smoothie is like a personal air conditioner.
My frothy post workout vanilla protein and coffee smoothie, or heaven in a cup.
As important as the Keurig single serve coffee maker was to us in Alaska, our Vitamax Blender has become here. It is well used and regarded as an essential part of our day, adding that tasty cup of joy, energy and chill that gives us that brief escape from the sweat dripping off our bodies. It is our midday/ evening coffee of the south, the far south, and although I may get a brain freeze once in a while, I have yet to burn my tongue.
Piña Colada smoothie chilling in the fridge
You Can Go Home Again; Just bring some extra socks.
It is hard to pass up a chance to go home again. A chance to see what is new and what has changed, who is new and who is still there. To visit with all your old friends and get a chance to say goodbye all over again. So when the chance came for me to make an impromptu trip back to Alaska, I jumped on it, even though I had relinquished all my cold weather gear prior to my departure.
Now if one was to schedule a rare trip to Alaska, generally they would be looking at June, July or August. Also, generally they would avoid January and February, as they tend to be the coldest, darkest, most miserable months of the year. Naturally, my trip was scheduled in February. Not only is it cold and dark, it is also covered in snow and the roads are often like ice rinks speckled with chicken playing moose. Given the fact that I had not driven on ice for well over a year, and that my driving habits had quickly degraded to the level of a local Tico, I was slightly concerned, especially when I found that I would be driving a studless two-wheel drive Camry. I was right to be concerned.
Dorian showing off our morning dusting that continued throughout the day.
The view of the morning snowstorm on my way to get some coffee.
One of several accidents that I saw during my trip.
First and foremost, just prior to my arrival, the state had been mired in a deep freeze averaging temperatures well below zero for a month. For bald men, this is a problem. However, the day we arrived the temperatures started to rise to well above zero. I theorize that as soon as Dorian and I stepped off the plane, Alaska sucked the tan and warmth off of our skin and released it directly into the atmosphere. Instantly 30-40 temperatures.
Ice wall along Turnagain arm, one of the ones the ice climbers climb.
Sunrise, around 10:30 I think.
more sunrise taken while driving (I told you I drive like a Tico)
If you look closely you can see the wind whipping off the top of the mountain. It definitely made it a wee bit chilly.
Yes this is better than -30, however if you have not lived in a state like AK, then you do not realize what comes with warm days and freezing nights, and that is the aforementioned speed skating roads. Literally roads of ice, covered in a thin layer of water to aid in the release of any possible remaining friction. In fact this time it was so bad, schools were closed and roads were closed. Four-wheel drives were ditched in attempts to climb the hills home and every available piece of unfrozen dirt was spread to give back some of that lost friction. A normal Alaskan winter, and a perfect day for a 3 hour drive to Soldotna.
Mid day Turnagain Arm.
Whats up Doc? Not the temperature.
If this guy thinks its cold, then its cold. Yes McDonald's free product placement.
Common sight in Soldotna.
All in all the driving came back to me pretty quickly, especially with the front wheel drive. I did however get the obligatory rock chip on the windshield, something that I have not seen since I left.
There were a lot of things I observed about myself while in Alaska.
1. I drink a lot more coffee, I mean 2 to 3 times as much as I do in Costa Rica.
2. I take a lot hotter showers. Long, very hot, to the point of the pointless shower sweats.
3. My feet are always cold.
4. My skin is always dry and flaking off my body as if it wanted to remain in AK.
Eli, Mackenzie, Chloe and Jojean.
Jojean at church with Asia and ? I don't know this little girl but she quickly friended us, and then informed me that I was not invited to her house.
All that being said, it was well worth it to see family and friends. It was great to visit and share, even though I was sharing the same things over and over again. It was great driving through my favorite coffee stands, going to Fred Meyer’s and most of all it was awesome to spend time with Jo. She has gotten so big and had some many stories to share. She has become quite the dresser as well. I was glad to see her healthy and having a lot of friends. I was also very thankful to find that our friends were helping to take care of her, our whole church in fact. She is covered in love in our absence.
Jo and Dorian Facetiming with mom.
Ipad facetime in action. Well worth every penny for the memories it created.
I didn’t get to see everyone I wanted to see, I didn’t get to eat with everyone I wanted to eat with, I didn’t get to spend as much time with those I wanted to spend time with, but it was still worth it. I got to spend a lot of time with some awesome friends and family, and I especially enjoyed the hospitality of the Brown’s and Davis’s as they opened up their homes to me and Dorian. It was much better than any 5 star hotel I could ever find on Priceline.
Noah welcoming me to his house. He plays ball better than any Labrador Retriever I have ever met.
Chloe insisted I stay the night, as she lugged my luggage all the way upstairs.
My favorite part of the trip, my time with my little princess Jo.
She still melts my heart. Which is good since I was a little chilly in AK.
I got to enjoy the beauty of Alaska again, despite the miserable roads and the bitter cold ( anything below 50 is bitter cold). It felt natural to be amongst the camo and Carhart laden people. To see the bunny boots, parkas hats and gloves, to defrost my windows in the morning and truly appreciate that first piping hot cup of coffee. It was normal to slow down a little as I came upon a trio of moose anticipating the quick road cross, and even the inevitable rock to the windshield was just like old times. And other than my feet freezing the whole time I was there, it was like slipping on an old pair of socks, I just wish that they had been thick wool.
It is good to go home again, if not for the land, for the people. Although next time, I hope I see more of the green land, more of the golden sun, and more of the hearty people.
An Event Driven Life
We live event driven lives. Lives fueled and marked by events, that come full circle as we near the end. In fact, I believe it has always been this way, just reference the Old Testament. Everything was an event, a celebration to be recognized and honored. Even our very time line is based upon a miraculous event, the Birth of Christ.
The events begin even before we are born; the baby shower. Technically you were there, but practically you had no idea what was going on, but it was all for you and your momma. An event with presents, cakes, ooohs and aaahhhs, and luckily no men around. Then there is the birth, another huge event, celebrated now-a-days throughout the universe via blogs, facebook, twitter, you name it, it is an event, and it is celebrated as if you were the very first birth on earth.
Then comes the first birthday, a big one, not for you but for your folks. You are now a number, not a baby, you have a number, you are 1. They proclaim it proudly, “He/ she is one. Our baby is growing up way too fast.” Then every year the main event is your birthday, up until about 21. Other mini-events pop up in between, graduations, first job, driver’s licenses, first iphone or ipad, you know the important stuff. You will continue to have a number for the rest of your life. Sure once you reach 40, the number will fade a little and pop up every 10 years. But at around 21 things start shifting from birthdays to weddings. Your best friends, your college buddies, they are all over the place. Everyone is getting hitched and they want you to celebrate with them. A huge, once in a lifetime ( prayerfully) event!
After that, it is anniversaries; The first one is huge, number five a biggie, 10 amazing, and everyone above that ends in zero must be celebrated as if it is the last. After about 20 of those, the events again start to change. Birthdays, not a big deal, but the funerals start to creep in. Slowly at first, but more frequently as your birthday and anniversary numbers increase. Some funerals are painful, as the family has no hope in Jesus, no knowledge of eternal life and God’s kingdom. But some, the good ones, they are the ones who leave strong families, families that inspire, they grieve for their loss, but are happy for the eternal joy of their loved one. They are the hardest events to wrap you mind around. If they are young it is much harder, if they are old and have a lived a full life in Christ, it can be happy. Even then, it is always somewhat sad. I have already been to way too many of them, but there are likely more to come.
After that, and if the Lord blesses you to live into your later years, then you have the grandchildren event, and soon a 50 year anniversary. Then it once again turns full circle. Birthdays again become important. 80, amazing, 90 outstanding, 100, well everyone needs to be here for that one. That one is as big as number 1. Once again you become a number, you are 100. You have experienced thousands of events, births, birthdays, marriages, anniversaries, funerals and more. Your have witnessed the full circle, you have experienced it all. You are to be revered, your wisdom to be gleaned, and your spunk to be admired. And it all started before you were born, it all started when he knew you before you were formed. And in the end, at the final event, the most important one of all, the only thing that matters is that you, in return, know Him, and accept Him and the world’s most important events that fulfilled his life and spared yours, His death and resurrection as your own.
John 3:16
18 Years
She was the ultimate ham, the “look at me” girl, dancing, singing, telling stories, a broadway show all in herself. Her short heavy black hair, chubby little cheeks, squeaky little voice, she was the light of every room she entered, the center of attention, and not unwanted. Cute beyond any measure of cuteness, 18 by the time she was four, making friends everywhere she went.
Daddy and Alli
Nobody told her to put her hands like that, we never had to.
One of her first best friends.
He wasn’t shy, but not outgoing. He loved to laugh and laughed hard. He would run in and out of a room, his short black hair, chubby dark cheeks and squinty eyes, never desiring to be the center of attention, but happy to be playing something, basketball, baseball, football. Unlike her he didn’t make friends instantaneously, it usually took some time. But his friends were always his friends. He was always happy, always hungry and very easy-going. They were a perfect complement to each other, Best friends, buddies and siblings.
Our earliest pictures of Dorian. He was a chunk.
Momma's boy
He loved snuggling with mommy
They were twins, if not by blood, by family. They journeyed through every phase of life together, walking, home school, Sunday school, T-ball, getting new brother’s and sisters, becoming annoyed with new brother and sisters and even High School. Although as they got older their interests may not have stayed the same, her the social butterfly making a new friend every day, dancing, drama ( a suitable fit) and any other activity she could get him to drive her to. Him, football, baseball, and eventually settling on basketball. He became a very hard studier, pushing himself far beyond average, very organized and self motivated. He made a few friends, but they were his friends, and that is all he needed. His quiet demeanor making him mysterious and popular although not to his liking. She at every dance, he at none. He studying hard for every test, her waiting for the last-minute choosing to read books instead. The results were very similar, the grades very similar, they are very different, but very similar.
she always loved the camera, and it loved her.
Dorian and Uncle Gerad
Grandpa reading to Dorian in Kodiak. They both loved bird watching.
Beautiful from a very young age.
Two finally adjusted kids, the oldest of this family of 8, the leaders, the ones who had to suffer through our blunders as parents, our impatience, often taken for granted as new babies came. They became our rocks. The ones we counted on to come through for us, that we leaned on, that we trusted to be Godly, wholesome people, the ones to help us with the rest of the family. And now together they turn 18. Likely this is the last year they will live with us, and they will be missed. The Bible says in God’s eyes a day is like a thousand years and life is but a twinkle of an eye. Looking back in my mind’s eye, I think I know what that means now. Because as much as I love them now, as proud as I am of what they have become and as excited as I am for where they are going, they will always live in my heart as the two-three year old gifts from God who brightened even minute of my life and the lives of those that had the pleasure to meet them.
Dorian with his first of many King Salmon.
Again, just her natural pose after a piano recital
Post dance
Best buddies forever.
Dorian and his oldest cousin Josh
Alli, Kassie, Livy after yet another dance recital.
My girls
My boys
I pray Alli and Dorian that you find joy in this life through your relationship with God and others, and that you follow the path that he leads you on. Your mom and I will always pray for you, always be here for you and are always forever thankful for all you have brought into our lives. You could never be replaced and you could not be loved more. Thank you for being awesome role models for all your younger siblings. You are awesome adults, but you will always be our oldest LITTLE boy and girl. We are confident that no matter where you go or what you do you will excel. Thank you so much for all you have brought into my life and all you will continue to bring. And if you ever decide to go into business together, Alli you be the “talent” Dorian you be the manager and I promise you will be unstoppable. .
My all time favorite Alli / Dorian picture. This is how daddy will always remember you.
Thanksgiving Costa Rica Style
You know they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here? It is just like any other Thursday, except hotter. Okay, we knew the holidays would be much different, that traditions would change, that our perception of what a holiday was would likely change, we were right. For as long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been major tradition at our house, old friends and family we only see once a year, basketball games, fried turkey, same old side dishes, new dishes, dozens of pies, naps, games and then Black Friday, Tracy’s favorite holiday. That is what we did, every year. No questions asked as you can see from these past posts. (Tradition GAS Holiday Roads )Well now, at least this year, it was quite different. This year we attended a big feast and gathering at our church. There was a lot of turkey,side dishes, desserts, some games and a lot of fellow-shipping. It was certainly fun, but it wasn’t tradition. It was new, it was hot and it didn’t feel like “Thanksgiving”. It felt more like a very fun church potluck. Plus, there were no pies, other than the single serving apple pies Tra made.
some traditions can never go away! Speedy Buns Rule!!!
If you could only smell the finished product, your keyboard would be drenched in drool.
do you see any pies on this dessert table?
Furthermore, as I stated before, Costa Rica obviously does not celebrate Thanksgiving, so it was just a normal day. No festivities, lots of people at the beach, surfing, swimming, shopping etc. etc. Just like every other day. It appears that they did have their version of Black Friday in San Jose, but it was limited to a few stores. Besides it’s not really Black Friday if you aren’t freezing to death waiting to get inside the store. And 50% off of “way to expensive” is not really that great of a deal. However, I took the time to teach our friend and guard how to say Happy Thanksgiving in English, and told him to tell every Americano he sees. Within an hour he was stuffed. After two days he told me “too much Happy Thanksgiving” signaling that he could not eat another bite, as he held up yet another meal on a paper plate. It may take some time, but I will soon teach him the ways of the over indulging Americanos.
Now this looks traditional. It was very yummy as well!
Dave Olsen keeping the kids happy. There are no fiestas in Costa Rica without a Pinata.
one view of BCC with over 100 guests. Note BCC Feud playing on the screen.
another view.
Kassie patiently waiting for food.
Mom and Alli waiting to eat.
Kids table playing the feud.
So we had fun, but it wasn’t the traditional frenzied weekend that we have become accustomed to loving. It was quite relaxing, maybe a little too Pura Vida for our American souls. Perhaps over time we will change our view of Thanksgiving and become accustomed to wearing t-shirts and shorts, and spending the evening watching the sunset on the beach, as we did this year. Perhaps that will be our new tradition. One thing for sure, no matter what, next time there must be pie.
Here are some shots of our Thanksgiving late afternoon and evening at Flamingo Beach.
Jeremy waiting on one last wave
Jake and KassieKassieFlamingo
Dad and Dorian having a Thanksgiving boogie board battle.
Jeremy and Dad battling it out
Kassie
Alli searching for jewelry prospects.
Flamingo Breaker
Ben working hard on Thanksgiving for a wave with all that extra turkey weight.
Ben
Dad swimming hard
Never spent Thanksgiving in the Pacific Ocean before.
Just Bag It
Having never been much of a world traveler, the things I experience, the things new to me, are odd. Odd to me because they are different from my expectations. Not odd in a bad way, but odd in a way that makes me go hmmmm? Let’s take food for example. Sure the national food here is arroz con pollo or arroz con frijoles, chicken and rice or beans and rice. Like in Alaska where everyone has their own sourdough or beer batter or smoked / canned salmon recipe, here everyone has their own beans and rice or chicken and rice recipe. That’s not really too odd. I’ve watched enough food network to know that when you travel you should attempt to experience the “local” cuisine. However, what I find a little odd is how you buy your food.
Perhaps a little bit of a brand translation fail? Yummy bread though.
For instance, bagged ketchup? Yep, you can buy ketchup in a bag. Not just ketchup, but mayo mustard, beans, pretty much anything that comes in a liquid or semi-liquid form is sold in a branded six-inch sturdy foil bag, like a giant Capri Sun bag. They are in every store and nearly every aisle; Even cleaning solutions, clorox, windex, soap…. bags. Now I haven’t exhausted every resource, but I have asked a lot of people and no one has been able to tell me why. I have heard they are easier to stack, last longer, more econ friendly etc. All theories, all plausible, but odd none-the-less.
Ben showing us the Mayo and mustard bag section.
rows and rows of bagged / pouched stuff.
Pouched honey
Not sure if this is oil, lard or grease, but I know it is bagged, and Jeremy wants some.
Vanna showing us bags of cleaning "stuff". Liquid, powder, solid doesn't matter, it is bagged.
Hot dogs, and American staple and a Godfrey staple. they are good for breakfast lunch or dinner. I know what you are thinking, they do not come in bags. Well, not exactly anyway. They come in wrappers. When you grab a pack of dogs at the store, they look just like any pack you would buy back home. However, they are made from many different things here, most commonly chicken. So you need to learn a few words to grab the right kind. But when you cut the pack open, you quickly see that each and every dog is individually wrapped with a thin layer of??? It is like a Saran wrap, a very thin tinted Saran wrap. I have yet to get an answer as to why or if you are to unwrap before cooking, cook with wrapping on, eat wrapping or discard wrapping. Again, odd.
look closely and you can see lurking beneath the package the slightly pink wrappers engulfing each individual hot dog.
Is it just me or does this just not feel like spanish?
Eggs, another Godfrey staple. We could have 50 chickens laying eggs in our back yards and that probably wouldn’t be enough for our family. We buy a lot of eggs. In the markets here the eggs come in containers of 4, 6, 12 , 36. They are brown, their shells are thicker and the eggs are not all the same size or color. They are not individually stamped, they look more like someone just picked them up form one of the millions of chickens you see running around all over the place. Also, they are never not once refrigerated in the store. Not in the upscale stores with air conditioning, or the local 95 degree stores. Eggs do not go in the refrigerator. They are usually at the end of an aisle stacked 6 feet high. We try to get the bottom of the stack of course, they are slightly fresher. Another oddity, or eggstentialism if you will.
The nicest egg section this side of San Jose. Usually they sit on the floor or on a metal rack.
You can see the bread lady at the bread counter. If you get a bread or pastry and try to walk by without her bagging & tagging your bread, well then you are taking your own life in your hands.
They are serious about their bread here, rightfully so. It is good bread.
Further, there are an abundance of employees in every store. For instance in our local Auto Mercado there is a stock boy for every aisle, and they are always adjusting, dusting rearranging or doing something in the aisles. There seems to always be at least one of them in the aisle if not three or four. There are usually 3-4 security guards patrolling the store, and apparently they have been trained to keep an eye on goateed bald guys. But I find a smile and a “buenas” puts them at ease. Most every store has a meat counter where you get your meat, and three employees behind it. Oh, and you order in kilograms. That’s always fun, especially the first time you ask for 4 kilos of molida (ground beef) and the guys eyes almost bug out of his head. Often times in the vegetable or fruit section there is a guy there just to weigh your fruit and mark it for you. If you try to leave there without getting it weighed and marked, he will chase you down. There is another one in the bakery section to bag, box and mark your doughnut. Around every corner there is someone doing something, or doing nothing as the case me be. In almost every instance there are more employees than patrons in the store at any given moment. The day I took these pictures, in the nicest mercado this side of San Jose, I counted at least 25 employees and about a dozen shoppers.
It seems that Tony the Tiger is quite a bit meaner in Latin America. Perhaps it is the heat.
So not only are we learning to adjust to the new money, the new language, the new food, we also have to relearn the metric system, how to shop for food and how to purchase it properly. It is a daily adventure, and sometimes struggle. But I have learned a couple of things over the last 4 months; Squeezing your condiments onto an unwrapped hot dog, near nirvana. And you haven’t lived until you have made your kid’s PB&J by squeezing your grape Smuckers from a pouch.
Here comes that rainy day feeling again
October is apparently the rainiest month of the year in Costa Rica, and this one has not disappointed, at least not in our eyes. If one has their eyes open the signs are readily apparent, huge drainage holes in the concrete walls surrounding yards, deep concrete ditches on the sides of the roads, and houses adorned with gargantuan gutters and spouts all for this season.
Talking to those who have resided here for a time, this has been a light rainy season. Thunderstorms in the morning, clear skies in the afternoon, clear skies in the morning thunderstorms in the afternoon. But something changed this last month. The thunderstorms have given way to rainy days, cloudy days and periods of downpours. You know it can get bad when your church has a contingency plan to meet in a nearby school if the rain causes the river to rise to an uncrossable level. Which it did last Sunday.
the river runneth through the road to church
Even though I was born on Kodiak Island ie. one of the rain-forests of Alaska, and we lived there for years, it is taking us time to get used to the pure intensity and size of the local rainfall. Often times it pounds down so hard on the roof of the house, you would think it collapse under the sheer weight and force. It is a thunderous sound against the ceramic tiles, that could be almost melodic, but it echos more the constant rolling thunder. Even a quick sprint to the car, 30 feet away will leave you drenched to the point of dripping. But then, when the rain stops in the afternoon and the sun peaks through, then the evaporation and humidity, wet sticky humidity take over the day, and it leaves you begging for the rain again. At least you know you are going to get wet in the rain, the humidity is like a sneak attack; melting you from the inside out.
managed to capture a shot of lightning in the pitch black of night with my iphone.
This being our first rainy season, much like people taking pictures of moose their first year in Alaska, we are shutterbugs, shooting video and pictures of the massive amount of agua that this country can endure. However, it has not come without a price, as there have been 18 road closures, massive mud slides, flooding and the likes.
This is what it looks like from our patio in between the hundreds of lightning strikes....
...same shot seconds later, still pitch black out. It is like a disco strobe at night.
So the following video is for your enjoyment, through the sacrifice of our dryness. Much like the pictures from my days patrolling the Pacific ocean, and waves on the beach, the pictures and video do not accurately display the veracity and intensity of the experience. But it represents a typical September evening and so far a typical late October day. The good news; if it continues we will be surfing down driveway! Hang Ten.
A wet lens and water logged ears
During our trip to Orlando, one of the main things on our shopping list, besides eating at Steak and Shake, was a waterproof camera. Did we need a waterproof camera?That’s like asking if we need an iphone. And I am not taking my iphone out in the agua, that’s for sure. Although the new iphone 4S will be released soon, hmmmm.
So naturally, as with any new toy, we took it out to give it a test run. It’s nothing fancy, but it can get wet and still take pictures, so it met our criteria. Plus, it is a lot of fun to bring electronics into the ocean with you, it kind of feels naughty. In fact it took me about an hour to figure out that I didn’t have to hold it above my head and sacrifice my body and as the waves crashed around me to keep it from getting all wet. So today’s blog is just a bunch of pictures taken with our Fujifilm XP waterproof, freeze proof (important for here) portable camera. We are still learning the settings, and I am too lazy to edit the pics, so some are dark, some are light, some are blurry, some just right.
These pictures were taken during some outings over the last couple of weeks at Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo and Avellenas.
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Jags, skunks, locusts, balls and WINNING.
I recently described the area we live in as being similar to Seward Alaska, accessible by road to the big city, but somewhat remote. A very small community with lots of tourism, more restaurants than it needs, minus the big chain restaurants, and littered with tourist shops and activities. A town that partially shuts down in the off-season, and has that small town feel, where you feel like you know or at least know of almost everyone in town. That is Flamingo; except most people here are always in bathing suits or shorts, and the beaches here beg you to be bare foot, not in Extra Tuff rubber boots, even in the rain.
In all actuality, we are probably smaller, people wise than Seward, and definitely smaller family wise. You see there is a large contingent of retired or semi-retired people here, people sans kids. Therefore the schools are pretty small. The public schools, open air Bodegas, are all in spanish, not an option for english speaking kids. So the only other choice is a private school of which there are three in the area. Our kids go to Gold Coast, the school with the most seniors of any private school in the area, 8. This does not often make for a robust sports program, and often the first clue is when every able body boy in the school is on the basketball team. Dorian and Jeremy are among those. Oh, and several of those boys have never touched a basketball in their life.
The Gold Coast Jags had their first game a few nights ago in Liberia, against a school with about 800 kids. Although the game was extremely entertaining, it was not very competitive.
The Jags practice facility. It reminds me of Madison Square Garden, at least the garden part.
One of the nicest Gyms in the area, and yes those are not windows at the end, it is open air.
First of all there are some American assumptions that must be cleared up. Practice: In America, high school sports practice for pretty much any sport is 4-5 days a week, 2 hours a day, at least! Here practice is 1 day a week for 2 hours in a dark open air multi-purpose room with no fans, no air conditioning and lots of hot, heavy dead air. Shoot, I coached kids from 5 years old and up and we had practice at least 2-3 times a week.
Dorian warming up. Ironic, since it was like 90 degrees out.
Facilities: In America every school has a gym. In Costa Rica a school is lucky to have desks. However every private school I have seen has a pool, but not a gym. And the pool is more for cooling off during lunch than for competitive swimming. That’s why our kids practice at a facility several miles away in the middle of Huacas, that is dark,dirty and hot.
More warm ups.
smiling as he gets hacked for an "and one"
Mindset: In America we drove our kids to excel, we drove them to succeed in sports, at all costs, and we drove them to a lot of practices, games and meetings. It was a lot of driving. Here athletes, except for soccer, seem to have more of a surfer’s attitude. They want to win or catch the big wave, but if not, well Pura Vida, there will be another one soon. Don’t get me wrong, the kids want to win, the coaches want to win, but it’s not like their life depends on it. They compete and play hard, they get mad when they mess up, they get frustrated when others mess up and they work their butts off during the game. But when it’s done it’s done, time to get some Burger King or McDonald’s, a rare treat in these parts, and get ready for the next wave, after a brutal 2 hours of practice in the coming week.
Jeremy running the show
Jeremy getting ready to score his first point as a Jag!
up and in!
the gym, and I don't know what the heck that thing is on the wall.
Playing under the bright lights, dodging bats locusts and bugs.
Like all things here, it will take some getting used to. But I must say these are a lot of the changes that we wanted to experience. We don’t miss driving 200 miles a day ( literally) to practices, dance classes, games etc. We don’t miss having stressed out kids and angry parents screaming in the stands. And we don’t miss winning. Okay, that last one is a lie. We sure would like to win a few games this year, but first we better work on scoring some points. But on the bright side, the games are fun to watch, if not for the basketball action, then for the giant locusts flying around in the gym, or the bats feeding on the bugs by the lights, or even the skunks that wander nearby. Winning quickly becomes a secondary concern when a skunk is involved. Perhaps the Jags can figure out a way to use it to their advantage on defense.
A September Christmas to Remember
You know how kids are when Christmas draws near? They are always smiling, antsy with anticipation, giddy with glee, and doing the dinosaur clap with their hands anxiously waiting for that new Xbox,doll or smart phone. It doesn’t matter the present, its theirs and its unknown and its exciting. They exude joy and it overflows into all those around. They are beaming, happy and impatiently patient. It is almost shame they have to open the presents, for if we could just leave them sitting there for all time then perhaps they would always be this fun and pleasant. The anticipation is better than the event.
Now picture in your mind the same actions, only by an adult. The smiling , the running around, the jumping up and down perhaps a cheerleader kick thrown in for good measure and don’t forget the t-rex small arms clap and a smile so big it can’t help but make you warm inside, which on a 95 degree day is not always a good thing. Well that was Tracy this afternoon. Why was she so excited? Because today her stuff arrived. That stuff she packed away and shipped back in May, it arrived today. And when the phone call came she got her celebration on.
Francisco beginning the unpacking on a 95 degree day
Now none of the stuff that came was new, it was all old, packed and shipped from our Alaskan home. So why so excited? Because, it is parts of home, parts of who we are and parts of who we were. It is the small suff that makes use feel at home, that eases those slight tensions of something new. They are parts that ground us and make the adjustment much easier. They come with memories and emotions and they have been missing in action for almost 5 months. No longer. And within hours pictures were hung stencils applied, kitchens stocked and bikes road.
never been so happy to see some old totes n coolers
doing my due diligence to make sure everything, especially the Mac, came intact.
Me, well I don’t get excited over stuff. I am far and above that. FYI, my Mac and coffee maker are not “stuff” they are essential items of survival. Therefore when I pulled my groin doing a double split jump in celebration, it was to celebrate my spouse’s happiness and not “stuff”. None-the-less we are grateful for another victory!
ever see someone so happy to see some mixing bowls?
Small Victories
As we near our 3 month anniversary as ex-pats here in Costa Rica, the overwhelming theme has become small victories. For new comers to this country, victories are as rare as an iceberg off the coast of Flamingo Beach. What are victories? Well to me victories are things that you can check of your list. The list you made before moving, the all important things that must be done so that you can succeed in your move. For instance, my list contains items such as getting our stuff here, opening a local bank account, buying a car, getting our residency started etc. Definitely not a daunting list by any means. In fact, I bet you if I had just transferred somewhere in the states, I could have finished the list in a morning. However, from the aforementioned list we have accomplished one thing and one thing only.
The obvious pick is that we got our stuff here. Of course, Tracy prepared, packed and planned all of this in May. Our stuff was shipped in May. It was due to arrive here in June. We had thought ahead, we had prepared and we were ready to reap. Instead, nearly 5 months later our stuff is ” on its way”. Supposedly it is here in the country while customs goes through the loads of school books, bikes, clothing, cooking utensils, computers and other necessary items. How long does customs take? It depends on how you ask and what you have. We are praying we see it before our six month anniversary.
So the next logical choice is the bank account right? Just bring some money in, fill out a couple forms,show an ID and passport and voila you have an account. Negative. I mean before I left the states I opened a new account with an online bank all over my computer in less than 10 minutes. But, I should have known better the first time I went into the bank and the teller said ” it is impossible for you to open an account with what you have.” He handed me a list of seven items, including a bill saying that I live here, a corporation, a letter from my accountant, some blood and a child. Eight trips to the bank, a dozen trips to my attorney, and still no account. I am told I am getting close though.
Residency, well that takes a year on average, so we haven’t attempted to scratch that itch yet. So our newest victory is our car. We finally got it. Again, eight trips to the dealer, four trips to my attorney’s office, dozens of phone calls, and five rental cars later we have a car. A car that was paid for two months ago, ordered a month before that, promised to be delivered to me the first week of August, then the next Monday, then the next Monday over and over again. It was a great way to learn that Lunes is Spanish for Monday. Finally I was absolutely positively no doubt about it going to have the keys in my hands this past Monday, over six weeks later. Needless to say, I got the keys on Wednesday, and very happy to have them.
If anything it certainly makes you appreciate things much more. It is hard to learn to get rid of the constant angst that wells up in your gut as you feel helpless to get things done. You don’t know the procedures, you don’t know which piece of advice is the best and you don’t know where to go. You may not know the language, you may not even know what you really want, but you have to get something done, you have to get something off that list. Perhaps I am learning to live in God’s timing and not in Glenn’s timing.
So now without further adieu I take out my giant ballpoint pen cross “get a car” off that list, and it feels great! Something is done, something critically important. Now if I could just figure out how to get insurance. Oh well, at least I have a way to get between my insurance agent’s and attorney’s office the minimal eight times it will take to figure it out.
The new ride styling in the new driveway.
Jake and Kassie taking a second from the pool to pose. The new van holds 12 persons, and not much else.
Thank you Lord for this victory, and we look forward to many more in your time.
Our favorite Costa Rican Fish, The Dark Jackson.
There have been a lot of surprises since we have relocated. Most of them we expected, a few are shocking, and some are more difficult than anticipated. One of the most surprising has been the kids acclamation to water. Being raised in Alaska, the opportunities to swim outside the occasional visit to the local pool, are daunted by the freezing water, and most often end up being an ankle-deep wade at best. Living with a pool in your front yard, a beach 5 minutes away, and perennial 90 degree Fahrenheit air and water tends to change that a little. None more apparent than our favorite fish the Dark Jackson, whom you may know as Jake. Since leaving Alaska Jake has lived in the water. Jake would sleep in the water if he could.
Getting ready for a pairs dive
Pairs diving
Jake doing a dive he invented
showing off
more of the same
Can you see the thumbs up? Maybe he is more of ham than a fish.
He always finds the camera
In the morning, after breakfast, and sometimes before, he is in the pool. Throughout the day into the dark, he is often in the pool. After coming home from all day at the beach, he is in the pool. The kid loves the water, and has become very proficient in it. He can hold his breath longer than me, he can do better dives than any of us, he can swim like a manta ray and no one ever taught him how to swim. He never had a lesson, he was never old enough for us to really teach, he just did it.
the elusive the Dark Jackson
The ham thing must run in the family
About to be crushed by a big wave, no worries.
Perhaps it is allegoric to our life. Just maybe we need to lead them to the opportunities, or provide the tools for our children, ie. the pool, and let them swim. We can be right there to help them, in the water or on the edge jumping to their rescue when needed, but perhaps if we give them a little leeway and let them go just a little they will swim and they will excel in the way that God intended, beyond anything we could imagine. But then we would have to live with the realization that perhaps what God wants with our lives and our children’s lives is much bigger than anything we could imagine. That makes it much more difficult to let them out of the wading pool, unfortunately with us stuck right by their side. Or maybe Jake is just a natural-born swimmer.
Short video showing some of the kiddos sacrificing boogie boards and getting crushed at Playa Flamingo. I was laughing at them, not with them.
In his element
This little piggy went to the market
One of the great pluses of living in a locale that you don’t need a greenhouse to grow fruit or vegetables is the availability and cost of fruits or vegetables. Tracy could hardly stand herself knowing that she could shop at fresh markets. Unfortunately there is not one close by here, so we took the 40 minute drive to Santa Cruz to drop in on their market. We were not disappointed.
Santa Cruz town center
more of the Santa Cruz center park
some of the Caribbean feel
Unlike the markets I have seen back in the states, it is not about the blocks and blocks of stuff, but more about the prices and quality of stuff. The markets here are about the bargain shopping and the super fresh products. In Santa Cruz the market is only about a block big, but that block is full of bargains. It fits perfectly in this old feeling town with its Caribbean colored walls, block streets and beautiful park and church. We went on a Saturday, a bustling day for the city of Santa Cruz, and most of the action was in the market.
just one of the mounds of fruit, good fresh juicy fruit
hey there's some more fruit
Hmmm, not sure they're meeting the fire escape code
waiting for buyers and barking out calls
Tracy in action, doing what she does best, shopping!
It was a hot and lightly windy day, the blanket and tarps covering the vendors were rustling in the wind. As you walk through the narrow lanes between the plastic crates covered in produce, you can smell the freshness, the smell of green fresh green vegetables and fruits wafting throughout the area, interrupted by the occasional odor of fresh fish and sometimes flowers. As you walk by the tables there would be shouts of ” mamon chino cinquenta mil” or “tomatoes cinco cien”, begging you to buy from them and not from the guy next to them selling the exact same thing for a very similar price. The key, we hear, is to get to know a single provider very well, and he will treat you well. So we came prepared to shop.
this was the "flower" guy
the happy shopper holding up some spuds
Kassie with her assigned bag of goodies
Ben looking thrilled as usual
This guy was selling little chicks. Didn't ask him if they were for pets or for food, either way the kids wanted one.
By the end of the morning we had seen dozens of variety of very fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh swordfish, homemade cheeses, fresh woohoo and shrimp, pirated copies of Captain America and every other movie in the theater in espanol, lots of babies clothes, flip-flops, shoes and even a few flowers. Upon leaving we took with us 3 kilograms of swordfish and about 45 pounds of assorted fruits and veggies, all for a grand total of about $60, forty of which was for the fish. Back home we figure this would’ve cost us probably at least 3 times that. However, although we got some great deals, the best part wasn’t the bargains, but the experience. And I guarantee we will be there again soon, and very soon we will have our own personal grocer, much like our mamon chino pusher just down the road.
our haul for the day ( you can't see the two pineapples)
Costa Quirks – Driving Guanacaste
Every once in a while I am going to do a blog on a major difference that I notice from AK to CR. I will tag them as Costa Quirks.
You want to know something a little scary? Driving in Costa Rica. First of all the roads are smaller than home, and they have no shoulders. Secondly, there are a bunch of critters all over them, iguanas, dogs,herds of cows, frogs, crabs,possums, skunks, chickens and much more. Even though most of them won’t hurt your car, they can cause an evasive action reaction, which on a road with no shoulders can be dangerous. Even scarier than the critters are the evenings. The roads are very dark after 7 pm. Imagine driving 100 on a small windy road ( yes I know it is kilometers, it just sound s cool to say 100) street lights non-existent, weak headlights barely illumaniting the road ahead, and then like a flash a dark skinned person appears in dark clothes about 1 foot inside the white line, oblivious to you and trusting that you will not hit them. This can lead to perennial tension on the steering wheel, causing excessive stress throughout the shoulders and arms, and flat wearing the driver out.
Filadelfia traveler
bikers are everywhere
this bus tried to get off the road.
Traffic laws are things in fables and fairytales, speed limits ignored. Nobody drives the velocidad maximum, they either drive way below it or way above, never at it. Stop signs are treated like green lights and the double yellow line means you need to pass twice as fast. But you want to know is even scarier? The other people on the road, and when I mean on the road I mean on the road. The pedestrians, bike riders, scooter riders,horses, truck and bus drivers, all of them are extremely frightening, especially in the dark. Remember there are no shoulders, so where do the pedestrians walk? On the road, with black shirts and no reflective clothing, nearly impossible to see. Where do the bike riders ride? On the road with the same clothes.It’s like they want to be ninjas, never seen and never heard until they are right on you. This goes for all of the ones mentioned above, they all share the road with the car drivers.
But even scarier than that, are other drivers. Remember the traffic laws are rarely obeyed, so they drive however they feel like driving, pass whenever they want, and my favorite, stop in the middle of the road to chat with pedestrians other drivers or just to stretch a little. NO JOKE. Buses, Trucks cars all of them will stop right in the middle of the road, granted a couple of them actually turn on their hazards so there is that. Then while they sit in the road tour buses, trucks, motorcycles, bikes, all of them zoom by in the opposite lane of traffic. It is common place to see a fully loaded tour bus pass on a double yellow, up a hill on a blind corner.
Typical Tamarindo scene
It is a conundrum to me. We are in a country where the motto is Pura Vida, and the laid back life style is not only marketed but encouraged. Yet driving feels incredibly dangerous and rushed, it is an intense adventure rivaling whitewater rafting and zip lining, but more dangerous. But you want to know what the scariest of all is?………………….
this is my "forced smile I'm not stressed" look.
……… I kind of like it!
Here is a three minute video of a 45 minute drive back from Liberia.
Home sweet home, or hogar dulce hogar.
You know that feeling when you come home after a long trip. That ahhhh, sigh of relief, that feeling of relaxation, comfort and knowingnesss, that feeling of home? Well, we didn’t quite get that feeling when we opened the door to our new home. Perhaps it’s because we had never set foot in the house prior to this day, and the unkown always leads to a little anxiety.
The first impression was taken through weary eyes and tired bodies not wanting to unpack a single one of the 18 suitcases. The beds were quickly divvied up, and we were given a quick walk through of our new home. The very first thing I noticed, I could not help but notice was that our front yard did not have a lawn, but instead was a pool, a fan-shaped pool. And although it was nearly 10 pm, the pool was warm. The second thing I noticed were the giant doors, about 9 foot tall, real wood doors. They were pretty impressive. The third was a sound, it was the weird horn sounding noise,almost mechanical in nature, much like the vuvuzela horns. I thought perhaps the air conditioning was over worked, or a pump was broke. I was quickly informed that those were frogs. Lots and lots of frogs. I remembered the drive and seeing all the frogs attempting to jump in front of our car. Apparently they were coming to our new house. I am glad I was able to cut several of them off before they made it. However, a few of them were chilling right next to the pool, just waiting for us to arrive.
Our entry way
The entry way, with Kassie getting ready to jump in the pool, always.
those huge entry way doors, to keep the frogs out.
After loads and loads of luggage, we turned up the air conditioners and settled in for our first night. Early the next morning the kids were in the pool, while I walked next door to the Super Massai to get some eggs and supplies for breakfast, although no one else seemed to miss it. After breakfast, I continued to inspect the house, and I realized we were not alone. First, we had a cat. I am not a cat guy, but this cat liked me and loved the kids. It seemed very comfortable around our house, it seemed that it lived at our house and we were her guests. We also had some geckos and we had already met the frogs, we just hadn’t met all of them. One frog decided to become more at home than all the others, he took up residence in the downstairs bathroom. In the one place where there is always water, the toilet. Ben discovered him when he went to break the bathroom in. The frog quickly disappeared down the escape hatch, and made several more visits, usually when Ben was around, before I was able to trap him and release him back to the cesspool (pun) he came from.
Entry Way
I kind of think he enjoyed being flushed down because he always came back with a smile on his face.
Overall, the house is very nice. It is larger than we anticipated, but also well lived in and in need of minor repairs. So we have been working closely with our new maintenance man, Esteban. He speaks very little english, and I speak very little spanish. Together, we communicate well. There are a lot of hand signals involved, lots of “si, si” ” no funcionado” “es bien” but we make it work.
some of the necessities
mom and dad's room
view from mom and dad's room, and yes you can see the Pacific from here, but Alli's room has an even better view.
our living area, with windows all around
So far, other than the constant heat and frequent thunderstorms, our biggest adjustments have been to the critters. They are noisy and they are everywhere. Ants, frogs, iguanas, lizards, crickets all singing, and usually only in the dark. It is a giant chorus of nature lulling us to sleep or alarming us awake, depending on your point of view. I imagine in no time at all it will be difficult for us to sleep without the constant chorus of critters.
from the kitchen towards the living area
Kitchen
We are still getting settled and there is a lot still for us to do, but we are trying to get into a groove. It is a very difficult but exciting transition. Not only are we moving countries, but I am working from home with is another huge adjustment. And it makes it even more difficult when the sun is shining, the air is warm, the pool is blue, and the family is outside. I may have to find a computer screen that I can see well in direct sunlight. Steve Jobs you listening?
lunch on the front lawn
We feel blessed to have such a nice house with a pool, and a beach about a 4 minute walk away. I have run it several times and cannot say how much I enjoy the sound of the waves thundering against the sand. My feet are still Alaskan, never seeing the light of day, but I will strive forward to break them in through many miles of beach running.
patio view of the pool
Alli and Livy posing in the front yard
I enjoy seeing the fisherman early in the morning wading neck-deep to catch barracuda, ahi, rooster, or anything that will bite their live sardine bait. But I eagerly anticipate the time when we get into a groove, start making new friends, find a new purpose and start living, instead of vacationing, although when your front yard is a glimmering warm blue pool, are you ever off vacation?
Tico Travel
Although not quite settled, we were already experiencing all the aspects of the Tico lifestyle before the wheels of our Airbus even left the Florida tarmac. We knew travel would be difficult as we planned to arrive 3 hours early, after a quick pit stop at Dunkin Donuts of course. The minute we pulled into the rental car return lot and began unloading our two vans, 2 guitars, 18 carry-ons, (one a personal item), and 18 checked bags, we could tell by the glares and stares it was going to be a long day, as we had planned, but we did not anticipate it was going to be as long as it turned out to be.
After a lengthy, question filled check in with four carts of bags in tow, we headed on over to the lovely TSA screening line, a line not unlike line for Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, and laid out much the same. As we waited in line, my hands full of passports and boarding passes, I heard over the loud speaker ” every person must carry their own passport, regardless of age”. I knew instantly that was meant for us. They had already spied us and we were on their radar. Several of our bags were unpacked,ransacked, searched and semi-repacked, several of our bags were re-sent through screening, and one bag got left behind, momentarily. If we could just get on the plane.
Finally, an hour behind our projected schedule we arrived at gate number 5 with 45 minutes to spare, just enough to run our family through the bathroom. It then turned out our 45 minutes kept growing until it blossomed into an extra 90 minutes. One and 1/2 hours late we boarded our plane, one of the first groups on. As the last of the passengers boarded, the pilot duly notified us that we had to wait for a log to get signed off, a process that should take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes a little more than an hour. He also informed us that our flight would be about an hour and 1/2 longer than usual due to weather.
We eventually did take off, and more often than not we wished we had not. I have flown on dozens of aircrafts, hundreds of thousands of miles, I even spent a year working as a FLIR operator aboard a King Air, and not counting small aircraft, I have never been on a bumpier ride. My seatbelt earned its keep, struggling to keep a 20o+ pound man from crushing his head against the air mask release compartement.The most enjoyable part was watching people race to the back to get to the air toilet between the red ding of the seatbelt light. It was like a game of red light green light. More than one of them introduced themselves to me and my aisle seat on a personal level, but not on purpose. Little did we know our day was just beginning.
the shuttle is loaded and we are en route to the rental car counter in San Jose, my favorite place.
De-boarding, or un-boarding went rather smoothly. The passport line resulted in me being scolded by the agent for bringing all my family forward without permission. Next time I will do better, I promised. I already knew I would be hiring skycaps, because hiring a Costa Rica skycap is like getting an express pass at Disney, right to the front of line. I only had one question thrown my way by the custom agent, with a puzzled head slanted look, “senor, just how long are you staying in Costa Rica?” After moving on, the next adventure was attempting to put two skycap’s full Home Depot style flat trailers into their mini-sized shuttle van. Two skycaps, three Thrifty car employees, one dad and 25 minutes of stacking, un-stacking made it all happen. All of us dripping sweat, tugging pushing and pulling bags in every direction. There was not an empty square meter in that van, including the driver’s seat.
Being a smart traveler, I not only had a GPS but I downloaded a special iphone app with an updated CR map. I even pre-progammed our route. So after an always long painful stop at the rental car counter, and multiple reminders that I was renting 2 cars we were on our way. My new App loaded and ready Tracy following our gold van closely behind in her small SUV. Unfortunately I had forgotten that when I programmed in the route, that it was from the center of San Jose, the biggest most difficult place to drive in all of Costa Rica, with two cars lanes combined about 70% the size of one lane in America, and no shoulders. Only 3 kilometers away from the center of “the hood” in the pouring rain, did I realize what I had done, with Tracy in tow, guitars and suitcases on her head,I quickly re-programmed and headed out of the pit. Twenty minutes out of way, we retraced our steps communicating via walkie talkies (that was cool).
on our way out of San Jose, finally!
Two hours into our rainy trip we stopped for a bite to eat at a nice road side Soda, all looking for our second meal of the day 13 hours into the day. Cheeseburgers all around was the plan. Unfortunately they only had enough bread to make three cheeseburgers. So fish n chips and spaghetti it was. We then waded back to our van in ankle-deep puddles and continued on our journey home. Three hours left to travel in the dark rain. Unfortunately, I failed to listen to the App when it said to turn left, and I slammed on my brakes, and deftly rolled into a rare 2 meter shoulder causing Tracy to come within literal inches of smashing into my van. She slammed on her brakes and veered into the opposite lane, her tires slid sideways on the hot wet asphalt as she fought to control her SUV, while battling a guitar case thumping her upside the head. Thank the Lord there was no oncoming traffic. Thank goodness the agent talked me into the “full” insurance at a “discount” rate. At that moment, I kind of wish we didn’t have the walkie talkies (they weren’t very cool). The next few minutes were not fun. Praise the Lord there was no damage, and other than my pride for being so foolish, we were able to continue on.
local signage, I really like the turtle's sayings. Title "Quads destroy turtle's nests".
close to home
Other than being totally exhausted, the rest of the trip went rather well. We only had to pass about 15-20 vehicles, narrowly missed about a dozen pedestrians and bike riders, and ran over lots of frogs (they looked funny jumping into our headlights). At around 9:30 we arrived at the gate to our residence and met Felic, a very nice guard who could not speak a lick of english, nor would allow us access to our new home. Fortunately our new friend Danielle soon came to our rescue and after two shuttle rides, a late roller coaster style plane ride, a scary dark wet unfamiliar two car caravan, we had a place to lay our head for the next ? years.
Our first view of our new neighborhood.If you look closely you can see Felic at the gate.
a blurry daylight pic of our new home
daylight home
In the next episode of our Costa Rica adventure I will tell you about our house, you won’t want to miss it. Pura Vida.
Godfrey’s Islands of Adventure
As I sit by the pool nearing 11 pm I am in awe of my kids stamina and at the same time acutely aware of my dwindling stamina. You see, right now we are still in vacation mode, so to me vacation means relaxing, to our family vacation means water and lots of it. We have been in our townhouse for two days, and day one they spent about 5 hours in the pool, in between shopping trips. That included a late night pool movie feature. Today we spent the whole day at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. We arrived at the park at 9:15 and left at 6:30. I wanted to stay until 9 pm, so that we could get our moneys worth, but I got out-voted by a bunch of endless energy munchkins that wanted to get a couple of hours in the pool before it closed at 11.
Now, my intent was to stay at the park from open to close, but to be honest, after about 6 hours I was spent. My feet hurt, my back hurt, my sunburns hurt and my wallet hurt. The park is not a good place to eat on the cheap. By about 3 pm I was ready to roll, but the cheap skate in me made me push on. The same one that makes me eat all the left overs from everyone’s plate in any restaurant. We paid for it, we are going to eat it! However, despite my agony and because of my inner miser, I suggested one last Spiderman before we boogied. Immediately after that, we left dragging our tails in tow.
Here a couple of things we learned this time around about Islands of Adventure. Last time it was our favorite, and it was still very good.
1. If you arrive at open, you will do so with a throng of other cheap skates wanting to get every second out of that park for their money’s worth. Misers, in general are a grouchy creature, be aware of them and avoid them if possible.
2. By about 6 the lines really start to shorten, especially for the popular rides. As we were walking out, the Hulk, which was perennially a 40 minute wait was down to 10 minutes. All other rides seem to follow suit.
3. Our favorite rides, Spiderman, Hulk,Champion Dragons, and Harry Potter. Overall our number one must ride is probably Harry Potter. Now it pains me to say this because I have never read a Harry Potter book nor seen any of the movies. All I know about Potter is that he is a 30-year-old wizard posing as a pre-teen boy, and that may be inaccurate. That being said, the ride is phenomenal. It is very similar to Spiderman, but modernized. One of the neatest things they have done to combat the non-stop long lines filled with wizards and interesting looking folk, is to make the Castle an interesting feature in and of itself. The castle captures your attention so well that once you get in it, which takes some time, time flies by. In fact, you will get snowed on in the castle. How cool is that? And that’s still 20 minutes away from the ride.
All in all we are still heavily in vacation mode combating reality with every waking moment. Our waistlines are growing with the plethora of cheap junk food; our skin burns red from the hot sun; and our eyes are bloodshot from either a lack of vacation sleep or chlorine, one cannot be sure. However so far, I wouldn’t change a thing. In fact, I think it is time for a midnight dip.
The following video is a compilation of our day at Islands of adventure. There are some actual real-time ride videos taken by Tra and I on our iphones on some of the most harrowing rides. This my friends is dedication ; risking our phones for you pleasure. We hope you enjoy. Oh, and if you hear any screams, they are purely for your benefit.
Goodbyes are great!
okay, maybe they aren’t great, but I don’t hate them. I don’t look forward to them, and don’t seek them out, but I think they reveal some very important things. First of all, if you are the one leaving then you are starting a new chapter, section or paragraph, something different. If you are the one staying, well then you are excited for your friend, excited to hear what they end up doing, where they are going, what they encounter and the chance to see them again. I find the difficult thing is if you are the one leaving, your mind is not always on the moment. Your mind is on your travels, ” did I pack enough chargers, did I cancel the cable, the phone, everything?, Did I make the reservations, are my bags to heavy, who is this hugging me and crying on my shoulders?”
Secondly, hard goodbyes really show you something. Those goodbyes you are dreading the most, the ones you save for last, the ones that every time you think about saying goodbye a lump forms in your throat and your stomach churns to the verge of throwing up. Those are the good ones. Those are the ones that let you know that you made an impact on someone’s life and they made an impact on yours. Those people, those moments are life changers. I think we should all strive to build those kind of relationships, those relationships that hurt like a kick in the gut when it is time to let go. For if the pain is that severe, then the good times were that much grander.
Soldotna has been a life changer for us. We have never had such hard goodbyes. We had invested so much of our lives in the community, in our church and in our friends, we had let down our guards and lived for the moment, so that it hurt real bad to say goodbye. It wasn’t like a kick in the stomach, it was like a good old-fashioned UFC beat down. We said goodbye on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and with each goodbye it got harder and harder, the awkwardness building up to the moment, to that final hug is almost unbearable. This time, I have never seen so many tears, sobs and snot for that matter.I have never felt so much tension and seen the art of postponement used to such extreme extent. It is an amazing feeling, a true blessing to know that so many people care about you and you care about so many people.
And although my mind was in a haze of massive details involved in relocating nine people to another country, I still managed to feel the pain. I still managed to shed tears and snot, and I still managed to feel that deep heavy weight buried in my soul; especially when I had to apologize to one very special girl for leaving her behind. I felt it in every hug, in every letter and card and in every passing moment. Yes it hurt, yes it was the second most grief and heaviness I have ever felt and it made my head, heart, back, throat and soul ache. But I reveled in every goodbye, I reveled in the awkward postponement and I reveled in the pain. So enjoy those goodbyes, enjoy that fact that someone you love is leaving, but remember it only hurts because you cared. Also remember, the pain is fleeting but your impact is eternal.
Goodbye, and Hasta la Pronto
An empty spot in my pocket
Although it was small it weighed heavy on me for nearly 15 years. It was a huge responsibility in a small package, representative of something much bigger than myself, something necessary for an orderly society. It paid my bills, fed my family and so much more. Now it is no more. My badge, my shield is gone. I have turned it in and there is now an empty spot in my back pocket that has not been empty for years. For years I was used to feeling it on me, knowing it was there, knowing that at any day at any time I may have to use it in an emergency, the weight of it a conscious part of my daily awareness. Part of the burden of this job is that you are never ever off duty, even when you are off duty. You must always be prepared to act. Now that burden, that weight is no longer mine. Sure that attitude will likely remain for a spell, but the obligation is no longer there. Friday was my last day going to work as an Alaska Wildlife Trooper. Friday was likely my last day of “going” to work as anything, and the whole week was surreal. It was a very emotional week. My heart pitter- pattered all week like a nervous school child preparing for his first speech. I just kept waiting for some big outburst, some bolt of lightning, something to symbolize the end of my career. Instead it ended like they all do, food, plaques, gifts and stories. Dont’ get me wrong, it is exactly how I wanted it, a small gathering of some great friends and a chance to say goodbye, with all our emotions kept in check. What I didn’t expect was the flood of emails from friends throughout the state, those hit me kind of hard. Some of them were extremely heartfelt and very personal. They made me feel fantastic, appreciated and sad, and increased the anxiety of leaving the brotherhood I have known for so long.
My final badge
Quitting a job is a big decision. Quitting a job that you have held for over 15 years is an ever bigger decision, and quitting a job that guarantees to pay you for the rest of your life if you only work it for 20 years is down right crazy. Well call me crazy I guess. I won’t kid you, it was not an easy decision. It was one made over years of prayer and toil. Beat down over and over,back and forth, pros and cons, impossibilities and possibilities. In the end it is all about doing what we think we are supposed to do, and taking action on that. Not just thinking about it, not just talking about it, but doing it. That is what we are going to do. No matter how absolutely nuts it sounds, we are going forward in faith.
The beginning, or very close to it, circa 1996.
So now what? Well now we move on to the next phase of our journey. Arguably, the most adventurous, exciting, and unknown phase. Now it is time for use to put our money where our mouth is and make it happen. With God on our side, we plan to do just that. Although the picture is not crystal clear as to what our life will look like a year from now, it is pretty clear that I will not be employed, and almost assuredly not be employed by the government. From this day forward we are going to change a lot of things, and we pray they are for the better and they are in God’s will. I will continue to blog about our adventures, our problems, triumphs sorrows and joys, but I will be doing it from a little farther south, and I hope you come along for the journey. I have a feeling that I will never lack for topics.
Fists of Fury
I have been known to watch the occasional mixed martial arts bout as I enjoy watching guys with an over abundance of tattoos getting pounded by a dude with only one tattoo. However, I don’t condone fighting, and we put the kiabash to it as soon as it occurs in this house, unless it is entertaining. Now some people train for years to build up the skill to become mixed martial artists. They spend 6-8 hours a day in the gym doing the same moves over and over until they are engrained in their muscles and their memory. To them it is as common as blinking. They box tirelessly for hours, sweat flying off their body with every punch, moving up and down, weaving and keeping light on their feet. They learn to punch when they have no strength left, when their legs are collapsing from underneath them, they can still throw a punch, and throw it hard. It takes years of concentration, practice, pain, sacrifice and injury to become a good MMA fighter, and it takes fortitude, guts and sheer will to become a great MMA fighter. Some people, well some people are just born with those skills. They just know how to fight, how to win, and how to never give up, no matter how hard they are kicked in the face. But mostly they know how to dodge a punch or a kick ( Vitor). The following video is just one of those people who have been born with the obvious skills. They took the time to come to our house and show us some moves, so that we could learn from their prowess and better our own skills. A selfless act to be sure. And thanks to Kinect, we got some great live action shots. So please enjoy the following video clip and pay special attention to some new moves and some real fancy footwork by the female fighter on the right. A natural to say the least.
Not Me
It has become readily apparent to us that our house is haunted by naughty little imps. We have denied it for years, but lately the evidence has mounted to a point that to deny it would be sheer foolishness. We didn’t have to use a Geiger monitor, infrared cameras, or laser detectors; We don’t have pictures of them, we haven’t talked to them, no one has, and we haven’t seen them, just the trail of destruction they leave in their wake. I have thought about installing some trail cameras, but everyone knows they cannot be captured on a simple camera, again foolishness. So instead we have decided to live them, at least for the time being.
I can hear you screaming ” How do you know, what evidence? ” Well let me share the evidence with you, but be forewarned, your eyes will no longer be closed and you too will likely start encountering the impish little fiends in your abode as you are awakened to the clues surrounding you.
#1: Who keeps tracking wetness into the house? It isn’t Tracy, it isn’t me and it isn’t Shyla. Each and every one of my children swear it isn’t them. So the evidence tells me that these imps put on the kids shoes, when they are wet, and march around the house with nary a care. Leaving the kids shoe prints for all the world to see.
Backpacks laying around and nobody put them there. Exhibit #1
#2 Who keeps eating all the potato chips and putting the empty bags back in the pantry? And who is putting a small sip of backwash milk in the fridge? Tracy and I don’t eat chips or drink milk, and Shyla could’ve done it, but she prefers to eat food that falls on the floor. Again, it wasn’t any of our kids as they keep telling us to a child “not me!” So again, who could it be? You do the math.
#3. Who keeps leaving the kids coats, blankets, shirts, pants and shoes strewn around the house? Again, Tra & I are out as suspects, Shyla, well she does get an occasional sock and run around the house like a cat with its tail on fire . But I have never seen her dragging anything other than socks, and a coat is definitely too big for mouse dog. So that once again leaves the kids and when each and everyone is confronted they all say “not me”, even if it was their clothes, shoes or coat. So once again the facts all point to one direction.
shoes just spread randomly on the floor. Exhibit #2
I could go on and on and on with all the evidence, broken faucets, tools, toys and games, missing tools, doors left open, lights left on, water left running and chores that were sworn to be finished, undone by the imps.
a jacket thrown mysteriously on the rug. Exhibit #3
So, based purely on evidence, it has become evident that not only are these fiends messing with us, they are attempting to frame our kids for their crimes! I am furious just thinking about it.Why can’t they pick on someone their own size and leave our innocent little never-do-anything-wrong kids alone? We often feel guilty accusing our kids of such misdoings, but I must continue to eliminate suspects, as that is what I do. It has gotten so bad that the little creatures have started dragging out my stuff and leaving all over; my shoes, coats, hats everything! An obvious attempt to frame me now that I am on to them!
another jacket, almost shoved into the vacuum in an obvious attempt to disable the vacuum. Exhibit #4
Now that you know, pay attention to the evidence around your house, especially if you have kids and often if you have a husband. Soon you will begin to notice the misdoings of these unseen critters
my desk, again with mysterious items strewn about in an attempt to frame me.
and perhaps you will be the first one to get photographic evidence. And if you need to borrow my Geiger meter, just let me know and I’ll ask the kids if they have seen it around. I swear I had it sitting on my desk.
