July 31

Having a good day off doing nothing!!

July 30

Wow busy day today!
Second busiest day since we have opened!!!
Only day busier was our Grand Opening Day...
Sold out of Beef Barley Soup, becoming very popular!
Anabella and I are going to Ariba a club in Samara for ladies night tonight, I am off tomorrow!

July 29

Got Krissi and Travis home yesterday but their luggage stayed in Atlanta!
Gotta love Delta!!
Hopefully it catches up to them today!
Sunday quiet start but always get busier later in the morning!

July 28

All moved into new Condo, internet was down last night due to a good storm...
Will grab pics of the new digs over the weekend!
Off to pick up Krissi and Travis at Liberia for noon today

July 26

Moving day!
Got almost everything packed up and moved over this afternoon...
Just a few more things to round up tonight and I am moved into my new condo!

July 25

Happy Annexation of Nicoya Day!
Man it is pretty busy today with it being a mid week holiday...
Lots of people for lunch!
So much for leaving early to finish packing up my things...tonight I guess...

July 24

Well Nicoya sucked up most of the day...at least I slept in!
finish packing up tonight...

So we have a friend out in the parking lot, biggest toad I have ever seen!!

July 23

Well Sunday got busy after all!
Just not an early start...sold out of beer barley soup, good for hangover Sundays! LOL
Ana and I went to Vela Latina last night for some sushi and a couple of beers...well deserved!
Today is my day off!
Running into Nicoya for a few things and packing up all my stuff to move over to the condo!!!!!

July 22

Quiet Sunday morning in Samara, vacations are over here, everyone is back to work...They must all be sleeping in this Sunday morning!
Xinia and I are experimenting with some recipes today...
Anabella is on a well deserved day off!!

July 21

Well my day to go in late! Slept in a bit and went in for 9:30!
Felt amazing...good to get those couple of extra hours in!
Anabella is off tomorrow, then I am off Monday and Xinia Tuesday, we all need a day off to just rest up!
Plus I need to move to the condo!!

July 20th

Quiet night in last night as per all my nights since buying the bakery!
Had Hula Jungla pizza delivered to the house and then off to bed by 10pm as we are up at 4:30-5am!
Business is steady, which is good considering the winter vacation was over on Sunday for locals...

July 19

So this morning when we pull up just before 6am, Ana's stalker is standing on the sidewalk scanning down the street with binoculars!!
WTF!
What is up with this guy?
Ana and I could barely get out of the car we were laughing so much!
I said to her this is the kind of stuff you cannot make up...

July 18

Interesting day today!
They shut the electricity off in Samara from 8am until 3:30 pm...
Was stressing about my ice cream!
I was happy when the power came back on...
Ran to Nicoya for a few supplies today
off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow!

July 17

So we are working a lot and pretty tired but boy do we have some good laughs!!
So the bakery is located in a small plaza called Patio Colonial and there's a guy named Carlos who works here who is the janitor/ maintenance guy...
So this morning Ana needs to go pee but Carlos is cleaning the ladies room ( we share public washroom with  the other tenants), Ana really needs to go so I tell her go and say I am sorry but I really must go...
So she does expecting him to exit the washroom for a few minutes to give her some privacy...
instead just as she starts to pee he asks so is Xinia's son doing better?  She answers yes in a very short tone as she cannot believe he is chatting her up in the washroom!
He still does not get the hint and asks so how long have you been in Costa Rica for?
She then says can you give me a minute please??
When she exits the stall she answers 8 months and leaves
Comes back to the bakery to wash her hands and tell me the story and we are doubled over crying laughing!

Here's some shots from today finally remembered to take pictures!!!

Joannie, Xinia & Anabella 

 the cupcake train! LOL

 still laughing too much!

 the Princesas out front of the bakery!

 Xinia and Ana were not impressed with standing out front with their crowns on LOL

July 16

Well busy couple of days...
Up every morning at 4-4:30am (bakery what was I thinking????) home by 7pm or so, long days!
Promise to try and get some pics up soon!
Xinia's son Anthony who ha been working part time for us got bit by an infected mosquito and got Dengue, I think it is similar to west nile or something...They say that if you get it once you get real sick fever...but if you get it a second time a lot of people die from it!
The boy seems to be ok now but spent the day in hospital...
Very common in Central & South America.
So they were not in today, so much for a day off! Glamours of owning your own business!

July 14

Wow busy grand opening day today!
Best day of sales so far!
We did 5 birthday cakes, a lot of people born this weekend in CR LOL
Will post some pics as soon as I get a minute...
Working a ton of hours but having fun!

July 13

Went out for a couple of beers for Ana's birthday last night, paying for that today!!

Feel like I am getting a cold! Don't have time for this!!!

Waiting patiently for the sign guy to get here told me yesterday 10am, now 2pm!!

Says he is on his way soon...
Well sign got up. here's a shot of it being installed

Rented a condo for a year today in Monte Laguna, where Steve & Cindy stay.

Good place safe, security, pool, cleaning service, shared washer & dryer...

Just at the end of Carrillo beach

July 12

Well made it back from San Jose with my new car!
Crazy hard rains all the way back, car was great!

Here's the new ride parked out front of the bakery

Off to Nicoya this morning because the suppliers in CR are awesome!!
The sales rep just did not bother to put my order in!!!
Needless to say I phoned into Belca a division of Sysco foods and gave them a speech on customer service...

July 10

Off to pick up my new car this morning!!
Bought my first brand new car!!
A Hyundai Accent Blue, pics to follow!
Heading back to Carrillo this afternoon

July 9

Heading to San Jose Sunday night to hopefully buy a car and pick up supplies...
Wow just had an 8 hours sleep! Felt amazing!
Enrique's house is lovely.
Grabbing some breakfast and then heading out to pick up things.

July 8

Sunday morning 6am at the Princesa bakery posing in our new aprons Donna made for us!

Anabella says Donna is crazy because they are so well made, lined and everything, she said like new underwear for when you get married! LMAO

July 7

Day 2 winding down, good sales today...better than yesterday!
Got some sleep so a lot better day!
Will try and post some photos later!!

Anabella's first shot using the mixer...oops! Don't start on high speed when full of flour LOL

 Ana and Xinia working hard in the kitchen!

 First day with baked goodies in the case.

July 6

Really really long day yesterday! We worked from 7am to 12 midnight and Ana and I came back in for 4am to get baking done!
But the door are open and we are selling goodies!!!
All is good but really busy...

July 4

Well another long day yesterday, was in Nicoya all day picking up supplies, tiles...

Will be another late one today!

Lots to do to get open for Friday!

Can't wait to open!

Got the proofs for the sing today...

July 3

Yesterday was a good long day!!
We got a lot done but still a long way to go!!! Looking good...
Off to Nicoya today to get paperwork done at a few government offices
Should be a barrel of laughs!!
Xinia's first day at the bakery, she is very excited and Anabella loves her!
We will be a great team!

July 2

Well day 1 at the bakery was a long one!
We spent the day cleaning...my strong suit!!
The place was filthy!
Can't believe I ate bread from here!!
hoping to do a soft open by Friday, then once all is totally in place about a week or two later will do a grand opening!

Here are the before shots!

July 1

Well last evening was interesting!

When Anabella and I arrived at 6pm, one of the owners ( the one not happy about the deal!) had emptied out most of the bakery,dishes, pans, utensils, coffee maker, blender...

So I walked in and told him if he did not bring back the things he took as per our contract I would call the cops and have him arrested!

So we spent the next two hours watching things reappear one by one...checking them off the list...

Costa Rica can be so interesting at times!! LMAO

So this morning Ana and I are on our way in to get some cleaning done as the place is filthy!

Pics to follow!!