November 29

Awesome big bad nap last night, felt great this morning!
Busy day at the bakery...
Tomorrow morning hair dressers Woo Hoo

November 28

Afternoon off yesterday, spent at Arno's by the pool drinking wine...paying for that today LOL

Alan & Arno with Coucou & Zaya

 Coucou & Zaya

November 27

Sad News this morning... Afro (Geraldo) the gardener at Hakuna Matada was killed last night, hit by a car while walking on the road...

I feel for his wife and children, very sad...

November 26

Well the winds have died down...

Happy! On Sale at Pali for ₡500

Sunday was pretty non eventful...

Steady this morning at the bakery, Xinia's day off so my long day 7-7!!

November 25

Awesome night last night...went to Rancho de la Playa with Arno & Alan, good music & cold beer!

Winds this morning are crazy...curtains flapping in my face!

November 24

Chilly night last night! Dropped to 20 C!
Windy too!

Good morning for laundry, should dry quickly!

November 23

Nice dinner last night at Arno's...
Another busy day, sure are more tourists around now!

November 22

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Friends & Family!!

Sold out of Pumpkin Pies and almost out of Sugar Pies!!

November 21

Sure is busier this week! Doubled sales from last week!
So I have been so busy I forgot this story...
Earlier this week I met this nice couple from BC, they were asking me a few questions and were going to take the bus to Nicoya for the day so after telling them where to hit in Nicoya they were off to the bus stop, a few minutes later I saw the bus at the bus stop and thought good they did not have to wait too long...then the bus pulled away and I see them walking toward the bakery...What's wrong? I ask. They said there was a woman in full labour getting on the bus and they did not want to be that stressed watching her all they way to Nicoya (1 hour) if she even made it that far!
LOL
When I told the girls Xinia said I took the bus with both my kids and the roads weren't paved then...just a different perspective I guess!

November 20

Another busy day!
Definitely picking up...
Xinia's family seem to be doing better, serious road rash...
Sold lots of these today!

November 19

Been busy!
Business is picking up!!
Making pumpkin pies today to fill a few orders!

November 17

Tough night and morning...Xinia's husband Ricardo & son Anthony hit a dog on their dirt bike and were injured...
Not sure how bad it is, but they are at home now...she called me last night hysterical, I could not totally understand what was going on...Luckily Alan Arno's friend was there and is Tico but speaks great English!
Xinia will be off for a few days to sort out her family...
Meanwhile Awesome Scott from Canada my favorite handy man is fixing Xinia's car for me, brakes were crap amongst other things...

New girl Maricela started yesterday and Xinia and I are happy with her in the kitchen, will soon be moving Daniela up front with me to work the counter!

November 16

Got my car back this afternoon!
Not fixed, parts to be ordered and they say they will be in in 2 weeks!
My hope is to have my car all repaired by Xmas!!

November 15

Well...always interesting in CR.
Had to drop off the car at the garage in Nicoya this morning and take the bus back to Samara so they can give the insurance company an estimate and get approval...
Was going to take the bus back first thing tomorrow but of course the insurance company did not get back to them yet!
So after taking the bus home tonight hoping for a call tomorrow to go get my car so I am not walking all weekend!!

November 13

Well more good times at government office for me!
Had to go to first to the court house to report my accident (which to cops had not yet filed the report at 10:30 am) told to come back at 1:30pm!
So I hopped over to INS to put in my insurance claim...was there from 11 am until 4pm! Bloody hell!!!
Then back over to the court house...got most done but needed to print out photos for them...
so back to Nicoya today to go to the courthouse, the garage to order the parts for my car, etc....
Good times!!!!

Good news is Joannie bought all the insurance!

My $400 for 6 months got me a $0 deductible!!

November 11

November 10

Well got into an accident tonight leaving the bakery with my new car!!!!!!!!
Backed out of the parking lot, put on my flasher to make a left hand turn to towards Carrillo looked behind me, looked in front of me and started to proceed and BAM, some clown had come barreling down the hill and passed me on the left!!!!
Had to wait over an hour for the Transit police to come, filed the report and have

 to go to Nicoya on Monday morning to the courthouse and insurance company...
Thank God I took the insurance!
All in all no one was hurt, so the rest is just property...
Special big THANK YOU to Brenda and Chris from Samara Infocenter for staying with me to be my translators when needed!
You guys are the best!!

November 9

Back to work at the bakery, business is picking up!
I have a couple of new girls starting in the next week or so...
Training before high season!
Really windy last couple of days, they are saying this is like the December winds called Papagayo Winds
Little early but hopefully will do their job and cool down the sea water so there's no red tide this year!

November 8

Well success!!!
Took my chances, skirted around the forbidden zone as much as possible and took a direct route in to the car dealer's and got the oil change done and a free car wash and interior cleaning!
Finished our errands and got on the road for home!
Made it in by 7pm!
Truck arrived with all we had purchased to Arno's, just need to make a few trips on Sunday to get my 6 new tables and 12 chairs tot he bakery!
We are hopefully all set for the season now...

November 7

Headed for San Jose this morning to run more errands...

Got many things accomplished today and Arno and I were quite proud of ourselves at how much we got done... (lesson here is never be cocky in Costa Rica!!)
So we went out for dinner with some friends quite enjoying ourselves...and we discuss plans for tomorrow...Arno is off to get fingerprinted for his residency application and I am off to the dealership to get an oil change on my car 5000 Km for warranty purposes...when Kiki Arno's friend says to me what number does your license plate end with? I say 8 why? And she informs me I cannot go downtown (where dealership is) on Thursdays with my plate ending in 8 or I will get a $400 fine LMAO!!!
What can I say sleeping in tomorrow morning!!!
Pura Vida!!!!!!!!

November 6

Fun in Nicoya yesterday!!

Belle came with me which was great for the company!
And we had a nice lunch together...

No problems at accountant, ten INS (workman's compensation) they were to have emailed me a user name and password to report my employee's hours, never received...so re applied...seems to be going through just received user name & password for corporation, but must apply from there to get one for me personally as the corp. cannot file the hours....(WTF!!)

Then went off to Caja (Social Security) That seems to have gone smooth as well, reported the staff's earnings and must that at the bank between the 10th & 18 of the month...

This is going to require some reminders!!!

Everything have rules and dates to pay during...

November 4

Feel much better today!
Slow morning at the bakery...getting paperwork caught up...
Tomorrow another fun filled day at government offices in Nicoya!

Need some of this for tomorrow!

November 3

Wow!!!
Hung over today!!!
Lesson learned, Joannie is getting too old to party with a bunch of 20 somethings until all hours!!!!
Joannie is in pain today!
Going over to Arno's for dinner later, glad I don't have to cook!!!

November 2

Made it home no problems, car full to the backs of our heads!
Back to work today...
Going to run over to the bank and try to get the corporation bank account opened today!
Off to 2 parties this afternoon, First Fridays at El Sueno Tropicale and then to a going away party for Aaron and Timo guys I have met since opening the bakery.
Aaron is moving to Panama to be a real estate agent and Timo is heading home to Finland.

November 1

Wow already November it will be high season before I know it, really time to get myself well organized...
Arno made it in safe and sound from his trip. Spent yesterday running errands all over San Jose...
Today's bureaucratic mess was going for my Costa Rican driver's license!
Gotta have it they say as per new law if you stay for more than 90 days...last week went to license office in Nicoya only to be told I must go to San Jose for new license, (October 23rd) Note the date I was at the office...
So I head for San Jose, get all my photocopies (3 of passport, 3 of Canadian Driver's license, doctor's exam, blood test (for blood type)...head for the office, huge line up like 100 people but was told before to walk to the front of the line as these people are waiting for a driver's test...I already have a license...
Got to the front of the line only to find out I had to do this new license before Oct. 26!!!!!!!!!
If you do not have residency...LOVE IT!!!
Absolutely nothing I can do so put away the papers I have collected worth about $50...and went for lunch!!
So I am fine, turns out my Canadian license is valid as long as I leave every 90 days and get a new stamp on my passport...
Went for dinner last night with Arno and James, pj's and a movie to bed early for today's drive home!