That Made Me Crazy

I didn't plan to post tonight, but then the world went crazy and interfered with my drive home.

Well, maybe not the whole world, but a couple people with assault rifles did. I was nowhere near gun fire, luckily.

Very unluckily though was having to sit on the freeway, parking lot style, for two hours. I got home half an hour ago.

Never before have I felt so ungrateful towards the express lanes on the freeway. Thanks to a lack of exits we were pretty much trapped, while we watched cars in the normal lanes turn around and exit via the on ramps.

People in the express lanes, however, were milling about, peeing behind medians, and getting out the camping chairs.

It was a late Friday night, but not in a good way.

Now it's Saturday and I have to get up and work in the morning. Fantastic.

iTunes

What I didn't mention in my concert post is that I have basically spent my life savings (slight exaggeration) on music through iTunes.

This is foolish for a number of reasons:

1. If I comparison shopped at Walmart (though I hate to shop there) and Amazon, I could probably save a few bucks.
2. Amazon's music also comes in MP3 format, which iTunes doesn't, and is much more universally compatible.
3. I've worked a total of 7 hours this month. Meaning I've made less than $200. That isn't to say I'm broke...I saved money knowing this time would come, but still it's probably not the opportune time to spend lots of money frivolously.

That all said, I have been enjoying listening to some new music, and I can still think of a handful of albums I would really like to buy.

Maybe if I can find them for the $7 or $8 I can justify it.

Abandonment

This past Saturday I spent time visiting with family at the island cabin. It's a place that has been in around much longer than I have been alive.

I can remember back to the years before running water, when we made use of a water pump and pails, and used an outhouse. True story.

My uncle was visiting with his new family from MA, so we hung out, messed around, and "initiated" my new cousin Ty.

We abandoned him at a playground.

Now before you go getting your panties in a twist, you should probably know that he is 15 years of age, not an infant as the playground suggests.

Which is why we are waiting until his younger brother Payton matures before we initiate him.

While Ty was busy traipsing around the playground without touching the ground, the rest of us snuck off to the car leaving him chasing our exhaust.

For all of a couple hundred yards. What can I say, we are ruthless.

Hopefully sometime in the near future I'll share some pictures, but I have to get them off my camera first.

Rocking Out

So, I'm back. To the blog world, that is. I didn't actually go anywhere.

We've gotten our family/visitors sent off. My uncle David and his family are flying back to MA and Stevie (the sis) is headed back to school on the other side of the state. She should be over half way there now.

It's been a crazy few weeks full of visitors, fun, and a little bit of sun.

Last night, I traveled an hour and a half to the City with friends for a Late Tuesday concert at the Triple Door. I have to say, if you are ever tempted to go see a concert there, just do it.

The venue is awesome, with tables and booths, and there is a full dinner menu. Yummy! Probably the most "grown-up" show I've ever been to.

It was in stark contrast with the Emerson Drive show my sister and I went to last Wednesday.

It was fair week up north of town, which includes the usual fair-type activites: lifestock, rides, games, food, rodeo, music and much more.

Tuesday last, I got a text from a friend saying that she knew the bassist for Emerson Drive. She got my sis and I hooked up with tickets, back stage passes, and visit to the tour bus and free beer.

The set up at our fair for main stage is pretty crazy and involves a John Deere tractor, a rodeo arena and a stage on wheels. It's pretty awesome.

The sis and I got to meet the band and chat with them, so thanks to Arlo for hosting us. It was a blast!

Needless to say, I have a bit of a concert bug now. I know Keith Urban is coming this direction, and last I checked there were tickets left. Eek.

Any other good shows you know of/would recommend?

Wildebeests

I have had things to blog about recently, but I didn't so now they are roaming about my head like a herd of wildebeests.

It's making it hard to concentrate. It's making it hard to put a complete and at least somewhat interesting sentence together.

But just believe me when I say I have stories of backstage passes and tour buses, family get togethers, parking lot abandonment, and foreign adventures.

And those are just the interesting stories. I have a lot more of the boring ones.

Maybe this week I'll try to work through them all. Maybe.

A Full Load

I've been visiting family the past few days, in the town where I went to college.

Well, actually 15 miles outside of the town where I went to college. I really enjoyed having home cooked meals so close by.

I'd say it was also great for doing laundry, but the truth is I've never lived somewhere that didn't have a washer and dryer. Seriously.

The days have been filled with eating, drinking, cooking, visiting fabric stores (my mom and aunt are currently on a quilting kick and I'm taking full advantage.), visiting my grandmother, and other miscellaneous activities.

Today our big task was going through our storage unit. I lived with my cousin for the last year and a half of college and shoved my stuff into a storage unit (or rather, they did...I just got back in time to help clean) under the assumption that I was only staying at my parents short-term. It's been almost a year now.

Luckily my sister has taken a number of things for her new house in a city just over an hour away. My cousin is moving out of her parents' house. And I'm finally taking some of my stuff home.

And boy, I have way more than I realized. My room back home is about to get a lot more crowded.

I have two sets of dishes, a box of spices (?), another down comforter, a basket of random crap, a couple tubs of "stuff" that I brought over last fall, candles, a few pieces of art and who knows what else.

Let me just say that our apartment was much larger than most. We were pretty spoiled.

But for now I'm just focusing on driving a very stuffed car across the state without doing damage to the breakables.

That's enough for today.

A Costa Rican Taxi Ride

I know that yesterday I said I wasn't going to talk about Costa Rica again for a while, but I lied.

I just have to tell you about my cabby on the way to the airport. He was a riot who put up with my rather poor Spanish and made my last memory from the country an enjoyable one.

Have I mentioned him? I don't think so, but let me check.

Nope, haven't mentioned him yet.

I believe his name was Marvin, but I can't be sure.

He spent the entire trip to the airport trying to convince me that I needed to be back in Costa Rica in a year, with him as my taxi driver and Spanish instructor.

Marvin also informed me that while I don't have a husband now, it won't take me long to find one because I have a beautiful face. He also promised that he wasn't being creepy and I couldn't spread rumors about him.

We spoke of his daughters and my siblings, where I had visited on my trip, and the good people of Heredia.

Marvin, I promise that if I come back to Costa Rica, you'll be the first taxi driver that I'll call.

Cross my heart.

Finally.

It's years later and I finally have played with, and am ready to share, some of my favorite pics from Costa Rica.

Which is good for you, the reader, because you no longer have to read me saying that I'll have them done "someday."

You are welcome.

Before I throw up the pictures, maybe even with a few captions (if I don't get bored first), I have a quick, but amusing (I hope) story for you.

My sister and I went to The Ugly Truth tonight. The movie isn't the point of the story, just some context. We were walking into a theatre when we heard someone yell "excuse me." Being the good citizens we are, and obvious idiots--who stops in the dark for someone running up behind them--we stopped. The young lassie then inquired whether either of us were over 21. My sister, who is 20, immediately says no. After a minute hesitation I also reply, "no," and we walk away.

On July 25, I turned 24. But "no" seemed easier than battling over whether or not I would buy minors alcohol. What can I say? I'm a wimp.

Anyways, back to the regularly scheduled programming: pictures.

At one of the beaches we visited, my host hitting the waves.

Tiny figurines at the gold musuem in San Jose. Seriously, they were smaller than my pinkie.

A flower of some sort from our stay in Costa Rica, and no it's not a tulip.

Mr. Iguana who had places to go and people to see (or not see, as he would have preferred).

An adorable goat at INBioparque, a nature conservatory. (Can goats be adorable?)

A tree trunk (duh!)...who knew they were so colorful.

These two were just too cute. Sorry for the lack of focus on the main subjects--that was me trying to be stealth with the camera.

More cuteness in the form of bunnies.

Coffee! Who knew that's what it actually looked like.

Okay, seriously--scout's honor and all that--I won't talk about Costa Rica anymore. Or at least until I recollect a really good story or two.

Gadgets and Gizmos Aplenty

We've had a full weekend of family visiting (my grandfather and my uncle from Finland with his wife), getting rid of part/most of a 60 ft. Douglas Fir that was cut down in our back yard, and other shenanigans.

The most exciting of which was a new phone for me. I even was able to talk the cell phone guy into giving it to me a day early. :)

I didn't have a plan going in for what phone I wanted, but I walked out with a Blackberry Storm. It's touch screen and way more phone than I have ever had before.

It's not that I needed the email capabilites, internet, or music storage--I mean I have a laptop and an iPod touch--but it was hard to say, "no."

So I didn't.

I've been having fun playing and getting used to it, but I'm holding off on sending in the rebate information.

I have 30 days to test the phone out and I'm going to do just that.

Pictures

I keep mentioning how any day now I will get pictures from my trip up on my blog.

And yet it doesn't happen.

Well, today I finally posted some to Facebook, so I'll let you all check them out there. The album is public so it shouldn't be a problem, but if there are issues let me know.

I still hope to post some of my favorites on my blog in the coming days. I've just busy playing with them on Aperture, which my parents got me for my birthday.

Yay!

Now I have to go ponder the perfect summer wedding outfit for when it's not really all that warm outside.

TIMBER!

Men came and cut down the VERY large tree in our backyard yesterday.

My favorite moment was when they took the top off. (See below)

Our yard now looks like a tree bomb went off, which I suppose is what happened.

Instead of dealing with the mess yesterday, we left to go to the outlet malls.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Jeans!

I love getting comments from new bloggers. Recently I got one from a blogger who had also made a trip to Costa Rica.

Of course this led me to her site to check out her experience, and her blogging.

Today I got really excited to find out she was having a giveaway! GAP Jeans no less.

And I want to share the good news with all of you. Check out her blog and find out what the giveaway is all about.

Also, stay tuned for more Costa Rica pictures. I am working on organizing and editing at the moment but they should be up soon.

All filled up.

I'm sitting in the airport in Costa Rica (note to Houston and Seattle: get cracking on free internet) about to board a plane back home.

I paid my visitor tax, checked my bag (49.5 lbs., thank you very much), and got through security.

Then I realized I had over 14,000 colones left from my trip. While it made me feel rich, that money will be useless once I land in Texas.

So I did what any good tourist trying to boost the local economy would do...I visited the gift shop.

Let's just say I won't be coming home empty handed.

Speaking of which, when I left the states my bag weighed 45 lbs. and I left behind my shampoo, conditioner and body wash. And I didn't even pack all my purchases.

You are welcome, Costa Rican economy.

I've never been good about packing light. Efficiently, yes; lightly, no.

Welcome to the Jungle

I just got back from Monte Verde. The weekend was so full I don't even know how to succinctly sum it up.

Instead I'm copping out and using bullets. Hate me if you want.

The weekend consisted of:

• Driving for hours on dirt (not to be confused with gravel) roads up the sides of mountains.
• Eating delicious, locally made milkshakes.
• Seeing monkeys, coatis, tarantulas, snakes, crickets, and all sorts of other animals in the wild.
• Lacking in sleep due to early mornings and a wicked storm during the night.
• Monster ziplines!
• Meeting people from around the world.
• and much, much more.

I fly home in less than 24 hours, about 17 actually, and hopefully sometime later this week I can sum up the adventure, provide a few of my favorite photos, and get back to my regular shenanigans (a.k.a. having nothing special to say).

Until then, keep it real.