I Feel Like a Yoyo

Hola!  As I wrote earlier, my computer crashed.  I probably also have written that the computer & I have a love/hate relationship, which...  most of the time borderlines on hate.  But...  we've been together only about 2 years and have had some serious misunderstandings in that time...  quite costly on my part.  Anyway, after being here in Costa Rica only a week (and several hundred photos downloaded) it decided to turn a cloudy white and the "I'm busy and don't mess with me" little circle that just keeps circling....  just kept circling...  and on and on and on.  I knew I was in trouble.


After numerous times of pulling the battery and restarting it....  nothing.  Our next door neighbors, who are from Toronto, told us of a computer shop nearby... even offered to take us there.  They did...  we went...  and last night we got the phone call that my computer was fried.  Nothing, zilch, nada, nil, .....  dead.


This morning our neighbors took us over to pick it up (I'd already said my fond... and not so fond...  goodbyes... figured everything was lost forever).....  and when we got there, the computer whiz said that the hard drive was gone...  BUT...  all my data could be retrieved.  He could install a new hard drive and I'd be back in business...  cost around $120.  Hey...  I could live with this!  We agreed and he said we could pick it up at 3pm today.


As you can read...  the roller-coaster ride had already begun...


At 3pm our neighbors were kind enough to take us back to the computer shop...  it wasn't quite done...  but...  the guy had installed a new hard drive.  Now...  here's the kicker....  he handed Bill the old one... said that's where all my data was...  and we could retrieve the data from that.   Hmmmm....  what now?  So... we've decided to take that piece of metal back to either Texas or Ohio...  have someone who knows what the heck they're doing (and speaks English) reload stuff onto my computer... or whatever it takes...  and, for the time being, I'll still use our little Toshiba for blogs.


So.... I've been from despair to elation to despair....  to being wary and somewhat apprehensive...  to finally ....  just resigned to whatever will be will be.  I guess I can live with whatever happens....  but...  I'll tell you one thing...  I AM going to get a new computer when we're back in the States!!!!!


Okay... enough of that....  let me show you some pictures I took today....

Celeste...  this one's for you...

Can you believe the size of this poinsetta?  It's as high as the house!  And still in bloom!!!   These suckers grow huge down here....  all year round!  I don't know if they're considered a Christmas flower here, but have to say...  they sure know how to grown them!


Here's some different fruits we've bought at the market....

That stuff on the left is Guanabama, the middle is a Cashew, and, of course on the right is pineapple.  I'll admit right now that I haven't tasted the 2 on the left....  I'll do that manana....   I'm having a problem getting past the smell.   But... those that know me KNOW that I'll do it!  Yes indeed....  manana

We have a new neighbor....

This little guy was born last Friday night.  His mama, Paula, and papa, (don't know his name) will be leaving for Monte Verde in a few days.  They were waiting for their son to be born..  (C-section) before heading out.  He's a beautiful baby...  tall and slim....  They live 3 houses down from us and we'd been watching Paula walk home .... wondering just when this little critter was due.  We asked another neighbor what new mamas usually needed...  Vanessa told us that disposable diapers are very expensive here and often people have one baby shower for the usual things...  and another just to help out with diapers.  You should have seen me and Bill at the grocery store...  since neither of us speak Spanish well...  we really depended (pun intended) on the pictures on the packages...  the grocery store here has the baby diapers and the adult Depends all displayed in the same aisle.... along with feminine sanitary needs.  


We're checking out the pictures on every package...  YES!  found the diapers!  DARN!  the size is listed in kilos....  now...  a newborn is ??? kilos....  Well... we did okay...  got a package of newborn and a package of 12 pound size just in case she already has a truck-load of newborns...  and a package of Johnson & Johnson baby wipes.  (yes, Huggies and J&J are sold here).  We had fun buying them and I think Paula was happy to get them.  We sure enjoyed seeing the newborn...  but, for the life of me, I can't remember his name.


I will add here that seeing this little guy sure made me homesick for our great-grandbabies!  Thank you Heather for sending us pictures of Evie and her first Easter.  I love getting those!

We did a lot of bird watching today...

The rufous tailed hummingbird comes to our feeder fairly often now.  He's not the only species here, but so far we haven't IDed the others....

Now...  the MYSTERY BIRD.....

I'm sure hoping that Teri, or someone who's been birding in Costa Rica can tell me what this is...

He/she hangs around where the orioles and tanagers are...  but then, there's also the parrots, the squirrels, the wrens and on and on.  This nut tree right above our house is a VERY popular spot.  But...  we can't find this guy in our guides...  and ideas?

I think this is a termite nest...

We've seen these when in the Caribbean and that's what we saw there.  I have no idea how many species of ants there are here...  but I think that I've been bitten by nearly every kind so far.

And...  the last picture of the day....

This Fiery-billed Aracari flew in around 2:30 today.  He's not really in the toucan family...  but a close relative.  Isn't he gorgeous!

He's about the size of a very large crow...  but not as big as a turkey vulture.  Quite colorful...  quite flashy!

So...  that's about it.  Looks like I'll continue using the Toshiba until we return to the States in May.  I'm just thankful we brought it.

I think I mentioned that the rainy season seems to have come a bit early this year.  We got a sprinkle of rain around 5pm, but that didn't last.  

What's interesting to me is... I can do a load of laundry... have it hung out on the line by 6:30 or 7am...  and by 9:30am it is totally dry and ready to bring in the house.  So...  if it rains in the afternoon  it doesn't bother me ;-)

I think it's time to relinquish Bill's computer to him...  but he's generous...  I'll probably write again tomorrow.

That's all for Today....