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Along the Natchez Trace

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

My Personal Rant.....

You know how you get into a rhythm?  Well, we've been here in Costa Rica 3 weeks and my blogging was hitting a good rhythm for me....  Bill & I are early folks...  it's really unusual if we're still asleep at 5:30 in the morning.  Breakfast and doing laundry and that kind of thing is done and over with by 8:00 at the latest...  the day's adventures are ready to begin.

Rufus-naped Wrens outside our condo....
So...  why did not having the internet for 4 days throw me off so much?  I suspect it was the blog that did it....  when we're on a new adventure I like to record each day....  it's a journal of sorts...  besides letting family and friends know that we're still alive and well, it's also a permanent record of our travels and experiences.
Clay-colored Robin...  National Bird of Costa Rica

Granted...  I don't always share "everything" with the world...  I never wrote about our couple of days of "interacting" with the illegals when we were doing that gate-guarding job in Texas...  don't think I wrote about Bill getting his pocket picked when we were in Spain...  and sometimes "controversial" topics that we get involved in just aren't the kind of thing I want to write about....  And I can still write in Word and copy it into a blog later.....

Woman... balancing huge bag on top of her head...  walking along road....

But...  not having internet for 4 days...  and MOST of all, not having a phone as well, means that not only can I not post a blog, but I have no way of contacting my family nor my family contacting me.  It's my family that comes first...  always.  I love my friends, but I have kids (and grandkids... and great-grandkids) and siblings - as well as Bills family....  and when we decided to travel, I assured them all that we were just an e-mail away.  So far, e-mail is has been reliable than phone service in some of the places we travel.

Sand Sculpture....  a VW and Dragon
On the Beach this Morning...

We are constantly reminded that we are living in a Third World Country...  that we are living on "Tico Time", or whatever excuse folks have for things that go wrong.  We know that...  we come prepared for those types of inconveniences.  No big deal...  

Wildfire...  on the mountain across the valley from us...  
We could even hear the crackling of the burning trees and twigs... You can see how huge it was by comparing it with that huge house up on the mountain.  It burned about 5 acres.

It's more that sometimes you begin to think your landlord (or whoever) is giving you the run-around...  when the folks right next door to you have electric...  or water...  or the internet....  whatever it is that you're "told" is a city-wide problem.  (I will add here that our landlord in a US citizen from Florida)

Frustrating?  You bet...  especially when you're told that it will be "taken care of" tomorrow...  at the latest.
Bill & I are both reasonable folks...  don't be telling us that it will be fixed tomorrow when you know darned well that nobody is even available to fix "it" until Monday...  We can handle honesty a lot more than we can handle being placated.  Again, we knew there would be "inconveniences" when we chose to live here.

Green Heron

Okay... I've had my rant.  I'll shut up and get on with life.  And...  hopefully, the internet will be up and running from now on.
We've adjusted to the water being turned off at 10 pm until 6 am... or 7am... or whenever the maintenance guy remembers to turn us back on.  We can handle that.....

On a happier note...  look what we bought in Liberia last week...
A Hummingbird Feeder!
Not takers yet, but....  it's up and waiting!

That's All For Today!





15 comments:

  1. I loved your blog today and, of course, the wonderful photos you always share. I started thinking, as I read, that I've not been blogging daily while I'm here in one park as I don't have lots of new photos every day. But, I think I'll just use the blog for kind of general journaling on those, not so outstanding, not non-the-less interesting, day-to-day activities that make up most of our lives.

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  2. I enjoyed your ranting today as well.....it is your record and was well said!

    What a cool picture of the sand sculptures. Your always seem to include such a nice variety of pictures.....

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  3. Hey, I do my share of ranting too, for all the good it does me! i.e., I'm so frustrated with blogger right now, or is it my computer, my internet? I'm not sure. When I try to publish a comment, nothing happens. That's the latest little bug. I'll have to come back to a blog and try over and over sometimes, before my comment will publish. Loved your post today, and I'm glad you're keeping a record.

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  4. You've shown remarkable restraint, I must say.

    I vividly recall having these little "issues" when we lived in Puerto Rico. Our power would go out at random intervals. That was kind
    of the big one, although we did have a honkin' big back up generator. We also had an 800 gallon sistern that we relied on when the water got shut off. That too happened at random but frequent intervals. Such fun.
    Thankfully, if there were issues with services that we couldn't resolve, helpful co-workers at my wife's office would try and help. Somebody always knew someone who knew someone. Our landlord was great though, and was genuinely disappointed when we moved back to Canada.
    Here, if my internet is out for more than a few hours, I'm on the phone with the cable company for a credit! In foreign lands, I just waited and hoped for the best.

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  5. Not having internet and communication while in a 3rd world county is very unsettling. Glad you have it back.

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  6. Other country landlords are never a good thing. They have miles to protect them serious ire. Maybe threatening to "out" him in your blog might get quicker action. You have shown remarkable patience.

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  7. Glad you are back on track, Not having the internet really sucks, keeping in touch it why we love having it too. And of course the Blog.

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  8. I understand your rant completely. Hope your Internet connections are good for the rest of your stay.

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  9. Rufus-necked Wrens? what another cool name for a bird. cute little guys... You have a legitimate rant, Sharon... I hate unfair stuff. frustration is frustrating and I don't like it ... and ranting gets it out...

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  10. I could really relate to your frustration with being "placated." Like you, I appreciate honesty and don't tell me something you know is not going to happen. You had some good pictures today - loved the green heron.

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  11. I, too get so frustrated, and even angry at being horsed around. I'm not sure I would still be living there, but, then, it is for three months, as I recall, and time does have a way of passing.

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  12. I am with you Sharon tell me the truth. We passed on a couple RV parks due to the fact they had no wifi and our cellular internet would not work--with our current family situation that just won't work.

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  13. I am with you Sharon tell me the truth. We passed on a couple RV parks due to the fact they had no wifi and our cellular internet would not work--with our current family situation that just won't work.

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  14. Sometimes ranting makes the situation easier to live with. Your blog is so well written, I feel like I'm right there with you, through the good and the bad! It is scary when you think your family can't reach you and you know they are worried.
    The Rufus-necked Wrens are cute! Great pictures.
    Teri
    markteri.blogspot.com

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  15. Rants are good things, Sharon, and always allowed. Certainly, you have more issues being in a third world country as you put it. Glad you and Bill are safe despite some inconveniences. No internet is a bid one for us to when we are on the road.

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