Sick and at home brings out the artist in me.

From bed to couch, and couch to bed since January 1, with a brief stint on an Amtrak train traveling home from NYC with Al on January 2. The losest I've gotten to "outside" is the garage, and I've only gone there because the fridge is in there (long story for a other times). 

Eventually, I reached my fill of Rom-Com movies, and dredged up enough energy to do some artwork. I've decided too do a piece every day, and have begun in a moleskine journal really intended more for drawing tha for watercolor. I intended to focus on continuing to build colored pencil skills, especially disappointed to miss the first class of the new semester course at Danforth Art due to this stupid virus. However, I've been eloping the concept of urban sketching, so I've added some pen and ink sketch with watercolor as well. Here are my finished products to date, in order of completion:

January 8th

January 9th

January 10th

And today, January 11th

Let's see if I can keep it up. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to complete this journal so I can move to heavier paper! Love the new Schmincke paint pans...amazing color, and should be great for travel. 

Nothing like friends joining you for breakfast

PI have fallen into a pretty good routine over the last few days...yoga, breakfast, beach, dinner, with nap in there somewhere. Paradise time is dwindling, but still going strong. While checking out the accommodations at the place I've been taking yoga, I decided to stay for breakfast after class today. 

I had the pleasure of a friend coming to join me and stay with me throughout the meal...

AND in a very Jurassic Park moment, the family joined him!

They waited there through my whole meal, I'm not sure for what. I was pretty grateful that none of them chose to jump up on the table as happened to the couple at a nearby table...of course it was one about the size of the big guy. They were none too pleased. The people, that is. When we were in Tamarindo a couple of years back, there were beautiful magpie jays that sort of did the same thing. They would actually swoop down and start eating your breakfast if you weren't paying attention. Not quite as creepy as these critters, I must say. Actually pretty cute:

Before I forget, along with the multitude of iguanas, I also grabbed the view from the yoga rancho. Pretty sweet vista for a focal point.

Anyhow, I've tried some new restaurants which have been great, even with the prehistoric company. Most notably, a place called Red Snapper (They specialize in seafood...who woulda thunk it?) and another called Al Chile Viola. Both have spectacular food, service, and atmosphere. I'm scouting so Scott and I are all set for our trip in February. Yes, we are coming back...and no, I won't be alone next time for a change. That'll wait until next summer.

Al Chile Viola...amazing tuna & avocado ceviche and grilled octopus. I'm continuing the octopus trend I started in Chile whenever possible. Too dark for photos when the food came, unfortunately, but I loved the lighting.

  

I have also tried some wonderful new dishes at the Bakery - it's not just for croissants and coffee anymore! Who doesn't love iced coffee that's just a blended shot of espresso, vanilla ice cream, and ice?

  

And the most beautiful and yummy fish tacos ever. Yes, I finished them, btw.

Just three more days to go, and I'm gong to try to pack them full...of nothing but relaxing.

This is what I get for bringing work on vacation...or is the issue postponing deadlines?

So, I had made quite a bit of progress with the work I neglected to complete before leaving for vacation and brought along with a July 7th deadline. No biggy, I thought, work a couple of hours a day, and Presto! All caught up. Only one problem...

Got up today, beautiful and sunny, monkeys even louder than usual, so, thinking they were close, I packed my things and headed out early, figuring I could get a closer glimpse than yesterday (oh, yes, forgot, did see them in the trees yesterday, but not close enough to photo). No such luck - they hunkered down and out of sight before I could get to them. Turning back, I headed to the bakery and settled on the patio as they weren't yet open. Took out the laptop, logged in, opened email, read a few, then nothing. Black screen. No response. Charged overnight, so that wasn't it, but plugged in just in case. Green light, but no action...laptop is D-E-D "ded," as my old friend Henry from FNX used to say. 

Not panicking yet, I text the IT director who walks me through a few things, only to tell me he's never seen this before except with a spill. "I promise, I didn't spill!" I texted back. We decided it might be the humidity, so, since I don't use AC down here and couldn't comply with his suggestion to leave out in AC for a bit, it now sits cozily in the lockbox its neoprene case.

Still not panicking, I figure, I have the Baseline Edge iPad app...it goes without saying that in addition to the laptop, I also traveled to my far away beach destination with iPhone and iPad. I know, very 21st century of me. Unfortunately, I quickly found that 1) the BLE iPad app only allows observation entry, not evaluation forms, and 2) though only Safari (blecchh, as Charlie Brown would say) will run the full app on my Macs, not EVEN Safari will allow me to enter into the data fields for the EOY evaluation forms. In essence, I'm screwed. 

Believe it or not, I have still not panicked. Called HR, Cindy (secretary) and James (assistant principal), created one work around plan that was foiled, and then another that will get me through. What would we do without Google Drive? And I now know that the matching Google Apps, Drive, Docs, and Sheets are pretty sweet.

Oh, and the rest of my day? Truthfully, every so often I pulled out the laptop and tried it again, just in case. I spent a good part of the day organizing my newly created forms and evidence notes, but, BECAUSE I AM SUPPOSED TO BE ON VACATION, 

I made a new friend in the pool:

And this is how my evening concluded:

Never can turn down a passion fruit mojito with my favorite orange limes. A perfect match with the squid ink paella. yum! 

And tomorrow's another day in paradise. Pura Vida!

Rainy days, relaxing days

That spectacular lightening storm that hadn't hit the peninsula arrived last night and stayed through today. It poured buckets overnight...love the sound of rain pounding on the tin roof, with thunder in the background, and the warm, humid air wafting in through the windows, propelled through the room by the whirling ceiling fans. Rain slowed the pace of the day today. Spent some time catching up on email this morning, then went for a swim and read by the pool. Had to move under the umbrella for a bit when the rain started up again, but only did that to keep the iPad drier. The temp of the air and rain made it quite comfy to sit outside; I was already wet from swimming anyway.

Since it wasn't a beach day, I decided the only way to dismiss my work stress for good was to bang out some product, so off I went to the Bakery to soak up the wifi. And the lovely steak & blue cheese panini followed by passion fruit cheesecake and a latte didn't hurt. I hit my stride, so I am thinking that by the end if tomorrow I'll have just my assistant's and my own Eval data to wrap it up. For the first time since I've been in this position, I have some hope of completing the current year's work before having to start the next one. How cool is that?

Here's to tomorrow, another day in paradise, and more laid back cafés to stumble upon.

Gourmet Feast!

Walked to the organic produce market this morning. Here are the fruits of my labor:

Ha! REALLY the fruits...Pretty psyched about the lychees (those are the spiky red things) they are so very yummy. Sort of like a pear, and much juicier than at home. Grabbed a little bag of granola with coconut and a "typical" coconut cookie. Typical is the word used to describe native CR cuisine. 

Yoga tomorrow morning at Tropico Latino. They teach hatha, which is supposed to be what Bikram is based on, I think, so we'll see how it goes. Other than that, not a lot planned. Trying to "de-wind" as we used to say when Al was little.

Happy thoughts and sweet dreams!

Heard a monkey, smelled a monkey, but haven't yet SEEN a monkey

Well, CR won their World Cup match against Greece in a shoot out. It was crazy at the Crossroads, people spilling into the streets, honking, singing, and waving flags. I never get into this stuff at home,, but it was pretty neat here.

No rain last night, but the lightning coming from the mainland was pretty spectacular. Must have been quite a storm there. Lazy day today. A little more sun yesterday than I planned for, so it looks like a t-shirt day to be safe. I think a walk to the organic produce market is in order, reading in the hammock, and some time in the pool or at the beach. Worked a bit this morning, and will again tonight. Pacing myself. Pura vida!

A friend came to visit me while on my patio.

Who doesn't love a beach vacation?

Back in Santa Teresa, CR...Yahoo! It's hot, sticky and fabulous. Almost broke down and used the AC, but glad I stuck it out. The sound of the surf with the breeze from the ceiling fans is perfect.

Currently at The Bakery for both coffee and the wifi. Both are awesome, which means two things: 1) the new kitchen needs an espresso machine, since I can't get the foamy top with the french press even though I use the same beans, and 2) I can get the work I need to finish up done...not today, though! Made it to one of my other favorite eateries, Las Piedras, for dinner last night. Yummy lomito.

Looks like a day of walking the beach, World Cup somewhere at 2:00 pm, and since that's the case, yoga gets postponed until tomorrow.  Ciao!