Happy Milestone Birthday to Cindy Winder, my newest amiga, with whom I plan to have lunch today at her favorite restaurant.

 

We walked this morning at 7 for about 45 minutes, this time with her largest three dogs Lucy (cream colored), Ivy (liver colored and white) and Oreo. (Images below and above.)

 

Cindy’s dogs are so well-trained that she can walk these three at the same time on a single combined leash, which is pretty mandatory for senior citizens who can’t risk being pulled or knocked over by doggie exuberance.

Yours truly with Ivy, Oreo and Lucy

photo by Cindy Winder

But this morning I was given the privilege of walking Oreo on a single leash, which threw him for somewhat of a loop at first because he is accustomed to walking immediately beside the other two dogs and ahead of Cindy on the other dogs’ left hand side. I was walking behind them or beside Cindy, depending on the width of the sidewalk or road, so poor Oreo couldn’t be where he was accustomed to being.  He kept trying to pull me ahead so he could get into his usual position.

 

Cindy said to me, “Don’t let him pull you. Stop him when he does that and say ahora acqi (here, now!) and wait until he obeys you.”

 

It took some doing, but he eventually figured it out. And when we were on Calle Lecheria, where the road is wide and little used, Oreo was able to join his doggie sisters and I could walk right beside Cindy without any leash crossover because Oreo knew to stay to their left.

 

We walked faster with the big dogs than with the chihuahuas (duh!) so we got back to Cindy’s a little bit sooner.

 

In a couple hours Cindy will pick me up to drive us to Santa Gertrudis to her favorite restaurant for lunch.  Ginger will meet us there. I asked Cindy if it’s okay if I let the waitstaff know that today is a milestone birthday for her, and she said yes.  They know her there quite well.  My hope is that they’ll have a small cupcake or balloon or something to celebrate her big day. I will take pictures if she and Ginger allow me to.

 

So far today, I’ve taken 6390 steps

… thanks to the walking event! What a fun way to get in my morning exercise. It sure beats walking around the futbol field seven times. I don’t have to walk downhill (or uphill) as far, either, so that’s another plus.

 

I Got Up at 5 a.m.

 

Ate toast with some cheese on it and drank two cups of coffee. Watched Saturday Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich and Heather Lofthouse. Charli curled up on my stomach and chest while I did that.

 

I’m going to be given another bedspread

 

…this weekend sometime. The white one I’ve had on my bed is a favorite of my landlady’s and I have washed it twice since February. She doesn’t want it washed that often, so she’s going to swap it out for another one. Works for me!

 

I hope the replacement isn’t white. The ashfall (or whatever) around here isn’t conducive to white items that can’t be washed frequently. The white rugs are fine to wash often.

 

 

The beginning of Sonia’s newest story isn’t working for me

 

It is too meh to capture immediate rapt attention, so I’ve suggested another way to start it. Am waiting to hear back from her about the idea.  If she agrees, she will write a new beginning for it and I will review it and edit it some if need be.  The rest of the story is great. It just needs a more compelling start than it currently has.

 

1:34 p.m.

Just got back about 30 minutes ago from Cindy’s Birthday Lunch at Umami in Santa Gertrudis.

 

It was a total blast. Cindy and Ginger gave me permission to share their images here, although both hate having their pictures taken. But for THIS special occasion, what the heck!  Go for it!  You only turn ___ once!  (Number not shared unless Cindy tells me I can,  but it’s a milestone one!)

 

Ginger, Cindy, Me

 

Photo by Ginger

 

The gals had ginormous hamburgers (gringas that they are). I had the Tierra y Mar (Land and Sea) plate which included shrimp and chicken, white rice, a salad, and thick-sliced papas fritos (fried potatoes) with a white sauce on the land and sea bits. It was fabulous.

 

The restaurant gifted the birthday girl with a take-home dessert that she said she LOVED. I asked if she took a picture of it before eating and she texted back “Nope, and I can’t get it back!” (Gee, why not, Cindy?! LOL!!!) But it certainly looked like the winner that she proclaimed it to be, so imagine your favorite dessert and be happy for her, okay?

 

While we were at the table eating, I spotted one of my favorite plants (which my landlady has NONE of) on each of the tables inside the restaurant, so we inquired about its name (which I have forgotten already; that figures!).

 

 

After we paid the bill and took the last few images inside the restaurant near the special event, arched seating area, we walked to the part of the place that features an enormous garden center, which features just about every Costa Rican plant in existence.  I headed straight for the plant I wanted to see if it was affordable.  Yep, 5k colones (about $12 USD), so I got one.  The owner/operator of the garden center smeared each leaf and blossom with a liquid that made it shine even more than it already did.

We didn’t linger long after lunch. A storm seemed to be brewing on the near horizon and Cindy needed to drive me home before she got back to her place to let Harper out of her cage to pee.

 

I kissed Cindy as I got out of her car, thanked her for the ride, and walked up the long driveway home to my apartment.

 

And not even 20 minutes later, all hail broke loose here in Costa Rica:

https://www.facebook.com/674337914/videos/pcb.10165484532312915/1245976454188617

 

Here’s a short video of my new plant blowing in the thunderstorm wind:

 

https://www.facebook.com/674337914/videos/pcb.10165484532312915/998011846621779

 

Don’t worry, I rescued it back inside the house!

 

And now… I’m going to de-escalate and veg for a while!

 

Carry on with whatever miracles you were making happen before I interrupted you!