Here’s my news update for Friday January 23 2026. It includes news I’ve gathered over the past several days.

 

On Wednesday January 21st I wrote:

 

I Won’t Be Getting My Security Deposit Back

 

No one has been able to find an immediate replacement renter for this casita, and I told Cat that if that happened, I wasn’t going to ask for my security deposit back.  She said she paid it directly to the rental agent, and I said that was fine. (I know the rental agent.  She’s MINE, too — and she more than earns every dime that she gets!)

 

I’ll get by. Just gotta be super frugal for the next several months after Lisa flies back home to make up for the expenses of our two paid outings (and additional food) —  one to see La Paz Waterfalls ($56 each plus Jon’s significantly lower entry fee, which is less because he’s a Costa Rican citizen) and the other to see the Rescate Wildife Center ($35 each, less for Jon, about $15) plus gas for Jon’s vehicle and some extra for his time and kind attention. He’ll be our tour guide, which is fabulous!

 

Jon says the iguanas were out in force at the feria last week and today

 

The  biggest ones (five to six feet in length) were hanging out in trees over the parking lot and cameras were clicking a mile a minute. I sure hope they do the same on the Friday Lisa will be here!  She will lose her mind!  They are so freaking magnificent!

 

Next week I Join Diane and Eileen on an expat Ladies’ Potluck Brunch

 

It will be my first one so I’m coming as a guest and am not expected to bring anything. Not even sodas.  If I continue, I will bring stuff I can buy, since I’m in no way, shape, or form a cook or baker. I’m going mainly to meet more people.  Several of the new ones I’ll be meeting live up where I’ll be after next Sunday.

 

I want to buy an anti-gravity recliner

 

I’d have to get one at PriceSmart to be able to afford a decent one, though. I know some PriceSmart members so I could probably ride with them to Alajuela at some point and buy one. But they’re pricey — over $100 USD.  They’re totally worth it, but I need to NOT buy stuff that I don’t absolutely NEED until probably late fall. Maybe they’ll go on sale at Christmas time.

 

I also need a hard plastic Cat litter tray sooner rather than later

 

That willl be my next substantial purchase.  The foldable one I brought here is beginning to deteriorate, so I have to  remedy that sooner rather than later.

 

I Just Tucked More Stuff Away Into Boxes

 

but I left the boxes open so I can retrieve anything that’s in them that I might need between now and then (bandaids, blood pressure cuff, etc.). I’m absolutely sure now that everything will fit into Marianela’s vehicle. Nearly everything that remains out will fit into the space that remains in the second large suitcase, except for the lamps, fan, and two dismantled cat trees.

 

I’ve dead-headed the bad leaves from the Porch Plants

 

and from the one live tree here in the casita so they look showroom lovely again.  I’ve been keeping up with that task, so it just took about two minutes.

 

7518 steps so far today. Every time I get in 7500 steps (which happens most days) I am very happy. I usually get close to — or exceed 10K steps per day, which is FABULOUS!!!

 

It’s Going to be Super Windy from Now Thru the Weekend

 

That means my windchime will be singing its heart out.

 

I’m in a well protected “box canyon” location right now (“cajon”, in fact, means “box) so the wind is worst higher up on the ridges from where I am.

 

3 Weeks Til Lisa Will Be Here to Experience

 

the wonders and magic of Costa Rica. I hope she loves it as much as I do. That would be PERFECT!

 

On Thursday Jan. 22 I wrote:

 

7566 steps so far today (12:33 p.m.)

 

I may have to go to the US Embassy in San Jose to get my “proof of life” document notarized if BECU won’t allow Lisa and Jackie to “stand in” for me (as my power of attorney and a relative to confirm that I’m still alive — which they know because I’m still in their system taking money out of my accounts!).  Thankfully, if I do have to do that, Adelio will drive me there but it’ll be expensive as the Embassy charge $50 per document and correo (the mail service) charges a lot to mail something from here to the U.S.  So I’m hoping it can all be done in the U.S.

 

I’m Listening to Jack Smith’s Public Testimony Today

 

The GOP isn’t even trying to deny the charges against Trump; they’re focusing on “process” matters and besmirching Smith’s few prosecutorial defeats in an effort to delegitimatize him.  It isn’t working.  He’s wiping the floor with them.  And the DEMS are giving him plenty of room to share what he discovered about T-Wrecks’ culpability in the January 6th attempted coup/insurrection.

 

But every hour they spend on this kind of crap is an hour they are deflecting from the Epstein/Sascha Riley matters.  They know that will be their orange man’s downfall, and they will exploit any other issue just to avoid addressing that one. But it isn’t working.

 

Slept 8 hours and 8 minutes last night and walked 7706 steps so far today (2:15 p.m.).

 

Saw Diane Briefly

 

 

She was about to head somewhere in her vehicle so we didn’t talk long. She apologized for misgendering me all this time. (I never told her my pronouns, so it was easy to assume.) She said she’s gonna retrain her brain. I told her, “No worries! It happens a lot, and I know who I am!”  She said, “Well, I want to get it RIGHT! So now you’re Uncle Kris to Blanco and Dora!”  What a gal, what an ally!  Sure do appreciate it!

 

Drinking water for the rest of the day…

 

and probably won’t even eat dinner tonight. One meal of rice and beans really fills me up!

 

Which Brings Us to Today

 

Friday, January 23 2026

 

 

Margaret Aliff is a trained CPA

 

…and she thinks, based on what I told her of my 2025 income, that I won’t owe anything, or else very, very little, although I’m still required to file. That’s good news. If it’s true, it means I won’t be funding a single dime of T-Wrecks’ regime, which makes me happier’n anything else I can think of. I got money back last year; overpaid by close to $2K because I forgot to stop withholding automatically after AI shut me down as a copywriter.

 

Slept 8 hours and 30 minutes last night

 

Peacefully, despite tax prep and proof of life pending issues. Both deadlines are MONTHS away, but the sooner I can get them off my plate, the happier I will be. (Neurodiversity!)  I hate “to dos” that don’t get done “yesterday.”

 

9055 steps so far today  (5:03 p.m.)

 

I’m back from Grecia where I had a WONDERFUL time!

 

I caught the bus into Grecia at about 10:15 which delivered me to town at about 10:45. I didn’t need to visit the bank today because I have enough colones to get me through mid-week when I’ll be going in again to get a blood draw for my monthly INR check.

 

In town, I went to DIMI to get blank copies of the 2025 Senior Tax Return forms (thank you, Margaret Aliff, for sending the PDF to me!) and to have my cuerpo donation docs laminated. Then I went to a store for black bean molido, Lizano sauce, and toilet paper (’cause I don’t want to open the new 24 roll pack that Jon picked up for me until I move).

 

I finished my shopping almost an hour before lunch was going to happen, so I ducked into a store and wound up buying a cheap LED “candle” to have on hand in case of a power outage. I also bought a cute little glass monkey nightlight for a minuscule price but managed to drop and break it as soon as I got it home, so it went into the trash.  I’ll get a replacement later maybe.

 

While I was in town I was texting Deb to see if I could skip the “two day before the move” trip to see her and just make it all happen on the move date, so I wouldn’t have to pay my driver twice. (Turned out my driver isn’t available Fri or Sat, which I found out when I asked her.) Deb says it’s fine if we do it all on the day I move in.  I also asked if she would send me the agreement ahead of time so I can familiarize myself with it before I arrive, and she said she would. That will give me time to look it over and be sure it protects us both from unanticipated hiccups.

 

It’s all coming together beautifully.

Deb says I can move in on Feb 1st any time after 7:00 a.m. so I have a text in to Marianela to see when she wants to do it . I hope EARLY because I am going to be eager to get over there and get everything squared away as soon as possible.

UPDATE: Marianela says she will be at my casita at 8 .a.m. on move day. WOO HOO!

 

LUNCH AT MAS Q SABOR

 

At lunch, the first two people to arrive after me were Christine and her daughter Maddie (from Minnesota). We hugged and chatted briefly until the rest of the party arrived: Jon, Francisco, Michael from Texas, Dale Garrision, and Crystal Rose Garrison. I took pictures of my meal and of my amigos and am sharing the images here, with their kind permission:

 

Maddie and Christine (mother and daughter)

Jon, Francisco, Michael, Dale

Crystal Rose and me

with the calendar she bought me in Maine

(“early 75th birthday present…”)

Maddie, Christine and me

Jon and Francisco

Dale, Crystal Rose, Maddie

My lunch today: Mar y Tierra (Sea and Land) Fajitas

I ate every bite. (Didn’t eat breakfast in anticipation!!!)

 

While we were eating and chatting who should pass by but Melanie Phillips. She hugged Crystal Rose through the open window, shared a few words with her, and then went on her way, but it was a delightfully unexpected “cameo” appearance!

 

That’s all the news for now!