Home again home again jiggity jig...

Today was my first full day back in Tamarindo and I have to tell you that it has changed and all for the better. Granted, the best part about it is probably that I just don't have as much negativity in my life anymore, with the newfound ability to see so much of the good around this place but life, my friends, is just fine. I can't wait for everyone to come and visit because all of my pawing isn't going to show you. You just need to see it for yourself.

PS-this isn't my photo but I watched it all happen just like this this evening over guaro and Pilsen. Hurry up and get here soon.

Home Sweet Home, kind of...

Right, so, the photo here is how I want to be forever remembered: Laughing my head off as I eat something delicious (Cuban okra in this case).

I made it back from 10 days in Cuba with amazing experiences that very few tourists get and some wonderful new friends. We landed here in San Jose today at around 4.20p and I've been doing laundry ever since. Tomorrow, early, we head out for the pacific where I will be sure to eat too much, write too much, and surf entirely too much. I love you all more than rice and beans and I'll be more on top of this bit here as soon as I get ten free minutes and a solid internet connection.

(any and all travel stories will be posted starting tomorrow on the Chispa link at the right so don't be a houndin' me here, galdangit! I need some SLEEP!)

rum and dancing,
z

Cuba

Shhhhhh...I can't talk right now (heh heh)

Trust me. Everything you "know" about Cuba is absolutely wrong. This is one of the most engaging and interesting places I've ever been and the people, aside from the very very thorough security at the airport are wonderful.

Planned activities for the week:
Theater in Havana tonight
Dance classes with some Cuban friends
International Film Festival in Gibarra

I don't have any more time to write but you will hear much (maybe too much) later.

Hugs and kisses,
Sub-commandante Zach

Back again for the first time once more

This is going to be a brief post:

I'm back in Costa Rica, I'm super full and it is actually more wonderful than before.

Gimme a minute to catch my breath and I'll do you a good one.

Zeke the Killer

There was no doubt in my mind that I had chosen the right partner in crime when I mentioned wanting to read all of the Louis L'Amour books to Tammy. With more rugged wisdom per page than an entire Kurt Russel film, the first installment of the Sackett Series provides more than enough reasons to pack it all in and head out to start over somewhere new.

If anyone wants to join in, you're more than welcome to check out the link to the right. I'm pretty sure you won't be sorry.

"By that time, I had my pants on and was stamping into my boots. Believe me, I sure hate to face up to trouble with no pants on, and no boots." I mean seriously, can you ask for more than that? With quotes like that, who needs Hemingway?

You misweble POOP!

Easter weekend passed quietly (aside from this insanely loud PA short out at the insanely early sunrise Easter service) at home with my folks and Rebecca. The Easter bunny, in trying to make up for the fact he hasn't left me much since I was 10 or so, decided he would go completely apey and leave me at least 10 kilos of gummy candy at the foot of the bed. Zach receiving candy before sunrise? I think we can see where this is going.

I spent the majority of the afternoon seeing if I could pay him tribute by jamming my face full of Haribo delicious and acting like chubby bunny only succeeding in having candy hallucinations and acting the goat at an exceptional Easter dinner.

After the haze lifted and the dishes were cleared there was a family viewing of "Throw Momma from the Train", the late Anne Ramsey's greatest work to date. The rest of the evening was spent trying to shake the visions of gummy bears dancing in my head in front of Iron Chef.

This weekend and the week to come have and will be a good respite in the flurry of "zach's life is spring break" activities before heading back south again hence the lack of content on the old web log here. I have to think back over the past few weeks and just rub my temples and shake my head. I love it, I love it.

Chispa Stories

I've begun a new project and if I may be so bold and self-indulgent, a quick moment of promotion. Please note to the right, the new link for Chispa Stories, my new food web site I've started working on. Essentially, it's a collection of food and travel stories I'll be maintaining during my time in Central America and I'd love to have as much support as you can muster. It should be well stocked with photos and maybe even half-way entertaining as I eat pretty much everything I see (even that weird smelling brown tinted cheese at all of the Saturday farmer's markets).

Strike Three's a Turkey

I bowled until three in the morning, drank warm Pabst from a pitcher that was questionable at best and ate three corn dogs in a row, tripling my corn dog record for the past ten years or so and proving, finally, that I am in fact, a gleaming living legend. I can never die!

Short Wisdom in Tiny Shoes

And now my Cosby-esque "kids say the most insane things" sans Pudding Pops.

I passed by a mother who was hurrying down the side walk with two young boys in tow. She was involved in one of those conversations reserved for parents and old married couples where one party is chattering on incessantly and the other is Uh-Huh-ing all the while rolling their eyes. The younger of the two boys took a break from his chipmunk-like giggity giggiting long enough to take a deep breath and exclaim "Mom I just stepped on a crack and so that means you're dead." I thought to myself my how things've changed since I was a wee one.


It was a busy afternoon in the grocery store and I was all but scraping whole sections of shelving clean in an effort to get out alive and sanity intact (or at least semi-intact). As I came around a corner in the deli, I squeezed past a woman and here four year old daughter, who was tucked away in the cart with her little paws jammed in a bag of grapes. As I passed the girl, mouthful of grapes, pointed at my now very colorful left arm and said "Oh mama look. He's lucky. I wish I could have..." the rest of the words muted by mama's hand with a nervous giggle. With no time to chat, I laughed and looked over my shoulder as I passed saying "sorry about that, mom."