Adios Costa Rica – Hello USA: Comparing Rainy Seasons

Posted on by October 12, 2017

Setting aside the Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, I’ll take Florida’s rainy season over Costa Rica’s any día de la semana. (day of the week)

It’s a helluva lot hotter and more humid in southwest Florida at sea level compared to the central valley of Atenas Costa Rica at 2400 feet elevation.

But the rains in Florida are quickly pass-thru pop-up thunderstorms. All day rains are rare. In Costa Rica during rainy season you can count on an afternoon rain that can last from a downpour that lasts a few minutes, then slack off to a steady rain that will last an hour or so. Then the clouds will move in and turn the sky grey for the rest of the day. And since sunset is 6:30 p.m. that means the day is done.

Everyday. For months. It will rain everyday.

In southwest Florida, it may rain like crazy for a few minutes, but once the storm moves through, the sun comes out (thus raising the humidity to ridiculous highs.  The “real feel” (summer wind chill) will top 100 regularly.  But it won’t rain everyday.  As a matter of fact, we have had to water plants from time-to-time because of 3-4 days without a drip.

I prefer the Florida rainy season… hate the humidity but love the sun. AND… Costa Rica rain is COLD.

 

How Mentally Healthy Are Members of The Extreme Left and Right?

Posted on by October 6, 2017

It seems like you either love and fully support the Trump administration with no questions asked or you cannot stand the sitting commander-in-chief no matter what he does. It is true that President Trump is a polarizing figure, but what isn’t known is why he seems to elicit such a strong response from supporters and dissenters from all over the world. So, what makes someone who was formerly a moderate conservative suddenly become anti-liberal? And why are some liberals doing everything they can to get Trump impeached and the current members of the White House fired? A masters of social work online degree holder from Rutgers Online may know what’s behind these extreme thoughts.
Citizens Support Those Who Uphold Their Personal Interests
If you have been struggling to afford medical care and you need continued treatments to fight cancer, stabilize your blood sugar levels, or simply live a pain-free life, then the healthcare debate is important to you. On the other hand, if you’ve been working multiple part-time jobs because full-time employment isn’t readily available where you live then you want to see corporations get incentives for creating new jobs. Maybe you have a family member who has been discriminated against for being transgender and you feel as though unisex bathrooms are a basic human right. Whatever side of the coin that you stand for, remember that everything is personal. Extreme leftists were likely highly unhappy during Obama’s presidency, as they saw changes take place in the country that they did not like and had no control over. Likewise, people on the right are seeing Trump undo all of the ‘good’ that Obama put into place.
Social Media’s New Political Standards
No other president has used social media quite like Trump. It may have been daring, but having the president take to Twitter to express his feelings about everything from Hurricane Irma to North Korea has kept citizens fully informed of his feelings. His most ardent supporters can expect to see messages from the president at 5 A.M. or 6 P.M., and either way they are ready to spread the word and give him a big boost. Likewise, those who are not keen on the president don’t waste any time ripping into him.
A Buffer for Other Issues
Members of the extreme left can be anarchists or disenfranchised moderate liberals who never believed that an inexperienced presidential candidate would actually take the ballot. Both sets of these people are mentally sound, but they may not have the best ‘filters’ when it comes to expressing their feelings. Online MSW programs are covering this presidency with more detail than others in past years simply because of the number of issues that seem to be stemming from politics.
You don’t have to be crazy for supporting the current administration or disliking it. If you can explain your feelings politely and know when to refrain from getting into a political debate, you likely have tact as well as balanced views. Otherwise, keep in mind that everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

Adios Costa Rica – Hello USA: Riding Hurricane Irma

Posted on by September 12, 2017


Which is better: 30 inches of rain in 30 days living on a mountain or 6 inches of rain in 6 hours living in a swamp?
Answer: both are equally nasty.

The first October (2011) we lived in Costa Rica, we had thirty inches of rain – in our yard – measured by my own rain gauge.

The first September (now) we lived in Florida, we rode out Hurricane Irma.

Dark clouds do tend to follow us when we move!

Luckily Hurricane Irma decided to take a right turn and go east about an hour before she was supposed to hit us. And she decided to fall apart. What was predicted to be a Category 4 or 5 going right over our heads, turned out to be a Category 2 or 3 that went east of us. Aside from a yard full of debris, we had no damage. We didn’t even lose power.

The storms in Costa Rica were much more dramatic. They came up quickly, got very dark, crashing thunder and lightning flashing all around was a typical storm. The rain would often come in huge cold drops so hard that living in a house with a tin roof, we literally could not carry on a conversation. Usually the storm would pass as quickly as it arrived – often come and go in an hour. Then the clouds would close in around us and we were surrounded by grey.

Hurricane Irma took FOREVER to arrive. We started prepping on Monday for a predicted Saturday landfall. We decided to shelter in place because Irma was predicted to go up the Urethra (as St. Todd DeCubbville says) of Florida. It didn’t seem to make sense to evacuate northward, when the path was northward.

Turns out we made the right lucky decision.

Once Irma made landfall, she took FOREVER to arrive in our neck of the woods. The waiting and not knowing what was about to happen was suspenseful to say the least.  The rain came in warm sheets blown by strong winds. It was project to hit our Charlotte County about dark. It did. We went to our safe space – the bedroom – put the two dogs in bed with us and waited it out.

At 9 p.m. I fell asleep.

Irma (Erma) is the Goddess of War.

Thank goodness she took pity on us newcomers.

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