Memorial Mishaps

The Kingdom Hall here in Huacas is not very large, and in order to accommodate the large crowd expected for Memorial, Chris Spears had an excellent idea: find a way to televise the event for those seated outside. I'm not a teckie, but the plan went something like this: network two mac books, with the webcam of one aimed at the speaker, and the other hooked up to a projector aimed at the wall of the Hall where the outdoor seating would be arranged. The only part I needed to play was to make my computer available for the event.

Since our friend Ryan was giving the talk, my roommate Laura and I decided to attend the Spanish memorial as well as our own. Ryan told us that since the congregation was asked to take the outdoor seating and leave the Hall free for guests, we were invited to sit inside. It felt like a privilege to be seated in the second row, listening to a great memorial talk with such few distractions. Our friend done us proud. And to see the hall overflowing with students and visiting families was really encouraging.

But there was one teensy-weensy thing I forgot: my new screensaver mode. After a few minutes of non-use, photos from my personal albums alternate on the screen for a few seconds each. About two minutes after the memorial, my friend Elena (Chris's wife) came running through the hall, practically shoving Bible students out of her path, to inform me that a picture of my friend in a bathing suit had just been projected onto the wall of the Kingdom Hall. For once the expression "For the love of all that is holy" seemed appropriate. Because my friend and I attempting a mock photo shoot on the beaches of Costa Rica is anything but holy. And suddenly, all the weird, goofy, unattractive, private photos that don't even make the Facebook cut flashed through my mind. Humiliation/fear/nausea infiltrated my gut as I pondered which ones were currently being broadcast to a group of visitors. At the Hall. After the Memorial.

How DO I manage these things?!!

P.S. I am sorry Jess Flanagan. Good thing you look GREAT in a bathing suit!

P.S.S. Imagine if this doozy popped up. The most heinous self-image to date. Zoolander meets Colombo meets Grey Poupon. I can humiliate myself no further than this for your personal enjoyment. Laura made me do it. Enjoy.

Live Trees, Dead Toads, and Freaky Fires

These trees are so beautiful and only blossom during the summer here; they really stand out since nearly all else is dying.

Here's a few versions of my favorite tree taken with my new Canon G12 (plug):

With color select:


Just a little vivid:



Super vivid:



And here's a special perk about the dry season - if 100 degrees isn't hot enough for you, you can always pull over off the side of the road to warm your hands or roast marshmallows in the frequent controlled burns that look like renegade fires:


I really don't understand how all of Guanacaste hasn't burned down. California, you should take some notes.

But be sure not to step on these when crossing the road:

Cooking Up Trouble

Since one can only stomach so much Gallo Pinto, I discovered this new recipe and love it!

Satueed Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Pears (here's my version):

Sautee a few chicken breasts (salted and peppered) with just a wee bit of oil over medium heat. Get the chicken nice and brown but don't get the heat too high because you won't be wantin any burned bits in the pan. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it and add a peeled cubed sweet potato in the pan with about 1/2 cup of water and cook for 6 minutes, stirring when needed. Then add a peeled, cubed pear and cook for another 5 minutes or so, adding water as necessary (up to another 1/2 cup). When finished, add about 1 tsp Dijon mustard and 1.5 tsp red wine vinegar. Stir it up and sprinkle it with some italian seasoning, place it on top of the chicken and enjoy. It's Delish and super easy. So far all my friends like it...unless they're lying to me!

Sliding Doors

A couple of Sunday's back, there was an experience about a woman named Roxana. She went to the convention even though her boss threatened to fire her. And fire her he did, but while walking home she found a new job that paid almost double, and in the course of time brought five people from that job into the truth. I kept thinking about all she would have missed out on if she hadn't taken that leap of faith. But of course she would have never known, which is a bit of a haunting thought. This isn't Sliding Doors: we don't get to see glimpses of the outcomes of chances we didn't take. For some people, faith - whether it's faith in God or in the goodness of life - comes easy. I'd say on average, I'm not one of those people. This year, as it turns out, has been one of the most rewarding, but I nearly let fear of loneliness keep me from it, which is ironic considering that I've had roommates coming out of my ears.

Anyhow, gettin preachy ain't my thing, but I have a new appreciation for taking chances and overcoming whatever obstacles get in our path. While I don't espouse the personal choices of this author (rest assured, those of you who may be haters), I do love this particular quote:

"...I've come to believe that there exists in the universe something I call "The Physics of The Quest" ... And the rule of Quest Physics maybe goes like this: "If you are brave enough to leave behind everything familiar and comforting (which can be anything from your house to your bitter old resentments) and set out on a truth-seeking journey (either externally or internally), and if you are truly willing to regard everything that happens to you on that journey as a clue, and if you accept everyone you meet along the way as a teacher, and if you are prepared - most of all - to face (and forgive) some very difficult realities about yourself....then truth will not be withheld from you."

For the quest that most of us are on, those physics aren't such a mystery, but sometimes we still need a push to just go for it. So here's my push.