It’s gotten to the point, as it did last summer when there are no more courses here and researchers start leaving at a much faster rate than new ones arrive. Just a couple tables filled up at breakfast and lunch. Friday night we all watched Big Daddy, which only gets better the more times you see it. I’ve been bombarded lately by mad people asking if I have this movie or that movie...super stressful.
Speaking of dwindling, more and more of my things start disappearing, and I’m sad to report, it comes with the turf. People just take things. They don’t have to need it or even want it, but they just take it. Leave a piece of Glad-ware in the kitchen and it’s gone the next day, leave a towel hanging somewhere and it walks off, a dirty towel nonetheless. Not really sure where my good flash drive is nor my headlamp, but I still have faith those things were lost by me and they’ll turn up some day.
Saturday morning, Fei went to the field with Vanessa and Rigo (her crossbow-wielding assistant) and Taylor and I stayed in to process samples in the lab. It all went pretty well except for rebagging the samples because of the discrepancy in oven reservations. Today, dry samples came out and I put Saturday’s into trays and in the oven. Beyond lab work I’ve kept busy with a hodgepodge of things, but plan on hitting the grindstone tomorrow to ensure I complete all of my non-research summer tasks before I get home.
And back to Saturday, which was the day of the next party in our schedule, “Bobby to Bocas: A Celebration of Robert Hegna.” See the wonderful advertisement this time around. We had epic thunderstorms right around the time we headed to town for shopping. My new OTS umbrella seems to be defected in that when the rain gets really hard it just collapses onto me and I feel like something in a trap.
We got everything we needed for the party between La Viña and Palí (the Costa Rican edition of Wal-Mart). After shopping we met just about every other researcher at Restaurante Mi Lindo for Robert’s going away dinner. Our numbers were probably boosted by “Cubed Ginger Beef” on the La Selva Menu. I had really good steak fajitas with a jalapeño sauce.
The funny from this trip to town is that I was entrusted with ordering the patacones for appetizer. Something in my Spanish must of come out funny, because what ended up at the table was a burger and patacones. Regardless, it was a wonderful starter and we split the burger into fours. Back at the station I prepped a mean guacamole, we watched South Park and Entourage, played girls vs. boys flip cup, and all in all had the tamest party yet. I ended staying pretty late and Robert and I sang a bunch of Hannah Montana songs for Taylor.
Today included an uncontrollably lazy morning followed by a busy afternoon of bussing around wood samples and getting things slightly more organized. I should be home two weeks from tomorrow, and need to look into getting the plane ticket moved. Tomorrow is productivity, Tuesday more coring at another plantation and Thursday will be the longest day ever. Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures!
BP
2 comments:
Don't worry about the missing stuff, you're not the only one now. I had about $800 walk off this weekend.
Well said.
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