Today, and my trip to the zoo

> It's been a while. I've been back in Qtown a while. I've been
> everywhere but I have no photos to prove it. I should write posts
> called, "Why just living in Costa Rica is work in itself" or
> "Absurdity beyond necessity." but for the moment I'll just call this
> one "Today, and my trip to the zoo."
>
> Tuesday morning I went into town to talk to my teen center friends.
> It turns out that they got a grant for 47million colones ($94,000)
> which will pay for a second story addition to the house and a pilot
> of one of the coolest employability programs in the country. I was
> stoked to hear this news. So excited to hear this that my friend and
> I got soaked in a downpour while discussing details. I mean soaked.
> Pants heavy and stretching kind of soaked. Why did I wear such sunny
> day shoes type of soaked. I was a fully clothed swimmer yesterday,
> but what can you do beside find shelter and laugh with strangers? So
> that's exactly what we did, until another friend invited me to a
> free night tour of the zoo.
>
> We made it to the zoo, but we never actually got into the zoo
> because free night tours at the zoo only happen once a year and I
> guess the whole world wanted to take advantage of a free night tour
> of the zoo. It sounds pretty cool, right? Well, we didnt go, but we
> bought some glow in the dark bracelets and we went out for some
> food, and before we knew it, my last bus had already departed, and
> my only option was to spend the night at a friend's, in the same
> clothes I wore in the rain storm. Yuck.
>
> Double yuck because (and mom this part is for you) this morning I
> had a dentist appointment! And I had to wear a sweat-stained tshirt,
> rain-washed slacks, and still kinda damp canvas Vans.
>
> Going to the dentist is basically the same here as it is at home. (I
> mean, I assume. I don't know your dentist.) You fill out forms, wait
> awkwardly in the lounge, and lie all the way back on a bed while
> telling the doctor all about your toothaches and flossing habits.
> This position does not at all set you up for equal footing when
> trying to be as professional as possible. Dentists are basically
> like shrinks if you think about it. They're very similar. You know,
> except dentists only ask you IF you grind your teeth. They never ask
> WHY you grind your teeth. Which, as therapeutic as it would be, is
> actually a good thing since I didn't feel like explaining the
> childhood stresses I carry with me to this day in a second language
> while Hoover vacuums, full length mirrors and a full on Zamboni were
> being shoved down my throat. I have a hard enough time carrying on
> English small talk in situations like that.
>
> They checked me up, cleaned me out and told me I don't need falsies
> yet. But for some reason I didn't say anything when they gave me
> flouride at the very end. They left me alone for a few minutes while
> I fought like a Fear Factor contestant to Not Swallow. I should have
> told them that flouride and I don't get along so well. Luckily, they
> gave me that treatment at the very end, because I was able to hold
> off the nausea until I went outside and got a little sick on the
> train tracks, which incidentally, run down the center divide of the
> highway! Hello world! Blah. Why, I will always ask, do people think
> they need to doll up flouride with flavors like sour raspberry? Who
> likes that? Nevermind. This has been happening to me since I was a
> child.
>
> Anyway, they fitted me for a nighttime mouth guard too so I don't
> ruin my pearls. It's the closest I've ever come to playing American
> football, so I'm pretty excited. I'm doing stretches and lifting
> weights. And I sewed a giant number 54 on the front of my pj's.
> Blitz! Or as I'll be saying with my new nighttime mouthguard in,
> Bwipz!
>
> So you see, it was a big day, fitted into the middle of a big week,
> which followed a big weekend, that luckily came after a big week,
> which was the week after I spent that week at home. Good. We're
> caught up!
>
> No, seriously though, in a couple minutes I'll write about
> -the rainy trip to the river
> -what kills me about kids
> -that time the cops took our plates.
>
> Talk to you soon!
> If I snap a photo, I'll make sure to send it right away-ish.
>