BoomerGirl Diary

I am anxiously anticipating a return to Kansas this month to visit family and friends. As with every return trip to the states, I compile a list of things I will want to purchase in my homeland to bring back to Costa Rica.

The most desired items, that I can't get locally, are things that would need to be packed in dry ice: Kansas beef, cottage cheese, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, real sour cream ... you get the picture.

Giving up on THOSE items, the list I am compiling are items I can transport among the clothing in my suitcases. Besides various book titles, Sudoku puzzles, and magazines of my liking, the list has many things that will end up in my kitchen.

Things to get in Kansas:

Malt vinegar

Pecans and cashews

Poppy seeds

Cayenne pepper

Cooking chocolate squares

Catalina salad dressing (a MUST have for my "taco salad")

Flavorings in almond, butter and bacon. (Do they make a bacon flavoring? If so, I’m buying!)

Garlic powder Onion powder

Chili sauce

Taco sauce

Grape Nuts

"Woebers" Horseradish Sauce (Awesome!)

Other items:

Antihistamines

Pie pans

Cooling racks

Anti Bug Itch lotion

DVDs

Items for my dog (toys and treats)

Super Glue

Stain remover

Water filters

and more.

Some of the above items I CAN get in Costa Rica but they are cheaper in the states. Other items, like the spices, I’m sure they must have available here. It’s just that I’m just not sure about reading the labels correctly in Spanish.
I really have gotten to a point where I could live without any of these items and get by with what I have available at the local stores. But, when given the chance to stock up on unavailable items, WHY NOT?

I have a box at my parent's house of items I couldn't quite fit in my suitcases on my last visit, so I'll need to look through it as well.

Friends I've made in Costa Rica will often add items to my list when they get word I'm heading to Kansas. On this trip, I need to find some large "flower power" type stickers or stencils and some green T-shirts for a friend. Party decorations, of ANY THEME, are great to bring back, and I hope to get some of those as well.

A last minute request was to find a large sticker of a shark. A tico friend of ours just bought a new ATV and wants to put this sticker on it. His name, Tibaron, means “shark” in Spanish. Guess I might be on the lookout for a “frog” sticker for my ATV since that is what Ronna translates to (“rana”).

When talking with my gal pal here who is from England, I had mentioned how I miss having scented candles burning in my home. I used to spend a lot of time in the candle isles at stores in the states, sniffing out my favorites. I had enough candles stock piled in my Kansas home to burn continuously for a month before having to get more.

My English friend asked me what scents I was most desiring? I told her how some of my favorites were along the lines of, Sea Breeze, Waterfall, Mango, Tropical Nights, Ginger, Ocean Wave, Rain Forest, Plumeria, etc.

She sat there looking at me dumbfounded. After a perfect comedic pause she stated, "You mean all the scents you are surrounded by HERE?" Oh ... yeah. She was right. My Costa Rica home provides all the smells that I paid to enjoy in Kansas. What a hoot. Okay, so I'll cross candles off my list. They would just melt down here anyway in the heat.

An item I bought on my last trip home turned out to be a poor investment. I had visited the United States this past November and I bought several discounted Halloween masks and wigs. I thought it would be GREAT FUN to have a costume party at some point in Costa Rica, and purchased several hairpieces to share with friends.

When I returned, I gave a few of them to friends as Christmas presents. They opened their gifts and tried them on for fun. We quickly realized that wigs are really TOO HOT to wear in the tropics. Especially for ME now that I am experiencing HOT FLASHES!!! Who knew that hair sweats??? I can’t imagine trapping that heat under a synthetic wig!

So no candles and no more wigs for me in Costa Rica. The humidity and heat do some crazy stuff to various items down here.

Perhaps in an upcoming blog I can explain some of these phenomenons including how the climate destroys my panties!!!

Wish me happy shopping. I'm soon to be state-bound!