The worst day so far

Several reasons why this is the worst day yet. I'll make it a running list to the number one reason

- I saw this (see to the left) outside on the wall of the house we are staying at. I heard someone say that 'tarantula' season is coming soon - but I did not really believe that I would see one. Well...this makes one. I'm not what you would call a 'bug' person - so I took the liberty of walking about 4 feet around the wall this thing was near. Even when I took the picture, I used super zoom on the camera. And yes, I realize they are not that poisonous - I do not care - they are big and hairy.

- Sammy gave Christy a fat lip with my alarm clock in the morning

- It took us 2.7 hours to drive from our new home by language school to La Palabra over by the airport. This in 'light' traffic should take about 35. In heavy, I'm not sure, but this drive could not have been much worse.

- I had to go bathroom the whole way home on that trip

- We realized yet again that we know zero Spanish and it is frustrating to be out and about and not communicate

- Our big brother who has limited previous Spanish experience and has been in language school for a semester was clearly still having trouble communicating with folks. This is very likely how we will be after one semester and was slightly disheartening to know that we may not be further along in 3 months.

- We found out that parking a van very similar to what we just bought is VERY difficult in the gated front area of our new home. For those of you that can, think first Austin Powers movie as he tries to turn the golf cart with a 125 point turn.

- I turned Matt & Lisa's van's back window into something like you can see to the left. Actually, their back window actually exploded (safety glass continued breaking for 15 minutes - pretty cool). And I dented their back hatch/trunk so bad that it no longer opens and the lock is broken. I know that, much like I would be with my own car, they don't really care that the van got dinged. Its just a van and it will get fixed. But that does not make me feel any more silly for having done it.

- I broke the window and hatch by backing into a garbage holder out front of someone's house. I could use the 'it was too low to see in my mirror' excuse...but I simply should have been paying better attention. A garbage holder, how stupid.

- The whole van mess ruined our first impression of the house as we basically just threw our luggage in and then left. We wanted to get the van back home quick (read: 3 hours in traffic) in case it started to rain so it did not get soaked.

- The whole van and house experience left me very humiliated, frustrated, upset, annoyed so that the whole way home I was irritable. As I got cut off again...and again....and again....and again....AND each time someone drive up on the side walk, or the grass, or up a hill, AND bikers almost hit the car as they drive down the center 'lane', AND as the police on dirt bikes did the same thing AND as we saw trash every where and rats crawling through it just outside our car - for the first time I was upset at every one here and generally frustrated with Costa Rica.

But, now we are home. Matt & Lisa were understanding and kind about the whole van thing. It will be relatively quick and cheaper than I thought to fix and we've had a chance to unwind a bit. Hopefully we'll not have too many more days like this in the near future and be off and learning Spanish at the language institute soon.