Friday, March 28, 2008

We're back! On a whim, Team Antonson decided to escape from the 'Semana Santa' crowd in Nosara (the busiest week in town- we are the destination for both spring breaker's of the US as well as the entire country of Costa Rica!) to visit Erik's sister, mom, and step dad.

The trip began in Atlanta, where we were greeted by Gramma Kelly and Grandpa Bob. Thank goodness they brought us fleeces to borrow because we may have frozen in place outside the airport doors before getting to the car- it would have been a very short trip! Here is a little video of Kemper thanking her feet for getting her through the airport...


We indulged in March Madness and grandparent time for our first two nights while in Thomson GA, just outside Augusta. On Friday we hopped in the car with GmK (Gramma Kelly) heading to Charleston SC, where we met Aunt Amy (Erik's sister).

Out on the town Friday night with Boo, Amy, Amelia, Rhett, Erik, Katherine, and Sarah (L-R)...


Erik's sister, whom we know as Amy, is known in her circle of friends and colleagues as Adrienne. Amy is an extremely talented artist- the main purpose of our trip was to attend a fashion show that she had coordinated. Amy's event hosted several stores and private designers, all of whom had runway models to show off their wares. The headliner, of course, was Amy's company, Spinster.

The show was held in a large store location on King Street. The had hoped to draw ~300 people to the event....they ended up turning away over 100 people! They ran out of space! The event was a huge success- and a lot of fun for everyone who attended. I don't know if we enjoyed the deejay's, the models, the drinks, the tap dancing half time show, or the videos on the walls more! We are so proud of Amy. Here is a link to a video of Amy's portion of the event (the highlight!)- Amy's company is Spinster- she designed the clothes and brought in a professional to train her models. They did a fantastic job (very sexy!)
spinster uncut:

Kemper sported a spikey mohawk for the fashion show. She was a big hit!




Katherine (Erik's neighbor growing up), and GmK- all dolled up for the event. Miss Lucansky also drove up from Gainesville to see the show!


A view of the event from the VIP section...


We stayed in Charleston until Easter Sunday- and the Easter bunny found Kemper in our hotel (thanks GmK!!). Kemper had a blast finding all of the eggs. By noon we were on the road, returning to Georgia. For the next few days, we relaxed, acted as consumers, and soaked up precious family time. We love you all, and are looking forward to our next trip back to see you again.

Kemper enjoying a 'real playground' in Thomson...



It didn't take her long to desire the 'big slide'! Our child is fearless- which fills us with fear...


Some of Bob's pretty posies



Kemper is 'certified organic'


On the drive to the Atlanta airport, the outside temperature clocked in at 33 degrees F.....

...coming back to Nosara we were blasted with a heat of 37 degree C (upper 90's).

Whew! Talk about a climate change. We cherished the time we were able to cuddle under a down blanket together in Georgia....but after a week of being back in steamy CR, our bodies have readjusted to the heat.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2008



Hello folks- thought I'd share some more interesting info with you today. As I was clearing out our bodega yesterday, I found this 'adorable' bug under my luggage. We call them 'cave dwellers' here....but that was not enough for me- I wanted to learn more.

After some digging (on the web- gotta love wikipedia and the site 'whats that bug'), I found what I was looking for. My little friend is a Tailless Whip Scorpion, or to be more specific:

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Amblypygi

Amblypygids are also known as tailless whip scorpions (see also whip scorpion). The name "amblypygid" means "blunt rump", a reference to a lack of the telson ("tail") carried by related species.

As of 2002, approximately 5 families, 17 genera and 136 species have been described. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Some species are subterranean; many are nocturnal. During the day, they may hide under logs, bark, stones, or leaves. They prefer a humid environment.

Fun Facts:

* A tailless whip scorpion makes an appearance in the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as the Death Eater, Barty Crouch Jr, while impersonating Mad-Eye Moody, uses in a demonstration of the Unforgivable Curses (whereas in the book he uses a spider).
* A tailless whip scorpion was also the organism consumed on the 10/19/2005 episode of Fear Factor and referred to on the program as an African cave-dwelling spider.


I had heard that our 'cave dwellers' were harmless, but I feel much more confident now knowing that he will not attack me! I will leave him in the bodega to feed on our other strange, and still unidentified, bugs.

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Friday, March 14, 2008

FYI- If you are looking to call anywhere in Costa Rica on or after March 20th, every number is changing. For land lines (homes, businesses, etc.) , add a '2' before the number, and for cellular phones, add an '8' before the number.

For Example:

Within Costa Rica, an OLD office number may be 682-0000 NEW 2682-0000
Within Costa Rica, a OLD cell phone number may be 841-0000 NEW 8841-0000

Calling Internationally, OLD land line 011 (506) 682-0000 NEW 011 (506) 2682-0000
Calling Internationally, OLD cellular 011 (506) 841-0000 NEW 011 (506) 8841-0000

This seems very funny to me! In the states, we are used to an additional area code, or new first three digits. I recently learned that Costa Rica could not expand the area code because (505) is the area code for Nicaragua....and (507) is the area code for Panama!

I also learned that ten years ago, telephone numbers here were only six digits long...and twenty years ago they were only FIVE digits! It is such a small country! I love it!

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

The product of yesterday's surf....


The surf buckled Andrew's board in two places, and tore the fiberglass completely off the back of the front section. I also met a man yesterday with a big patch on his leg- he put his fin through his calf.
I am surprised that the guys don't come home with more bumps, bruises, and broken boards....with how they surf several sessions daily! I consider myself a 'surf widow' because of the time the surf steals my husband away from me....I pray that I never truly become a 'surf widow'.

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Check out this cocoon that we found in the corner of our carport yesterday!


It has a firm outer shell...but if you squeeze it the lower section twitches (I'm sure the insect does not appreciate that....) Soon we will have a pissed off butterfly in our yard!

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Tuesday, March 11, 2008

The monkeys are back! Yesterday afternoon, Kemper and I enjoyed watching a troop of 28 monkeys travel across our cedar tree into our neighbor's mango trees; it was a young troop, with three mothers traveling with babies on their backs, and at least four juveniles. They sat for over an hour munching on the green mangoes, then throwing them down at us. We have finally trained our dogs to stop barking at them.

Kemper loves to hoot and howl back at the howlers- she is becoming quite talented at recreating their noises. At a year old, some children can meow like a kitten....mine sounds like a monkey! I guess that is what you get when you raise your child in the jungle!

As we watch the different troops travel, I like to make note of how many monkeys have been injured (missing hands or arms from power line surges)- this troop only had one handless female, who was carrying a baby. Perhaps the hard work of the local charity, Save the Howlers, is finally paying off. The charity works diligently to cover the unprotected power lines and transformer boxes in our area. They also coordinate with ICE (national power company) to have the tree limbs cleared away from the power lines, and to install 'monkey bridges'- small rope and web bridges that connect the canopy where roads have been cut.

Save the Howlers is a terrific charity, but I also feel that it is the local developers responsibility to protect our town. We know the result of erecting unprotected power lines....maimed or dead monkeys. Spend the extra money to buy covered lines, or even better, have the lines dug underground. If you are looking to invest in Nosara, I urge you to support eco-conscious developers. Ask your realtor (Erik) who he recommends.

On another note, this short little video clip is dedicated to Nanna, who gifted Kemper a Dora the Explorer DVD. Needless to say, she loves it!

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Saturday, March 08, 2008

We're keeping busy down here right now- the town is full of visitors...which means that both business is busy (good) and the surf is packed (bad for Erik!) I enjoy the crowds- living here we meet so many interesting new people....

I was having breakfast with a few of my girlfriends on Saturday at a new restaurant, La AcuaViva (setting was beautiful, food was so-so [my banana pancakes and my friend's french toast was burnt- but the eggs looked scrumptious!!] but well priced [$4.50 for my plate, plus fruit, juice and coffee]...as we ate, in walked at least twenty gorgeous women and their entourage. I know you all are kicking me right now, but the 'Miss Teen Universe' pageant girls were staying at the hotel....and no, I didn't have my camera with me. The most memorable were Miss Mexico, Miss Dominican Republic, Miss USA, Miss Canada, Miss England....It was strange to see so many girls all decked out; heels, sashes and all in our little jungle town. Most tourists leave their 4-in' clear stiletto's at home when they come to visit us!

Here's a short little video of Kemper, which I like to call "Jumping Bean". She loves to dance and roll around on the floor- I took this video during her first trial- later this afternoon she was recreating the event on the beach (sand everywhere!)....a couple walked up to us and said, "That is the cutest thing we have ever seen! From a distance, your daughter looks like a Mexican Jumping Bean." Enjoy! (I added some music- I didn't have a Mexican tune, but I thought the song was appropriate!)

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Thank you Gram & Pap for Kemper's new seat (and Uncle Andrew for flying it down for us!) Kemper loves to sit by herself like a 'big girl'. How novel to think that Erik and I won't be covered in Kemper meals anymore! Here are a few photos that I shot about an hour ago of Kemper reveling in the glory of feeding herself in her OWN seat.





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We miss you, Chris and Brooks!



Your visit was WAY too short! Erik had a great time surfing with you, and we are still full from the delicious dinner that Jeff and Sylvia cooked.





We hope that you decide to come and visit us again soon (next time you can stay with us at the beach!)





Thank you for bringing down the gifts from GmK- Kemper is obsessed with her new doll, Coco. As you can see, the 'Destroyer' is back in full force....


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