Hello and good morning

Oh Monday- you always come so soon.
Let's see: last week I put together mood boards and came up with designs for the Spring/Summer 10 line. Our color and design inspiration is amusement parks and the circus. I am eager to see what JuanCa comes up with for graphics. Of course this is not to be taken literally. There will not be any circus tents adorning the front of out t-shirts.
Friday culminated in an Asian noodle dish, beer and cards. JuanCa and I made a night of it. For those of you who saw it, the Lily Allen that was posted on FB was there only because she is on Juan's top 15. (He refuses to only have a top 5)
Saturday I -wait for it- didn't go to the market. I may have permanently damaged my relationship with the pineapple guy. I think he has grown accustomed to seeing my rediculously white, smiling face around 11am on Saturdays.
Instead I went into town and visited the hardware store, bought a bath mat and a plant. I looked hilarious, I'm sure, walking home in the pouring rain with two meter and a half long rods, 2 striped bags, a purse and an arm full of plant.-Quick note on the bags: Most shopping bags are pink and white stripes.
Hurray for me!!! I finally worked up the courage to ask my landlady of the lavender hair if I could use her washing machine. She reluctantly agreed. I was ushered the the back of the house and instructed to choose what I wanted to wash first. Here's the thing about laundry. They don't have a laundry mat. And you have to babysit your laundry every step of the way. Beginning with manually adding water to the tub, adding your soap and then the clothes. 15 minutes later you drain the tub and fill again with water to rinse. 10 minutes later you drain again and move the clothes to the spinner. 15 minutes later you can take them out and hang them to dry. I however, had to wait between washing and rinsing while she decided to clean out the machine with a toothbrush, only to decide that the machine wasn't working and i would have to rinse by hand. in the meantime I am due at the bus stop to meet Juan and I have yet to take a shower.
JuanCa and I took a trip to San Jose to get tickets for Depeche Mode. Because we were close I insisted we walk through the tunnel of Gatos de Platos. Which some of you might remember seeing pictures of.
After walking around lost for 45 minutes we arrived at his friends shop. From there we walked to a nearby super market that was selling the tickets. Before arriving there I was accosted by an young guy claiming he was starving. He was hanging out near the souvenir market preying on tourists. Claiming to be a Canadian named Emily I grilled him on his situation. I believe he was trying to score some drug money. He followed us around for 5 blocks preaching that Jesus was looking after him and that he believed in God etc. I was unmoved as he spoke almost perfect English and looked very clean and fed.
We headed home and arrived in San Ramon around 7ish. Not having eaten all day I bade JuanCa farewell an headed home. not before stopping to buy a pizza and cookies. I made friends with the pizza guy. He owned the shop and had lived in LA for 14 years.
I know this will sound disgusting but I salted my pizza. I am not sure how a pizza could ever need salting but it did. Perhaps it was all the tomatoes on the Margarita pizza or the bland sauce. Either way it was a horrifying experience. One should never have to salt their junk food.
Sunday I decided to have brunch in town. I went to the small Aromas and ordered the arroz con pollo and a cafe con leche.
I went back to the hardware store to get some more things I needed and ended up chatting with Frankie, the hardware store guy. I spent about an hour in the super market looking at what they had to offer. A lot of that time was spent trying to find whole bean coffee. I have struck a deal with Moo. He will give me a partially dressed painting of myself- that I have been trying to get for years- in exchange for Costa Rican coffee. I am anxiously awaiting the trade.
Talked on the phone, took a run to the shop to get some stuff I needed and started constructing my lamp shade. Pictures to follow soon. Of the lampshade and the apt.
Made my first batch of homemade wax. Tried it out. Decided it would be a several day process as I am squeamish.
Dinner was vegetable flavored rice and fried plantains.
Off to bed. Sleep.
This morning is gorgeous and sunny. We'll see how the weather changes by this evening.