This is a very nice hotel that we will visit again very soon. It has a great location near downtown Puntarenas. Across the street is a beach on the Gulf of Nicoya. The beach is well maintained and groomed daily. They put up chairs and umbrellas that you can rent for a small amount of colons. The water is warm and inviting.

 

A short walk from the motel is Parque Marino del Pacífico. 

                                 https://www.parquemarino.org/acuario/ 

We did not visit it the last time we were there but it is on our agenda this time.

 

The hotel has a nice pool that is located inside. Since I now have to walk with a cane our room will be on the ground floor so access will be easy. They offer a free breakfast, and lunch and dinner for a fee. The dining area is attractive and kept clean and orderly. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Unfortunately they don't speak much English but since my wife is from Costa Rica she is my translator. The rooms are fairly modern and spacious compared to many we have stayed in before.

 

The one real drawback is the weather. It is ALWAYS hot and humid. Tank tops and shorts at all times!! We are in the rainy season so you can safely bank on getting a shower in the early afternoon and around dusk. That is the right times to belly up to the bar and enjoy a cervasa (beer) or the hi ball of your choice.        

 

Puntarenas is a nice town on the pacific ocean. The boardwalk is loaded with restaurants and various vendors of local crafts. Small cruise ships dock there with tourists from around the world. Overall it is a great get-away from the challenges of everyday life. 

 

In closing I say the expression used here a lot. Pura Vida (loosely it means good life) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                          Can I afford to get sick or hurt?

What will happen to me when I need medical help? Does my insurance cover the procedures and care that I will need? What about if I don't have insurance? The link below tells of some horror stories. It is a long read so grab some coffee:

https://www.roanoke.com/business/virginia-health-system-sues-thousands-of-patients-seizing-paychecks-and/article_6f4f418c-a6f3-5aec-b2ad-d65fe00ed90a.html 

Having spent time as a CSR for Aetna I learned a lot about the business and heard many stories first hand from people, or members as we were told to refer to them, about their inability to pay for their medical bills even after they had been greatly reduced by the companies negotiated rates.  

 

Because of the company's large size, they paid negotiated rates as much as 80% less for a given procedure. But there are some catches and loopholes that members were unaware of or unable to meet. One example was referrals. If they were told by their Primary Care Physician, PCP, that they needed to see a specialist they needed a referral before they could go to the specialist, depending on the policy they had. No referral no coverage. The member then had to pay the full price for the procedure. Sometimes the company would allow a referral to be sent in later if there was a short amount of time-lapse from the claim submittal to the complaint of the member.  

 

There were some procedures that need pre-approval from a board of doctors that were on the payroll of the company. If this was not done then again the cost was up to the member at the regular rate. They would receive a bill from the doctor in the thousands of dollars and I assure you they were NOT happy campers! 

 

Then there were those that had a lapsed policy and said they were unaware that the insurance was no longer in effect at the time of the procedure. When asked if they had not noticed that the monthly premiums were not being taken from their checks the answer was always No. Nothing we could do except refer them to their employer.

 

When the Affordable Care Act(Obamacare) took effect and they elected to switch to that and they lost their doctor some would call and complain but the company had nothing to do with that so some threatened to sue! I told them good luck. You have to sue the government and they had more clout and money than God.

 

My heart goes out to all that have problems with medical bills. As some of the stories in the link at the start of this blog, they can cause major problems. Do you want to eat and pay the mortgage/rent or pay the medical bill that is in arrears and stay out of court/bankruptcy? Hell of a dilemma, HUH!!

 STAY HEALTHY 

 EASIER SAID THAN DONE

       

 

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Gallo Pinto-Costa Rica Style 

Living in Costa Rica means you must make adjustments especially in your menu. One key is in breakfast. Gallo Pinto is a big one. Wherever you go this dish is omnipresent. It is served with eggs or french toast or sausage or ham and/or a special cheese that is made here or all of the above and anything else you can think of. Even McDonald's serve it!

 

                                                       Recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light-tasting oil (vegetable, mild olive, canola)

1 red bell pepper , chopped

1 small yellow onion , chopped

2 cloves garlic , minced

2 cups cooked black beans , in 3/4 cup reserved cooking liquid*

1/4 cup Salsa Lizano ****(Salsa Lizano is essential to this dish. It's available in some Latin markets or the international isle at the larger grocery stores.

3 cups cooked rice , preferably, day-old and refrigerated

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
• Add black beans, reserved cooking liquid, and Salsa Lizano, stirring to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and little bit of the liquid is evaporated. Gently stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, but not dry, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Season to taste with additional Salsa Lizano (we added about a tablespoon extra).
  Total time for prep and cook is 30 minutes.

 

It is a mild dish with a lot of flavor and very filling for the stomach. I toss on a little Tabasco sauce to spice it up along with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper. They make a bread here that goes well with it but toast will work in a pinch.

 

They eat a hardy breakfast and a huge lunch here and very little, if any, at dinner. Although I have noticed that Chinese or pizza is their choice of food if they do eat dinner. And no, I don't believe that cat is used as the meat in the Chinese food. My stepfather would not eat Chinese due to this belief. 

 

One of my son-in-laws insists on having beans and rice (food staples here) at ever meal. 

 

So there you have it. If you visit Costa Rica you have a heads up on the breakfast favorites. The coffee is fantastic and don't worry, the water is safe to drink. I do it every day.

   

 

 

 

 

    

There are many people in a leadership role that have no clue in what it truly means and are unwilling or unable to measure up to the responsibility that it requires to be a truly successful one. They get placed in the position without experience and immediately allow the title/position to go to their head therefore failing from right out of the gate. This is where I feel so bad for their subordinates.  

There are 21 ways to be an effective leader; https://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/21-ways-to-be-a-better-leader.html . For the sake of brevity I will expand on just a few.

 

Manage your emotions. Your emotions give you energy. If they're low, your energy is low; if they're running high, you feel positive and optimistic. To be at your best as a leader, manage your emotions--when you do, you manage your energy too. This a hard one and takes practice, practice and a lot more practice.

 

Become a great communicator. Discipline yourself to understand what's happening around you by observing and listening. A great leader is always a skilled communicator--not only as speaker but as a listener, someone who stays focused and tuned in to the nuance of a conversation. This is extremely important and probably the hardest to do for most to do. After all you are the boss, right? WRONG! You are the leader and the ones that you should be depending on have ideas and opinions that if you effectively listen you'll benefit most of the time and the subordinate will feel good about themselves and respect you more. You are on your way to building an ally and a strong team member.  

Be part of the team. There's an acronym that says "team" stands for Together Everyone Achieves More, and great leadership comes from those who see themselves as part of a team, who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to support, help, guide and mentor. I have seen too many leaders fail because their subordinates saw their leader unwilling to roll up their sleeves and pitch in to help when there was clear need for them to help get 'er done. They lost respect and the people resented them for their lack of help in the hard times. 

 

Be quick to praise. Praise people often and openly. Let others know when the work is well done, a job is completed with excellence and the results are great. But when it comes to feedback that's focused on development and growth, do it privately. It's likely to feel like a negative assessment, and no wants to feel they're being berated in public. Remember how good you feel when your boss, superior, leader praises you? When you get a little extra spring in your step and/or warm and fuzzy feeling. So does those that you are leading. So splash on the praise when appropriate and watch the pride you helped generate! But remember, NEVER discuss improvements or negative things with the subordinate in front of anyone else.   

 

***Get out of your office. Come in early to get your work done while things are peaceful. Then, when everyone else arrives, get out of your office and connect with people. It's an efficient way to balance the demands of a leadership role, and people feel good about their team when they can see a leader not only working hard but also being available and accessible. It's a win-win. THIS IS A MUST DO!! When I was in management we called it MBWA.(management by walking around). Another benefit is after a while the people get comfortable and will tell and alert you to things they otherwise would not have done. 

 

Hold people accountable. One of the biggest derailments of leadership happens when people aren't held accountable. If responsibility and accountability are important to you, don't let those who are slacking get away with it. You gain respect by sticking to your principles, and your team stays highly functional. It can't get better than that. This is self-explanatory but I add this...... don't play favorites! ALL should be held accountable at all times. NO EXCEPTIONS!!!

 

There is a link provided at the beginning of this blog. I encourage you to read the other ways to be a better leader. Leading is like everything in life. Don't ever think you know it all and always strive to improve.

 

Remember, if the team fails it's time for a new leader.........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

You have seen the commercials:  We got a client $500,000, We got a client $750,000 for a foot injury etc. etc. What they aren't telling you is the percentage  that THEY took from the settlement. On average that would be 30-50%. And any other fees that they can conjure up.

 

 

The fact that you are the injured one or suffered the atrocity is of little concern. After all they have the fancy office to maintain and/or their beach house needs new furniture due to the salt air exposer. Least we forget the bonuses that have to be paid to the paralegals. And someone has to pay for those commercials to lead more lambs to the troughs of big money!

 

 

You gotta love the ones that tell you to ask their competitors how many times they go to court to settle. Isn't that what lawyers do? Aren't you paying them to fight for the maximum? Of course they want to settle out of court. Less time and resources on their part. And they can get in an extra round of golf. 

 

Lawyers are a necessary evil in this sue the bastards mentality of today. But use caution when dealing with them. Make sure you get the terms in writing. This will probably require that you get another lawyer to read and explain the legal jargon of the terms from the first lawyer. Talk about a you wash my back and I'll wash yours carousel.    

 

                                    

 

We recently spent three days at the Pachira Lodge in Tortuguero, Costa Rica to celebrate the 4th of July. It is at the edge of a rainforest and next to the Tortuguero National Park. The only way to get there is to take a boat through canals for 30 minutes. The video above shows people arriving just as we did. The welcoming committee hands you a tropical tea-like drink and your relaxing and informative time has begun. 

We took a boat tour of the national park where we saw monkeys, birds, frogs, lizards, caimans and so many other critters I could not begin to remember all the names. The foliage, flowers, and trees were gigantic! Our tour guide, Fransico, did a fabulous job of spotting various things for us to see. At one point I felt a little sorry for him because he had to explain everything in Spanish and English. 

 

We also walked the street of the town of Tortuguero. This town is on the other side of the canal on the Caribbean side of the Atlantic Ocean. It has one street that's about 6 city blocks long, very narrow and has only tourist shops, restaurants, and a sparse amount of small homes for the locals. The town is 100% dependant on tourism for their existence. No cars. the only way to travel is walk or bike. The only way in to or out of town is via boat. I italicize town because the guide for this adventure is a native and joked about its tiny size.      

The lodge was very clean and the entire staff was very friendly and professional. All meals were buffet style and the food was very good. The pool was spacious and well maintained. The poolside scenery made this old man's heart beat rapidly and supplied plenty of fantasy material for months to come. The bar served the typical tropical drinks and all the national beers. One drawback is that you cannot order ANY type of snacks or food. Just as well I guess. Why spoil a good double Absolute on the rocks with comitas. 

 

The tour guide was honest and told us that we had come at the beginning of the turtle egg laying season which is the biggest tourist attraction there so you may want to just keep your $15 per person night tour fee in your wallet. So we did. Spent it at the bar instead. 

 

If you want a relaxing and totally different experience this one fits the bill in spades. I will caution that although cell phones worked ok the wifi signal is too weak for you to use your laptop for Skype.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a growing cancerous media movement concerning kids being separated from their parents when they, the parents, try to enter the US illegally. The outrage is centered on humane treatment. Treatment that THE PARENTS is subjecting their kids too! The kids are placed in a clean environment and given 3 healthy meals a day. Probably for the first time in their life. Afterall, the reason given by 99.9% of the parents for breaking our laws is because their life in their home country is horrendous and apparently breaking the law(s) of the US is worth the risk of losing their children.                           

                                           SO WHATS THE PROBLEM?? 

 

I raised two children and unfortunately I did break the law while they were young. I had to serve my time and guess what...........I WAS SEPARATED FROM MY CHILDREN!!! 

 

Get with the program. Break the law and pay ALL the penalties!! Or, honor the law and live happily ever after.  

OR GO HOME!!!!