phone – Happier Than A Billionaire

THE TWO OUT OF THREE RULE

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:21-04:00 April 11th, 2014|Categories: Utilities|Tags: electricity, internet, phone, running, utilities, water|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 1 Pound of Kiwis— $2.81

It’s a rare occurrence when we have all three of our utilities (electric, water, and phone/Internet), working at the same time. We just survived a month without the Internet due to a wildfire that came uncomfortably close to our house. Thankfully, a new line was installed and it started working again. And when I mean working, I mean my upload speeds are equivalent to the World Wide Web circa 1988. While others are enjoying Google Glass, it takes ten minutes to open my inbox. If you gave me a spiral perm and a few floppy discs, it’s my freshman year in college all over again.

Now, it’s not my Internet but my water that is off. This creates anxiety since dishes pile up, dirty laundry accumulates, and anything that gets sticky stays sticky. And since my husband is currently on a mango kick, he seems to get the stickiest of all. (more…)

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Baby Monkeys Outside My Window

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:36-04:00 October 31st, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: internet, monkeys, phone|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Price to fix my phone/internet line-???????

The rain is here and the once peaceful skies have transformed into a stormy battlefield. Maybe it’s just my imagination, but even the shape of the clouds look menacing: dragons and daggers pierced by fierce bolts of lightning. It casts a shade of gray on everything below; it’s easy to want to hunker down and stay inside.

Along with the bad weather come a number of unpredictable issues. I have no phone or internet and the prospects of getting it fixed anytime soon looks unlikely. The phone company (which is also the internet and electric company in most areas of Costa Rica) claims their line is good. I foresee many trips to the internet café and the phone company’s office in the future. (more…)

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HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:37-04:00 August 23rd, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: happiness, phone|

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Landline phone bill that includes excellent DSL internet service-$45

As I sit here watching two baby monkeys wrestle one another outside my window, it reminds me how lucky I am, how rich I feel. It doesn’t cost me a dime and can’t imagine how a material object can replace the feeling I have now. My life (ironically… with less possessions than ever), is so abundantly full I can’t think of anything I want. So it got me thinking…how much is enough?

Why would a billionaire—someone with all the resources to live a life of insane privilege—steal another couple million. For example, take Tyco. That CEO made over 100 million dollars a year but had the company pay for his extravagant lifestyle. And it wasn’t just private jets with cute flight attendants serving chocolate covered strawberries. He went the extra mile. He had the company pay for a $6,000 shower curtain and a $15,000 dog umbrella stand. But just when I thought this guy really knows how to live, for his wife’s birthday (disguised as a shareholders meeting) the party featured an ice sculpture of the Statue of David urinating Stolichnaya vodka. I can do without that umbrella stand, but a urinating ice sculpture is as close to heaven as you are going to get in my opinion. (more…)

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CURIOUS GEORGE

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:41-04:00 June 8th, 2011|Categories: Nature|Tags: kinkajou, phone|

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Prepaid cell phone card for two months of service- $5

He’s for real. I’ve found Curious George scampering across my property. He’s not actually a monkey, but my favorite of all animals…a kinkajou.

I love his little padded feet and his thick furry tail. I just want to hug him and pet him and squeeze him and call him George. (It’s amazing I can remember a line from a Bugs Bunny cartoon 30 years ago but can’t seem to recall my anniversary.)

I think you have to try to be unhappy here. Really put all you got into it. Because whenever I start to feel down, something like this happens, and all the world seems right again.

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CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

By Nadine Hays Pisani| 2018-04-15T18:19:58-04:00 January 6th, 2011|Categories: Cost of Living|Tags: phone|

Costa Rica Cost of Living Update: Land line Phone Bill- $28 (includes DSL Internet)

I remember the days talking to my girlfriends on the phone while reading Tiger Beat, contemplating whether Joanie really loved Chachi or confirming that Rick Springfield will surely have a career rivaling the likes of Elvis.

Now I don’t like to talk on the phone because it sounds as if I am calling from a bunker in Iraq. My husband went out to the road and found this mess. A birds nest of wires tangled together next to two high voltage cables. He carefully stepped around the electrical lines, re-spliced the others, and gave me the thumbs up.

I tried calling my mom and was pleasantly surprised. There was only moderate interference and we had a nice conversation about how my father wants me to get the rest of my crap out of the garage. I asked her to tell him not to touch my albums, I’ve been saving that Rick Springfield one for when he makes that long anticipated comeback.

Rick Springfields Official Website- www.rickspringfield.com (It’s just a matter of time guys)

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THE TWO OUT OF THREE RULE

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: 1 Pound of Kiwis— $2.81

Baby Monkeys Outside My Window

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

CURIOUS GEORGE

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

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