It's too hot.. Cold showers for everyone!

I am so sick and tired of not being able to watch things here because they are only available to US viewers. I am a US viewer! OK, technically, I am not physically in the US now. But I do have a permanent address there. AND I pay for cable service there. I just cannot understand why I am not able to watch American things. I got fired up and all poor me during the Olympics when I wasn't able to watch gymnastics, or American competitors in general. Now, I am fired up again because I can't watch the Golden Globes. This also means that I won't be able to watch the Oscars, the Emmys, or any other award show that might strike my fancy. If I were at home I probably wouldn't care to watch these so much, but I am feeling very nostalgic about all things American. I almost feels like everyone I know is at a party I wasn't invited to. I feel left out. I just can't understand how being overseas automatically means that you are refused the opportunity to watch good TV. Is it because of the commercials? The advertisers can't make money on people overseas?? I beg to differ. I will be back in a few months, and ready and willing to drop tons of money on whatever I have been deprived of while overseas. And guess what US broadcasters?? The only people overseas who care about most American TV shows? AMERICANS!! Although, I did get a message from a friend in a similar predicament, and she told me that she uses a VPN to connect to the internet, and tricks the websites to thinking that she is in the US instead of the Dominican Republic. I think this should work, and I am just SO excited to try it out!

Ok, so enough about that, on to another topic. The rainy season really needs to start here. It is just too hot. I am ready for a cool down that will come with the rain. Now now, before you get all angsty, imagine yourself in early summer. Its not too hot, about 80, but it sure is humid. Definitely a day for A/C. Now imagine that you don't have central air, and in fact the only air conditioned room is your dining room. Now think about sleeping. It's sticky and warm, and you wake up with your hair plastered to your face with sweat. Still jealous? Ugh I am so over it! It is great during the day, I won't lie, it's paradise, but at night is when it is getting a little old! We have the A/C on here all day lately and before, when it rained, we could keep it off until evening, then use it for a couple hours and be done. I think the main problem is that it hasn't been that breezy. So the air in here is just still and hot. That is another reason I LOVE spending time at the farm. It is so cool and breezy up there. When you wake up in the morning, pants and long sleeves are almost a must until the sun gets hot!

This weekend we also went to the botanical gardens here in Floridablanca. It was fun, peaceful, and beautiful. Until Charlie tripped on the stone path and hit his cheek.

And then we saw these on a school right near the park. I thought they looked really cool!

So today we are doing our homemade Chipotle for the first time since we have been back! I was able to get most of the ingredients we need, but there is one main player that is absent. Sour cream. It is surprisingly hard to find here. There is only one store that carries it, and it is super sporadic. I was so upset that I couldn't find any, and I sent a desperate text to Carlos' mom, asking where oh where I could find some. She said the same thing I had already learned- it's hard to find. Ugh. BUT - she had a recipe for making it at home.

There were only 4 ingredients needed, and we (happily) had all of them at home! Queso Crema (one of my favorite things ever.. Kind of like cream cheese, but more the consistency of sour cream.) pepper, vinegar, and lime juice. We tried it, albeit very hesitantly. It was a success!!! I couldn't believe it! It tastes a little different, but it will work! It's actually a good twist on sour cream, because it tastes like my beloved queso crema :) I'll take it! We are also switching our choice of steak for in our burrito bowls. I have basically gone on a chatas boycott. We are making chipotle with filet mignon. Hey- its $7 a pound here! Why not?? I was telling Carlos- why don't people eat more of this, it's so much better! He said, "SHhhhh.. Don't talk too much about it or people will start wanting it!" haha

Last night we went to the grocery. Emma was a bundle of drama. We woke her up from a nap to go in, and she wasn't happy about it. She wanted to pull the basket (At stores here, they have big baskets with wheels that you pull like rolling luggage). She couldn't get her hands on one fast enough, so there were tears. Then she couldn't maneuver it around a corner. Tears. Then daddy helped and she wanted mommy to help. Tears. Then mommy tried to help but she wanted to do it alone. Tears. Then while trying to pull it around a corner, it flipped on it's side. Tears. Then daddy tried to hold her hand. Tears. Then mommy walked to fast. Tears. Then a guy looked at her wrong. Tears. Then an elderly lady tried to say hi. Tears. Then we finally finish and get to the car (with a few episodes of unexplained tears on the way). Carlos and I are so relieved that it's finally over, and Emma, still breathing jaggedly after sobbing most of the way through the store, says, "Emma had fun at the store mommy." As Johana would say, "Ay Senor!"

On a final note- We LOVE YogenFruz. It is pretty much the best thing ever. Last night I got lime and it was so delicious. In case anyone is unfamiliar, it is frozen chunks of fruit or cubes of juice that they blend up and mix with vanilla frozen yogurt.

It is complete bliss. And I don't know if it is the same in the US or not. When we went at the Houston airport they had the soft serve and then you topped it however you want. But here it is primarily the flavor of whatever you pick. I had been getting orange every time, but I have recently learned that that is a big mistake. Every flavor I get is better than the one before. But anyway, to get to the point of the story.. The last time I went there, they stumbled over my name, I had to repeat it a million times. That along with my broken Spanish, yikes. So last night I went and ordered, and it usually takes a little while for them to make it. So since I needed to run into the grocery across the street (to look for the elusive sour cream) I told them I would be right back after I buy something in Carrefour. As I was walking back up to the register, I realized that I never gave them my name this time. I walked up and when I got up there, I realized that they didn't need my name. They gave me one: Nina Americana (American girl). Carlos and I got a good laugh about that, and so did Johana when I told her about it this morning! It is accurate, and also much easier than trying to take my unfamiliar gringa name!