Casita Progress…

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As I've been running around with Mariah enjoying every second with her, Scott continues to slave away up at the property. He's determined to get the roof on the casita before the rainy season begins in earnest. We've had a little rain, but not too much yet. He thinks by next week we should be pretty close to having the entire house covered with the first part of the roof. Yea! I was up there this week having lunch with him and was very impressed and not a little overwhelmed just watching all the different projects that he's overseeing all at the same time! While Two guys are up on the roof doing all the welding, another two are setting forms and pouring the concrete pillars on the terrace, and then two are working on making a retaining wall and one other guy was digging the long ditch for the septic system. Whew! And Scott must oversee all these different projects simultaneously while he's running back and forth with materials and planning what comes next. I tell ya, it's darn right exhausting just thinking about all the forethought it takes to make a project like this happen, and he's doing it all in a language that he has just learned! That guy! (big, proud smile!)

While I was in Panama City the other week picking up Mariah, I took advantage of being in the city where they have a much better selection of many things than they have here in David, and I picked out and bought all the light fixtures for the casita. Well, I had two lovely assistances… my friends Emma & Kris, who very kindly spent hours with me at the Lumicentro lighting store and helped me pick out all the lights. It was so great to be with them because they both speak really good spanish and you can imagine how helpful that was. But, man! We were beat by the time we finished shopping and ready for a drink! After paying for all the lights and arranging to have them shipped to Boquete through the local courier service, Fletes Chavale, I was very pleased to have accomplished a task . Finally, I was able to put my mad shopping skills to work and contribute to the casita project! High fives all around!

But wait! Nothing is accomplished so easily here in Panama…there must be a kink and complications of some sort will arrive. Tranquilo in place….It normally takes a couple of days to recieve something shipped from Panama City by Fletes Chavales, but not this time, of course. I was hoping Scott would have been able to pick them up from our local Boquete Fletes while I was in Bocas with Mariah , as I had instructed the Lumicentro to ship them directly to Boquete. So he checked several times during the week I was away and there was nothing for us. (Uggg!) Then When I got back I went there with a good friend, Daniesa as a translator , she asked about my delivery and the guy had nothing for me, no record of anything at all! Oh man! Now what! Dani tried to call the store in Panama City for me and no answer. So, I decided I needed to drive down to the store in David and see if they could call the store in Panama City to figure out what happened. Well, long story short, they sent the lights to the Fletes in David instead of to Boquete as I clearly had instructed them to do! I didn’t even know there was one in David, good to know! Scott and I made our way to the Fletes and I’m sooooo pleased to report that all my lights were there waiting for me! Yippee! Although, some of the boxes looked a bit banged up, I was not feeling especially hopeful that all the lights would be in one piece. Oh, ye of little faith! After opening all the boxes and inspecting all the lights not one light was damaged! I am breathing a sigh of relief and feeling so happy that my shopping spree was a complete success!

With the exception of a few recessed lights and appliances, windows and one gas fireplace insert (which we will need to get from the states), we have purchased most of the finish materials. Our rental house here is getting crammed full of stuff that will soon be in our casita. It will be good if we can get the windows and doors in the casita installed soon so that we will be able to transfer all this stuff over there when we have to move out of this rental house on August 1. You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned purchasing any countertops or cabinetry…thats because that will be Scotts next big project as soon as all his woodworking tools get here from the states. So, we’re hoping to be able to move into the casita by early next year but I’m pretty sure it will be without countertops and cabinetry…..just like our last house! Uggg! But you wont hear this girl complain (not much anyways, maybe a little whining, but not complaining! Hah!)

As soon as the roof of the casita is completed I’m planning to learn about a traditional celebration that Panamanians have when a roof is finished. I don’t know if there’s a name for this particular celebration, I’m sure there is, and as soon as I learn it I’ll let you know. But apparently they have a party and the homeowner serves a soup to all the workers, I’m certain beer will be served as well! My friend Dani said she will come to my house and teach me how to make this soup, I’ve heard a little about the ingredients and to be honest, I think I’ll pass on eating it! Hah! But I’m looking forward to expressing my gratitude to our workers in this small way and learning about a tradition. And Scott and I will be thrilled to have our first party in our new place!
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