ALMONDS

On my trip to Dominican Republic I had many adventures. One that sticks out in my mind the most now is the almond lady.

The second morning of our trip, my Aunt, niece and nephew and I drove out of the city of Puerta Plata on our way to Jarabacoa. We took a windy back road and stopped at various fruit and coffee stands, attempting to talk with the natives. It's customary in a country like DR to stop when you see someone walking and offer them a left. (hitch hikers thumb out, not required). Of course, my aunt wanting us to experience all DR had to offer, insisted that we pick up the next walker we saw. We wound around a few curves and eventually ran across a middle aged woman on her way to Santa Domingo, that graciously accepted our offer through broken English.

We again stopped at a fruit stand, this time picking up tiny bananas that the entire crew shared, including our new passenger. Additionally, we passed around bottles of water, coffee, juice, and my trusty bag of almonds that I packed. As I was planning for an 8 day trip, it was a rather large bag (think full quart). I offered around my almonds, everyone declining, except the little Dominican woman. She again, graciously accepted my offer, not by taking a handful of almonds, but by snatching up the whole bag! It never occurred to me that almonds would be such a delicacy in a place like DR, but I probably handed that woman $40 worth of almonds (in DR), more than she would make in a long and hard days work (way more).

I started a few days ago trying to pick one of my biggest pit falls in trying to ease back into CR. Why was it so difficult. What was I missing and then I remembered almonds. They are actually quite hard to find in my own neighborhood and I used to by them at Trader Joes when I was "practicing" CR. Thinking back on the last time I bought almonds was how my mind traced back to my DR almond story.

I have to get somewhere and buy some almonds! I have tried everything else under the sun to start my day and nothing is working. Not cottage cheese, not egg whites, nothing! I must figure out a way to get over my missing almonds and move on.

Other than almond snatching, life has been great. I took my new girlfriend home to NC to meet the folks and all went well. Of course it would; she is very lovely.

My dog is doing super. He went through a rough patch of allergies (skin allergies, gross!), had his little neutering surgery, and is healing. He also went home with me to NC to meet the folks for the first time. Of course being the great dog that he is, the family adores him!