Down for the count

Costa Rica is closed for Easter. Closed and dry, so I hope you stocked up.

My neighbors to the left have been gone for two days already and my neighbors to the bee-hind left this morning. We're heading out as soon as I get stuff packed. Not to the beach, but to Rita's house, which is better. Rita has a regular pool AND a kiddie pool, a DVD player and a fridge. Need I say more? The price is right too: BYOB and we provide the pizza makings.

In some ways Easter, though less directly commercial, is bigger than Christmas in Costa Rica. I say less "directly" commercial because you actually have to go out looking for specialty chocolates and whatnot - they're not RightThereInYourFace at every turn. (Although you can get real, live, baby chicks on the street corner. Oh, and they're dyed Easter egg colors!) On the other hand, the Easter Week Vacation is highly touted and everyone does head out to the beach and stuff. So that's commercial, but kind of indirect.

The non-cable TV stations are given over to those lovely Easter films. I'd love to make a Charlton-Heston-in-a-short-tunic remark here, but I've never actually watched any of them so don't know if Charlton Heston had anything to do with them. (Nor would I recognize Charleton Heston if he were in fact to appear in a short tunic right here on my desk.) Anyway, the Hollywood version of the story of Easter is one thing that makes me glad I don't watch Costa Rican television - there's nothing for me to miss when these things take over the broadcast day. (Of course, my mother in law loves 'em. For her it's like the Peanuts Christmas special. Only, you know, with more blood.)

(In the spirit of the season, I was going to upload pictures of the girls with their new rabbits but guess what? Couldn't upload...now there's a shocker.)

So happy Spring Break everybody. Consider this my Away message - we'll be home on Saturday. Have a Cadbury's egg for me. (Speaking of which, you really must click here.) I think I'll have one too, if they've imported any this year.