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no we do not!

Bob K

Gypsy that was not nice........

Yes Salt is overused here -  that and oil  are a huge issue in the food and cooking in general. BUT worse then regular table  salt is MSG! It is in just about everything here  as "flavoring".  It is really a shame.  I have banned it in my office and my home as an additive.  Can't  ban it completely as it is in just about everything processed but I can ban "sopitas" and "sazon" etc from this place and at least cut down on its consumption while at work.

Just returned from a very relaxing and much cooler three days in the hills of Jarabacoa.   We were there last year as well. It was such a terrific break for the busy  and hot north coast.  For those who have never visited....You must go!

Bob K

I have been  remiss in posting on this thread about every day life!   My life has gone a bit crazy busy.   So here is a quick update:

Somehow I become the loving owner of not one but 2 puppies.... well they are owned by the company but you know how that goes.  Zeuss and Lupita are now  4 1/2 months old.  Zuess is  almost  45 pounds and Lupita is closer to 40.  They are well behaved but they are puppies. Hay mi madre................  nothing goes within reach.  Everything close to them or within reach is THEIRS!  LOL

As you may know the company is into farming and biodiesel.   Biodiesel is a bit challenging due to oil prices at the moment. We buy waste vegetable oil and convert it to fuel for our use in our tractors.  It is a bit slower then we want but building.

Our farm is doing well. We are set to harvest in about  14 days or so. Yikes  Well the owner is American, they harvest, dump into trucks and ship to someone somewhere................... Not here.

Here we have to harvest,  then truck it to a location, then we need to process it.  This was dumped into my lap about 12 days ago.  We had to come up with a location - remember we will process about  21,000  bushels of corn in  14 to 21 days -   so we found a location.

Now I have to have my people build - 2 - 20 foot diameter drying tanks -  with a pervious floor,  an LPG heater and 2 gigantic ventilators.  WE have to build an auger  (giant pipe with what looks like a screw inside) to move corn from truck to  drying tanks. THEN a 40 foot auger to get corn from  drying tanks to  bucket elevator. THEN  a bucket elevator (20 feet tall)  to move the corn up to the roof of the building.  There it gets  mechanically sorted and cleaned, then falls back into the building where it gets bagged and weighed, sealed and stored! 

Holy crap batman!!!!! I didn't even know what some of that stuff was.  Well I do now.   Some of this sounds easy but sourcing the material is ridiculous.  We found the sorter tumbler and are retrofitting it. We are building  the dryers but dont have the ventilators yet.  WE found most of the material for the augers  and they are being picked up today. AND yesterday I finally found someone to build us a 20 foot bucket elevator (25% more expensive then expected).

Now we are putting it all together.  WOW.  So I have additional short term staff helping out!  Thank goodness. 

And that is just  1/2 of what is happening. I also need to sell the corn!!!  We will end up with about  12,000 100 pound bags of Grade 1 or Grade 2 corn!  Yikes,  I am all over that too............at the same time.............  and no I don't think I sleep anymore...............

That is why I am not here as much as I want to be..............   LOL 

So really Planner you are not up to much, what are you doing to keep busy

Our Rottie who is now 8+ years old (showing signs of getting old) is actually losing weight at his age and now tips the scales at about 135 pounds and not an inch of fat on him.

Bob K

And in my spare time I SLEEP and EAT..............   its getting bad Bob,  I  saw my dentist at the grocery store and she told me I look way too tired......LOL  I LOVE Dominican honesty......

Wow 135 pounds.  Zeuss aspires this.....

In his prime a year or two ago he was at 143 pounds.

Bob K

Wow that is one big dog.  How big are your others???

The small one is a  Havanese and tips the scales at about 14 pounds.  He is the barker and the Rottie is the bitter :

Bob K

For those on the north coast remember this next weekend is the Jazz festival with free concerts featuring Jazz artists from all over the US and Caribbean.
Thursday is in Puerto Plata
Friday in Sosua
Saturday and Sunday on the beach in cabaret.
Always a great time.

Bob K

Great  reminder Bob.   I went  a few years ago and have a great time.

Also we have  had some terrific rain showers the last couple of nights.  The lawns actually are spotted with green this morning

Bob K

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy for the rain.....  I am actually  chilly here in my office....

Chilly????? I thought is a country in South America ???

Bob K

Hahahahahahah you made my day Bob,  toooo funny.

Glad I could make your day.... Have a good one!

Bob K

Chilly is country in SA but it is spelled chile

Hi bob, I'm not familiar with this system enough to get around, so I will just leave a message here. I am the 76 year old man who found health insurance at ARS. if you would like to see the details on paper that I have just tell me where to set you. I live in costambar now

Which ARS?  What does the plan cover?  I will message you as well. I'd like much more details including price per month

also would like to see it.  Feel free to PM me any time, thank you.

Just send me a PM  here

Bob K

Sometimes I am amazed at how things work or in many cases don't work here.

I just got my Marabete done for both vehicles this morning.  Walked in to the La National bank here in Sosua.  Walked out 2 min later with both new stickers for the cars.  Amazing.  The teller is hooked via computer, put on her head set, talked to some one, put in my registration numbers, collected my fee and handed me my two stickers.  You can even do it online and they will deliver it to you.  However I am afraid of doing it this way as they cannot deliver mail or other bills why should I think they can deliver this.  Well worth my two minutes of time to make sure it gets done.

Now why cant the run the electric companies, phone companies, police (AMET, NP, and Cestur), water company....  With that kind efficiency ?????

Bob K

Bob K

Hey  good for you Bob.  We got ours  2 weeks ago.  Imagine the rush January 2 to 8 to get em done.....LOL

By then AMET will be handing out tickets.  Usually the last week to purchase them the lines are around the block

Bob K

Deadline is Jan 8th - they are hoping people will use Christmas pay money to purchase. But we all know that will get used up and by Jan 2 or 3 everyone is broke, Then the bitching will start about how they have to pay by Jan 8.... Like no one had  4 months notice....

Sounds like something I should learn about. Marabete?

Yup you get one every year and likely you will get it when you register the new vehicle!

Yes you will get a new one when you register your vehicle.  Then you will need to renew next year.  Depending on how old your vehicle is will dictate the cost.  Over I think it is 5 or 6 years is $1200 pesos and newer is $2400 I believe.  Both our cars are way over the "new" car limit so $1200 for each.

I wish your PM was working.  Are you going to be around town tomorrow?  Maybe we can meet in the afternoon.

Bob K

No we fly into puerto plata the afternoon of the 15th November.  Sorry for the confusion.

Wish my pm was working as well

Ok you have some time then.  We can meet up when you get here and I am sure I will be able to PM you before then as well.

Bob K

My life has gotten a bit crazier.  While I am frantically pulling things together work wise (a whole other post let me tell you)  I have had a new addition to the family.

I  have  2  -  5 month old rottweilers who are the coolest damn dogs.  Zeuss now tips the scale at  45 pounds and Lupita is 40 pounds. Vet just told us to give them more food........hahahahaha.  They kinda live in 2 places - here most of the day and at our other site at least every other night.  The other site is HUGE and they come back from any visit totally exhausted.

Wednesday evening we added the newest member, Kuka. She is about a 4 or 5 month old small local parrot. She is hysterical. Imagine the dogs reactions - tails wagging intently focused on whatever she is doing!   They have gotten very close to her and she is not the least bit scared of them. Yup she can fly. When she does the dogs go crazy.... its hysterical.

Her favorite place to be - on top of my head. But she will fly to just about anyone's head if they are close by.   All the people through here during the day are a suitable place for her to land.....  play with your hair,  headband, earrings ponytail, etc etc.  And she loves men with short short hair.....LOL 

She says her name and pretty soon she will learn  Hola, and then English - shit......LOL

As I type she is on my head wrecking my newly blow dried style.......  What a fun addition.....

hi Darlene. which ARS I don't know but on an envelope is also APS. There are 2 phone #'s, 809-616-1504 and 809-540-7270. as far as the policy details you should talk to them. I pay about $47/mo and must pay 6 months up front. there is a limit of 250000/per year/case. also includes dental but no details, probably only fillings and cleaning, can't see it to include crowns for that price. they only ask a few questions and away you go. received my card in less than 2 weeks. you pay and when the card comes to their office you get a call. best you call them and I would like to hear your comments for what you learn, thanks

I am on this and will report back what I find out!  Thanks Michael

Darlene thanks I would be interested to hear what you find out as well.

Bob K

Ok new topic.  I just got, charged and am wearing my first FitBit activity monitor.  Now remember I have not worn a watch on my wrist for over 15 years now.   BUT  I am already addicted to this thing.  It monitors, my steps, stairs, activity, calories burned, distance traveled, heart rate, and sleep patterns... and OH YES it tells time.

Amazing little bugger.

Bob K

On top of the Marabete experience today we went to the consular (US)  office in Puerto Plata to renew our passports.  We had all the paper work in order and money in hand.  Well the process took about 5 min and we were done. The passports will be hand delivered to us in 3 weeks at our home..... Amazing!

Bob K

A story about chocolate:

Two years ago we were Switzerland and found the best tasting chocolate and it was from the DR.   It was produced here for export only and you cannot buy here in the DR.  So we actually brought some home with us and gave them to folks here.  They were amazed.

So this past summer when in Budapest for a vacation we found the most wonderful Belgium chocolate wafers.  They were shaped like Pringles potato chips and were just amazing.  I think it is the best chocolate I have ever eaten.  We looked high and low for again on our two week trek through various countries and could not find it again. 
So today while shopping in Price Mart guess what we found…. Yep the Belgium chocolate wafers. OMG were they good.

So you have to travel to Europe to get the Best Dominican Chocolate and then live here in the DR to get the best Belgium chocolate… Does anyone else think this is funny

Bob K

Well Bob, you didn't mention the price.
That is probably why you can't buy it here.
So, exactly where and by whom is it made?

OK Kids will be in POP the 27 thru the 30 for the Luna de Miel. Hope to see a few of you. I will keep in touch. Might shoot back over to POP for a few days after the first also. Got a hunch I might be on a chocolate hunt. Got a good lead on some chocolate. hehehe,,,, oh riighht, LOL