GIRLY CAR SOUNDS

Costa Rica Cost Of Living Update: Price to fix the cheap alternator I bragged about on another post-to be determined

We are bringing in the car today. Since we had the alternator repaired, it makes a “weeeeeeee” sound everywhere we go. I don’t particularly want to get it fixed since it is a rather pleasant way to drive around. I feel like sticking my head out of the window it makes me so happy.

But alas, the man in the house says this is no good…we will break down. I think he is embarrassed by the sound, if it went “clank clank” or something equally as manly, we would probably be driving it around for the next 10 months.

This trip, I will insist on going to the mechanic in the daylight—you never know when a bay pit will sneak up on you. (If you are reading this my dear husband, I will be bringing that up for a long…long time. Wives have an incredible memory for the dopey things their husbands do.)

By | 2018-04-15T18:19:34-04:00 January 7th, 2012|Categories: Car|Tags: , |23 Comments

About the Author:

Nadine is the author of the best-selling series, Happier Than A Billionaire. Join her as she navigates living as an expat in the sometimes confusing, always beautiful, country of Costa Rica.

23 Comments

  1. […] of house maintenance, as we can (cleaning, gardening, and preparing for our guests). We still own our red 1998 Mitsubishi, and the good news is that the parts are not glued on anymore. The bad news is that they have all […]

  2. Jan Fischer` January 11, 2012 at 6:45 pm - Reply

    Just finished your book and really enjoyed! We are plan to retire down there in the next 2-4 years. Can you tell me if you had a hard time getting all your paper work together to get your pensionardo so you can stay? I read in your book about you getting it done while there. I have read on a lot of sites to get it done here…Is it easier to do it in the States or just as easy to do it there? One would have to go there sooner or later to get it finished I do believe. Thank you.

    • admin January 13, 2012 at 9:19 am - Reply

      Paperwork for residency was rough. You have to get the papers required notarized, then further authenticated at your secretary of state. Once all that is done, it need to go to your closest Costa Rican consulate.

      You really need to be in the states to do this, plus, it is all time sensitive, I believe the police report is only good for three months so it needs to be in immigration hands by then. If you can get this done by the time you come to Costa Rica, and a lawyer can at least submit the paperwork, you may be able to get your letter that it is pending. That will prevent you from having to leave the country every 90 days until it finally gets done. For us it took about a year.

      I’m glad I did it, but I’m also glad I did those visa runs at the beginning. Some of my best memories with my husband are going to Panama and Nicaragua. It was all so exciting and I’m not sure we would have done it if I didn’t have to get out of the country.

      • Jan Fischer` January 14, 2012 at 9:19 pm - Reply

        Thank you for the information very helpful

        • admin January 15, 2012 at 8:22 pm - Reply

          You are very welcome, I’m always here to help!

  3. Nadine January 10, 2012 at 10:02 am - Reply

    Giiiiiiirl, car troubles & men’s vehicular arrogance has me contemplating just doing the oil changes myself from now on. That horrible grinding noise in our car? Not the alternator… funny story how cars like to have oil in them. So peculiar.

    • admin January 11, 2012 at 12:48 pm - Reply

      Oil…is that really necessary? Do I really have to wipe off the long metal thing? It’s smelly and gets my hands dirty. Jiffy Lube was my best friend!

  4. Tom Duffy January 10, 2012 at 1:21 am - Reply

    So Nadine, that’s YOU in those commercials. I thought it was you when I saw the one where you were zip lining, what a cute little piggie !!

    • admin January 13, 2012 at 10:57 am - Reply

      Did the pinwheels give it away? This is pretty much how happy I have been since quitting my job. A big stinkin’ smile from ear to ear!

  5. Brett January 7, 2012 at 11:32 pm - Reply

    I slashed soy sauce (one friggin drop) on my wife 15 years ago. I am still reminded of it. Oh the misery us husbands must suffer.

    • admin January 8, 2012 at 11:20 am - Reply

      Yes…husbands do suffer from the wrath of our incredible memory. But we use these skills to find the mustard in the refrigerator for you.

      I’m sure I’m speaking for all women across the globe…for the love of God, just push things to the side and you will find the mustard.

  6. Annie Summer January 7, 2012 at 6:35 pm - Reply

    You’re great. You make me smile big.

    • admin January 8, 2012 at 11:14 am - Reply

      You made me smile by writing that comment!

  7. Mike Ferguson January 7, 2012 at 4:38 pm - Reply

    Isn’t there a local chapter of P.E.T.H. [People for the Ethical Treatment of Husbands] anywhere in Costa Rica? Your repeated cruel and cynical abuse of HIM re. his unfortunate predicament in the grease-pit should be reported to them immediately, and he deserves a public apology online just as quickly!

    Consider this notice of my boycott of your site; I refuse to read it again … until your next posting!

    Thanks again for the grins.

    • admin January 8, 2012 at 11:13 am - Reply

      Fortunately for me, P.E.T.H. has no chapter in Costa Rica. Unfortunately for Rob, his wife has a file in her brain labeled “stupid things my husband does”. This file is getting crowded, especially since moving to Costa Rica.

      As all husbands know, each grievance has a timer on it—when it dings, it must be presented in a heated argument. There does not need to be any real correlation, the wrongdoing just gets shot out like a paintball. My husband appears to have some sort of immunity to these attacks…but I’ll keep trying.

  8. Bill Senger January 7, 2012 at 3:12 pm - Reply

    Your fan/alternator belt is slipping. Loosen the bolt that controls tension on the belt (should be a slotted bracket on top, just behind the radiator), pull on the alternator to increase tension, tighten bolt. Done. Go to beach and enjoy a céviche and beer with the money you’ve saved.

    • admin January 8, 2012 at 11:02 am - Reply

      Thanks, I will definitely share that info!

  9. Ed Barber January 7, 2012 at 11:08 am - Reply

    Please let us apply logic to this situation. Your humor is marvelous, as usual, and “clank, clank,” or “grinnnnnd, pop, snort, and phuuuitf,” ARE far more manly than “weeeeeeee” or the higher-pitched “eeeeeeeee,” but doesn’t “your husband,” (yes, I know his name well, but I agree when gigging, third person references are better. Or at least it helps the giggor feel less guilty about abuse of the giggee.) know that the “weeeeeeee” sound is made “all the way home?” Does that not mean that you will get to one’s goal of getting back home? On the other hand you two are hardly two of five pigs, and indeed not even two of two pigs. If we took the five pigs and their actions as that elusive thing called, “TRUTH,” then we would have to assume that one of you (them) “went to market.” And that one of you (them) “stayed home.” Either different actions of the aforementioned pigs, or new pigs introduced to us would, in turn, result in one (or a third one) having “roast beef,” and the other new pig on the scene (or the second of our original two pigs [try to follow me here]) “would have none.” Which, given the evil of “bad” cholesterol might not be the rather sad situation implied. What if, while the arteries of the roast beef-eating pig were in the process of SLAMMING shut, (which is curious to even be concerned about, since pigs are a roundish wad of congealed, harmful cholesterol on four feet), the pig who had the “none” of roast beef was enjoying a delicious setting of healthy, luscious, juicy, run-down-your-chin, and – who gives a darn anyway because it’s sooooo darn good – tropical fruit. It’s obvious that the original “none” referred to only “roast beef.” It implies, but does not mean as is commonly thought, that this pig, by having no roast beef was suffering in any way. Fallacious logic: “Tom has red hair. Some people with red hair have hot tempers. Therefore, Tom has a hot temper.” But it seems that it is the last little pig that is the true object of this discussion to begin with. Thus, the pig was not only headed home, but it is implied by “ALL (my emphasis) the way home.” shows that he or she reached there. Otherwise, how would the speaker have any idea (other than a illogical assumption) that the aforementioned pig ever reached home? Maybe he or she had a tryst along the way and was interrupted from weeeeeeeeing all the way home. (There may have been some “weeeeeeeeing” involved, but not from traveling home. Or perhaps he or she stopped off for a quick drink with the girls from the office, or he dropped by Duffy’s Tavern for a quick one with his buddies from their fantasy (dare I say it?) pigskin teams. (Yes, I dared.) There could have been a thousand and one reasons why he or she did not make it all the way home still yelling, “weeeeeeee,” but the fact is that the speaker said, “all.” not “almost” nails home
    the fact that it was the sound made all the way to that most wonderful destination, “home.” Therefore, by the simply stated and easily followed, short and pure reasoning, it is proved that to get safely home, one must cry, “weeeeeeee” all the way. The sticking one’s head out the window to catch the cool breeze in the face and through one’s hair while waving a drooling tongue lapping up tens of thousands of exotic smells, is completely up to the pig…er, person. I thank you.

    • admin January 8, 2012 at 11:02 am - Reply

      You are absolutely right Ed— I should base more of my decisions on nursery rhymes. Considering some of my past choices include hiking into a bat cave that was home to a crocodile, nursery rhymes appear to be a better source of advice.

      • Ed Barber January 12, 2012 at 2:06 pm - Reply

        Oh, yes. In fact perhaps you could create a children’s book with little adventures of various famous nursery rhymes retold with with a Costa Rican slant. Why not five little Iguanas? Or Humpty Dumpty as a turtle egg? Just try to stay away from “fairy tales,” for in their originalities, they really can be very frightening to kiddies. The Brothers Grimm were rightly named. LOL, PPFMMLF *please see private message.

        • admin January 13, 2012 at 9:21 am - Reply

          Brothers Grimm, the scariest thing for children. I remember my mother once bought the original fairy tales, and what I read scared the hell out of me. Throwing kids in ovens, getting eaten by giants, what in the world?

  10. Michael Staton January 7, 2012 at 9:27 am - Reply

    Too bad you’re bringing the vehicle in today. The “weeeeee” sound the alternator makes sounds like the perfect opportunity to call NPR’s Car Talk brothers. They’d probably be tickled to learn you’re calling from Costa Rica. Oh well…

    • admin January 7, 2012 at 10:15 am - Reply

      Great idea! I’ll try to convince my husband to hold off. I just called them and left my info. Hopefully I’ll be on the show!!!

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