Friday at last! Wait, I should have a topic for today. I did had a topic for today... I just don't remember where did I place it. So let's just ramble again! It's like journaling-day! Let's dump a lot of little daily non-senses and too peculiar and partilular things, from which no major philosophical break through can come. First thing I think about is "I'll go straight home, straight to bed and sleep until tomorrow". Not that I'm sleepy now, mind you, but the sole idea of being able to go home and sleep until I wake up by myself, and not to an alarm clock, makes me want to make the most of this sleeping.

The New Moon is coming as well, and with it the end of a List of 13 and the begining of a new one. Well, this list will come to its end with lots of holes. Not all my plans were achieved, not all the tasks were fulfilled, and as I look at them I can certainly see through these cracks the change in my life, as I settle back into the old Costa Rican and public employee rhythm. Some points were achieved, but many that are fun, many that I specifically love and enjoy couldn't go through. For some "weekly" tasks - and here I'm bitterly pointing at the demure task of "going to the movies once a week", when back in Hungary I had it to "going to the movies AT LEAST twice a week" - things couldn't be managed without them losing their most important component: being fun. I am certainly NOT going to the movies to watch the same movie week after week to comply with a list, while not liking the movie that much. Do I really don't have the time anymore to do these things, or are they not reasonable given the particular conditions of this country? Not like I added "go skying" when I'm in the middle of Hawaii, but ofthen what you take for granted, what you consider to be the basic milestone of civilization (such as regular movie premiers every Thursday) just isn't so.

Others were doable, but I didn't feel in the right state of mind to follow them through. One of these was reading indexed articles. I love them, I really do, but I've realized that I allow my job to engulf me so thoroughly, that any academical material escapes me. I shouldn't let that happen, so I'll have to work out a system to make this work. Now that I'm reaching the end, will I move the unfinished tasks to the next list? That seems like much of an easy move, and this shouldn't be the point of the List of 13, so after I've slept myself to absolute satisfaction, or maybe before, while checking some of the videos I rented to make up for the movie fiasco, I'll think about them, think why they didn't go through and whether I should pursue them, and if I do, what should be the best way to make sure I keep enjoying them while not making my life into a battle between Must and Fun.

Today is my boyfriend's boyfriend. Called him, and found out that I was the first one in calling him up. Dude, that was at nearly 7 pm, Hungarian time! Something must be done about this in the future. I owe him something pretty for his birthday, but I'm sure he will pick something nice and charge it to my card. ^_^ If not, thanks Hyne I'm already looking up for Plan B. I'm just kind of girlfriend. ^_^ And totally love him, by the way! So he better picks something truly fabulous.

Yesterday, on the other hand, was my friend Al's birthday. As gift I thought up a mini-spa experience at L'Occitane, where they made her a facial with Immortelle. I have had a couple of facials in my life, but the one they give you at L'Occitane (available only at one of the stores, to my knowledge, as not all stores are equiped the same) is by far the best. She has had lots of worries for a while now, so what better than giving her a space to clear out her mind and feel pampered? It would have been fabulous to make it a surprise, but since I had to make an appointment for her, I had to tell her about it (and also find out if she objects, as some people might have a skin condition and can't just use anything on their faces). She told me that she's never had one, and so was tremendously excited to lose her facial-spa-virginity. The girls at the mini-spa were simply adorable, fabulous and great, and the products - though admitedly they test on animals (oh riiight! that's what I wanted to blog about! Oh well, some other time) - felt incredible. Al got to experience Immortelle, and when she got off the spa bed, she looked down right luminiscent.

Great product, great experience, good relax... what every woman needs and deserves. As quietly as I could - though I must admit I failed terribly here at making it imperceptible, I still must work on my "passing information spy-mode" skills - I've got her part of her treatment - the bare necessities for daily life - so this wouldn't be a once in a lifetime experience, but one that she can easily and comfortably relive (even if just partly) day after day. She was happy and that made me happy too.

Today, aside from being Kari's birthday, is our pre-Independence day, noted by all sorts of civic activities at the main squares of major cities, with a lantern procession. In it children from local schools walk around a given route around the city center with lots of paper made lanterns lit with candles (or at least in my time they were all lit with candles, which was fun because there was always a couple that set on fire ^_^), after having sang our National Anthem exactly at 6 pm. At this time the Torch of Independence is supposed to arrive to San José - the capital city - which is carried by a high school athlete, who comes running from the previous  city where the Torch has stopped at lit the local Torch, which remains in that city, guarded by an honor guard again composed by high school students.

Tomorrow is Independence day, but that... belongs to another post.

Blessed be All!