Being Thankful in Nosara and Nicoya

Jane's not arriving here til Sunday and not much turkey is being smoked, although I managed to fire up something. I took Charlie to the vet with my bbq mate Ryan and his dog. While in Nicoya needed to get my 97 Nissan Pathfinder through inspection. This is the first time I tried doing it myself. We waited in line under the sun with the AC on and the car overheated. I had some water and antifreeze I keep on hand for just such occasions, but I figured it wouldn't help my chances of passing the inspection for the inspectors to see me refilling the radiator next to a puddle of water. But then I couldn't get the engine started so one of the inspectors helped me push it to a start. At that point I had pretty much given up on getting through the inspection successfully and thought about just driving off in shame. However, there was no longer anyone in front of me and Ryan was off finding some grass for the dogs.
My spanish is still pretty crappy but the guy was going down his checklist and so far there wasn't anything obviously wrong.
This was shortlived, as they pointed to the missing passenger side outside mirror. Necessito? I asked, thinking that the extra mirror was optional and they might not care about it. That didn't work and I'm not experienced in bribing in those circumstances. Nobody had their hand out, but maybe I just wasn't looking that hard. Then we stumbled through a review of my options, which were to continued the rest of the testing and fail or to bail out with 30 days to return. I can handle more frustration so I continued through the test, which is more rigorous than the ones in DC. I didn't pass the emission and had a problem with a cracked rear taillight assembly. Fortunately the engine had cooled and would start again.
We're finally out of there and I head to a garage nearby where I've had work done before and they remember me and my fat wallet. I'm not expecting much, just to have him find a mirror and come back another day to have the engine checked out. The owner surprises me and says that in a couple of hours they should be able to fix it up so it will pass. That brightens my mood and one of his mechanics drives us to the vet on the other side of town. I had used this shop last year to get through the test and they know how to get cars through.
The vet says Charlie has fleas and is having some allergic reaction and gives him a steroid shot and me some advice on fighting them. We got a cab back and I'm told, or at least I think I'm being told, because its Spanish, that someone has driven the car back to the inspection station to get it through. In fact, the guy arrives just as a downpour is abating, and puts the new sticker on the windshield. But it turns out they have to take back the light assembly and return the broken one because they had borrowed it from another car in their shop. The mirror seemed to fit the car perfectly and I get to keep it.
So I have a lot to be thankful for today.

Pura Vida!
Fritz