On making things work
13/02/11 14:16
I just finished shooting the third season of SOUTHLAND for TNT, now I have a couple of months off before I begin my next project, DEXTER for Showtime, starting at the end of May. This will give me enough time to plan my next trip to Costa Rica and our next home improvement to the bungalow.
Our carpenter in Jaco, CR just submitted a quote for a drop leaf table my wife designed. It is a glorified picnic table that will live outside on our deck. It will be made out of teak, 40"x80" and it is designed to fold into a narrow little 16"x80" unit when the leaves are dropped so it doesn't eat up all of our deck space. We will eat most of our meals on the deck, the tropical weather makes outdoor eating very pleasurable. And for this pleasure, the carpenter wants $1000! I think it is time to return to the drawing board, or get a ready made much smaller table!
The next project for the bungalow will be to eliminate our front door and replace it with a sliding glass pocket door that will be 6' wide.
This will invite a free flow of traffic from the living room inside to the living area of the deck outside, essentially extending our living area. It will be very cool that indoor , outdoor free flow of living space. I am waiting for our contractor to give me a quote on this project and I would love to get started in March, when I plan on being there. If this goes successfully we will add a pocket door to our bedroom as well, giving us private access to our wraparound side deck, while we're at it a porch swing would be nice.
In the meantime, our little community of US expats at Hermosa Bungalows is trying to get separate title for each of our bungalows and the plot they sit on. Although this sounds straight forward, it is anything but! Lawyers, surveyors, municipal engineers, tax authority, real estate registry and the building permit office all are involved. So, I can't legally build beyond the foot print of my bungalow until this plot survey is resolved! Until then all the land in the development is considered community property, even the landscaped flowers beds surrounding our house, bummer!!
So for now, my plans to add 250 square ft, which would include a second badthroom, office and enormous closet storage, will have to be delayed. I want to do this by the book, all legal with permits, so I hope our development and HOA can resolve this issue swiftly!
I guess this is all a part of the drama of living in paradise, paradise has its own unique set of rules and time table...Pura Vida!
As soon as my wife draws up the concept for the pocket slider door with exterior shutters, I will either post it or take a photo of the finished product...which ever comes first.
Now of course, all of this costs money. Fortunately I will be eligible to draw on my pension in 7 days. Yes I will be 60, and I will take a lump sum, this will give me instant financing to pay for these improvements(yippy!). If all goes well, by the end of this year(2011) I will be able to remain in Costa Rica for extended periods like 6 weeks to a couple of months. I will sort of be easing my family transition to expat status...baby steps. However,
I still intend to work on shows that I want to do, which will just help finance this expat paradise project. Although I am aiming for full retirement and total expat status in the next 2 to 3 years...let's see what happens!
Our carpenter in Jaco, CR just submitted a quote for a drop leaf table my wife designed. It is a glorified picnic table that will live outside on our deck. It will be made out of teak, 40"x80" and it is designed to fold into a narrow little 16"x80" unit when the leaves are dropped so it doesn't eat up all of our deck space. We will eat most of our meals on the deck, the tropical weather makes outdoor eating very pleasurable. And for this pleasure, the carpenter wants $1000! I think it is time to return to the drawing board, or get a ready made much smaller table!
The next project for the bungalow will be to eliminate our front door and replace it with a sliding glass pocket door that will be 6' wide.
This will invite a free flow of traffic from the living room inside to the living area of the deck outside, essentially extending our living area. It will be very cool that indoor , outdoor free flow of living space. I am waiting for our contractor to give me a quote on this project and I would love to get started in March, when I plan on being there. If this goes successfully we will add a pocket door to our bedroom as well, giving us private access to our wraparound side deck, while we're at it a porch swing would be nice.
In the meantime, our little community of US expats at Hermosa Bungalows is trying to get separate title for each of our bungalows and the plot they sit on. Although this sounds straight forward, it is anything but! Lawyers, surveyors, municipal engineers, tax authority, real estate registry and the building permit office all are involved. So, I can't legally build beyond the foot print of my bungalow until this plot survey is resolved! Until then all the land in the development is considered community property, even the landscaped flowers beds surrounding our house, bummer!!
So for now, my plans to add 250 square ft, which would include a second badthroom, office and enormous closet storage, will have to be delayed. I want to do this by the book, all legal with permits, so I hope our development and HOA can resolve this issue swiftly!
I guess this is all a part of the drama of living in paradise, paradise has its own unique set of rules and time table...Pura Vida!
As soon as my wife draws up the concept for the pocket slider door with exterior shutters, I will either post it or take a photo of the finished product...which ever comes first.
Now of course, all of this costs money. Fortunately I will be eligible to draw on my pension in 7 days. Yes I will be 60, and I will take a lump sum, this will give me instant financing to pay for these improvements(yippy!). If all goes well, by the end of this year(2011) I will be able to remain in Costa Rica for extended periods like 6 weeks to a couple of months. I will sort of be easing my family transition to expat status...baby steps. However,
I still intend to work on shows that I want to do, which will just help finance this expat paradise project. Although I am aiming for full retirement and total expat status in the next 2 to 3 years...let's see what happens!
In the Beginning...
02/01/11 22:06
After 38 years in the movie business, my mind begins to wonder for simple things, simple like becoming an expat in paradise! A cool tropical drink in hand, the warm caressing waters of the pacific and a temperature that never drops below 70 degrees(f), now that's what I'm talking about! In order to accomplish this, I have to begin the transition from contributing member to society to carefree self directed retiree...but not quite yet.
We have 3 sons, all in college, for at least 2 more years, so in effect a self imposed deadline has been set for my wife & I to make this happen. The good news: we have a lovely little beachside bungalow in Costa Rica, the bad news: beach environment is murder on a home, much like the endless maintenance of a boat(we've got one of those too, my advice, don't, it truly is a pit you throw money into, constantly)the salt air environment, heat and humidity deteriorates everything rapidly, it is astonishing, but the price for paradise.
So, my challenge is to continue to work for the next 2 years(in todays economy the current status symbol is no longer a BMW, it now is a paycheck!!), sell my boat(someone buy it please!!!), get our boys through college, downsize from our 5 bedroom house(underwater like everyone else)to a 2 bedroom condo,renovate our bungalow in CR to a comfortable standard, and start practicing living on a fixed income. Yeah, I didn't say this was going to be easy, but I am passionate about living in Costa Rica and I love a challenge! It is my hope that this little journey will be as interesting to you as it is to me, the transition from full time working person to man of leisure can be frought with obstacles, however in the end I will end up relocating to CR. The journey has already begun by the purchase of a bungalow in Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Punteraenas, Costa Rica...where the Jungle meets the sea(well at least by the alemondra tree). OOps gotta go, I have to get ready for home honey-dos.
We have 3 sons, all in college, for at least 2 more years, so in effect a self imposed deadline has been set for my wife & I to make this happen. The good news: we have a lovely little beachside bungalow in Costa Rica, the bad news: beach environment is murder on a home, much like the endless maintenance of a boat(we've got one of those too, my advice, don't, it truly is a pit you throw money into, constantly)the salt air environment, heat and humidity deteriorates everything rapidly, it is astonishing, but the price for paradise.
So, my challenge is to continue to work for the next 2 years(in todays economy the current status symbol is no longer a BMW, it now is a paycheck!!), sell my boat(someone buy it please!!!), get our boys through college, downsize from our 5 bedroom house(underwater like everyone else)to a 2 bedroom condo,renovate our bungalow in CR to a comfortable standard, and start practicing living on a fixed income. Yeah, I didn't say this was going to be easy, but I am passionate about living in Costa Rica and I love a challenge! It is my hope that this little journey will be as interesting to you as it is to me, the transition from full time working person to man of leisure can be frought with obstacles, however in the end I will end up relocating to CR. The journey has already begun by the purchase of a bungalow in Playa Hermosa, Jaco, Punteraenas, Costa Rica...where the Jungle meets the sea(well at least by the alemondra tree). OOps gotta go, I have to get ready for home honey-dos.