griffco

Our builder installed granite is horrible and we want to change it. We live in San Ramon and are looking for a good supplier--probably of quartz--though stainless steel or even copper or butcher block is an option. Anyone can help? Thanks.

Many companies now send your slips through email or post on line to your account. I have had ours done this way for several years--and as I file online the slips aren't required.

HP printers allow you to have your printer's id changed so it will use CR print cartridges---check with them. Don't know about other brands.

We live here 1/2 the year and in Canada 1/2. We have one income and it also has to pay the tax in Canada, so while I object to paying the tax on our corporation, I still do it. We didn't originally have a corporation--we bought our land in our own names--but when it was time to change the power from the builder to our names, ICE wouldn't do it without a corporation. So we paid yet again to transfer it to a corporation. If ICE would let us have the power in our names, it would have been different.

Thanks for the replies. We did pay it last year but it wasn't due until April. We, too, had hoped it would be repealed but didn't want to wait. Still its a lot cheaper than taxes in Canada

Can anyone tell me if the Corporation Tax that sort of started last January is still in effect? I know that even our lawyer didn't pay it as he thought it would be repealed or cancelled??? We did pay it and wondered if anyone really knows more about it? And the amount for 2013? And when it has to be paid by?

We live just outside San Ramon. We installed a solar hot water system in February 2012 and have not had to use the electric on demand since. Even in the wet season the water stayed at a low of 45 degrees Celsius--which was not HOT for a shower but definitely fine. In the more sunny months, the water will boil in the collectors. We are more than happy with the system. Solar is our preferred way to go here and the water is much hotter than the under sink electric demand system that we were using. We have had no problems with up to 6 people using the shower. Re tankless, we bought from EPA a German system and took it back to Canada to install under the kitchen sink which is a long way from our HW tank, and it is working great.

Roman shades....Just about any shop making curtains (cortinas) can make roman shades. Helps if you have a photo, if your Spanish is a bit limited. Just make sure you have the exact measurements you need. Also, there are instructions and patterns available in the US and Canada if you are handy with a sewing machine...

Well, we sure like the internet radio - for several reasons: if you are concerned about leaving a computer connected to the 'net for long periods, this eliminates that. The radio only pickups internet radio URLs, there are about 10,000 stations available, choosable by genre, location or several other means, using a small remote. Much easier than doing it on a computer screen, it also pickups about 6 FM stations where we live in San Ramon - unfortunately not the bests ones in CR, though. the advantage of internet radio over CDs, MP3s, etc, is that you get real information in real time. Information about the music played, local info (perhaps your home town), or learn more about what is happening in the rest of the world. True, we didn't really want to know it was minus 26 back home just as we're getting ready to leave here! Then again, you could tune in a New Zealand station and get first hand information on their disaster - if you are inclined to. I don't know where some of the prices quoted come from - we used Amazon.ca (yes, Canada) and the Aluratek is $116 (Canadian Dollars). True there is the Sanyo at $249, but others down to $70. Being free standing, it lives in the living room, the computers reside in a different room. With the ADSL we just got installed by ICE, the system can handle 2 computers plus the internet radio with out any lag or lapses in the reception. True, our model of Aluratek does not have stereo speakers, but has RCA plugs to feed stereo systems. Also has a clock, and FM radio, MP3 socket. I'm not a salesman for Aluratek, or any other internet radio - but someone did ask why we liked it, and wanted to know more about it. cheers

I read all the comments on internet radio, telephone lines and internet and smile. We had our wireless internet provider fold his tent in the night and disappear and literally leave us high and dry. No other provider was able to either reach us by line of sight or were expensive. We had been told by ICE there were no phone lines here, but our neighbours got one after 6 months, so my husband went back to ICE and were told that there was a number for us. It took a couple of weeks and several visits to ICE to work out what was needed--a copy of passport and a cedula juridica copy less than 30 days old for the company. That done, within 2 weeks we had the phone line in and a week after that ICE came and hooked up ADSL. That is FANTASTIC, probably even better than our previous supplier for speed and a lot cheaper. So we are setup again. So Internet Radio....Our friends from Australia always use internet radio but in Canada we had never heard of it. But we went on line and found a unit on Amazon and brought it with us. This is a wonderful FM/Internet radio which is totally wireless and works off our router but as I said it is wirelss. So the router is with the computers and the radio in the living room. We use Aluratek--about $100--and love it. No problems with the IP address being here and the reception is great. We like the free standing unit as we don't have to have the computers on all the time. Thrilled when the internet went back on so I could have my radio back again. (We don't have TV) Mind you, now that I know what the weather is like back in Alberta, maybe we were better without it....hmmmm.

After reading all the posts on this plant and seeing your photo, I would suggest that you picked what we know as elephant taro. It is related to the edible taro plant, but isn't edible. We encountered it in New Guinea and the leaves are exactly the way you described and the results of touching the sap just as you described. We speak from the experience of being new in New Guinea and using the leaves as a fancy dress ball as Adam and Eve! Luckily, we noticed the sap and wrapped the stems in foil so avoided the pain. Not that knowing what it is now will help, but if you are careful, in an emergency it does make a great umberella.

A new post to thank everyone who replied about what could be in our roof sounding huge. Well, it wasn't a rat, a bear a snake or an iguana. Contrary to what all the neighbours \9Tico) told us about squirrels not liking houses, this was a squirrel--an ardilla! We saw it a couple of mornings ago trying to take nesting material in. We now have the eletric charger on the top wire of the fence and almost by luck, my husband saw the squirrel sneak out under the ridge cap of the house, run down the roof to the gutter, along the gutter and jump onto the fence. When it touched the wire it was like a cartoon, hair on end three summersaults and hit the ground running. It didn't come back last night, so perhaps we are squirrel free! Finally. And again thanks for your help.

Thanks for the advise, but a boa it isn't --unless Cr ones have claws! And as our tires are fine and the lawn is still in one piece, I suspect it isn't the rata version, either, but thanks for the help.

We have something in our roof that runs around usually in the early morning and sometimes late afternoon or early evening. It sounds huge. We have a tablilla type ceiling with foil insulation above and then a space and the metal roof. My husband removed some of the metal and can see no signs of anything except a few mouse droppings. We put up bananas and nothing was eaten. We set up mouse traps and they haven't been sprung. We are baffled, there were some metal screws left there and have heard it playing with them occasionally but we have no idea what it is. Neighbours said it might be a zorrici (small fruit eating possum) or a rice rat but what they eat should have had it at the bananas or cheese. The stupid thing has just found a quiet place to sleep, by the sound of things as all is quiet again. Does anyone have any ideas? Or if not, the name of an exterminator in San Ramon? Thanks.

Hi Richard, We use Dentavac in Escazu/Santa Ana. Cleaning is $60, crowns between 275 and 375 depending on what type. They have an online site with prices. We have found them good.