California 2 Puerto Rico

I am going to drive to San Juan today to try to track down some epoxy mortar so we can start laying the marble in the kitchen and bathroom. This is really slowing us down (at least two weeks now) otherwise I would not be driving out there. San Juan is a pretty big city and very confusing to get around in.

The place that carries the product we need is right across from the Mercedes Benz dealership by the airport. Easy enough right? All I have to do is find the Mercedes Benz dealership in San Juan and I am there! Wrong Answer! The Mercedes Benz dealership in San Juan doesn’t have a website, I can’t find them listed anywhere and because Dal Tile isn’t listed online or in the phone book either, I will be flying blind…which is not easy when your native language is English…and everyone you will ask for direction speaks Spanish.

Oh well, hopefully I’ll get it done and it will just be a day of driving. hmmmm…will the transmission get me there and back? Better to test it out now than when we are on a tight schedule on the way to the airport or something.

WAIT! Marble and Mortar Update:

I am pulling an audible! I found the telephone number for Dal Tile in San Juan and that don’t have any Jamo Products in stock. They told me that the mortar they recommend for Marble Tile is called UltraFlex 1. The only warning it gives, is not to use it on Green Marble or Green Granite. This could mean that we are getting this show back on the road today (since I will only have to drive to Mayaguez Home Depot), but we’ll see. I am not holding my breath. Here is some more information I found online about UltraFlex 1 Mortar

Popularity: 15% [?]

Stefan and I just got back from a mega shopping expedition and there was a delivery attempt notice from UPS stuck on our front door. That may not sound like a big deal, but our physical address (Carr. 414 Km 0.5, Sector Vargas, Rincon PR 00677) is also the exact same address for EVERYONE in our neighborhood. So essentually, the UPS guy has to roll into the neighborhood and just ask around for Summer Hogan or Stefan Rest. That’s so awesome…haha.

Popularity: 21% [?]

I have been waiting quite a while to say this…Summer and I now have high speed Internet access in Rincon! After an aggravating day of broken automated message systems and 27 minute waits with PRT (Puerto Rico Telephone), I tracked down our DSL Modem this morning through the company that PRT hires to do all of their shipping; Island Wide Shipping.

The story they (Island Wide Shipping) is that they have been trying to deliver the package everyday since they received it (except Sunday) which was on the seventh of September. There is no way that is possible. Jerry and I have bee here building the rock wall non-stop for the past two weeks. My opinion is that Island Wide Shipping is just a bunch of slackers that scored a big corporate account like Puerto Rico Telephone and do a mediocre job at best because that is all that is expected of them. When I called them to try to track down the package yesterday, I was sent into a circulating voice message saying to “hold for an operator” every 2 minutes. After about 40 minutes on the automated machine last night a Spanish speaking operator came on (even though I pressed “2″ for English) and as soon as she heard my english/american accent she shot me back into the circulating automated messaging machine to wait for an English speaking operator. I gave up 25 minutes later…cursing. Over an hour on the phone with the frickin’ automated message with nothing accomplished…I was going nuts. I waited another 30 minutes on hold this morning before i got an operator on, tracked down my package, got directions to the facility in Mayaguez (South on the No. 2 and take a left at the light after the Holiday Inn Casino and then the second left into the office park…you’ll see a sign outside) and went and picked up our modem.

I brought it back to the house hooked it up and am stoked on the quality and speed of our service. Check out our upload and download times;

You can test your Internet Speed with SpeakEasy.com

For Caribbean Island living, the download speed is pretty good and the upload speed ain’t that bad either. I am stoked…my productivity is about to explode. It has been tough to get motivated to go to work when you are running an Internet based business on a cable modem (Choice Cable) that has download speeds a little better than dial-up (it was 70k).

There’s no stopping me now

Popularity: 21% [?]

Yesterday I flew in to San Juan and met Stefan before he flew out to Oklahoma for business (yes, we do actually have jobs ;)…). After he left, I had to drive The Red Baron (also known as the Bulldozer) from San Juan to our house in Rincon. I was a bit nervous because I’ve never driven the Bronco before and I’ve never driven in Puerto Rico before, but I made it and I only almost crashed once.

Here is how to get from the San Juan Airport to Rincon:

As you exit the airport, you are going to stay to the right and get on the 26 Oeste (West), stay to the right and in about 5 miles, you are going to take the tunnel exit to get on the 22. You drive on the 22 for about 30 - 40 minutes and it turns into the 2, which at some points is a two lane highway with stop lights (it looks more like a main street then a highway). About 1 - 1.5 hours into your drive there is a huge stadium on the left of the freeway. After the stadium, at the bottom of the hill, you are going to turn right at the Esso gas station and the Walgreens. Make your 1st left at the stop sign. Follow the signs to the 115 and then follow the signs to Rincon, which will put you on the 413. The 413 will put you in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Total Distance: 92 miles

Driving Time: 1:45 - 2:00 hours

Popularity: 28% [?]