2008 World Tour--Special events

You thought I was joking about that boring you with details thing the other day, didn’t you?  

Here’s more boring details.  A few of the more memorable occurrences during our traipse across the Southwestern United States.  In no particular order, I think.  

Swimming with old friends.  Really lovely.  Especially when joined by a swimming pug.  Who can beat that? (excuse the post-swim hair)

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Planetarium.  Cool Fractal film in the planetarium.  The boys were completely convinced that the planetarium floor was moving up and down during the film.  (It wasn’t)  The natural history of the personal computer was a surprising bonus that we wished we’d had more time to explore.  

Family barbecue with a city full of fireworks.  With a view to die for, we ate dogs, burgers, peach cobbler.  From the porch at my folks’ house we could see the fireworks in Rio Rancho, the Balloon Fiesta Park, Isotope Stadium, Four Hills, as well as random personal displays all over the city (these unsanctioned explosions risked $10,000 fines in a heightened fire-risk year).  Completely worth the trip.  And we fell right into bed when it was over.  

Road Tarantulas.  More than 20 of them, on the highway between Pecos, Texas and Artesia, New Mexico.  I think I squished a few of them, but only because, big as they were, I couldn’t see them until they were right in front of the van.  I have to think they were driven to cross the road by the thunderstorms since, our our rain-free return home I didn’t see a single one.  

Driving through the Jemez Mountains on a rainy July afternoon, peeing in the woods, collecting Ponderosa Pine cones for souvenir gifts.  Sweet fun, especially with three curious kids.  

Meeting a “Known Associate.”  Ok, we didn’t so much “meet” him as pass him and smile and say hello in a gas station.  The front of his t-shirt declared him a known associate.  Of what, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, but the back told me it was the Banditos.  There must have been some kind of biker theme on this trip.  Perhaps it’s the price of gas?  

Hand-crocheted Sonar covers.  We were surprised by a sneak-attack gift of handmade lap-blankets for the Sonars.  I say sneak-attack because they were left quietly, without immediate direct explanation because the maker feared the Sonars wouldn’t like them.  Little did she know that I have three of the most delicious craft-loving little people in the world.  Enthusiastically, they wrapped themselves in their wee love-creations as they watched fireworks under the cooling desert sky.  

Kilt-hose.  I might get to make some.  Maybe.  

Partner Sweater.  Cast on.  Did hood.  Started shoulders.  Two+ skeins worked so far.   

Check Engine Light.  We are assured that this is just a problem sensor, and nothing to worry about.  Unless it starts flashing, and then it’s bad.  But seriously.  No one wants to have the Check Engine light come on in the middle of a 2000 mile summer trip.  Especially when you’re as far from home as you can be.  

Albuquerque Aquarium and Botanical Gardens.  Part of the Rio Grande Biopark.  We did the zoo last year.  Go to see the mouthful of teeth on the Sand Tiger sharks and the model boats.  But seriously, do NOT miss the Children’s Fantasy Garden.  We were so pleasantly surprised by the dragon, and that would have been enough for us.  To turn and find the giant vegetables, well, that was just the best kind of icing on the delight cake.  What if we could all have a dragon and some giant carrots in our garden???  We will repeat this one next time for sure.  

Desert Sky Wind Farm outside Fort Stockton, Texas.  These gigantic wind turbines sort of appear suddenly, in the middle of a vast expanse of rolling desert nothingness.  They remind me of starched soldiers, marching across the ridgetops.  While unimposing in a way, they do help me understand how Don Quixote could mistake them for giant aggressors in need of conquest.  

And there was so much more.  We had such a grand and wonderful time and we can’t wait to do it all again next time.  

Culinary Escapades

Besides eating some very good food cooked right in the family homestead (Partner’s peach cobbler on the Fourth of July was very memorable and yummy), we also ate at several restaurants on our New Mexico voyage.  A note about method: when we travel, we try very hard to avoid places we can eat at home (i.e. chains and franchises), unless we just need to use the bathroom.  

I’ll alphabetize them—for no good reason other than it suits me just now.

Blake’s Lotaburger, Albuquerque.  So yes, ok, this is a chain but it’s not a chain we get at home.  This was pure fast-food nostalgia for us.  I had the Itsaburger, their mid-sized burger, with onion rings.  Really good stuff.  Just the right amount of greasy, raw onion, sharp mustard, crisp rings experience.  For those with an absurd appetite, you could get a triple Lotaburger.  Sonar X8 surprised us by ordering a chili dog, and eating the WHOLE THING!

Farley’s, Roswell, New Mexico.  Strikes me as a place that’s been around for a while, but recently got a facelift, a boob job, and liposuction.  It was shiny, and slick, and I bet they have live music regularly.  They had a great green chile cheeseburger.  The children’s menu disappointed—chicken fingers, burger, mac and cheese, pizza.  The food was good, and the children’s portions were huge for the chicken and pizza (and Sonar X8 again ate the WHOLE THING), but absurdly small for the mac and cheese (what’s up with that).  But we all went away happy.  

Isaaks, Junction, Texas.  This was our attempt to get off the highway on our way home.  Not easy with a tiny town very near to the middle of nowhere.  But we found this smoky little diner a mile or so off of I-10.  A solid place, with a fine selection of typical diner fare.  It could have been a little cleaner, and the teen waitress was clearly terrified of the wrinkled woman behind the grill, but the grilled ham and cheese sandwich with chips and the bottomless cup of coffee seemed somehow perfect on our weary trek home.  The ambiance was fascinating.  A wide array of dead animal heads supervises the dining room, and the front entrance has a display of knife and hunting gear in a glass case.  Good stuff.  

Little Anita’s Grill at Corrales Rd, Albuquerque.  Little Anita’s in Old Town Albuquerque is an institution.  This outlet out on the north side did not disappoint.  I had a shredded beef stuffed sopaipilla that was, so, so yummy.  The children’s menu was much more satisfying and challenging than we get in (too) many restaurants.  The children’s chicken enchilada was easily the best thing I tasted on the trip.  When we go back, we will save room for the cherry empanadas in the case next to the cash register.  

Los Ojos Bar, Jemez Springs, New Mexico.  I think we were the only people in this great little bar who did not arrive there on a hog.  And by that I mean a motorcycle of course.  Nestled up in the mountains, this little bar is a great surprise.  It was lunchtime and the bar was full.  We meandered through to a table in the back, where I was treated to super-good chicken enchiladas.  The vegetarian tamale consumed by Partner almost made me like tamales.  Almost.  The kids’ menu left a little to be desired, but the kids did get a little jello shot (alcohol free) with whipped cream at the end of the meal.  It rained in the middle of the meal (we were inside), which filled the restaurant with that truly delicious ozoney smell of rain that I associate with rain in the desert in the summer.  Awesome.  A great complement to the lazy mountain drive in the rain.

La Salitas West, Albuquerque.  This place had great salsa.  Great service too.   Another really good children’s menu.  Child-sized portions of the good, rich, and interesting food on the adult menu.  Gotta love it.  And the chili rellenos were very very good.  Oh, and great sopaipillas at the end of the meal.  With the thickest and tastiest New Mexico honey.  In fact, the sopaipillas at all of the restaurants were great.  I love sopaipillas.  I miss sopaipillas.  There are  no sopaipillas at the Mexican food restaurants in Texas.  I want more of them. 

Maybe I can make my own sopaipillas.  Maybe.

Blogzac 3: The Anniversary Edition

Note: Eglentyne is still in NM.  Many of you probably wish she’d never come back.  Right now, the Sonars are probably scaling rock walls, and she and Partner are probably plotting ways of moving to NM permanently so they can soak up the sunshine and the very cool manana vibe that permeates the state, especially on hot summer afternoons.  She might even be wearing the smoking hot Hawaiian print dress she made for herself back in Texas before the trip.  Or maybe she’s not wearing it anymore.  

Partner and I were married eleven years ago.  ELEVEN!  If we’d had our druthers, it would have been eleven years and one day, but the very funny, frizzy-headed lady who married us was already booked for the Fourth of July.  Who says that Independence Day isn’t romantic?  

I’m not sure I’ve ever done anything else for eleven years.  Even better, we’ve actually been together for THIRTEEN AND A HALF years.  Weird.  

But they’ve been a really charmed 13 years (family craziness notwithstanding), and I wouldn’t walk any other path for any other prize in the world.  

Sonar X8

Any of you remember this little chunk?

Happy Birthday baby!

Valor

Somehow I managed to miss Sonar X5’s four year immunizations.  Not sure how, but considering how many childhood immunizations there are nowadays, and the certainty of springtime illnesses around here, I suppose it isn’t too surprising.  He must have them to enter kindergarten in the fall, so off we went to get him up to date.  

I believe in letting the kids prepare themselves for hard stuff such as this, so last night we were talking about shots, talking about what he would take with him to help him feel brave, answering his questions, and giving him detailed lessons in immunology.  

X5: Will I get them in the arm or the leg?  

Me:  You’re a big kid now.  Arm for sure. 

X5:  How many shots will there be?

Me:  (feeling uninformed) I can’t remember.  Not more than four.  Probably two or three. 

X5:  Shots hurt, but then it will be over with and I won’t have to think about it again for a while.

Me:  Right.

This morning he chose to bring along a small stuffed elephant, just right for squeezing one hand around the middle in a moment of pain or panic.  He was his usual self in preparation, except that he wanted to sit in my lap in the waiting room, much to Sonar X3’s chagrin.  

When we asked the doc how many shots there’d be, and she cheerfully answered Four at Four, I mentally kicked myself.  Sonar X5 shrugged nervously, wrinkled his nose and asked if they’d do two on each side.  :)  The doc left (aren’t they just cowards) and the nurse returned with the four syringes and Sonar X5 squeezed his elephant and rolled up his sleeves.  Even Sonar X3, who had been climbing and bouncing all over the waiting chair seemed to recognize the gravity of the situation and sat completely still, watching in silent horror as the nurse spread the implements of torture and four banana yellow bandaids around Sonar X5 on the table.  

I asked if he wanted to hold my hand (no), cautioned that he needed to be still, and joked that he shouldn’t kick or hit the nurse (she didn’t laugh).  She told him that if he moved and the needle came out, she’d have to poke him again.  He tersely nodded his understanding.  

With the first poke, he squeezed his eyes tightly shut, maybe a small tear leaked out at the corner.  With the second poke, he took a deep breath, squeezing the elephant within an inch of its life.  Now the nurse was impressed.  She lavished praise for his bravery as she applied the banana yellow bandaids to the injection sites.  Pokes three and four followed in similar fashion.  Not a squeak.  Not a yelp or a twitch.  

He faced down each injection with a fierce kind of bravery, and when it was over, blew out a long slow breath, accepted with a tiny smile all of our praise and adoration and hugs and hair ruffling.  

The nurse wished that all kids were as good and brave as he was (we hoped the same for her), and that she was sure he would be her best patient all day.  

Both Sonars got stickers.  We popped into the grocery store for fresh bubble solution, luscious smelling strawberries (that were on sale!), a small watermelon, and  sherbet for a milkshake.  

We should all face our trials with such conviction, confidence, and fortitude.  Maybe it would help if we got bubbles and ice cream every time we had to do something hard.  :)