For a Desert It Sure Rains A Lot

I think it has rained every day I've been here except for yesterday when it threatened but never rained. I take it that the monsoon season has started. New Mexico has a short monsoon season but it is usually in August, I thought.  This is a crazy year so maybe it is starting earlier. It smells nice after the rain and everything is greener than usual. Of course, it all dries up in only an hour or so.

Well, I'm waiting for this vacation to start. Any day now would be fine with me. This apartment hunting stuff is for the birds. I decided that I've seen enough. I've seen about twenty and they are sort of a blur in my memory. I took some notes but I should have taken pictures.  I have about six that I can be happy with so when the time comes I'll contact them and see what is available and at what price.   I'm going to do something fun tomorrow.

Brass Tacks...
I spent a good part of the day with my builder talking about the house and going over house plans. We decided to try to scale it back down to about 1600 square feet again. It seems to grow a little bit each time we work on the plans and it is time to get it close to final. My needs and my wants are two different things but I need to have a place where I will want to live. We opened up the kitchen by removing a wall and putting in an island with a space for bar stools. That will expand the living room a little and might allow for a few adjustments on size. I was originally wanting it closed off but I'm changing my mind a little. We expanded the garage last time because I had a long bed truck but I traded it in for a short bed so we can shave off a little space there. I have a good builder and she is open to ideas and keeps up with new trends. There are some new laminated kitchen cabinets that have a very modern look to them. The fireplace will be simplified from what we were going to do because there is a new product on the market that is sort of modular and that looks like what I want. At this point I'm still going to build but still keep one eye open for a resale that would make me happy as a reasonable compromise. Nothing major will happen until I get out here permanently.  She says the first hurdle will getting the bank to approve the loans.

The Range Cafe
I ate supper at The Range Cafe in Bernalillo. This was during a downpour so I was glad to be off the road. I had two Chile Rellenos, considered a "small plate". They were good. The Range is a good place to people watch because if has a mixed clientele...old and young cowboys, Indians, young couples with kids, professional ladies, old and young tree huggers, retired atomic energy scientists, and me.

I stayed in Bernalillo for a little while because I wanted to see them pull up the sidewalks at 9 PM but they didn't do it....maybe because of the rain. 

Downtown Bernalillo

Fun With Friends

This was an interesting day on several fronts. This morning I could hear people shouting - actually sort of a rhythmic chant but I couldn't make out what it was. For a minute I thought that the Hari Krishnas had found me again after all these years. But no, it was a labor dispute at the building being renovated across the street. There was about forty people marching and carrying signs and shouting out a cadence with various slogans. The local nit-witness news people were there so they marched pretty tall and shouted pretty loud. I had to run an errand and came back at 11:00 and it was all over...they were dispersing to wherever they go and the news truck was gone. Later in the day, about 5:00, I got back from my daily rounds of apartment hunting and there was another scene, about a half-block away of some guy trying to get in his car and he was surrounded by a swarm of paparazzi and news guys taking his picture and pictures of people in the car.  I have no idea who the guy was but I can see why some of those paparazzi guys get punched. This was happening outside a local highway patrol substation office but with no cops in attendance. I'm probably in the background of both news stories tonight.

Today I continued my quest for the perfect apartment. My head is spinning and I can''t keep it all straight. I did see some...both yesterday and today...that would be fine for a short while.

A couple places I visited were "Adult Only" apartments. I thought I knew what that was. The first one looked nice and there were two old guys sitting out in front of the leasing office conversing in Spanish. It is still a novelty to me to see folks speaking Spanish around town and sometimes I can figure out some of what is being said. They also drift back and forth between English and Spanish without any effort - sometimes in a single sentence. Turns out that I was too rich to qualify for that apartment complex. They referred me to another place. When I found that place I was a little taken aback because it was an "over 55" apartment complex...not just adults. When I opened the heavy doors and went in there was a pronounced smell of pine sol and two ancient guys sitting on a couch greeting folks as they came in. Of course the leasing office was not open (what was I thinking?) but was due to reopen in about five minutes. I took a seat on a second couch and tried to look inconspicuous.  Several folks staggered by on walkers or rolling contraptions and a then couple wheel chairs went by. I was getting more and more concerned by the minute. Finally a couple came by who were ambulatory and seemed to be reasonably healthy. Everyone had something to say to the guys on the other couch and then turned to speak to me only to realize they didn't know me from Adam (mucho awkward). The leasing office reopened just as I was getting ready to make a break for the parking lot. I got a nickel tour of the place and saw an apartment. It has all interior corridors with apartments opening off the hallway. They explained that all doors were locked and that I would be safe inside so long as no one let any bad guys in. I personally couldn't get out fast enough...my joints were starting to freeze up.

I had lunch at the brewery-slash-bistro in Corrales. I've been there a couple times before. Seems like I keep going back to my usual places on this trip. This time I visited with a guy named Steve who is a few years older than me. He was sitting at the bar drinking a white wine and eating his lunch. I ordered a beer and a Mediterranean wrap. Turns out that Steve was born in Mexico Missouri and spent many years in Columbia. He gave me a short family tree overview and it turns out he was going to school at Kirksville the same time Joie was there. He couldn't remember her. We had a pleasant visit while we ate our lunch. He gave me a few tips on apartments and neighborhoods.

Bro. George, Donna, Karia & Me

All this time, today, Karia and Donna had been driving to Albuquerque from Phoenix. We made contact by phone and planned to have supper in the evening. Donna and Karia were staying at a Franciscan guest house where Brother George, one of Karia's friends lives. We met at one restaurant only to find that it went out of business so we went to another Mexican restaurant and were joined by Eileen, another of Karia's friends. Karia, George and Eileen have a long common history of verious religious projects in New Mexico and Arizona. We had a good meal with lots of conversation. This was the first time Donna, Karia and I have been together since the wedding in Bra (Oksana and Damiano) so several Italy stories were shared.

After supper Donna and I went top a Flying Star cafe and spent some time talking and then we managed to find the way to get her back to the Franciscan guest house.

Today was a good day seeing friends and tomorrow I'll get to visit with my builder for a while to talk about house plans.

Lordy, Lordy

Today I saw a man on the side of the road selling "Texas Blessed by Jesus Watermelons".  I think the melons were blessed by Jesus...not Texas. I wonder if they taste any better than the ones that didn't get blessed.  I wonder if Jesus gets a cut of the profits...probably not. They looked like normal watermelons.   Also saw chickens running along the side of the road at one spot. Having urban chickens is not common but you do see it here on occasion.

Well, I must say that this apartment hunting stuff is work. The last time I looked for an apartment was in 1976. They haven't changed much, except for the price. I decided to look for two bedroom apartments. I don't want to spend too much and the published rent is always a range. So when you talk to them the rent is at the higher end of the range. Because my cat, Watson, is going to be living with me, The rent is higher. Also they collect a flat fee for sewer, water and sometimes gas. Then there are some features that will cost a little extra. If you want to rent a washer/dryer that will run an extra $30 per month -- but sometimes $50. If you want a balcony or patio, one place charged extra for that. All of that was just the monthly amount. Then there were the deposit fees, which varied wildly from place to place. Some of the deposits were refundable, some weren't. Pet deposit fees ranged from zero to $200...not refundable.  One place didn't even charge for pets.  Another place, a nice place, had two options for deposit fees. One that amounted to a bunch of money for various things that I couldn't figure out...that was refundable after they deduct the damage that I surely would do. The other option was a lesser amount paid as a "surety" that was not refundable and was paid to a third party who would reimburse the management for damages and then go after the departing renter as a collection agency for any amount over the posted surety, minus a service fee. One place would only accept fees paid by money order. Then there are a few places that have income limits...maximums. Then there are fees for making an application to rent the apartment and there are fees for credit and background checks. Some places adjust your deposit based on the outcome of the background check. One place increased the rent $100 if you extended your stay beyond the six month lease on a month to month basis.

I saw a couple nice places and several that were dumps. I think some of them haven't been upgraded or even had appliances replaced in twenty years or more. All of them are small. I assume that if they are taking me to see the display apartment it is probably as good as it gets. Is shag carpet "in"?  One place had a cheap knock-off "pergo" wood flooring laid over the old vinyl and they said they were going to update the kitchen cabinets to match the floor. Oh goody. I still have a couple more to see but I don't expect much.

I drove around some residential neighborhoods to see if my perceptions were correct about subdivision houses. For the most part, the houses are too close together and the lots are tiny. There were some exceptions and I was surprised at a few areas.  What seems odd to me is the prevalence of walled-in neighborhoods. Whole residential blocks are surrounded by seven foot walls, mostly made of brown concrete blocks. Whoever had the contract for concrete blocks must have made millions. Inside these compounds, some of the individual homes are surrounded by walls.  Are we keeping people in or out?

It rained hard a few times today. Guess what...Albuquerque doesn't have storm sewers...or at least very few of them. Water pools up in the streets and then cars shower the pedestrians with water. I got one poor guy good...not just me but the guy coming in the other direction got him, too.

I decided to go to a brew pub for supper. Tractor Brewing opened a tap room down in the Nob Hill section (not too far from UNM). Joie and I visited their brewery out in Los Lunas way back on an earlier trip and I was interested in seeing their new tap room. Their motto is "Get Plowed". When I got there it was raining and no place to park so I went to plan B. O'neil's Irish Pub is a sprawling place a little farther out on Central Avenue (Old Rt. 66). It is a fun place...I spent St. Patrick's Day there once...but it is too big to really have the feel of an Irish pub. Tonight they were pretty busy and some brave folks were even trying to sit outside under the canopy. I ordered my Bass Ale and had Fish & Chips. They support local artists and they had a display of photos by a local amateur photographer. The photographer was there offering a commentary on the different pictures. He was pretty good. I'm convinced that being at the right place at the right time with the right camera is only part of the task. Finishing, cropping, matting and framing makes a world of difference and he had the presentation part pretty well taken care of.

Meanwhile, back at the motel, one of the units is having plumbing problems. I think there is air trapped in the pipes or else the pipes have come dislodged from their fasteners because every time they try to run the faucet we all get to hear this huge noise -- sort of like a fog horn and a tuba competing with each other. They have been working to fix it since I got here on Saturday. It's not fixed yet.

Sort of a Dull Day

The weather here is cool. It got up to 88 degrees but was in the 60s this morning. Sunny all day.  Pretty, but dull.

I mapped out my plan of attack for visiting apartment complexes only to find out that most were closed on Sunday. I went to one that was scheduled to be open from noon until 5 PM. I got there a little after noon only to find out that the person on duty was leaving for lunch and wouldn't be back until 1:30. That doesn't bode well. I couldn't seem to find time to go back.  That is something that I will need to get used to...New Mexico Time. Nothing here happens in a hurry. It doesn't even often happen on time. There are exceptions...just enough to keep your hopes up, but the sooner I get used to the casual-ness of everything the better. One important exception seems to be driving speed. The speed limit on the interstate is 75 mph but most people drive a lot faster. Traffic isn't all that heavy by big city standards but they seem to be coming at you faster.

I had lunch at the Flying Star in Corrales. This is one of my favorite spots and one of the apartment complexes I'm interested in is within walking distance. I had a turkey-jack sandwich with turkey, jack cheese, green chiles and tomatoes grilled on sourdough bread. Pretty good...I liked the chiles. This is sort of like a Paneras but they serve beer. It is a local chain with several cafes in Albuquerque and one in Bernalillo (Yay!) and one up in Santa Fe. The Flying Star is pet friendly and there was a big yellow lab enjoying the patio while his dad worked on his laptop. He brought is bowl of water with him.

I visited an apartment complex that I'm seriously interested in. I got to see two display units. I'll need to get rid of a lot of stuff. The apartments are adequate but not all that roomy. They also aren't cheap and they have some add-on charges for pets, washer/dryer, etc. I'll need to look at making a budget.

Chopin "Road"

I went up to check on my building lot. That road is nearly impassable but you can still get there. Part of it is graded but nothing is paved and now it's full of ruts. It is also starting to look a little trashy because people seem to use the area for various recreational activities like skeet shooting, off-roading and the occasional beer party. There's not much that can be done about that until there are homes built in the area. At least it hasn't burned, which is what I'm a little worried about. There seems to be no building or development going on -- a little disheartening because I really like the place. I noticed that there has been some changes. The animal burrow that I was wondering about is gone. There are more animal trails -- it seems like a pretty happenin' place when I'm not there.

Sandia Peak in the distance

As you may have guessed, I'm in sort of a quandry about whether to build or buy. Houses are available at good prices but they aren't what i want. On my way out I saw that there was an open house being held down the hill in the built up area (about 1/2 mile away). The house was about the same size as mine but was laid out differently and had some features I wouldn't wantand some wasted space. I talked to the agent and she lives in the area and confirmed some of my feelings about that neighborhood...all positive.

On my way back to the motel I stopped at the La Cumbre brew pub for a beer. It was pretty busy. I had a Kolsch served in a traditional seven ounce class. It was a good beer and only cost me $1.50. That was just enough. I first visited this brewery right after they opened a couple years back. They are doing very well. They still keep a chalk board showing the available brews, brew dates, alcohol content, specific gravity...and awards won. They won three awards at the Great American Beer Festival. Curiously, they sell growlers (about a half gallon or so of beer in a special jug) but have a three beer maximum for patrons. Once you have your three beers, you are done.

I ended my first full day back at the motel. I was considering going to an Isotopes ball game but gave it up. I cooked pasta with zucchini and meat sauce for supper.  Pretty good considering the limited cooking utensils they have supplied with my mini kitchen.

Amarillo to Albuquerque

After yesterday's marathon, today will be more like a 5k. I now know that I could never be an over the road trucker. I enjoy road trips but I need to take my time and wander off the interstate from time to time. That's what I did today.

The motel in Amarillo has two things going for it. It is cheap (by local interstate motel standards, anyway) and it has a good free breakfast. Apart from that, it's a dump...but by now I've stayed there often enough that it doesn't bother me. The only odd thing this time was that they gave me my room key (a card) and I got my stuff and went into the room and someone else was already there...surprise, surprise! The desk clerks were befuddled and the motel manager apologetic (she has a lot to be sorry for and has it down pat) and I got a different room. Dinner last night was at a local IHOP (Self...do not go there again!). I slept thirteen hours and felt great this morning. Had a good breakfast and filled up with gas (the car, not me) and I was on my way.

Ozymandias?  Uhhh, nope.

 I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert....

I decided to find the statue of the legs that sits in a field south of Amarillo along I-27 heading toward Lubbock. Percy Shelly wrote about a different pair of legs. This pair is by the same guy responsible for Cadillac Ranch - that line of 50's era Cadillacs half buried in the prairie west of Amarillo.   I managed to get lost and somehow missed the exit to I-27 and drove all the way to Bushland. As it happens, the road south out of Bushland connects to a road that goes close to the statue. I enjoy these back roads. This one was two-lane blacktop with a 75 mph speed limit and folks were driving faster than that. Since you can see a police car ten miles away I guess they don't worry about a ticket. The legs, once I found them, are about ten feet tall, more or less, and there is no body attached or laying on the ground nearby. The gate was locked so I couldn't get close to them but they look like they have been vandalized a little. I was a little underwhelmed.  I drove past Cadillac Ranch on the way out of town and there must have been close to 100 people stopped to see it. I didn't stop this time. 

Western Swing

I drove back to Bushland and then headed west on I-40. I'm marveling at how green everything is. They must have had a lot of rain. Even the few farm ponds are full of water and the little dried-up creeks aren't dried-up. I had High Plains Public Radio (NPR) on and listened to western swing music. Songs like "My horse likes accordion music", "There are places for girls like you" and "I can't dance 'cause I got ants in my pants". There was a thrilling rendition of "San Antonio Rose" by two sisters on the fiddle. Also lots of accordion music and some Tex-Mex "oompah" band music. I lost that station and switched to a Spanish language radio station. They played a few rousing tunes interspersed with Spanish State Farm Insurance commercials.

I crossed over the state line into New Mexico...they really make you feel welcome with the big sign over the highway. The welcome center was crammed with people. There are lots of folks on the road for family vacation...lots of Missouri cars and some from New York and Massachusetts.

At San Jon I got off the interstate and followed old Route 66. It is interesting to see the old relics sitting beside the road. At one place there is an old filling station with tourist cabins arranged in the back...all overgrown and tumbled down. The big porch-like canopy over the rusted gas pumps has collapsed into a pile of broken wood scraps. There are a few houses that date from the old Mother Road days...some of them might be among the oldest buildings in the county.

I got back on the interstate and pulled into Tucumcari. It looks a little better off than when I was here last. It might be due to the July 4th bunting and other decorations that were up. The Blue Swallow Motel was doing a bang-up business...I stayed there on an earlier trip. The Teepee Curio Shop was open for business.

US 54

NM 218

At Santa Rosa I took US-54 -- the same US-54 that goes through Jefferson City -- south out of town toward El Paso. I only went a few miles and then doubled back on a state highway but it was a pretty drive and I had it all to myself mostly. I think I passed three cars and there were none behind me or ahead.  There were few cows and some big ranches. The sky was getting a little cloudy and the temperature was in the low 80s so I had the car window open and you could smell the cedars and pinon  pines along the road. The road back to the interstate crossed through some rugged hills before dropping back down to the highway. It started raining a little around Clines Corners and it was a pouring rain a couple times as I went farther west on the interstate.

Soaring

I pulled off the highway at Moriarity and discovered the Southwestern Soaring Museum. I knew there was a glider airport there but I didn't know there was a museum. I was greeted by George and Anna...both quite elderly. George is the curator and Anna gives the tours. They ask for a $5.00 donation and I got my $5.00 worth. George is nearly deaf and won't wear his hearing aid but very talkative. He doesn't hear well enough to actually have a conversation but that doesn't stop him. Anna ushered me away from George and took me on a tour that lasted for most of an hour. We were accompanied by her very large German Shepherd named Justice. Justice is one of the best mannered dogs I've seen in a long time. Anna took me around, glider by glider, showing me all the details and various differences in the designs. She made sure I knew which builder was which and what the gliders were used for (racing, pleasure or military). She had me sit in one of the cockpits and took my picture. I was afraid we would need to call the fire department to get me out...getting in was easier than getting out. I turns out that Anna has never been up in a glider but she would like to go. She sure fooled me. She knows just about everything there is to know about the planes and the controls. For $95 a guy will take you up in a tandom glider. That's something on my "Bucket List" so now I know how to do that.

It had poured rain while I was in the museum and the highway was wet and traffic was heavier as I got close to Albuquerque. The descent into the city is steep and a little crazy on dry pavement but even more exciting in the rain. As always, the weather is a little different once you get through the mountains. It was cool and dry in Albuquerque. My motel (Suburban Extended Stay) was the same as always...even the same guy at the desk. I felt like asking if he missed my while I was gone.

Note to self...Don't do this again.

Strange goings on...mainly because I've been up about 36 hours and my brain is starting to refuse to work right. I went to bed last night planning on getting up very early and starting on my trip with a long day drive to Amarillo. I laid in bed a couple hours unable to sleep and decided to just get started. It was a bright full moon and I was already packed so I grabbed some coffee, ate a quick breakfast and was heading out of town at 2:45. There was nobody on the road except me and a few truckers. Everything went fine until I got past Springfield and I got very sleepy. I finally pulled into a truck stop parking lot and tried to take a nap. No luck sleeping but being off the road for 45 minutes helped.

I'm too tired to tell the whole story. It was an up and down day with me stopping every couple hours just to get off the road. The interstate is boring through Oklahoma for the most part and that didn't help much. I finally pulled in to Amarillo at 3:30, almost thirteen hours of driving. My dad did this sort of long, nonstop driving without any problems but I'm going back to my usual casual road trip pace.

And furthermore...

After almost 13 hours of sleep I'm feeling much better. After looking at a map, the halfway point is Weatherford or Clinton Oklahoma and both of those places are reasonable size and have motels. Weatherford is home to Southwestern Okla. State Univ. Clinton is a town of about 9,000 and home Toby Keith. I won't hold that against them. I drove through Clinton. Here's a few pictures...





Downtown Clinton

Convention Center

Heading West...Again

My house is still on the market...the buyers can't sell thier home--yet. I'm getting antsy about moving so I'm going to take a road trip out to New Mexico and look for a place to live temporarily once the house sale is final. This is July -- hot weather and fire season so I might see some of that. Mostly, I'll be covering some old familiar territory.

I was going to take a different route and go through Kansas on US 54 but it looks like gas prices are somewhat higher in Kansas so I'll go my usual route. I might come home on US 54.