Albuquerque, New Mexico

Exhausted and embarrassed, we were met at the front door by Matt and Julie who were waiting up. Before walking through the door, we all stopped to check out the Vinagarroon that was sitting in front of the house. A very cool looking insect, and something I’d not seen or heard of before last night. Definitely worth the several pictures we all tried to take.

Huge thanks for their flexibility and understanding with the last minute nature of our visit and the totally late arrival. Wish we could have helped Julie make the pizza and enjoy it with them at a civilized hour rather than scarf it down in the middle of the night, like two pigs at a truck stop diner. Anyway, despite the less-than-perfect arrival, it’s great to see them and to finally get to check out their house, their city, etc.

We both had a bit of trouble pulling ourselves out of bed this am, but we had places to be. Specifically, the ABQ Downtown Growers' Market. Matt and I took our car while LVL, Julie, and Parker rode in the minivan.* The market itself is held every Saturday at (from what I can gather) a centrally located park in the city, and brings together the typical sorts of patrons and salespeople. Lots of hippies/earthy old people/young urban couples shopping for fresh fruit and veggies, information on composting and solar energy, mostly hideous handmade jewelry, kitschy regional items, and so on. We (Matt, Julie, Parker, Grant, Sandra Penn, LVL, and me) beelined for the breakfast burrito/coffee booth, where we fueled up for the morning stroll. Toward the end of the morning, LVL and I gave in and bought a six-pack of Dia de los Muertos skull-themed magnets.

All in all, a very enjoyable FM experience. A very big crowd; all seemed to be in good spirits and enjoying themselves. The weather – overcast and unseasonably cool – was pleasant and the company perfect. It is really nice to have the chance to get to see Matt and Grant and to experience their city and lives for a couple days.

After the FM, we dropped Parker off at Sandra’s house. Spent a few minutes checking out her cozy bungalow, which is “typically New Mexican,” according to Matt. I especially liked her outdoor space and collection of papier-mâché bones, which she’ll contribute to a public art project designed to raise awareness of genocide. On our way out of her neighborhood we drove through the area by the University, where we checked out the law, business, poli sci/public admin schools. A fairly small campus with lots of adobe, stucco, and earth tones. Certainly unique from the several other schools we’ve seen this summer, and pretty cool looking.

A short while later, we parked in the Nob Hill neighborhood. Stopped at Cafe Giuseppe** for some coffee and cold drinks before taking a stroll down Central Ave. The city had blocked off the street for the afternoon/evening for a street fair, and we were there just as the set-up was starting. Saw a BBQ guy lighting his coal fire and loading turkey legs onto the grill, but not much more in the way of street fair stuff. Instead, we checked out the several cool little stores up and down the street. Spent the most time in a Mexican furniture/home decoration store, where Matt and Julie had previously bought a bunch of stuff for their house. No sales this time, but it seems likely that they will be back soon. Also stopped in a book store/eclectic “stuff” store, where LVL bought for Hannah and Helena animal shaped rubber bracelets (aka Silly Bandz), the latest craze for girls under 13. Lots and lots of Frida Kahlo stuff spotted throughout the day.

Back in the car for a more extensive tour of ABQ. After driving through a moderately bad neighborhood, down 4th Street, past several interesting stores, etc., we wound up in Corrales, a neighboring village north of ABQ proper. It is closer to the Rio Grande than most of the larger city, and as a result has an entirely different look about it. Instead of dusty and desert-like, Corrales is fairly lush, green, etc.,*** and seems to be thought of by locals as an oasis of sorts. We drove to check out several incredible houses (all on one gorgeous, secluded street) before heading to the Corrales Bistro Brewery for lunch.

To start, we ordered up some beers, a 12-shot sampler tray, and some green chile cheese fries. Wise choice. Very good, very cheesy, and a nice touch with the green chile. Beer mostly good, except for some of the very light and very dark ones, which either aren’t really my style or weren’t that good. I liked the green chili ale, though Julie hated it. Continuing the theme, green chile cheese burgers for Matt and me. Great. LVL and Julie got different versions of a tortilla wrap, neither of which seemed all that well received. Food/beer enjoyed outside, despite the pitch-black storm clouds just over the treeline and the gusts of cold wind. Julie even went to the car to get a blanket.

All in all, about a four hour tour.**** Matt an interesting, knowledgeable, and generous guide. We covered tons of ground and got to know the geography of the city and several of its more interesting features.

Impressions of my first time in ABQ: An interesting place, both culturally and aesthetically. I had no idea that the mountains were so close, or that the Rio Grande ran through parts of town. When you expect little more than desert and cactus, even a little diversity in the geography makes an impression. The city has a pretty nice, comfortable feel about it. The people were generally friendly and seemed to be quite active in their day-to-day. Cycling is a big thing and when the weather is cool, people seem to like being outside. There also seems to be quite a bit of civic pride in ABQ. I think residents (at least the middle- to upper-middle lot we spent most of our time with and around) generally like where they are. There is a contentment here similar to something I felt in Portland. Though I think there are more interesting places in the world, life in ABQ would not be terrible, even without the close proximity to Matt and Grant.

After lunch, we stopped to get Parker and then headed back to Matt and Julie’s. They left in short order for a neighborhood block party while we got ready to go to Sadie’s to meet LVL’s mom and dad and CCHH, all of whom were in town for a kid exchange (!). Hannah and Helena will spend the coming week in Denver/Winter Park with Nana and Pop Pop and ABQ is almost exactly between Scottsdale and Denver. Great timing.

Sadie’s is a monster place and arguably the best (according to both the hotel concierge and Matt) “New Mexican” place in town. Apart from the strange flute-singer duo walking around the dining room, the meal was spot on. The salsa was maybe the best I’ve ever had. Green chile flavor and a very good kick; not too thick, not too watery. I ordered a carne adovado (beef marinated in red chile) burrito, and got the sense that most of the others ordered something similar. CA is the local specialty and for good reason. The size of the dishes was completely overwhelming, and few (save Chris, who scraped the plate clean) came close to finishing. I left at least half of my 10-12” monstrosity and couldn’t bear to take the lefties with me. Such a treat to see everyone again.***** I’m not sure what we're going to do when it’s actually a long time between visits.

Anyway, a wonderful way to end a very memorable and fun day with family.

* Let the record show that I love minivans. I’m not put off by their looks or the silly notion that owning one necessarily means one has given in to the pressures of adult/parenthood or sold out whatever youth/vitality/edge one may have possessed pre-MV. On the contrary. I think they are eminently rational, what with their safety and MPG cred, their double electronic sliding doors, space, etc. To me, functionality is always going to win out. Bring it on, LVL! [Ed. note: Fine. If you want to be the dude from the Sienna commercials, go for it. You can have your dream car, and I'll have mine: vwkombi.com/photos/beachbuggin-2005/Pages/5.html.]

** Owned by a cycling friend of Matt’s, who despite being from Corning, NY (home to a college friend of my own), takes immense pride in his own Italian heritage and insists on calling himself by the old country version of his given name, Joe. Pretty funny. Sadly, J/G was not there to explain himself.

*** We’re not talking about the same kind of green as found in Seattle or Portland, but it is noticeably different than the rest of Albuquerque.

**** On our was back to Matt’s place after picking up Parker at Sandra Penn’s house, we spotted a genuine roadrunner scamper across the residential street. LVL tried to snap a pic, but it was moving a little too fast for her to capture it from the back seat. Pretty cool sighting, though.

***** Very rudely, I neglected to thank Ron for dinner. Sorry, Ron. Belated thanks for a great meal.

Up early, again begrudgingly. LVL packed the car and planned the next step of the trip while I took a tour of the house with Julie and Parker. The place is huge and unattainably beautiful. Five rooms, 3.5 baths, tons of common space, new appliances, etc., all designed with a cool, functionally modern, interesting aesthetic. The kitchen (esp the copper sinks and all the space) is incredible. High ceilings in all the rooms, a play room upstairs, a long balcony, and huge (partly astroturfed) backyard add to the house’s awesomeness. Awesomeness #2: That we had our own guest suite and tons of space. Couldn’t have been better. Awesomeness #3: Several scenes from Saturday Night Live’s latest skit-turned-movie, MacGruber, were filmed at M and J’s neighbors’ house (i.e., the MacGruber House). Awesomeness #4: LVL did all the work this morning while I got to hang out.

A bit after 9 we piled in two cars and headed over to Grant’s place for breakfast. His new house (as of maybe three weeks) is also great. A bit more urban and a little cozier than Matt’s, the place is really nice and completely comfortable. It’s a bit older and has a lot of character to it. Loved the front and back yards, the open space in the front two rooms, the concrete workshop/basement, and the hidden, old school toothbrush holder. So, so great to see how happy he is with the new joint.

Breakfast of coffee, fresh fruit (pina and mango), bread and goat cheese spread, and (very mild) cheddar curds. As mentioned before here, Grant knows what he’s doing in the kitchen and it shows, even with a simple thing like this breakfast. The goat spread was especially good.

We hit the road about 10:30, but not before a few pictures and an extended goodbye.

Stopped for gas and to get some ice/drinks just around the corner from Grant’s. Won’t soon forget the nice, supremely dignified Middle Eastern man (I’d guess Turkish, but not really sure why) who wished me “good morning” and then helped us break up the ice bag. Not sure why he’s so memorable, but he was. You’ll just have to trust me.