SKISTER'S RUN

1 Year L8ER

2011-10-29T20:08:00.002-04:00

What can I say? I see friends dropping their blogs like bad habits. And it's been a year since I've written any thing on this one. Life in the Little B has taken over. Cross country skiing, mountain biking, snow shoeing, a bit of hiking, trail running, fly fishing, an occasional dip in a natural hot springs, biking to different parts of town, just enjoying what this place and this part of the country has to offer.

Oh yeah, I've found another job that I like and get some satisfaction out of it. That takes up a good part of my day. I'm amazed that I've been able to reinvent myself for the third of fourth time in my life. I've been very fortunate especially during this period of economic turmoil.

I'm rambling and not telling a story which is something that I try to do each day as a reporter. Just want to say I'm incredibly lucky to be living a life that I enjoy. Life is way too short to be bored and unhappy.

I Fall Down, When You Fall Down

2010-10-31T11:16:00.005-04:00

Well, summer disappeared in what seems like a Flash. Fall has descended with cold temperatures and a couple of days of gray and rain. But it's absolutely nothing like Port or Sea.

I lived in Sea for a year and I couldn't do it. Too much rain, cold that clung like bad plastic wrap. And the light, what happened to the light in August? It's nonexistent in the Winter.

Wore too much black during that time. Drank too much single malt scotches. Ran too many times in the rain and even during hail. Should have bought a UV lamp.

Here are a few pics of Boise in late summer for Facebook hold-outs.

Well, It's 8 o'clock in Boise, Idaho

2010-09-26T20:13:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, it's been a long time (imagine I'm imitating Craig Ferguson). I tell you what, it's a secret between you and me. But you know packing up all your earthly belongings and moving 800 miles away takes a lot of time. Then instead of finding a place to rent, you buy a house! Well, I tell you, it takes a lot of time indeed. And then factor in that I work full time again, well there seems to be much less time to write on the old blog.

Add to that the work, which I love by the way, involves being creative and writing, and voicing decent stories for the radio. But so be it, I enjoy what I do, who I'm with (cybersuze and chuey), and where I am.

We've all settled in quite nicely here in Bronco land. One criticism of mountain hideaway Santa Fe is the steep subdivision we lived in. Too far from town and not conducive to bike commuting. So we traded in a mountain view and trees and many many birds and a couple of bears for living a few minutes ne of downtown Boise. But we love it, we walk to neighborhood bars, restos, and ice cream parlors. I bike commute to work and we bike to the Y to workout and check out the foothills. we bike to downtown and biked to the lake to float around in our inner tubes and biked to Sandy Point to check out the reservoir.

Every weekend here in Boise town seems action packed. Yesterday, we picked up our fine handmade adirondack chairs purchased from Art in the Park a couple of weekends ago. Then we biked downtown to do a few errands, stopping by Julia Davis Park's living history exhibits, and ate a couple of sandwiches in Old Boise. We biked back and watched the Broncos kick Beaver tail. Then today, I picked up my repaired mountain bike from the shop around the corner, we biked to the Y to work out, and then biked to the Boise skate park to listen to a few punk bands, watch a few roller girls lamely do a couple of laps, watch skate youth nearly kill themselves doing tricks, and then admired three Trey McIntyre dancers do their thing while skate punks, the homeless, a couple of parents, disaffected teenagers, and us watched while underneath a couple of freeway underpasses. Oh yes, between the Y and the skate park, we had a couple of double cheeseburgers from the Fanci Freeze!

Life is action packed, please listen to my stories on radio.boisestate.edu and hope you all are well. I feel lucky to have landed again on my two feet to live a life of no regrets.

You Better Run

2010-07-16T09:20:00.002-04:00

Why moving is so stressful:

Movers that change the pick-up date from Thursday to Friday. It doesn't seem to matter if you confirmed everything on Tuesday because on Wed they sent an email with the wrong date. A few phone calls and emails later, they came as originally scheduled.

Canceling local phone service and internet access from the local provider, Qwest. The company claims I agreed to a two-year contract for internet access that expires in September so I'd have to pay an early termination fee of $200 to cancel in July. I recall Qwest telling me when I signed up for "fast" internet access that if I move, that's a valid reason to break the contract. After being placed on hold for 20 minutes and shuffled to a few "customer service" representatives, the rep who said a "supervisor" would say the exact thing as him finally agreed to a "very rare" instance of waiving the fee. The best part was the message while on hold saying to "relieve the stress of moving by moving with Qwest..."

You're livin in your own Private Idaho. Idaho.

2010-07-06T08:27:00.004-04:00

You're out of control, the rivers that roll,
you fell into the water and down to Idaho.
Get out of that state,
get out of that state you're in.

We're running again - packing up and moving to Boise pronounced by the locals as BOY SEE. Our favorite reporter landed a full-time position at the local public radio station there. We only have a few weeks to pack our worldly possessions, drive to Boise, and then find a place to live. The pressure is on!

Senorllave traveled to the Big B a couple of weeks ago for the final interview. Here are some pics of the largest metro area in Idaho.

Mark Twain, play those banjos as we go down the Mississippi, 'round the Gulf of Mexico.

2010-06-04T08:29:00.002-04:00

Couldn't get to sleep last night so I shuffled off to the living room and turned on Craig Ferguson. He was saying the autobiography of Mark Twain is about to be released a century after his death. Turns out he did leave explicit instructions not to publish the million word tome until 2010. Some speculate that he did not want to offend his friends or those close to him. Craig was wondering who in the world would still be alive 100 years after his death that was his friend - babies perhaps? That got Craig going into a Twain imitation complete with suspenders and his roaring I'm angry at those babies!! Had to be there. Had me laughing.

Send 'Em Up to Bear Mountain

2010-05-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

6.30 AM, Chuey growling with eyes closed. Nightmare of an unexpected encounter with another dog. A dull thud, the sound of a trash can falling outside our window. Our neighbor shouldn't be emptying trash so early in the morning. We get up and the haunch of a Tiny Bear saunters by my bedroom window. Smaller than the average bear, a junior boo-boo. Not sure if I should step out to grab the Sunday papers.

A sign near the entrance to our subdivision written in black marker. Warning everyone that a bear entered a house at the top of the hill. Great views and modern architecture still can't keep nature away. Happy Memorial Day.

The movie ran through me The glamour subdued me The tabloid untied me

2010-05-26T23:41:00.002-04:00

Now Testify -

I decided not to audition as "Isko" in an upcoming episode of In Plain Sight, shot on location in Albuquerque. I would have had to rush on down to ABQ - a city I have not cared to navigate too thoroughly. (I know how to get to the Airport and went to the radio studios once.) Then I would have had to spend a lot of time waiting for casting agents and producers to give me the once over to determine if I was "big and scary" enough for the role. I tell you, you're in high demand in the arts if you're an asian or african-american living in NM.

It's funny how awful scripts sound when you read them. One must give actors tons of credit b/c they really do bring the lines to life. As Isko, I would have had three lines - probably not enough to get an equity card - but who knows? Anyway, I would have had to rough up the owner of a strip club - would I get a stunt double and would there be strippers in the background? And, most importantly, is there a limit to what I can eat from the wonderful, wonderful spread provided by the people in craft services?

Alas, this will be put on hold .....for now.....if it were Breaking Bad...now I'd be rushing on down.

Call Me On The Line

2010-05-26T23:27:00.004-04:00

Good thing I didn't hold my breath. No one from the NM Fish and Game Dept called, wrote, or otherwise got in touch with me. Our tax dollars at work.

Meanwhile, on the bulletin board, someone wrote that the bear entered their house through a window and is still on the loose. As a result, we don't go out after dark for Chuey to have her late night romp. Good thing the sun sets later.

A picture of mushroom clouds down the way. Makes you wonder if something happened up there in the hills or if our neighbor in Tesuque Cormac McCarthy decided to implement his novel The Road with the help of a few devices from Los Alamos.

Oh Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear

2010-05-19T16:17:00.003-04:00

The honey-colored bear made an appearance last night crossing by our living room windows and walking right up to the front door. Chuey was up on the couch alert and ready to protect. I banged on the side window and the bear ski-daddled around the back of the house to attack the trash can next door. He sort of looks like a real-life Boo Boo - sort of short and light brown. No tie though.

I called the Game and Fish department this morning and some nonchalant woman took my name, address, and phone number, and said someone would come out to talk to me. I'm not holding my breath waiting for the game warden.

Meanwhile, I decided to go to the gym and throw some weights around and then jump on the elliptical to work up a sweat. I have a strange tendency to watch Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern eating god knows what while I'm racking up the miles. It's a strange combination - watching someone devour a deep-fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the Texas State Fair while your burning 400 calories. I don't think I'm alone either, as sometimes I don't have to change the channel as it's already set to the Travel or Food Networks.

It's The Bear Necessities. . .

2010-05-18T10:06:00.003-04:00

Got up at 5.15 AM to take the smelly trash bag outside and take off the bungee cord wrapped around the lid of our trash can. Don't want to take any chances that the bear will be attracted to our decaying organic matter that hasn't been placed in the compost bin. Our trash gets picked up at 7 AM, but, you know, sometimes the truck arrives early.

The bear trap was moved by our neighbor to a different location in the neighborhood as the trap had sat vacant for a week. No sign yet that the bear has been attracted to the rotten apples in the bucket meant to snare him. We'll keep you updated.

Private Eyes They're Watching You

2010-05-17T09:20:00.002-04:00

I've been posting less to Facebook and more to this blog because FB has been asking me to link to things I like. It's not enough that I list the books, movies, and TV shows I like, they want me to link to the official Facebook site so marketers can slice and dice my personal information and try to sell me things they determine I like.

I'm OK with Amazon doing this, because I buy things at Amazon and it's sort of interesting to see what their data mining servers have determined I may end up buying - "I see you like David Sedaris, perhaps you'd like to read books by his sister Amy,etc..."

FB's decision to do that plus their new opt out policy for privacy - we'll let everyone see your data unless you specifically tell us not to - has been troubling me. For one, I'm sort of anonymous on this blog, whereas on FB they can see my name and other personal information that I would rather not be on the web.

Oh well, may have to delete my FB account one of these days, if it wasn't for the convenience and my addiction to the Scrabble game, I would have already done so.

Over the Hills Where the Spirits Fly

2010-05-15T08:57:00.002-04:00

Misty mountains this morning. Sprinkling lightly and cool. A tornado hit Ruidoso in the South yesterday causing a trailer to overturn. Memorial Day is two weeks away, but the wintry spring wants to linger.

Cut Em Loose! - Public Servant, Public Slave

2010-05-14T08:40:00.003-04:00

I interviewed seven candidates for two seats on the County Commission. Nearly all of them were my age or younger. Only two were significantly older than me and one was female. It's a tough slog through nearly 3.5 hours of audio to cut it down to two several minute feature stories.

I have to admit though, they all remind me of me and why we decided to work for the U.S. government - a sense of public service, a sense of doing something for others. A good politician can convey these qualities to the public and remain convincing. Whether they can hold this optimism, and some could say arrogance as they get ground through the process is the difficult part. If they don't, like Todd Rundgren says, Cut Em Loose.

I'm Back in the Saddle Again

2010-05-13T08:36:00.002-04:00

The sun has been shining onto our closed eyelids at around 5 AM so it's been rather tough sleeping in. I've neglected the blog to my chagrin and hope to start it up again now that Facebook want's to reveal everything I say I like to marketers and businesses.

This past week I've been talking to candidates running for two seats on the County Commission. I've met most of them at cafes or restaurants that allow us to park ourselves for 30 minutes or so without having to spend much more than 2 bits for a cup of coffee.

One of the candidates lives south of town off Highway 14. We met at the San Marcos Cafe right next to the San Marcos Feeds Store and about 6 miles south of the State Penitentiary. The State Pen by the way has pens for cattle and a lot of grassland so the cattle can feed. Besides cleaning up the highways, I think they are teaching the inmates about animal husbandry. Sadly, the animal pens and grassland don't take away from the fact that the State Pen looks very institutional.

The local brewery - Santa Fe Brewing Company - produces a State Pen Porter that features a silhouette of the guard tower on each and every bottle. The Brewery is located a few miles north of the Pen by the way.

I nearly missed the driveway to the San Marcos Cafe as you're zipping down the highway at a brisk pace. Although it's on the main highway, there is no San Marcos Cafe sign, just Cafe. The only way I knew for sure that I had found the place, were the half dozen or so peacocks roaming freely on the front porch. One blocked the doorway and I had to politely excuse myself to enter the place.

The photos on this page are courtesy of Roadfood. We shared a cinnamon roll which was not a humongo Cinnabon cake but rather a nice popover size sugary, cinnamony pastry.

They Got Me Trapped

2010-05-12T09:36:00.002-04:00

It's been a couple of months since the latest blog entry. I partially blame Facebook but mostly the fact that there's been so much snow this winter that we haven't been venturing far into uncharted territory. So the pictures we would upload would be of things we've captured already. Speaking of capture, the state game and fish people trapped a bear the other week, but one more is still out there. This is the one that is still loose and here is the trap they're trying to use to catch him. But he is smarter than the average bear, he's been avoiding the trap while still rummaging through our neighbor's trash.

Knock, Knock, Knocking on Heaven's Door

2010-03-12T09:56:00.001-05:00

Our favorite reporter rides with mayoral candidates before the election.

Listen in:

Why Can't We Be Friends?

2010-02-04T19:59:00.000-05:00

Debate over a domestic partnership bill heats up in the state Senate. Click on the link at right and listen in.

Pull My Shirt Off and Pray, We're Coming Up on Election Day

2010-01-12T20:05:00.002-05:00

Our favorite radio news reporter filed this latest report on the Santa Fe Mayor's race.

Happy 2010

2010-01-01T19:03:00.004-05:00

I tell you, I'm beginning to understand how it feels to be a Korean housewife. My dad was here for a week and I cooked a number of traditional meals and side dishes, including seaweed soup, rice cake soup, a chicken stew, bean sprouts with ground red pepper, spinach with garlic and sesame oil, mackerel kim chee stew, and a new batch of kim chee.

It's not easy. The chopping of the garlic and vegetables begins as soon as you wake up so that you will be ready to make a timely breakfast after the morning walk. So as the rice is cooking, you start cooking the soups or else breakfast is going to be late. The rice takes about an hour so you have some time to put the rice on the burner before walking the dog.

After breakfast, you start getting ready for lunch with more chopping and perhaps an hour or two of simmering of a stew. Then you should remember to take the various condiments out of the fridge so that they are at a nice room temperature.

Dinner for us was typically a light salad and did not require much preparation, but in Korea it's expected that the housewives prep more of the same as there really is no distinction between breakfast, lunch, and dinner in terms of the types of food served.

And then think about all the cleaning, raising the kids, shopping for groceries, working, and getting on with everyday life these Korean housewives have to do without a break. I'm not sure if dad appreciated all the work mom did when she was alive, but I'm pretty sure he does now. I certainly do.

Down to Where the Fields are Green

2009-11-06T19:30:00.003-05:00

The family took a drive out to White Rock a few miles short of Los Alamos and went down 1,000 feet to the Rio Grande. In the distance, the snow covered hills are visible. I think if we had a high-powered lens we could have seen our house in the mountains.

The Freezing Snow Lies Everywhere

2009-10-31T10:43:00.004-04:00

Second snowfall of October laid 4 inches down in our neighborhood. During the first snowfall that occurred last week, we packed up the car and Chuey and headed 2 hours south to Socorro, then headed less than 30 minutes west to the Magdalena Mountains. It was a touch warmer than Santa Fe and the rain decided to stop as soon as we headed toward the campground.

After setting up our tent, we drove back to I-25 and headed south to San Antonio, NM, gateway to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. During late November, the Bosque is overrun with birdwatchers as part of its Festival of the Cranes. The festival lasts an entire week and attracts thousands of people as well as birds. We decided to head out there before the crowds descended, that means we wouldn't see the thousands of cranes and other birds on their migratory path, but we were able to catch a glimpse of a few anyway.

We arrived to the Bosque just as the visitor center was closing but managed to grill the volunteer about trails, etc.... Unlike other federal sites, the admission fee of $5 per vehicle applied to one day only so we decided to come back tomorrow and make a full day of it. Besides, it was going to get dark in a few hours and we wanted to at least eat before the sun set. So we headed back to the campground - we were the only ones camping that night - ate, unsuccessfully lit a fire, and retired into our tent.

The next day we headed out to the Bosque and spent hours and hours driving, walking around, and taking a few photos of birds and wildlife. Supposedly there were a few sandhill cranes out there, but whenever we look in the bird book we get even more confused as to what we just saw. At the end of the day, we took an hour long hike through the Northernmost tip of the Chihuahan desert. According to the car's thermometer it was 90 degrees in the sun. Soon after we were back in the coolness of the foothills of the Magdalena Mountains where it approached freezing at night.

Our third day in the area was spent climbing near the peak of the Magdalena Mountains. Curiously an observatory and laboratory run by New Mexico Tech and the federal government likes at the peak. The lab's stated purpose is to do atmospheric research but who really knows what goes on up there.

Washing Me Down and Bunny Love

2009-10-18T10:48:00.002-04:00

Went with a group from the Conservation Trust to check out Arroyo Hondo, once the site of an ill-fated dam. It's a new county open space with abandoned pueblo sites and educational signs to get students familiar with ways to trim trees and vegetation to prevent catastrophic fires.

As Time Passes...So Quickly

2009-10-17T13:12:00.005-04:00

Mid-October already - CS and I are noticing the shorter days and sleeping longer than we have during the summer months. Facebook and Scrabble seem to be in high competition for writing on the blog. I do like the way Facebook allows quick uploading of photos. And I hate to sound like an ad but if you're not on Facebook and want to see more of our photos, think about joining.

As you can tell by the panel on the right, I have not been reporting any stories lately. There was a story I half completed in late August that involved hiking in the woods and asking a forest manager about the state of the trees along the trail. My conclusion, based on the interview and other research, was that the forest, at least up here, was relatively healthy. That view conflicted with the News Director's so I decided to end the pain and pull the plug. Then CS and I went off to Slovenia.

Soon, I may be reporting on the short legislative session that the Governor called to balance the State's budget. And then again, I may not as I have not heard back from the boss.

Anyway, we continue to hike and trek through the area. We hiked a newish trail in Canoncito with Chuey's new best friend, Tucker. And we just finished a 1,000 foot elevation gain hike to Glorieta Baldy where we attempted to find a marked trail to Thompson Peak. But nature took back the trail and any signs of it have been buried underneath the leaves and decaying bark.

September's Gone

2009-10-01T09:35:00.003-04:00

September disappeared in a blink, as did the summer. It's a chilly 50 degrees in the sun up here in the Santa Fe hills and it's supposed to get down to 27 degrees F tonight.

We spent nearly two weeks in Slovenia, located East of Italy, South of Austria, and West and North of Croatia. Slovenia is home to the Julian Alps, several rivers, a "virgin" forest called Kosceve Rog, and even a little slice of the Mediterranean. We hiked the Rog and the Alps, viewed a couple of lakes and rivers, and ate Germanic, Med, and Middle Eastern influenced food throughout our time there.

Our first four days were spent near the Rog and the Southeastern portion of the country where CS's ancestors hail from. Churches, graveyards, and sites where homes once stood occupied our days. I even backed into a church once, but please don't tell the rental car agency that.

We tested out our rain gear during a couple of our days hiking around the alps and adjoining lakes but a hearty mushroom soup, trout, and Kranja Kilbasa warmed us back up. Mountain huts are in abundance here and although we did not stay in any during our trip, had we known that they were fully equipped with wine, beer, and hot food, as well as a place to sleep, we certainly would have stayed at several that we encountered during our hikes.

8-29-09

2009-09-01T09:09:00.003-04:00

The Station Fire grows in intensity, Michael Jackson supposedly is buried on his birthday, Ted Kennedy is laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery, and we commemorate the 49th day after my mom's death. According to the Buddhist priest who chanted prayers for over an hour, mom is now reincarnated. He mentioned that animals especially dogs should be treated with kindness as they are closest to humans. When he said that, I was wondering if someone had told him about Chuey.

This and That

2009-08-05T00:57:00.002-04:00

Two more stories added to the link at the right. The one on top is a story about a Nobel Peace Prize Winner in Santa Fe, the other about figuring out what to do about domestic violence in Santa Fe. Carol, the liason for the city of Santa Fe was CS and my landlord for a couple of months when we first moved to Santa Fe. She's a great person and trying to sell her home in El Dorado so she can move with her husband to a farm they bought in Ribera (near where our illustrious Val Kilmer lives).

I'm Going to Party Like It's 1999

2009-07-26T09:25:00.004-04:00

We pulled up our Tom Ford-designed sarongs at 8:30 PM and some adjusted their turbans while my hair got lacquered down. By 8:55 we were in position waiting for Leslie Crosby to fire off six shots into her lover Geoff Hammond. When the Assistant Stage Manager, Darin, cues us to go on stage, we shuffle out with mouths open looking at the dead body on the ground and Leslie on the phone. That's scene one. We have seven more scenes to go plus our choreographed bows at the end of the show.

An article written by a fellow supernumerary (extra) for the Journal North details the plight of how difficult it was for the opera to recruit six asian-looking males for the Letter. Unfortunately, the ABQ Journal was one of the first to charge for articles and is still adhering to that policy so there is no hyperlink. The Journal is also one of the few papers that charges more for delivery than the newsstand price so we had to search for a newspaper box to get our own copy.

The show went well, I hit all my cues, and we took our bows before the lights dimmed. Afterwards, CS and I went looking for McCune terrace at the Ranch where the "Bruni's" had invited us for a post-opening night performance reception. All the stars, chorus, composers, directors, and stage managers were there sipping champagne and eating rubber salmon and gummy spicy, sesame noodles. Donors and other special guests were dressed in fancy suits and evening wear - CS and I had heard of such things, but this is the first time in Santa Fe we encountered people wearing ties to go out. It sort of reminded us of Washington, D.C. so we decided to mosey on over to the tech's party that featured Santa Fe Brewing Pale Ale and Nut Brown, disco lights, a fog machine, and tunes like Prince's 1999 to "dance my life away." A bit more lively than the reception.

A Night at the Opera

2009-07-22T10:07:00.002-04:00

I am no longer wearing trousers when I play a 1930s Malay plantation worker in the Letter. The costume crew told me that I now had to wear a Tom Ford designed sarong for my bottom half. I miss those pants.

Second dress rehearsal, first with orchestra went pretty well from my point on view. Only two errors that I can think of - banging a desk into the doors during a scene shift and missing my cue when, as a Malay waiter at the Singapore Club, I retrieve a few glasses from club chairs. Also, during the bow, I couldn't see a lone chair that had to be moved to Stage Right. So it goes.

CS was in the audience and was wondering whether we had a fog machine. Turns out Santa Fe was raining like it hadn't been in weeks and the weather created a nice effect for the opera - fog acting like Malay humidity and also smoke at the club. I hope the directors/managers were happy.

Somebody's Watching Me

2009-07-21T08:27:00.003-04:00

Found another blog that had a picture of me on it! I was shot while recording a hearing at the State House earlier this year.

Lonely Days Are Gone, I'm A Going Home

2009-07-21T01:59:00.008-04:00

On July 12, 2009 at 3:15 AM, my mom passed away peacefully. My father, aunt, friends and neighbors tell me that her last days were happy. She was wheeled out into the sunshine nearly every day and waved at neighbors she recognized. She would clap to music she heard on the stereo or on Korean TV and sometimes even sing. She played Rock, Paper, Scissors, with my aunt and walked back and forth from her hospital bed to a love seat across the living room. My dad even thought sometime soon, he would be taking her back to the gym. Unfortunately, that day never came.

I said my goodbyes to her in late June, knowing that was probably the last time. She said I was the "best son." I gave her a kiss and told her I loved her. She smiled and looked at me, and I think she knew that would be the last time she saw me.

The suddenness of her death was both a surprise and a relief at the same time.
The time between diagnosis and death was a mere six weeks, but I believe she had been battling the cancer for years, manifesting itself in delusions and dementia. Only in these last few weeks did it take control and lead to a complete shut down of her organs. But she fought hard for years and we nor the doctors knew how strong she was.

I sometimes stayed up at night wondering whether I would be able to cry when my parents passed away and whether I had been a good son. Believe it or not, several of her Korean friends have said things like she passed away because she exercised too much, or it's your fault she's sick because you live too far away, or she's dying because she is not happy you do not have children. Sad, but true. I can't blame these people for sticking to their beliefs, but I beg to differ.

All I have to say is that I have been a good son. I may not have given her grandchildren but I took her out of a miserable hospital system that would have gone ahead with chemotherapy and would probably have given her untold suffering without extending her life any meaningful way. I helped put her into hospice care at home and stuck around to make sure all the nurses and caregivers were the best we could hope for. Both my mother and father were extremely pleased with the hospice. I came back and helped with the funeral arrangements and made sure things went on schedule, because there were a couple of moments when we weren't so sure we would be able to conform to the Korean system of having the funeral three or five days out from her death.

And do I cry? I cry at the weirdest times, when my thoughts wander and I think about my last days with my mother. I cry when I'm doing things that are unrelated to anything, just because I miss her. I cry when I reread this blog. I cry when I realize that my mom's illness and death has helped bring my father and me closer than we have ever been before.

CS and I are back in Santa Fe now and I'm trying to get back into a schedule as is my dad. I am just back from a dress rehearsal at the opera and my dad is on his way to the Grand Canyon with my aunt and a couple of other widows. I worked a full shift at the retail store yesterday and am thinking I'll start reporting again next week.

And before I forget, I must thank everyone who wrote and sent condolences. Thanks also to the nurses and staff at Haven Hospice. Thanks to my father and aunt, who helped make her last days so happy. Thanks to my mom's neighbors and friends who brought food and built a wheelchair ramp for her. Thanks to CS who has endeared herself with the Korean grandmas by eating Kim Chee so enthusiastically, but now is being pressured to produce a child. My mom did not suffer in her last days and that's the most we can ask for.

Bye Mom, We Love You.

2009-07-12T10:03:00.000-04:00

I've Been Away So Long

2009-07-06T10:30:00.006-04:00

Three weeks in LA. One week to literally pick mom off the floor, get her nutrition and pain medication, get her a hospital bed and other equipment at home to make her comfortable, and then start home health and hospice care. Another week to make sure the hospice nurses and services were what we wanted. Then a third week to stay around until my cousin and aunt from Korea arrived, and my aunt was OK with helping dad take care of mom for as long as she can.

Still haven't had the chance to post photos of a wonderful weekend camping (practically in our own backyard) and a nice mountain bike ride during the end of May with friends we met in New Zealand. Will have those up soon, I promise.

Also,just started rehearsing at the Santa Fe Opera. There is more to the opera than the theater. We held rehearsals in one of the "rooms" at the "ranch." The room was an open air box with a tent on the outside for the director and composer and their assistants (and us and the chorus and everyone else). It wasn't too far from the pool and the cantina. I think the pool is available to all employees and their families.

Stop Your Sobbing Now

2009-06-16T16:55:00.001-04:00

It’s been an incredibly busy week – a week of emotional ups and downs and tons of time in person and on the cell phone talking to doctors, nurses, medical group and insurance representatives. When I arrived, Monday evening, Mom was in a bad state, moaning and screaming that she was in pain. She didn’t recognize me initially and then she, thankfully, went to sleep. The initial shock of seeing her in this condition is nothing like being hit in the gut as some would say, rather, for me, it’s more of a sense of loss, a powerlessness to help. But after a few days, the sense of mourning began to fade even though the illness hadn’t.

I’ve been working on several things since I’ve been here – trying to get a home health care nurse approved, delaying (and perhaps even canceling) chemotherapy until Mom has more strength, trying to contact every doctor to discuss her condition, making sure that we establish some sort of regular system to manage her care, clarifying and finalizing legal and other non-medical issues, and trying to get Dad back to some sort of normalcy in his life.

One word of advice for everyone reading – if you or your parent chose an HMO to manage Medicare, switch it to some other system like a Preferred Provider Organization otherwise you or your loved one are locked into an existing hospital network and medical group no matter how inconvenient, unless she changes in the middle of treatment which is probably not the wisest thing to do.

Mom has been at home since Thursday afternoon, but she has visited the Emergency Room three times since May 8. Mom’s hospital is located in what the City has labeled as Little Armenia. From the 9th floor room she was staying in last, there is a view of the HOLLYWOOD sign to the North and the skyscrapers of Hollywood, Century City, and Westwood to the West. I’ve never seen the U.S. remake of Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire, but can understand why Los Angeles, would be an apt substitute for Berlin given the name and the nighttime view of a city asleep, haggard, and yet majestic at the same time.

By the way, instead of West Los Angeles or Westdale as the neighborhood where my parents have lived has been known for decades, I noticed the other day the City has now dubbed the area “Westside Village.” I went to the Westside Village CVS drug store the other day, on the way avoiding nearly getting sideswiped by a Toyota Prius that had a Namaste and a Peace Now bumper sticker, and was marveling how the CVS is no different than any other one I’ve been to in the United States. The same long line, the same two cashiers handling all the customers. I’m beginning to believe that CVS management has a thick book of rules and having only two cashiers is part of their standard operating procedure. I also wonder what the data-mining sales and marketing experts at CVS think of the incontinence products I am now buying and recording by using my CVS card. Will I now be offered coupons for Depends on a regular basis?

I spent Wednesday night in the hospital room with my Mom, and staying in a hospital is not anyplace I would recommend. The noise of a too-loud television disrupting the entire floor. Mom’s moans and cries rising above the cacophony of beeping IV machines and pulse monitors. I really didn’t get much sleep but when I did manage to doze off, Mom had ripped out her IV and was going for her catheter. I had to ask the nurse to restrain her for a few hours because I couldn’t stay up to monitor her.

A few hours later at 5:30 AM my dad came to relieve me and I wandered the streets of Hollywood looking for a place I could get some coffee and breakfast as the cafeteria didn’t open until 6:30 and I had not eaten the night before. When I asked the security guard about a place, she recommended Wendy’s, McDonalds, and a Jack-in-the-Box. This despite the hospital being located in Little Armenia and the tons of small restaurants I had seen on the drive over advertising cuisine from around the world with signs like “Soup, Sandwiches, Wraps, Bulalo” or “Noodles, Teriyaki, Sushi Roll, Hamburgers” “Pupusas and Mexican Food” even the Ukrainian restaurant located at the Best Western across the street, albeit closed for the night, didn’t strike a chord with the security guard.

Right next to the Wendy’s, I found a place open for business that advertised the usual sandwiches and wraps but also offered Middle Eastern food on the order of gyros, hummous, etc… so a gyro omelet was on the way. The café was run by a mom and pop couple, middle-aged. The man wore chef’s whites and the wife was behind the counter grilling up the food. Not too much different than when my mom also worked as a short-order cook in an American-Japanese diner run by Mary and her husband in Culver City. I must have looked a bit of a wreck from sleeping in my clothes in my mom’s hospital room. I remembered my mom’s job as a cook as I studied the menu and could feel my eyes beginning to water when I ordered the omelet. I feared that the couple would think that I was a drug case. But perhaps because they were located across the street from the Emergency Room, they were used to seeing a lost soul seeking comfort in a cup of coffee and a hot meal.

On Friday, the word must have gotten out about my mom’s illness as her friends are steadily streaming through with their condolences and, at times, home-cooked meals. They ask whether I’m still working on the East Coast or how I like living in Texas. They seem confused when I tell them that I am married but will not have children. I decided not to show them pictures of Chuey as they probably wouldn’t understand or would be insulted. They also don’t seem to understand why I gave up my high-paying job in Washington, D.C. Some of these folks know exactly how much my Civil Service Grade makes, which is a scary fact in itself.

I would rather they leave us alone because it all feels like some spectacle and I even asked my dad whether these friends would be coming in daily. He shushed me, of course, as he should. He says they are saying what a nice son I am, and that because I am Americanized I know how to do the laundry and fold it up nicely. They say a man from Korea would never do such a thing. I don’t know if that is true or not especially with those younger than me - I have a feeling that Koreans of my parents’ generation that moved to the United States back in the 1970s and 1980s sort of got stuck in that culture of authoritarianism that existed back then and didn’t have a chance to gradually get used to living with the democratic, high-tech, creative nation that the Korea of today has become. In the United States, they probably attributed some societal norms as being American not realizing that many of those “American” ways of living were sprouting up on their own throughout the world in local forms.

The positive thing about this moment has been my father’s tenderness and caring for Mom. I have never seen him, at least in front of me, holding her hand and lying next to her, or stroking her face and back, or crying at the thought of losing her. In their forty-plus years together, their relationship has solidified beginning as strangers in an arranged marriage together, raising a temperamental only child together, and now it seems they have found a place where they have grown fond of each other. In the past two or three years, that relationship had been strained by my Mom’s delusions and mental state causing Dad not to be the most patient partner. But now that a medical reason for her behavior has been discovered, it’s as if Dad has forgiven her and regrets the arguments of the most recent past. He now cooks, and cleans, and does the laundry, feeds her, and helps her to the bathroom. Even the nurses have noticed how much he cares about her and they let me know whenever they can.

I also realize that his tenderness may stem from a fear of being alone in what must still be for him a strange land. A place where he and Mom never really assimilated or really wanted to. He does cook, clean, and do the laundry, but I know he would rather not do this on this own for very long.

I See A Little Light, I Know You Will

2009-06-04T13:45:00.003-04:00

Well, I don't how to begin. Almost exactly a year ago on this blog, I wrote about how we had just visited my mom and she was showing signs of dementia and paranoia. I thought her condition would be alleviated by medication if only she would decide to take it. I was dreading the decisions that would have to be made in the near future, but tried to avoid thinking about it as much possible.

About a month ago, my parents planned to visit us in New Mexico. We thought it would be a great way to celebrate Mother's Day and her birthday. I was getting nervous about the whole thing because the last time they visited me was in 1992 and they invaded my apartment and proceeded to take over the kitchen and just sort of sit in the living room. I had no TV at the time so did not have the usual means of diverting their attention.

They ended up not making it to Santa Fe because my mom had collapsed and was taken to the emergency room to undergo blood and MRI tests. At the time, no one had any idea what was going on and the tests detected a small blood clot that required further examination.

This past Sunday, I called home and found out that my mom had collapsed and was taken to the emergency room again. A couple of days later, the son of a friend of my father's, a doctor, called to let me know that a MRI-related procedure called an MRA detected advanced lung cancer that had already spread throughout my mom's body, including her brain. Apparently, the cancer in her brain had been causing her to have hallucinations during the past year or so. I asked my dad whether I should come home but he declined and asked what I would do if I did. I replied that I could cook and help out. He said me to stay in New Mexico as there was no need for me to fly back home.

Earlier today, I got another call from another friend of the family - another doctor. I guess my dad can't bear to make these calls to me. My mom's condition is worsening and it sounds as if she's in a lot of pain. She's been undergoing radiation treatments five days a week that were supposed to help alleviate her pain but it doesn't appear to be working. She will start chemotherapy on Thursday, but it sounds like she isn't able to eat. I'm flying home on Monday.

We started this blog because we were running from Washington and averting what we thought would be a life we didn't want to lead. I'm glad we ran from Washington and started a new life in New Mexico. We can breathe again and pay attention to what's important in our lives.

Overall, in a way, I've been running ever since I was 17 - away from strict parents and the life they had planned out for me - engineering school (or better yet medical school), marriage, kids, etc...It was stifling and I had to just get away. Now I find myself going home again almost 25 years later but to a different place. A place where my dad now helps feed my mom and laughs at how helpless he is in the kitchen or cleaning up the place. I'm worried about what I'll find back in LA, but I know that our family is back together again in a way that it has never been before, and I hope we pull through this.

When Doves Cry

2009-05-19T18:40:00.001-04:00

The above picture accompanies this linked story.

Beneath the Sheltering Sky

2009-05-17T09:21:00.006-04:00

We ventured our way North to Colorado past Espanola, past Ojo Caliente, No Agua, and Tres Piedras. Across the border we drove through Antonito and took a right at Alamosa. We were on our way to a placed called the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Three hours later we arrived.

In the middle of a valley surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountains lie sand dunes as high as 500 feet in the sky. It's as if someone dumped a mound of acres and acres of sand in the middle of nowhere. Along the base of the sand runs Medrano creek which "surges" every few seconds with more snowmelt.

Being used to New Mexico, we thought we'd be able to get a campsite in the National Park. No way, 88 of the sites were full of preteens and their guardians whooping it up as if they were in Disneyland for summer vacation. We decided we hadn't packed light enough to backpack out to more primitive campsites, so we picked a private site behind the Oasis Lodge, which was more than fine as the sites had great views and trees and relatively few people... our first night. Friday night is when the families arrived in packs of two or four or even higher. They were much noisier than the cub scouts that settled in the group campsites.

Nearly all of the visitors to the park seem to walk out across Medrano Creek and tend to stick around the creek rather than venture higher up into the dunes. We encountered only a handful of people as we meandered along the dunes trying to find a way up. Same situation with the trails in the park. Once you got past the parking area or the campground, the crowd disappeared.

One trail to Mosca Pass guides hikers along a stream and into the Sangres. On the way up, we encountered a few hikers on the way down spooked by the dark clouds building along the horizon. We decided to trudge on as the "end" of the trail was only a mile or so further. Soon after we made that decision, a skittish brown bear decided to walk down the trail and after seeing us ran off before Chuey could see her. We decided at that point to turn around.

One of the pictures above us supposedly of the "Oldest Church in Colorado," according to the road sign along highway 285. The other is of the thriving main street where the church is located. According to the plaque, the church was built in the 1850s - not very old at all if you ask me. I guess religion didn't play as important a role in Colorado as it did in New Mexico.
....

I Saw A Werewolf Drinking A Pina Colada at Trader Vic's . . .

2009-05-04T08:53:00.002-04:00

When we exited Chaco Canyon the other week, we had to slow down because what looked to be a large feral dog ran by us on the highway at an incredible pace. Only later after looking at pictures of Gray Wolves did we decide we had just seen one flying by. Not sure why he or she was running, perhaps it was being chased away by ranchers.

We have a habit of running into wild animals at or near National Parks. When we went to Mesa Verde in Colorado, a coyote decided to walk the highway toward us and just stood there in front of the car. Not sure what he was trying to say.

Outside of National Parks, we can encounter coyotes in our own backyard. They are pretty small and don't like to hang around. That's why I thought the Mesa Verde coyote's behavior was a bit strange.

In addition to coyotes, we have the occasional bear that likes to go through our and our neighbors' trash. That happened a couple of nights ago. Bear teeth marks were on an empty container of Trader Joe's coffee. Pretty sharp. Wouldn't want to encounter them if we were outside, but I think Chuey would warn us off like she did the other night. Chuey's keeping us safe.

My Old Kentucky Home

2009-05-02T18:45:00.004-04:00

CS and I miss our annual trek to NYC to attend a Derby Party in Red Hook (not too far from the new Ikea - who would have thought!). We used to head up to NYC on a Friday riding the cheap buses from WDC to NYC and spend the weekend out there. We would make our pilgrimage to the pickle shop, and dine on the tastiest hummous available in the United States, and continue to eat and walk our way through lower Manhattan.

Anyway, I never had any luck picking the winner of the Kentucky Derby. I tended to read the pro's picks of various horses and look at the odds to see which horse they chose. I usually played it safe and picked a non-favorite that had a good chance but those horses never won.

This year, CS and I decided to see what the Cities of Gold Sports Bar was like. It was the only venue around that advertised a Kentucky Derby event and you could actually bet on the race as it is part of the Pojoaque Pueblo's Casino. We meandered our way over on the frontage roads as we hate to take the Interstate.

We knew we were in for a treat. The parking lot was packed and black cowboy-hatted bettors were walking at a fast clip toward the Sports Bar entrance. CS and I were attracted to the BBQ grill that was sending plumes of smoke into the gray afternoon sky located next to the Big Top tent that was showing the race. We were a bit put off by the Tribal Police surrounding a car with their lights on and pulling people over.

Instead of reading up on the horses, this year, I decided to pick a horse like most people probably do based on nothing whatsoever but where we live - New Mexico. I knew that there was one horse in the race, who's owner bought the horse for much less than the sheik of the UAE probably spends on rugs to decorate the floor of his stables. And wouldn't you know it, Mine That Bird won the race. A 50-1 shot that paid off.

After Three Days in the Desert Fun

2009-04-30T10:26:00.004-04:00

Let's see if this works. CS, Chuey, and I spent a few nights camping at Chaco Canyon last week. We were there almost a year ago and took the Pueblo Alto hike. This time, we hiked all the other remaining hikes, including Penasco Blanco, South Mesa, and Wijiji.

They are scheduled to close for a month to fix their septic system, but we squeezed in right before that. Believe me, no one should visit Chaco in the summer if they want to avoid heat exhaustion. You are in direct sunlight most of the time and high winds can blow through. Wear plenty of sunscreen and carry water.

Craig Child's House of Rain explains why he believes Chaco was one of many centers for ancestral culture. The line of civilization he believes extends throughout the Southwest and into Mexico.

We also saw what looked to be a gray wolf as we exited the park, but alas it was too fast to take a picture of .

Press on the link to see CS's photos on Facebook:

Chaco Canyon

View of Pecos Peaks from Glorieta Baldy, Fire Lookout Tower on top of Old Baldy, Starvation Peak,

2009-04-21T17:37:00.003-04:00

I Hear The Train A-Coming!

2009-04-13T16:03:00.001-04:00

Another train story.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2009-04-12T09:30:00.002-04:00

Easter in Santa Fe feels more like Christmas with another half a foot of snow on our doorstep. I think last year it snowed on the 17th of April so this is not a freak occurrence.

I must admit Facebook is competing with this blog for photos and info. CS just posted our Glorieta Baldy Hike photos on FB. It's a 11 mile roundtrip extravaganza complete with nearly 3,000 ft elevation gain. It took between 5 and 6 hours. Chuey has been in her tent ever since!

Click HERE to link to CS's photos on FB.

OK, Here's the Situation

2009-03-27T10:16:00.005-04:00

It's been more than two weeks since our last blog post. One entity to blame for the lack of written material is the New Mexico Legislature. They tend to keep their floor sessions long and tardy, and then their hearings don't start up until 5 hours later than scheduled. Unfortunately, for me, that means that I wait all day for a hearing to start and end up leaving before the meeting begins because I have a life.

Reason number two is this awful stomach virus that seems to be going around. I've been laid up for 4 days with this mysterious ailment. But fear not, I'm back to normal today and have some pictures to share of various hikes we have been on.

Well, She Wrote Me A Letter

2009-03-12T09:36:00.003-04:00

Remember, that horrific time I had with Toshiba when I bought a new laptop and wanted to downgrade to Windows XP? After that experience, I decided to write a letter to the CEO of Toshiba America. I told him that I have been a loyal Toshiba user for many years and liked their products, but was very disappointed in my most recent experience with their technical support, customer service, and product management team.

A few weeks later, a personal assistant to the CEO leaves a message on our answering machine. I get to talk to her the next day and she asks me about the letter and wants to know what Toshiba can do. The PC works fine now so I ask them to reimburse me for the less than one hour of work Dotfoil Computer Systems did to make the PC a Windows XP machine. She agrees and yesterday I received a check from Toshiba.

I'm not sure whether I'd buy another Toshiba product again, but I will certainly write more letters to the CEO when dissatisfied with a product or service.

Full-time Traveler, Part-Time Worker, Professional Dreamer

2009-03-07T09:54:00.002-05:00

We've been on a Werner Herzog jag over the past few years. Starting with Grizzly Man, we've watched My Best Fiend, Incident at Loch Ness, Rescue Dawn, and just recently enjoyed Encounters at the End of the World. In Encounters, Werner is off to Antarctica on a National Science Foundation financed-project that he makes perfectly clear will not star cute little penguins. He interviews those that make it down to Antarctica and the title of this blog is from a philosopher/heavy machinery operator that sums up the type of people that end up falling south to the end of the world.

Pretty enjoyable movie if you can find the humor in Werner asking stuff like "Is this a great moment?" when two scientists glibly declare they discovered a couple of new species, or watching a scientist describe a parasitic worm that lives in the anus of a sea urchin as red and amazingly beautiful, or Werner asking a seriously asocial scientist whether he's noticed any unusual sexual activity among the penguins he's studying. Even though his doc isn't focused on the cute penguins, there are quite a few as well as great undersea footage, a very active volcano, biologists watching "Them" to entertain themselves, and a woman who fits in a carry-on bag and is known Antarctic wide for her achievement.

Everything Leads To Corruption

2009-02-18T12:17:00.002-05:00

Iggy Pop wrote some forgettable songs in the 1990s, including Candy and Corruption (where the lyrics to today's blog posting were purloined), after a resurrection of sorts in the 1980s with Bowie's recording of his China Girl, his recording of Repo Man (from the cult film of the same name), and his teaming up with Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols for a couple of albums.

Anyway, New Mexico has a citizen legislature, meaning state representatives and senators are in Santa Fe for at least one or two months a year on an unpaid basis to pass legislation and the budget. They do get a per diem and partly because they are unpaid there are no campaign contribution limitations beyond they have to be from an individual, not a company. However, that can lead to questions of impropriety as illustrated by Big Bill's recent withdrawing of his name for Obama's Commerce Secretary nomination. As a result, there are more than a dozen ethic-related bills being considered in the current legislative session. Under the radio clips in the lower right is a recent update on what's happening with a few of these bills.

Is That a Microphone in Your Pocket?

2009-02-14T09:35:00.003-05:00

SL's microphone got extensive coverage when Big Bill decided to withdraw: Please click here.

There's A Stain On My Notebook Where Your Coffee Cup Was

2009-02-12T21:54:00.002-05:00

Gov. Big Bill has his five minutes with constituents every once in a while and Santa Fe Mayor David Coss has his regular "Coffee with Coss." His latest coffee was held in the brand new "Santa Fe Community Convention Center." In terms of design, the building is about as far away as you can get from the modernism of the fairly-new Washington, D.C. Convention Center. It's officially called Pueblo Revival,which includes "adobe" walls, wooden ceilings, viga beams, kiva fireplaces, tin sconces and chandeliers. There are a couple of sitting areas next to kiva fireplaces with real burning wood. Pretty cozy. Click on the lower right to listen to radio coverage of the Coffee with Coss.

Ooooh White Lines!

2009-02-10T19:34:00.004-05:00

Down the highway to Carrizozo, take a left at the Petroglyphs and you hit the Three Rivers Recreation Area - the gateway to the White Mountain Wilderness. To the West lies White Sands Missile Range where the USG tests it's newest rockets amid the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains.

Camp at 3 rivers, take a couple of hikes, grill up a couple of steaks and you have the ingredients of an overnight getaway. Funny thing about NM, get out of Santa Fe and go East or South and behold you have the whole campground to yourself even on a Friday night.

Gatekeeper Seasons Wait for Your Nod

2009-02-05T09:36:00.004-05:00

The Pajarito Ski Area lies just outside of the bunkered city known as Los Alamos - one has to stop at a checkpoint before being allowed into the city limits. That still doesn't stop people from making off with sensitive data on laptops or radiation from contaminating the water supply.

Anyway, the downhill ski area is only open F-Sun, but the cross country and snow shoe trails are open every day. It was the first time out for Cybersuze and only the second time out for me. My first time was a rather frustrating foray into Boulder, CO as everyone else that I was with was a pro and I kept falling on my butt.

CS did great and I managed to fall only a handful of times. Our friend and co-worker Alex did a fantastic job of being patient and helping us get the right rhythm and moves. A good time was had by all.

Revolution Rock

2009-02-05T09:22:00.002-05:00

Okay, there's no revolution here in New Mexico, but for some reason the song is in my head. It's the same old political legislative session here in Santa Fe. 100-odd state reps and senators - citizen legislators by the way as they don't get paid, just a per diem - try to pass bills and capital outlays. A few short snippets are located on the lower right.

Wyoming and South Dakota

2009-01-30T23:16:00.003-05:00

I started the blog in June of 2007 to record our escape from Washington, D.C. and our new life in New Mexico for family and friends. Since that time, the site has been visited by family, friends, and complete strangers due to the incredible reach of the Internet and related search engines. Visitors have arrived on the site from a total of 65 different countries from around the world, including such far off places as Yemen and Sudan. Interestingly enough, not all of the 50 United States and its territories are represented.

I know this because I've embedded Skister's Run with Google Analytics which is a geeky marketing tool that tells me where visitors are coming from, how long they spend on the site, and whether I am getting sufficient ROI (return on investment). It does not identify the specific visitor nor do I care about ROI. Can you believe that Wyoming and South Dakota are the only states that have people that have never, ever visited the blog? Yemen, Sudan, Kenya, Bulgaria - no problem. But citizens of Wyoming and South Dakota have never ever done a search on New Mexico hikes, or cute dog, or escape from Washington, D.C., or Machupicchu. Tells you something doesn't it?

Hot, Hot, Hot, Hotter Than Hell

2009-01-27T19:51:00.003-05:00

If you recall a couple of weeks ago, my laptop made this awful grinding noise and froze. Data Doctors diagnosed the malady as the hard drive gasping for its last breath. They recommended that I cut my losses and buy a new laptop. After all, it would cost a minimum of 300 dollars for a basic exam and several hundred dollars more to repair the damage. This advice was free.

I figured out that the laptop had been with me for 6 or 7 years, so I took their advice and shopped around for a new laptop. After all, I back up data religiously so had a back up copy of all my files (Those without back up hard drives take note). The Doctors recommended Toshiba or IBM. The old guy was Toshiba and one of the first laptops I had while working in the tech industry was a Toshiba so I looked for a third.

I knew that I did NOT want Windows Vista as the operating system as most of the software and hardware I own, including the audio software - Audition 1.5, do not work on Vista or MAC for that matter. It would cost me mucho dinero to replace all the software (and printer) I owned to work with Vista and I knew there could be compatibility issues with the radio station. Hey, it's a public radio station, they are just discovering XP!!

The problem is no one really sells a new Windows XP laptop anymore as Microsoft really wants everyone to have Vista. But there's a loophole - due to popular and corporate demand - you can get a Windows Vista Business or Vista Ultimate PC and still have "downgrade rights" to Windows XP Professional.

So what does this mean? Dell spells it out pretty clearly. They are one of the few that actually allow a consumer to choose XP pre-loaded on a PC (for an extra $99!) instead of Vista. That's like paying a hundred bucks more for an older model (implying XP is worth $99 bucks more than Vista).

Instead of choosing the easy Dell-route, I naively believed Toshiba's product specifications that promised a Vista PC with downgrade rights to XP, including as they said the "downgrade media for Genuine Microsoft XP Professional". I ordered the laptop, paid for two day delivery, opened the box, and after looking at everything thought wait a minute, where's the downgrade disk? I had a recovery disk for XP in the box, so I popped it into the laptop and after an hour - Surprise! I still had Vista!

That began one of the most frustrating journeys down tech support and customer relations hell that I have ever encountered. Toshiba Tech Support as all front line tech support people do read off of a script to try to solve the problem. And admittedly things such as restart the computer do "fix" many consumer's problems. But they did not seem to believe that all I had was a recovery disk. They kept telling me that I needed a downgrade disk. So I called the retailer and asked about the disk. They sent an email to Toshiba and received no reply. As a good retailer, they suggested that I return the laptop for a new one (same model). I thought sure, that could solve the problem so I did that.

A couple of days later, I get the package, I open the box, and look all over for the downgrade disk but all I find is another recovery disk. So I call Toshiba tech support again and say I'm looking for a downgrade disk. I complain a bit - politely of course - believe me being polite gets you a lot further than being an asshole -- and I finally get a customer relations manager.

Unfortunately, she never took any good courses on listening to an informed consumer. I actually had to argue with her about Toshiba's product literature which she at first refused to look at because she did not have access to a computer!!
She kept saying Toshiba does not provide the downgrade disk just that the computer is downgradeable. By the way, everything is downgradeable. So I finally get her to look at the product specs and she says oh it says "downgrade media, I'll have to email a product manager!) Nearly an entire day later, I get her on the phone and she says "we're going to send you a DOWNGRADE disk." A couple of days later, I get three disks from Toshiba - all recovery disks not downgrade disks.

So fed up with this mess, I take the laptop to Dotfoil Computer Services and they say they can load up XP and make sure it runs, etc.. for $150 bucks. I say go for it, I can't handle the idiocy of Toshiba and getting a consumer copy of XP would cost $300 bucks anyway. Dotfoil does it for $80 bucks plus tax and tells me that all they had to do was erase the hard drive and use the recovery disk to load XP....I wonder why Toshiba couldn't figure that out? Finally, after nearly 3 weeks, I'm back up and running with a new laptop - my last Toshiba, but probably not the last time I use Dotfoil.

I'm Just A Bill, Yes, I'm Only A Bill

2009-01-27T19:32:00.003-05:00

I don't know how I got back into the business of government but there I am sitting in Committee meetings and pigeonholing representatives to get their views on this or that bill. Today, I covered a domestic violence bill in a House Committee and spoke to the sponsor. Funny thing is the committee meeting was scheduled to begin at 1.30 and by 2.45 it still hadn't started. Some in the audience sat with me throughout the long wait. Several uniformed law enforcement officers were in attendance but left at 2.30 when they realized the meeting wasn't going to start anytime soon. I was rather happy they left, because I would hope they would be out policing rather than in the Statehouse lobbying. A woman/attorney/lobbyist behind me was discussing her firearms and ammunition probably in an effort to entice the cops. By the way, if any New Mexican citizen has a concealed weapons permit, they can bring it into the Roundhouse as there is no alcohol served in the establishment. But lo and behold one lawmaker has proposed that the alcohol serving restriction should be lifted. Guns and Whiskey, anyone? Sounds like one of those good timey Westerns.

So as soon as the bill's sponsor entered the meeting room I grabbed him and got a few comments then hightailed it downstairs to the media room to complete a short story and edit the audio. Tomorrow, domestic partnership advocates will be in full force in the Senate with a good likelihood that the bill will pass. Imagine that - New Mexico in the forefront of domestic partnership rights, who would have thought it?

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

2009-01-22T09:51:00.002-05:00

After Obama's historic inauguration, the State of New Mexico got down to business. The first casualty of Obama's not even cofirmed cabinet, Bill Richardson, stayed in Santa Fe as Governor and the legislature began its 60-day session. I got a headache listening to the Gov's State of the State Speech and searching for legislators to make comments. The atmosphere is not very different than when I had to help former bosses when they visited Capitol Hill in DC. I don't miss it a bit.

Galileo, Figaro, Magnifico

2009-01-21T14:12:00.003-05:00

On a whim, I decided to answer a short news item in the New Mexican regarding the Santa Fe Opera. The world-renowned performance group is seeking paid extras for the upcoming Summer season. One of the operas, The Letter, is based on a W. Somerset Maugham story set in Southeast Asia. Bette Davis, by the way, starred in an earlier movie version that we saw recently on DVD. The main character shoots a man she says was trying to rape her. In fact, the man was her lover and there is a letter to prove she asked him over. The letter is now in the hands of the dead man's Eurasian wife and she wants something in return. . .

Anyway, I auditioned to be an extra (or supernumerary as they say in the Opera World!) in that opera which will have its world Premiere in July. They are seeking Asian-looking extras and I think I am one of just a handful of Asians that live in Santa Fe. The others own a Toyota repair shop, a couple of restaurants, a big liquor store, etc.... By the way, there are quite a number of Tibetans here - I guess they like mountain towns. This is a long-winded way of saying the Asian plus African American population in this town wouldn't fill up the tiny house we're renting. Maybe I should start a club.

Back to the opera - apparently it is a world premiere by some big guy in the opera world. All I recognized was the name of designer, and Santa Fe ranch owner, Tom Ford, who will be making the costumes. And, unfortunately, we do not get to keep the costumes. Maybe he'll sell it to me at a reduced price??

We always wanted to go out to the opera and so now I'll be getting paid a tiny bit of cash to be in it! This will add to my performance resume. Having previously starred as one of the Mongol hordes that take over the Roman Empire in the best-selling documentary, narrated by Peter Coyote, called Rome: Power and Glory. Check it out very late at night on cable/satellite every so often.

Stay tuned....

Five Minutes

2009-01-13T09:43:00.002-05:00

New Mexico is the first state I have ever lived in where the Governor, once in a while, opens his doors to anyone who is a resident (a driver's license from NM will suffice). Each citizen gets five minutes to sit down face to face with the Guv and air whatever grievance or comment he or she would like to make. Usually, the citizen is required to talk about upcoming legislative issues or capital outlays, but you know, people will be people and will stand in line to talk about things that are not on the list - help finding a job, being fired from a state job, asking why should I relocate to NM, etc... Admittedly, NM has a population that just barely hit the 2 million mark recently, but I've been in cities that are much smaller and have never heard of the mayor inviting his or her constituents to sit down and talk for a few minutes. Click on the link in the lower right hand column for an audio peek.

Latest Santa Fe Police Report

2009-01-07T11:46:00.002-05:00

From this morning's New Mexican:

An Espanola man reported Monday that he gave $5,900 to a woman he only knows as "Senora Sophie" in November with the understanding she would use the religion of Santeria to double it. However, Senora Sophie left town with the man's money."

Big Bill Stays in Santa Fe

2009-01-07T11:44:00.001-05:00

Well, the Big News this week was Big Bill's Richardson's decision to withdraw his name as a Secretary of Commerce Nominee. I think he didn't want the post in the first place and is secretly happy not to have to do it. Anyway, if you'd like to hear a radio report on it, you'll find it in the lower right hand corner of this blog.

Take Me To The Hospital

2009-01-06T10:50:00.000-05:00

SL's laptop started making the grinding noise of death right before working on another story. The prognosis is dire. It looks likely that it will have to be taken out to pasture.

To All My Friends . . . .

2009-01-01T10:00:00.005-05:00

Enjoying one of NZ's finest brews on the West Coast of the South Island in Greymouth with our friends Julie and Steve. Hope everyone is having a Happy New Year.

The second photo is the boiler room of the brewery. A fairly cozy set-up.

Video Killed the Radio Star

2008-12-28T22:58:00.004-05:00

I've been trying to upload a couple of videos of New Zealand to Blogger, but it has not been a very productive experience. Will keep trying at a later date.

Feeling Kinda Crazy Now, I Just Might Flip Out

2008-12-27T10:32:00.003-05:00

Nine Degrees outside and our newspaper didn't show which means it's still a bit icy on the roads out there.

Meanwhile, Chuey is getting a touch of cabin fever this morning.

The Love You Found Must Never Stop

2008-12-26T23:43:00.003-05:00

Measure by Measure, Drop by Drop. And Pound for Pound, We're Taking Stock....

IT'S STILL SNOWING HERE UP IN THE HILLS OF SANTA FE!! Will it ever stop?

All We Need Is Just A Little Patience

2008-12-24T00:37:00.002-05:00

You know that old saying that you attract more flies to honey than vinegar? Well, you know, it's kind of true.

On our way to New Zealand, CS and I arrived at LAX much earlier than we needed to. The choice was between wait several hours in LA for our connecting flight to Sydney or have about 30 mins to make the connection. We, of course, chose the former and knew we could grab a couple of andouille sausages at Jodi Maroni's while we waited for our flight to board.

Sated after our meal, we sauntered back toward our gate. As we walked, I glanced at the departure monitor and noticed a curious comment next to our flight - instead of "on time" it said "delayed due to crew issues" or something like that.

This was a major flight to the Southern Hemisphere, a Boeing 747 complete with upper deck and CS and I had confirmed seats in the exit row upstairs. It took a while to register that the delay would be about 9 hours so instead of 10 PM the flight would leave at 7AM. I did a back of the envelope calculation and determined there was no way that we could make our connecting flights to Auckland and Christchurch, which meant we would not meet Active New Zealand representatives to begin our two week hiking, kayaking, and biking tour around the South Island.

CS was in denial and I was numb with shock. When we got back to the lounge, CS got on the phone and dialed United while I stood in line trying to get the attention of the one customer service representative on duty. Another representative chipped in and called me to her desk and she started spouting nonsense like "don't worry about the connecting flights, they'll take care of that on the plane." I don't know about you, but I've never seen a boarding pass printer or reservation terminal on any plane I've flown so we knew she was unloading a ton of BS on us.

After her lack of customer service, I decided to go back in line to wait for another customer service representative. Meanwhile, CS had a rep on the phone who said, "Oh well, I really don't know what to do." Thankfully, a woman named B***** called us to her line. We were patient and told her that we had to make a flight in the same timeframe. She was getting ready to give us meal vouchers and a hotel room when CS casually mentioned that this was our honeymoon. That was the magic phrase. Her fingers began to fly on the keyboard. After what seemed like a few agonizing hours but was probably just a few minutes, she got up off her seat and motioned for us to follow her. She took us out of the lounge and said she had booked us on a flight to San Francisco, boarding in 30 minutes, that would allow us to connect to a flight to Sydney set to arrive at nearly the same time as our original flight. She cautioned us to keep it quiet as there would "be a riot" if anyone else found out.

Thankfully, CS and I had carried on our huge backpacks and we could get them on the flights. We made the flight to Sydney, all our connections, and began our tour of NZ on time. Without B's help, it would have been a bit of a pain to meet the group in Queenstown and we would have missed a hike up near Mt. Cook, a view of a few lakes and glaciers, some lovely salmon and steak, and getting a chance to know our travelmates earlier. Thank you B, once again.

Crystal World with Winter Flowers

2008-12-21T10:01:00.004-05:00

It looks like most of the country is in a deep freeze on today's Winter Solstice. Here we have over a foot of snow still piled along the roads up above 7,500 feet (and even a thin layer of snow and ice on some parts of the road in this steep subdivision) and more predicted to be on the way. White Christmas, indeed.

I found the title of today's blog from the lyrics to a song by a now peddler of cell phone services and a reality TV show. Here's a link to the video of the song. I love his white outfit.

A Few Selected Snaps of NZ

2008-12-19T22:43:00.001-05:00

Talk to Me So You Can See What's Going On

2008-12-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

November turned out to be a busy month for CS and me. On the first day of November, we got married in front of the new statue of our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico.

The statue was commissioned two years ago and almost didn't make it to Santa Fe because the U.S. government detained the statue and then couldn't find it. Parishioners and the head, a Vietnamese-born Catholic priest by the name of Rev. Nguyen, of the 230-year old Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe visited the statue upon its completion by the artist Georgina Farias in Mexico City. They then proceeded to take the statue by bus through Zacatecas, Durango, Parral and Chihuahua, where a Mass was held in each town. La Virgen made it to the U.S.-Mexico border, but then Customs and Border Protection decided to delay the statue's crossing into the United States because of paperwork and security X-rays. The statue then was lost for a day or so until it was found again in an El Paso warehouse. Once discovered, the Rev. and his parishioners took matters into their own hands and secured a truck to transport the 4,000 pound statue that rests today on the corner of Guadalupe and Alameda Streets.

We were married in front of the statue by the Rev. Martin and his wife, April Mae, a co-worker of our's at the outdoor retail store. Incidentally, Rev. Martin's band is due to play at Evangelo's in downtown Santa Fe tonight but SL is a bit of an early sleeper so we will not be able to attend the show. He tells us they sound a bit like Black Sabbath. After the short ceremony, we all went to Mauka for another celebratory meal. The sister-in-law of the chef/owner was our second witness and our waitress that evening.

November 4 was of course a history-making election day and SL had to grab audio for KUNM News during the afternoon and long evening. He covered the NM Secretary of State's press conference that afternoon and she revealed nothing bad really happened as it had in year's past. He then spent a long evening waiting for the winner of Congressional District 3 to make his victory speech. By that time, and after a few minutes of a face-to-face interview with the Congressman-elect it was nearly 11 PM, and he still had to cruise by the victory party of another candidate, but fortunately the winner of the Public Regulation Commission had long since departed.

The next day, we piled Chuey and our sleeping bags into the car for an 8-hour drive to Kanab, UT so the doggie could stay with her Auntie Fran. The next morning we drove right back to Santa Fe so we could pack for our 17 day trip to the South Island of New Zealand...... to be continued.

Who's That Girl Running Around With You?

2008-11-06T23:18:00.002-05:00

Can I Get A Witness?

2008-11-06T22:51:00.003-05:00

Oh Yeah, I'm Gonna Take You Away

2008-11-06T22:25:00.006-05:00

On Highway 98 between Kayenta and Page, Arizona with Navajo Mountain to the East. CS, SL, and Chuey make their way Westward.

High Desert snow between Cuba and Aztec, NM

From Chicago to Los Alamos to Hiroshima

2008-10-29T22:52:00.002-04:00

Los Alamos from down the road.

Jack Frost Nipping At Your Nose

2008-10-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

October and the Trees Are Stripped Bare

2008-10-29T22:33:00.001-04:00

Alpaca-lips Now

2008-10-29T22:23:00.004-04:00

September 28 was Open Ranch day in Santa Fe, land of many alpacas. Here are a few of CS's beauties:

Take Me to the River and Drop Me in the Water

2008-10-28T22:01:00.002-04:00

Our favorite reporter is filling the New Mexican airwaves with stories ranging from local politics to supplying water for Santa Fe's future. Click here for a story that aired on Thursday, October 23.

This Is The End Beautiful Friend

2008-10-28T21:49:00.003-04:00

Tony Hillerman, a prolific mystery writer that set his more popular novels in the Four Corners area of New Mexico (and AZ, UT, and CO), died at the age of 83. I remember devouring his novels in the early '90s not really knowing why except I liked his characterization of the Navajo or Dine. I never thought that I would end up living in Santa Fe, where, at one time, he used to be an editor for the local, still family-owned newspaper, the New Mexican.

The two main characters in his novels were/are Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Chee, Chi, Qi, Qui, Ki - they all mean the same thing - broadly meaning energy and is close to the Western term for vitality and the Indian term prana. Wonder why I liked the Jim Chee character.

We Got the Beat

2008-10-23T01:52:00.001-04:00

Here's a link to our favorite reporter's latest story. Click Here.

They Said It On the Air On the Radio

2008-10-22T09:48:00.003-04:00

The Big News is there is a new reporter/stringer for public radio station KUNM 89.9 FM in Albuquerque. It's the NPR and PRI affiliate for Northern and Central New Mexico. The new reporter is, of course, our favorite and is based in Santa Fe where he used to report for KSFR 101.1 FM. Kudos to both public radio stations for their support and encouragement of new blood in the community. And remember it's the Fall Pledge Drive season so please don't forgot to support local and non-local (via the Internet) public radio and television stations you like to listen to or watch. They need your support in these tough times if you can spare it.

The Corn is as High as an Elephant's Eye

2008-10-06T10:19:00.002-04:00

Well folks, as you can tell, the blog has been sacrificed for my writing notes about our part-time retail experience. It's been a very eye-opening time so I wanted to share with you some of the things I'm working on. This is from a section called "Customers from Hell." I X'd out specific names and details to protect the innocent:

. . . Then there was the couple from Oklahoma. . . . When I called them to my sales register the woman actually pleaded, “Why is everything taking soo long? We’re from Oklahoma.”

I wanted to respond, “Well, let’s see, it’s the Sunday of our Grand Opening Weekend and there was a line of customers hundreds deep before the store opened waiting to get in so they could get a free water bottle and a gift card ranging in value from $5 to $100. That didn’t mean you had to shop at the same time as hundreds of others but I guess if you decide to do that, things may take a bit longer than usual.”

Plus, I didn’t know what to make of her statement that they were from Oklahoma. Perhaps, things go faster in Oklahoma because there is a cultural phenomenon there that means everyone does things quickly, you know, like a New York Minute? But I guess if there were such a thing they would call it an Oklahoma Minute wouldn’t they?

The Oklahoma woman handed me a pink “Hold” slip that had her name and member number written on the back and a 20 percent discount coupon. She added that it took forever for XXXXX, one of our supervisors, and the definition of perky and positive, to find her member number in the system. XXXXXX, from North Carolina, had more XXX experience than all eight of us working the cash registers combined so I knew that she had found this woman’s member number much more quickly than nearly anyone in the entire store could have done.

That “We’re from Oklahoma,” statement immediately pegged her as a “Customer from Hell” and I braced myself for what may come next. I began scanning her purchases: a XXXXX jacket, a pair of XXX pants, and some socks. That damn XXXXX again. I told the Oklahoma couple that the XXXXX jacket was not subject to the 20 percent discount because the vendor would not allow it. The couple looked at me as if I had told them that I would sacrifice their first born to almighty Satan. They said, "XXXXXX told us that the 20 percent discount was off everything!”

“XXXXX said that?” I replied. “Yes, she said the coupon applied to everything,” they said almost in unison. After the first Customer from Hell, I just looked at them and said, “OK, I’ll take it off the XXXXX jacket but if you READ the coupon, it clearly says “20 % off ONE FULL-PRICE ITEM.” I showed them the coupon – noting the XXXXX exclusion and the 8 point font that said “One Full-Price Item.” Again, they looked as if I was spoiling the party. Ok, I’m a sucker so I gave them 20 percent off the pants, too. Afterwards, I spoke to a manager and said, “You know some folks on the floor may be telling people that the coupon applies to the entire purchase.” The manager said, “You know that may be true, but it’s more likely that the customers are hearing what they want to hear. I’d just give them what they want if it’s within reason.”

After ringing up the Oklahoma couple’s purchases, discounting them, entering her member number, and asking for the balance, the couple decided to finally tell me that they wanted to exchange the pants the man was wearing for the pants they were buying. OK, no problem, but XXX’s cash register system prefers that the returns/exchange button be pushed at the beginning of the transaction. If it isn’t and the customer wants to return or exchange a product, the cashier has to ring up the entire transaction all over again. Did I mention that this was opening weekend and the line to get to a cashier was wrapped around the corner and was increasing the more time I spent with this couple?

The couple, of course, didn’t have a receipt for the pants, but this is XXX. If a customer is a member, the database at XXX has a record of each member’s purchases going back eight years or so. Unfortunately, that means the cashier, me, has to bring up the “back office” screen and do a member search for the Oklahoma woman. Once I found her, I had to look up her “SKU history” to find the exact pair of pants they wanted to exchange. This is done so we can see how much they paid for the pants, when, and where. Thankfully, they had a new pair so I could look up the SKU and description fairly easily – the only thing they made easy for me. It appeared that they paid full price for the pants in Albuquerque in 2006. I asked the reason for the return – “the back pocket zipper got stuck” - inputted the return with the relevant data – “where” for tax purposes, “when” for subtracting the next dividend payout if the purchase is more than a year old – and rang up their purchases again. I asked the man to take the new pair of pants into the dressing room and take off the old pair so I could put the old pair into the damaged goods bin. He happily complied and then they finally left to harass another unsuspecting service industry professional.

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

2008-09-20T09:27:00.004-04:00

We finally climbed out of the Burning Ring of Fire but still felt Hot Hot Hot when we went to Ojo Caliente. The "Hot Eye" is only an hour north of Santa Fe and is a bit past Espanola. It's famous for its mineral hot springs that bubble up on the grounds of the Hotel. It's a tiny town located right across the Rio Arriba County line into Taos County.
It's the middle of September, but fall is definitely in the air. We thought this hike would be warmer than the 50 to 60 degrees in the mountains, and it surpassed our expectations. The thermometer reached the mid 80s as we hiked up towards an old mine (Joseph's Mine below) in the early afternoon - the hottest time of the day here. By the way, CS and I have been experimenting with part-time retail jobs at an outdoor outfitters hence the lack of recent postings. I've also directed my energies to writing notes about our experiences so do not want to name the company on this blog.

Fire in the distance:

I Fell into a Burning Ring of Fire

2008-09-05T09:13:00.004-04:00

Old Man Gloom met a fiery death once again as Fiestas de Santa Fe gets underway (click for video). Otherwise known as Zozobra, burning of the giant marionette symbolizes getting rid of the gloom and worries of the previous year. The puppet first designed and built by William Shuster, one of the artists known as Los Cincos Pintores, is now an event organized by the Kiwanis Club and all proceeds go to charity.

Deception II - More Pics

2008-08-30T09:16:00.001-04:00

She Was Practiced at the Art of Deception

2008-08-30T09:03:00.006-04:00

Deception Peak stands at 12,320 feet and commands a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. From the Santa Fe Ski Area at 10,250 feet, one makes their way along Ravens Ridge to the barren peak. All in all, with a couple of breaks, the hike takes about 3 hours to get to the top of Deception Peak, but it only takes an hour and a half or less to make one's way down.

Flashes of Chuey

2008-08-25T18:51:00.003-04:00

Did a Google search for Chuey and along with Skister's Run, I get a website in Korean advertising the Chuey dress-up doll. Here's the profile of the doll: "Chuey is going to law school. She comes from a very rich home in Connecticut, and her father is a senator. People have always seen her as a cute, bubbly debutante, but she's very smart and she never loses an argument. When she graduates, she plans to work for human rights in San Francisco." Check it out.

On break from Law School, our Chuey enjoys resting and camping:

Even Your Emotions Had an Echo in So Much Space

2008-08-25T18:41:00.003-04:00

We stopped by Echo Amphitheater in the Carson National Forest on the way back to Santa Fe from Heron Lake. A natural amphitheater that is echogenic.

Besos y Brazos

2008-08-25T18:34:00.002-04:00

View of one half of Los Brazos from the Road a few miles up and West of the Lake. The crazy thing is the closer you get , the worse the view.

Under the Bridge

2008-08-25T16:30:00.003-04:00

The Rio Chama Trail in the Heron Lake area includes a walk across a suspension bridge on the way to El Vado Lake. The trail is about 5.5 miles one way and climbs through a number of climate zones.

Fire

2008-08-25T16:26:00.002-04:00

Let me stand next to your fire.

(Gil Scott-) Heron Lake

2008-08-25T10:31:00.003-04:00

OK, the lake is not named after Gil-Scott Heron, but I wanted to keep the song title/music theme for blog titles alive. Oh, you didn't notice the theme? OK, I admit I haven't been all that consistent, but I couldn't pass this opportunity up.

Well, we were at it again last week. We packed up the tent, the sleeping bags, the cooler, the dog, and ourselves into the RAV 4 and drove North from Santa Fe. We drove past Lake Abiquiu and the Echo Amphitheater nearly all the way to Chama - where we spent an evening two years ago on our first trip to New Mexico - and then we took a left on State Road 95 direct to Lake Heron.

By the way, Chama is home to the High Country Saloon probably the only decent place to eat in town and it looks rather rustic. But don't let appearances fool you. Inside they have a broad assortment of microbrews on tap - bigger and more varied than anything I've seen in the fanciest pubs in DC - and this is a tiny, tiny town. They even have first class entertainment - Country Heat - a duo comprised of Dina and Andy that perform classic and original songs. Dina has been compared to Patsy Cline and her original songs should be exposed to a broader audience.
Anyway, we chose to camp at the "Primitive Camping" area. To me, and having seen some of the campsites at both the State and National Parks around here, Primitive means no electrical, water, and other hook ups for RVs but you get a picnic bench, a sandy area to pitch your tent, and a fire ring or grill. I didn't realize until driving 3 miles into the area on a rough dirt road (impassable in bad weather conditions, by the way) that primitive at this Park means absolutely nothing, nada not even a fire ring. So I was looking for an easily demarcated campsite and, of course, wasn't finding it until I drove right into the middle of a makeshift site where the road ended. Whoever camped here last built up a stone fire ring in the middle of several shade trees within walking distance of the lake. After a brief melt down, CS suggested I back the car out of the campsite and we camp there. Brilliant. No more driving on that pot-holed dirt road and we were at our home away from home.

Mauka Restaurant

2008-08-15T08:27:00.003-04:00

Mauka means mountain in Hawaiian and that seems an appropriate name for an Asian-inspired restaurant in the mountain town of Santa Fe, especially if they fly in fresh fish from Hawaii every day. We have a general rule of not ordering seafood if the ocean is nearly 900 miles away but you know with modern transport and same day FedEx service (I know local food folks are going nuts right now) the fish that arrives at the restaurant is probably fresher than what some establishments located closer to the sea serve up to their guests.

The restaurant is located in an unassuming former house in the Railyard/Guadalupe area on Agua Fria. It's right next to another fine dining resto called Ristra and ample parking is available in the Sanbusco Center. If you park at Sanbusco, you first enter the restaurant's patio and must walk to the front of the building to check in. Immediately in front of the door is a four-seater sushi bar where the chef, Joel Coleman, greeted us and assigned us a waiter that took us to an outdoor two-top table. As we walked through the restaurant to get to the patio, I noticed that the interior is organized into a blocky S shape with the sushi bar being one end of the S and the liquor/wine bar located at the opposite end of the S. In the middle is a long narrow space for inside diners that is comprised of booths on one end of the wall and wooden tables on the other. Very simple, with black and tan being the predominant colors.

The interior was a little loud so we were happy with our choice of an outdoor table in the 80 degree, low humidity evening sunshine. Each patio table came with its own umbrella which is a necessity during this time of year as thunderstorms in the afternoon and/or evening are a likely occurrence.

Locals get 2 for 1 appetizers (we recently discovered that a number of restaurants and bars in Santa Fe have locals-only specials if you ask) so we picked the Sashimi Spontanee which is really fresh, sashimi of the day and Ahi Poke Spring Rolls. The Sashimi that evening was striped marlin sprinkled with pink salt and served with cucumbers and local cherry tomatoes with a dash of wasabi vinaigrette. The Spring Rolls were cut into four pieces and served atop cubed pineapple with ground red chile. Each piece was then topped with a dab of black roe and a slender stalk of chive. Eat that with a couple of glasses of Bordeaux Blanc and life seems pretty damn good.

For Entrees, we chose Fish Spontanee and Korean Kalbi Beef Short Ribs. The fish was a lemon snapper served up with these tiny, locally-grown chanterelles, a few roasted green chile peppers, and squash. All with a dash of watermelon vinaigrette which was very subtle and not sweet. I was expecting some nouveau interpretation of Kalbi but was happy to be served a traditional flanken cut of ribs that had been marinated in soy and garlic. There are no strictly Korean restaurants in town so this was a welcome treat. What was nouveau and knocked our socks off was a scoop of kimchee mashed potatoes. What a great idea! Mix spicy, sour, garlicky kimchee with mashed potatoes. A scoop of pickled radishes rounded out the plate and created a balance with the richness of the short ribs and spiciness of the mash.

With the fish, we tried a light Dolcetto from the Vivac Winery located off Highway 68 to Taos near Dixon,NM. Pretty good match up. I ordered a Pinot Noir from France but it's pretty tough to find a wine that works with the ribs, kimchee mashed potatoes, and radishes. I think the Pinot worked well with the ribs but less well with the radishes. The Dolcetto and radishes went pretty well together. After telling our waiter that the ribs measured up to my mom's, he brought back a batch of kimchee compliments of the chef. The kimchee was potent - sour and not too spicy but I definitely noticed some chile seeds in the mix. Aged kimchee is all the rage in Korea now and this one would rank high in the old country.

I was thinking about ordering the five-spice brownie with fruit compote for dessert but thought better of ending the meal with something I thought would be rather heavy. Instead, we shared a kaffir lime panna cotta with pieces of caramelized ginger which was a refreshing end to a fine meal.

After paying the bill, we wanted to thank the chef for sharing his kimchee with us so our waiter, Brian, took us back to the sushi bar and introduced us. Turns out Joel is still in his 20s and is also the owner of the restaurant. He appreciated the fact that I knew exactly what Kalbi was as he has had to explain to his diners that the short ribs are not the roast for hours until the meat is falling off-the-bone version, but rather the marinate and grill quickly Korean version. We also discovered that he uses sambal in his kimchee instead of oysters or shrimp as a "shortcut" for his recipe. He also ferments the batch for a month before serving.

Over all, a very pleasant, delightful dining experience from a young and already well-established chef/owner. So if you're in or visiting Santa Fe and you've grown a bit weary of another meal out having to navigate whether you want red or green chile slathered on your enchiladas, give the Asian-accented Mauka a try. Fresh fish in the desert.

On the Edge

2008-08-15T08:26:00.004-04:00

We thought the views from the Santa Fe Ski area were pretty spectacular so we decided to go the official way to Raven's Ridge. After living in Santa Fe for a year, I think we finally discovered the hike that provides the best view so far.

Running Up That Hill

2008-08-13T09:41:00.003-04:00

We found out that there is an alternate route to a Hike known as Raven's Ridge/Deception Peak and decided to give it a whirl. The official route runs along the Winsor Trail (254) from the Santa Fe Ski Area to the Pecos Wilderness Gate. The alternate route takes advantage of the trails for skiers carved into the mountain at the Ski Area.
It isn't much of a secret as we encountered a group of a dozen hikers, three mountain bikers, and a few lone hikers with their dogs. As you gradually ascend the mountain, the views become ever more expansive.

Santa Fe County Fair

2008-08-10T10:51:00.004-04:00

I'm about a week late on this posting as the Fair ended about a week ago. The exhibits and entrants this year appeared to number less than last year's Fair. And I noticed there were a lot less entrants for pies, cakes, etc....

We made it a priority to check out the herding dogs as we believe Chuey is most likely a herder and gets ornery when she doesn't have a job to do. Here were a few professionals showing us their skills.

How to get to Logan's Run

2008-08-07T10:21:00.002-04:00

... a new subdivision in Tennessee. Didn't these developers ever see the movie?

A Sunflower Bright

2008-08-07T10:11:00.001-04:00

Lake Abiquiu

2008-08-05T09:12:00.005-04:00

Just a few miles up the road from Abiquiu and right before Ghost Ranch is a lake formed in 1963 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer to manage flooding along the Chama River. Today, it's a beautiful, watery oasis in the arid desert. At the visitor center a "Wanted" poster is tacked to the door. About 8 months or so ago, a Ranger got shot by two individuals that appeared to be occupying a shed on Lake property. Last night on the local news, we found out that the Ranger started work again just yesterday after recovering from a gunshot wound to the leg that shattered his femur and kneecap. He still has a limp, but is glad to be back at work. The FBI is still on the lookout for his two assailants and is offering a reward of $20,000 for information leading to their arrest and conviction.

Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch

2008-08-05T08:39:00.005-04:00

The village of Abiquiu lies in the shadow of Cerro Pedernal about an hour's drive North from Santa Fe. A recent article in the New Mexican points out that the area has been continuously occupied since 3,000 BC, first by the Asa people, and then by Spanish colonialists, then the "Anglos," etc... The Spaniards built the first church in the 1700s but that was burned down in the late 1800s. What stands there today is a "new church" designed by John Gaw Meem, a Santa Fe architect, in the 1930s. The images of Cerro Pedernal, the Rio Chama, and the surrounding Red Rock terrain in the area have become familiar to art lovers throughout the world. Georgia O'Keefe first came to Abiquiu in the 1930s and later settled in both the village of Abiquiu and near El Rancho de los Brujos (The Ranch of the Witches), or Ghost Ranch, which is just a few miles up from the village and Lake Abiquiu. El Rancho got its name because of the many sightings of ghosts and witches presumably from unsettled spirits whose earthly bodies may have been hung at the ranch for crimes we do not know.Ghost Ranch is now owned and operated by the Presbyterian Church and one can stay in a dorm room on the ranch as the property is run as a conference and retreat center. Nearby is the Benedictine Monastery of Christ in the Desert, whose monks help brew the delicious Monk's Ale with Brothers from the Pecos Benedictine Monastery located along the Pecos River, South of Santa Fe. Also of note is the nearby Dar al Islam, a non-profit that promotes understanding of Islam, that holds both a mosque and a school.

C&O Wildlife

2008-08-02T10:09:00.005-04:00

When CS and I lived in Washington, D.C., we volunteered for a joint Nature Conservancy/U.S. National Park Service program called, believe it or not, the "Weed Warriors." Our goal was to eradicate non-native plants that were growing along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Potomac River in an area between Georgetown and Fletcher's Boathouse. We would average one or two visits a month to our site and occasionally we'd get visitors.
The trail runs from Georgetown, meanders along the Potomac, past Great Falls, through Harper's Ferry, WVA, and ends at Cumberland, MD - a distance of nearly 200 miles. Watch out for the take-no-prisoners, I'm Lance Armstrong-type bicyclists if you decide to hike the trail.