nature

This morning when I arrived at work I was greeted by a praying mantis peeking in at me through my window. That is more pleasant than being greeted by lots of stink bugs, which we also have around here.

productive

Today has been a very productive Saturday. I did some reading (though not quite as much as I was hoping to do...), got my car inspected, took my recycling to the recycling center, went by the bank, took out the trash, picked up around my apartment (including unpacking and putting away the last few things from our camping trip two weeks ago), dusted, vacuumed, swept, cleaned the bathroom, and mopped. Whew. Now I plan to read a tiny bit more, then go out for drinks with Josh to reward myself for all this cleaning. And tomorrow? I will read in my clean apartment for most of the day.

Zozobra

If you don't know about Zozobra, a Santa Fe tradition in which a very large puppet is burned in front of a giant screaming crowd, you can learn about it here.

I learned from Facebook friends that tonight was Zozobra, and I also learned that a New Mexico news station was streaming it live. So I started to watch. Then I called my brother Ryan and turns out he was watching it, too. So we watched it together, from Charlottesville and Flagstaff. That was fun.

Labor Day Weekend Camping

This past holiday weekend Josh and I headed for the mountains. It was pretty great.

We went to Sherando Lake and luckily got the last spot available on Saturday. We set up camp, ate some lunch, and then went for a mini-hike around the lake. While Josh took an afternoon nap I read about history (hello grad school!), and then we made dinner. Saturday night was capped off with a blue grass concert down at the amphitheater.




Josh is a very fashionable camper. He is also well prepared. Check out the bug spray he has ready for me!

Sunday we had a relaxing morning (I read more), then went for an eight mile hike along Torry Ridge. It was a little scary because we kept seeing bear droppings on the trail, but I made sure we made lots of noise and kept asking the bears to please stay away while we passed. We hiked and hiked and hiked and when we finally got to the end, or what we thought must be the end, we stopped for lunch. It wasn't until we hiked back down that I looked at the map again and discovered we didn't go all the way to the Bald Mountain Overlook.






This was towards the top. In case you don't think it looks very high, that green mountain behind me is across a deep gorge or valley or something.

After the hike we rested a little more (I read), gathered a little wood for our marshmallow-roasting fire, and then made dinner. The evening was spent trying to get our little fire to survive and roasting marshmallows.

Monday we had another relaxing morning (I read more), then made breakfast and packed up camp. After leaving our site at 11 we went back to the lake. We laid on the grass and read for about an hour, then went for a swim to the island that our guide book said was 1/4 mile away but Josh says couldn't have been that far. I swam back and forth to the island again after that. Then we showered (yay for bathhouses!) and headed back home (so I could read more).



The weather was perfect (t-shirt weather during the day, grateful for a warm sleeping bag weather at night), and it was a beautiful weekend.

on the brink

I'm sad summer is ending. Soon it will turn cool, and the days are already getting shorter. Plus, my free time is about to fly out the window. Monday I start school again. Admittedly I'm only taking 4 credits this semester, but I will have to commute to Fairfax once or twice a week for evening classes, will have to work a little longer each day at work to make up for that time, and will have HOMEWORK. I will also need to exercise and spend time with Josh. So my schedule is about to get pretty tight in a few days. But I'm looking forward to it. Getting a PhD will take a long time and will be challenging, but I like school, I like history classes, and I know that this degree will benefit me in the long run. Maybe even the short run, too.

just for fun

I (finally) finished another mosaic. I started it a couple months ago and picked the design based on the board and tiles I already had at the time, so it's kind of random. I gave it to Ryan to hang in his new apartment. Because what college guy doesn't want a mosaic of a cable car hanging on his wall?

the rest of the fun in Santa Fe

Okay, now let's backtrack to the first week of August. My friends left Santa Fe on Sunday, Ryan and I went to Flagstaff Monday and came back Tuesday, and on Wednesday Josh arrived!

Dad and I picked Josh up from the airport (after looking at art and history at the Albuquerque Museum) and headed to lunch so Josh could have green chili on a burger. Then we went to the Sandia Peak Tramway, the world's longest tram.









Wednesday evening Mom made dinner, then Dad, Josh, and I walked around downtown and went up to the Cross of the Martyrs. By that point Josh was practically asleep after his early morning flight.

Thursday Josh, Ryan, and I went out for Mexican lunch, which made us so stuffed we basically had to nap the rest of the day to recover. When we woke up it was time for dinner, so Josh and I joined my parents at the Plaza Cafe (Southside). Then I took Josh to a boot store, and he bought cowboy boots.

Friday Josh and I went to Bandelier. Yes, I'd already gone the week before, but I went again. It didn't rain this time.









Friday evening Josh and I visited five different museums (whew!), including one with cowboy boot art. Then we ate dinner at the Blue Corn Cafe and got commemorative pint glasses for Santa Fe's 400th birthday. Later that night we went out with Ryan for a few drinks, including a stop at a happenin' club.

Saturday there was an arts and crafts festival on the plaza, so we went down there to look around and so Josh could get souvenirs and gifts for people. That afternoon we went to my grandparents' house for watermelon and dessert with the whole family.





Josh was not too impressed with our mighty Santa Fe river. His favorite part was the clouds.



Saturday night we (Mom, Dad, Ryan, Josh, and myself) got a little dressed up and went to dinner. We had delicious spinach balls for our appetizer.



Sunday morning we stopped by Jackelope and Josh bought a buffalo jaw bone. Then it was time to head to the airport in Albuquerque.

Overall it was an excellent trip, I'd say.

interim

I am going to finish telling you about my trip to Santa Fe. I really am. But not right now. It has taken me so long because I've been busy, mostly having fun. I became CPR certified. I celebrated two birthdays. I lost (pretty badly) at a pub quiz with Ryan. (Yes, Ryan is out here!) I screamed and waved my arms on rollercoasters at Busch Gardens. (And got Sunni to wave her arms too!)

So see? I've been doin' stuff, and haven't had time to post pictures yet. But I will try to do it soon.

Reunion in Santa Fe

Now let me backtrack and tell you about my reunion with my two best friends from college (plus one of their husbands).

Katie and Andrew arrived in Santa Fe Thursday night, so Ryan and I went downtown to meet up with them for dinner and drinks. The next morning Katie and I picked up Amy at the airport in Albuquerque, then came straight back to Santa Fe in time for lunch at the Coyote Cantina. Then we walked around downtown and looked at lots of crazy animation art at Site Santa Fe. After that we drove to Ryan's fancy hotel for a tour and a snack. We also visited the Palace of the Governors and the New Mexico History Museum later that evening.



Saturday my mom made breakfast for everyone at our house, then we went to the farmer's market downtown. Next we grabbed some lunch to eat on the road and headed north of town. That's where we saw Camel Rock. Here is a better picture:



We drove on to Bandelier National Monument, where we were soaked with rain as soon as we started walking toward the ruins. So we took a rain break at the visitor center and tried again when the rain stopped. Banelier is fun because you have to climb ladders and go in ancient cave dwellings.





Saturday evening we ate dinner at Tomasita's, then walked up to the Cross of the Martyrs for a view of the city at night. We tried to drink a beer on the plaza but it rained on us and the waitress was mean, so we went to the St. Francis Hotel for drinks in a cozy atmosphere.

Sunday morning we had brunch at Cafe Pasqual's, and then visited the Loretto Chapel to see its famous staircase. After that Katie and Andrew left town, but Ryan and I took Amy up Canyon Road, and then I took her to Jackalope before dropping her off at the airport.





We hadn't seen each other since Amy's wedding two years ago, so it was great to hang out with old and good friends.

across the border and back

Yesterday Ryan and I loaded up a bunch of second-hand furniture he's collected into a Uhaul trailer and drove to Flagstaff, Arizona. That's where he will be going to school at the end of this month. Yes, Ryan is finally going to college for reals!

Part of the drive looked like this:



But other parts looked like this:



Arizona has a bad rep these days, but he's still moving there.



This morning we got everything up into his second-story apartment. Including the ginormous entertainment center, the TV that weighs a ton, and a really big dresser. He has more (and bigger) furniture than I do.



Last night we walked around downtown Flagstaff and had dinner at a nice brewery. Flagstaff is very mountainy and in the middle of a big pine forest, so I think Ryan will like it there. However, he did not like me forcing him to get out of the car and take this picture:



He wasn't a big fan of this one either. I was a Logger in college, and now he's a Lumberjack!



To get back at me for making him get out of the car for embarrassing pictures, he made us walk to the football field to see the Arizona Cardinals practice. We didn't stay though, we still had to drive back to Santa Fe.



It was a quick and labor-intensive trip, but I'm glad I got to see Flagstaff and his first apartment, and I think we had a good time.

New Mexico is littered this time of year.

I'm in Santa Fe and I just had a great weekend with my college friends Amy, Katie, and Andrew. I'll talk more about our fun times later, but for now let me say that we have had quite a few pistachio shell sightings.

Thursday night we saw this one while walking to dinner and drinks at Del Charro. Those are Katie's feet behind the shell.



Saturday we took a trip out of town, and we found a grouping of shells at Camel Rock. Camel Rock is a little hill with some rocks that look like a camel, and of course we stopped to take pictures. (See camel rock in the background?)



We passed Camel Rock on our way to Bandelier National Monument, where we took a short hike and climbed around ancient cliff dwellings. Here is a shell with Andrew's foot.



It poured while we were at Bandelier and we all got soaking wet. Here is a shell in a puddle, with Amy's feet.



Now the gang has all headed back home, and tomorrow I'm headed with Ryan to Arizona to move his stuff into his new apartment. I'll let you know if I see any Arizonan pistachios.

classy bison

Want to see my buffaloes? Okay, here goes.

These are photos my parents got me at an arts and crafts show in Santa Fe. I framed them and now they're hanging near the kitchen in my apartment.



My mom sneakily bought this magnet for me when we were in Fort Worth for a Nascar race.



My friend Amy gave me this tiny buffalo when I visited her in Missoula.



And now for my newest acquisition, I bought this classy piece of home decor a couple weekends ago in Richmond.



Here's a closeup of its awesomeness.

Saturday's tats

Today involved sleeping in, going to some second-hand stores with Josh, eating lunch and playing pool, taking a nap, running some errands, and watching a movie. Perfect day for temporary tattoos.

playin' tourist

My parents were in Richmond this weekend to visit my grandparents. That meant Dad and I had time to do some touristy stuff, too.

Sunday afternoon we went for a canal ride in downtown Richmond.




Then we drove to Charlottesville and went up to Carter's Mountain so Dad could see the view, and we had peach cider.



After that we headed downtown and walked around the old Albemarle Courthouse (I guess it's still a courthouse?, but part of the building is old).



Next to the courthouse is a statue of a guy on a horse, and Dad was pretty pleased to discover it was Stonewall Jackson.



We wandered all over the downtown mall, and then went to dinner by UVA. That's where I spotted a pistachio shell!



We finished the night by swimming in the pool at my apartment. Monday he did more touristy stuff (Montpelier, winery, etc.) while I worked. Now my parents are back home, but I will see them again next week when I head to Santa Fe...