Summer: Part 2

I know what you are thinking... Really? She is blogging twice in one day? The answer is obviously, YES. Do you know why? 'Cause I can! I have the time to and the creative notion to.

While we were in New Mexico I found myself wishing that I had some sort of pocket journal to write some of my thoughts down in. The natural landscape there inspires. I wanted to either have the chance to write or paint. Maybe it wasn't all just the landscape. I'm sure the romance of travel and being in my birthplace had something to do with it as well. I only lived there for the first 5 years of my life but I always feel a strong sense of home when I am near the Sandia Mountains.

The mountain views begged to be painted and the way the take off in the plane gave life to the anticipation of our travels made me itch for pen and paper.

The visit was wonderful. Grandma's party went very well. It was fun to see so many familiar faces even when I was not quite sure why they were familiar. Some of these people I had not seen since I was about 11 years old. Everyone thuroughly enjoyed themselves; especially Grandma. One "plus" of our move to Denver is that I will be closer to my cousins. I hope we can all get together more during our time there.

The weekend ended with the boys staying with my Aunt and Uncle and Aaron and I getting little time alone before he headed back to Denver. We shared a delicious lunch together at a restraunt in Old Town Albuquerque. I always love that place! We dined next door (across the street) from the oldest Catholic church in Alb. I believe my mother was baptized there. The sopapillas at this place were perfection!! Perfectly square, perfectly golden, perfectly in tact. Not to mention perfectly delicious!!! I have to try my hand at those... The carne adavada was fabulous as well. A fried egg on top made it all as it should be. PERFECT!!!

On the flight home I wondered how being home alone for 4 days would be. Let me tell you...it has been fantastico! I don't know why I felt the need to add an "o" to the end of that there but "fantastic" was not enough.

My precious friend, Lesley, met me at home and we headed out for College Station. We checked into a Hilton and then had a fun night at The Chicken. We shared a pitcher, chatted, and counted roaches. Big giant tree roaches kept coming in the front door. I was sure one was going to start up a game of dominoes any minute. As I do when around insects, large or small, I squealed and even danced around a bit. Luckily, not to many frequent The Chicken on a Sunday night in the summer so there were other tables to move to. Tables that were a little farther away from the swinging doors of the saloon.

The next morning we gave our selves a little tour of the campus. It was hot and so we took a rest under the vast shade provided by The Century Tree. It's of course named this because it is over 100 years old. Her branches bow out until the tips touch the ground creating a dome effect. Someone even crafted a crutch of sorts for her heavy, tired limbs.

The tour made us hungry and we headed for a delicious little place called Cafe Excell. Yum-oh, people! We took our desserts to go and headed for Messina Hof winery. The winery was kind enough to store our desserts in a cooler for us while we took our tour.

The tour was hot, fun and educational. The tasting was even better. ;) We learned to trill our whites and cluck our reds. Rather we learned to trill and tried to cluck. Clucking requires clicking your tongue on the roof of your mouth with your mouth closed and with wine in there too. I felt like I was drowning. I think the problem was that it required me to close my mouth. (Ba boom ching!) When the tour was over we came for our desserts.

"Oh good! You're still here!" said the gal at the front desk. "We thought you had left and forgotten your dessert." Apparently they did indeed think so. When we got home, fork in hand, ready to dig in we found that someone else had already had a taste or two. Or three. :/

Tuesday it was just me in my house. I cleaned and did some laundry and then I went for a facial in the afternoon. The facial left me feeling quite relaxed. (They really should offer a cab service after spa treatments.) I drove home in a thunderstorm. I couldn't wait to get home, not to get out of the rain but to take advantage of an empty house and storm! I filled the tub with a hot bubble bath. I thought of wine but opted instead for a bar of chocolate. This was excellente!

Bath over I put on a bath robe, got a hot mug of water, and put on a movie. I stayed in my robe all evening. The whole day was quite decadant!

Today I slept in until 8 a.m! Yes, I did! And this was uninterupted sleep, mind you. No one was kicking me or waking me to help them with a bloody nose. Yea me! I met with a girlfriend at a cozy little coffee house and then took my car to be inspected. I dropped off the car and then walked across to the Target shopping center. I went on beyond that to the Home Depot. I just wanted to walk and sweat.

So this being alone thing has been pretty nice. I have not even turned on my Music Maker (iPod) or made tons of phone calls. It's been quiet and I have been quiet. Just me with my thoughts and prayers. The kids come home tomorrow evening and the scene will change. I feel recharged and ready for their antics.