The Summer of 2011  10/02/2011

It was a great Summer!  In July, Robyn and I attended the 64th Annual Roswell UFO Festival where we attended lectures and got to meet famous people involved in the UFO investigation culture.  We only went for two of the four days; next year, I plan to stay for the entire length of the festival. 

September was a busy month!  On the 8th, I enjoyed my sixth consecutive visit to the burning of Zozobra in Santa Fe.  A few days later, I attended the New Mexico State Fair with Vernon, Kyrstal and Lauren.  I hadn't been to the fair for the past three years; I really enjoyed it this year.  I ended up going FOUR times!  The second fair visit was with Gil and his friend, Martha, who was filming for her public access television show.  I saw country performer Rick Trevino in concert at Villa Espana; got to meet him back stage and was invited into the dressing room where I also got to meet famous hispanic musician Flaco Jimenez!  The third trip was with my facebook friend Kellie, and the last visit to the fair was with Robyn to see the rodeo and country music star Joe Diffie in concert!  During the fair, I ate four roasted corn on the cobs and three turkey legs.

Yesterday (Saturday, October 1) I made my third visit to the Trinity Site open house on the White Sands Missile Range; Robyn and I rode the bus from Ground Zero to the McDonald Ranch House (a distance of 2 miles) where the plutonium core of the A-Bomb was assembled.  I was happy to find that the open house is still free (last April, there was a notice that a $25 charge per car was to be instituted beginning with yesterday's o.h.).  

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is underway as I write this; I've never been to it during the 9-years I've lived here.  I plan to go this time.  The Balloon Fiesta runs from October 1 through the 9th.  

My second granddaughter is due to be born later this month (her name is Emily); and I have another trip to Las Vegas planned to enjoy Halloween. 

More Vegas Trips 05/02/2011

In late March, and again in late April, I made two more Las Vegas trips (just can't get enough of that place!).  In March, we stayed at the Las Vegas Club from the 27th through the 30th; it was a nice surprise to find that the owners, the Tamares Group, have tried to spruce up the joint a bit with new carpeting and wallpaper!  The elevator is a problem though--sometimes we weren't sure if it would ever come, or if we'd make it out of it alive!  But, it was all part of the fun.  I did get a lot of picture taken for neonparadise.com and Gil was along this time; we attended the Rat Pack is Back show at the Plaza--it was a great show and I recommend that if you make a trip to Vegas, be sure to see it!  The Rat Pack is Back is the closest thing you'll ever get to actually seeing the real Frank, Dean, Sammy and Joey in real life!  While in Vegas, we heard that the Sahara was going to be closing!  So, that instigated a second trip for Robyn and I on April 22 through the 24th--we couldn't let the Sahara close without getting to stay in it at least once--to experience the historic value of the place and take photos for documentation and posterity.  The photos and a couple of short videos can be found on the Sahara page at the before mentioned link.  I wish I could have done the same thing before the Stardust closed; I was there in May, 2006 and it ceased operations that following December--unfortunately, I didn't have a digital camera at the time; interior and night photos were unuseable and all I could take were daytime shots of the outside.  No more trips to Las Vegas until October--we had such fun last October with people wearing Halloween costumes on the Strip, that we wanted to go again and spend a few days leading up to Halloween.  We haven't decided where we want to stay ... candidates are the Bellagio, the Flamingo, the Plaza, Paris Las Vegas, the Venetian ... we've got a few months to decide which one or two we would like to hang out.  And looking further ahead, I hope that we can afford to make a trip to New Orleans again for Mardi Gras--I would like to see Endymion, Orpheus, Bacchus, Rex and Zulu and get photos and video for gatesofdixie.com.  In the meantime, I want to enjoy the summer months and save money--sooner or later, I'm going to have a buy a new car.

Catching Up 02/06/2011

I've been remiss in keeping the blog updated since the last time I posted anything was back in September!  A lot has happened since then.  For starters, yesterday I went to the Chinese New Year celebration of the Year of the Rabbit with Annette at the Albuquerque Chinese Culture Center.  We've had near-zero and sub-zero temperatures all week here in Albuquerque but the weather warmed up by the weekend; it was still a little nippy during the celebration since the sky was overcast; every once in a while the sun would peek-through and would briefly warm things up.  This was the fourth year in a row that I've attended the Lunar New Year celebration (it's becoming a tradition like attending Zozobra in September).   Speaking of which, Annette and I attended Zozobra; Annette did all the driving and I got to relax and enjoy the scenery and not worry about the traffic congestion in Santa Fe.   

In October of 2010, Robyn and I made two trips to Las Vegas (counting August, we went to Las Vegas three times in two months!).  We stayed for three days in Vegas at the Excalbur and explored areas we hadn't been to before (or hadn't visited for a long time)--one was the Dolphin Habitat and Secret Garden at the Mirage.  During the same day (Wednesday, October 13), we took a drive up to Mt. Charleston.  Upon arrival in Vegas (about 6 AM on Tuesday, October 12), we drove immediately to Red Rock and went hiking--Red Rock had been a destination I wanted to visit for a while now--and hopefully on our next trip, we will visit the Valley of Fire.  Tuesday night we went to the Las Vegas Drive-In and saw the movies Soul to Take and Devil.  

On Friday, October 15, we drove to Palm Springs (with a stop in Riverside to visit my parent's gravesite) to attend the casual Class Reunion being held at Shakey's Pizza; a number of classes showed up--among them '75, '76, '77 and '78.  I had a very nice time.  I reconnected with Steve Manzano who I hadn't seen in 33-years!.  Debbie Patterson and her daughter, Heather, showed up and it was great getting to visit with both of them during the reunion and then later, at Denny's.  It was great getting to see Karen and Doug again too!  The next day, Robyn and I hiked into Palm Canyon--the first time I ever visited the place despite living in the area from 1972 to 1977.  We also made another brief stop at the Salton Sea (in Salton City).  

Two weeks later, we made a weekend trip to Vegas with Gil to attend his ex-wife's funeral in Searchlight, NV.  We met Andrew, Kathy's son (whom I hadn't seen since he was about 3 years old!); he is now in his 20's.  I got to meet a number of Kathy's family (who are all related to Nevada Senator Harry Reid); Searchlight is the family's home town.  It was nice meeting Andrew again and making a new friend in Las Vegas!  Later that night, we took Gil to the Bellagio where he got to experience the fountains first-hand and up close.  It was Hallowen weekend and many people were dressed up in costumes on the Strip.  That weekend trip took a lot out of me--it was a whirlwind and we packed in so much in so little time.  We got home on Halloween night and on Tuesday, the exhaustion set-in and I fell asleep almost immediately after work and didn't wake up until it was time to go to work again the next morning!

Our next trip to Las Vegas is slated for late March--27th through the 30th.

Trips and Adventures 09/03/2010

In August (from the 9th through the 14th), Robyn and I went to Laughlin; we stayed at the River Palms on the (top) 25th Floor.  While in Laughlin, I seriously played roulette for the first time, actually sitting at the table and accruing chips; the first time was on Tuesday night when I played for an hour, beginning with $5 in chips and ending with $18 ($2 minimum bet).  The secomd time was on Thursday when I played for two hours and started with $5 in chips and built the little pile up to $45 (again, $2 minimum bet).  Once I gain more ease at social gaming (i.e, playing table games), I can see myself making higher bets; for instance, had I bet double of what I had originally wagered, I would have won a lot more money.  But, I had fun.  During the second stint, I began sitting at the table with only one other guy playing, and soon, the whole table was filled with people.  It was quite enjoyable listening to everyone talk to each other.  And I liked getting free drinks from the waitress.

On Tuesday, I took Robyn to Oatman where she fed the burros carrots and we visited the Oatman Hotel; she took some pictures

inside the haunted structure and we were treated to a gunfight in the street by the Oatman Outlaws.  Tuesday night, we walked down the River Walk to the Riverside Casino and went to the movies--we saw Grown Ups; I enjoyed an ice cold beer in the theater while Robyn drank a Blue Hawaii.  Wednesday, we drove to Las Vegas; first, we went to Hoover Dam to check on the progress of the Bypass bridge--and then we decided to do something novel and we parked and walked across Hoover Dam (something we had never done before)--we hung out in downtown for a few hours, eating at the buffet inside Mainstreet Station (a very nice buffet!) and then finally ventured onto the Strip where we visited Treasure Island, the Trump International, the Wynn and Encore and then drove down to South Point. 

Thursday, we had breakfast at a restaurant while overlooking the Colorado River; later in the day, we drove to Needles, CA and were surpised that you can actually see the old stack of the Laughlin power plant from Needles!  Later that night, we went to the Loser's Club in the Riverside and tried to watch the weekly wet T-shirt contest that is held there; it got very crowded inside the bar but I know where to sit now the next time I go to see the contest.  After the wet T-shirt contest, we went back to the movie theater and watched Grown Ups again; it was the last showing and we got in for half price.

Friday, we drove back to Las Vegas, where we visited the Tropicana (which is undergoing renovation) and to see the new Mob Experience Preview.  We also visited the Luxor (since it had been over two-years since we last had set foot there ... wanting to see the "de-theming" that had taken place since New Year's, 2008).  And we went to Excalibur where we had lunch at the Round Table Buffet and then headed over City Center where we toured the Aria and Vdara (the latter being in the news lately for the "Death Ray"--sunlight shines off the concave mirrored finish of the building onto the pool area, causing intense sunburns and melting plastic objects).

Saturday, on the way back to Albuquerque, we stopped in Seligman, AZ for a buffalo burger at the Roadkill Cafe.  We also stopped in Two Guns at the old Mountion Lion zoo ruins.

On September 9, I attend the 68th Annual Burning of Zozobra in Santa Fe with Annette; this year I got some pretty-good video of the event which can be viewed on the Zozobra page.  It was fun going to Zozobra with Annette; she's a fun person to be with!

My next trip is planned for Las Vegas during Columbus Day week--where we will be staying at Excalbur for three days, and then head to Palm Springs for the Class of '76 Reunion at Shakey's Pizza (it seems that alumni of the Classes of '75, '76, '77 and possibly '78 will be turning up!).  While in Vegas, I plan to go to Red Rock Canyon and also take a drive to Mt. Charleston; maybe go the Las Vegas Drive-in again to see a movie; and a have a few beers with Ross at Dick's Last Resort inside Excalbur as we catch-up on past times.  I want to check out Lake Las Vegas and see how that area is faring since I read a few months ago that the Ritz Carlton closed out there.  Being at Excalbur, I plan to heavily explore the Strip from there to Caesars Palace--including checking out City Center more and visiting Paris Las Vegas again (it's been about 2 1/2 years since we've been there as well).  And I want to tour the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage, and also see the Red Rock Casino and Green Valley Ranch before leaving town for Palm Springs.  In Palm Springs, I would like to go to Palm Canyon and also explore the Salton Sea more (if time permits).

On October 30, Gil and I will be attending a funeral/memorial for his ex-wife, Kathy (who died earlier in the summer); the memorial is going to be in Searchlight, NV with the reception in Henderson at her son's house.  The memorial will about do it for my trips for the 2010 season--my annual leave at work will be almost exhausted, and it will be a few months (to accrue leave time) before I can venture out again away from Albuquerque (hopefully, in a new car); I don't see another trip until at least late May or possibly a little later in the Summer.  One of the plans I have is for a roadtrip down the Oregon and California coast.    

The Summer of 2010  07/24/2010

This has been the hottest summer I've experienced since living in Albuquerque--we've had frequent days of 100+ degrees (during the summer in ABQ, it normally only reaches the 90s). 

Summer started out with a trip to New Orleans on Memorial Day weekend (which I'm still trying to financially recover from!).  It was great seeing New Orleans again--hadn't been there since October, 2002.  I finally got to stay at the Andrew Jackson Hotel on Royal Street (something I've wanted to do for ten years).  The desk clerk was somewhat rude and sarcastic when we first checked-in (it may have had something to do wtih my special request of wanting a "haunted room"), but he quickly became nicer as our stay progressed.  We arrived in New Orleans the day before Memorial Day and left on Friday, June 4.  I didn't get to do everything I planned to do (like see Mardi Gras World), but we got a lot done during the time we were there.  The thing about New Orleans is that it's twice as far from Albuquerque as Las Vegas ... and costs twice as much!  In Las Vegas, two can eat at a buffet for about $25 (easy ... and sometimes, a lot less) ... but, every time Robyn and I ate in New Orleans, it was $40 or more each meal!  And, I've never been to a city where businesses still don't accept credit and debit cards!  We encountered several (among them, Johnny's Po' Boys and Cafe du Monde) where it was "cash only"!  New Orleans is fun and our photos can be seen in the New Orleans and Morgan City sections of this website, as well as on www.gatesofdixie.com.  I don't plan to make another trip to New Orleans for at least a few years.

On July 4, Gil, Robyn and I drove to Roswell to attend the 63rd anniversary festival of the UFO crash--most of the activity was happening at the International UFO Museum in downtown (that's where I got to meet actress Adrienne Barbeau--who was a guest celebrity!).  Adrienne is one of my favorite actresses (I have just about every movie she has appeared in--I had such a big crush on her back in the '70s and '80s--and she is the reason why Robyn's middle name is "Adrienne").   I had a great time meeting UFO celebrities like Stanton Friedman and Don Schmidt.  I think that I may attend the UFO festival next year and spend a few days down there--it was interesting and a lot of fun!  Not that I'm a believer in flying saucers--I don't know what I think about the subject except that it is interesting.  Back in the '90s, I really got caught up in the UFO subculture and read books and watched videos--whatever of good quality I couild find (there is a lot of schlock out there---some people may say its ALL schlock!).  Something happened near Roswell back in 1947, but I don't know whether it was a crashed flying saucer with aliens.  How fascinating if it was!!!  But, I remain a skeptic on the subject (skeptic, in the sense of the word that nothing has been proven---NOT as a "debunker" as many people use the term).   You will notice on this website (particularly in the New Mexico section) where I bring up aliens and UFOs (such as in Socorro and Dulce, etc)--these are places that are indelibly etched in my mind through my UFO interests of the early '90s--and now that I have the chance to visit these areas, I do--so that I can see for myself the places I have read about).  In recent years, I've tended to lean toward the view of C.G. Jung and Patrick Harpur on the phenomena of UFOs--but, my mind is not closed.

August marks another westward journey to Laughlin and Las Vegas.  Since I'm still smarting from the higher-than-expected expense of the New Orleans trip, I'm focusing mostly on Laughlin for this next trip due to pure cheapness ($18 a night at the River Palms Casino can't be beaten!).  I want to enjoy the 115 degrees during the day; some cheap gambling; some cheap buffets; and maybe even take-in the wet T-shirt contest at the Loser's Club at the Riverside Casino on Thursday night!   And, I can't miss out on buying a mixed-drink at the movie theater concession stand and taking it into the movies with me!   I'll make a swing up to Las Vegas while in Laughlin to visit a few places I have yet to see--such as Lake Las Vegas, City Center, South Point, and Red Rock Casino (among those on the list).  I'm planning on attending the 1975/76 Class Reunion in Palm Springs in mid-October, and will probably make another trip to Vegas during that brief vacation where I will stay at Treasure Island for two days, and then go to Palm Springs for two days.  The plans for this latter trip aren't finalized yet (I have to get past the Laughlin vacation first).   

Jazzland/Six Flags New Orleans  06/03/2010

I'm writing this from New  Orleans.  Yesterday, Gil, Robyn and myself were almost arrested for trespassing at Jazzland/Six Flags New Orleans.  The amusement park was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and has been in a state of decay for the past five years.  We wanted to get photos of the theme park for www.gatesofdixie.com.  We gained access to the property through an open gate and got our pictures.  Before we were able to leave, a New Orleans Police  officer stopped us and inquired what we were doing; took our licenses and ran checks on us.  While waiting, we wondered if we were going to get arrested since the officer told us that we were trespassing on city property.  After a few moments of sweating it out, the officer came back and told us that he didn't think it was necessary to give us a summons since we lived in Albuquerque.  He told us that we were trespassing and advised us to tell others  on our website that they cannot do what we just did--otherwise, they will get arrested.  We thanked the officer and counted ourselves as lucky, and drove off happy that we got our pictures and didn't have to spend the night in the New Orleans Jail.  The pictures will  appear on the Gates of Dixie website.

Brent Leach and the Rosin Bag  05/23/2010

Just got back from the Isotopes game--spent a solid six-hours at Isotopes Park because of a 1:00 P.M. Beatlesmania Again concert and then a four-hour, 10-inning game between the Isotopes and the Las Vegas 51's.  After leading the entire game, the Isotopes lost 9 to 8,  #50 Brent Leach was the final Isotopes pitcher--Robyn and I counted how many times he used the rosin bag in the 1 2/3 innings pitched and it came to 28 (out of about 33 pitches).  I believe it was the Colorado Rockies announcers who first noticed how many times Leach uses the rosin bag behind the pitcher's mound (rosin is used to keep the pitching hand dry) during a game in 2009 when Leach was called up by the Dodgers--Leach uses it excessively--in fact, I remember hearing that an umpire gave him a warning about using a lot of rosin (so much gets on the ball that it becomes a foreign substance--and though rosin is legal in MLB, an excessive amount of it can effect the movement of the baseball when pitched--becoming like a "spit ball" ).  It gets comical when you become aware of Leach's addiction to using rosin and begin counting how often he goes to it.  I'm sure that it's a nervous tick--but it's funny when you see puffs of rosin exploding from his glove when the ball is thrown back to him from the catcher.