Today is one of my favorite days of the whole year, though I never know in advance when it will come.
I lit the fireplace this morning because the house was cold.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
largescale games
When I was thirteen or so I remember daydreaming about playing a big game of hide and seek, in the whole state, with cars. When I could drive, I thought, it would be fun to have friends who would play that. And I vaguely thought we could start in Espanola and end up meeting somewhere like Las Cruces, and report who had been found, or who had gotten there without being discovered.
Now I have kids, two of three of whom can drive, and they have played games involving moving around large areas. Kirby and friends played a game in Los Alamos that involved some people on foot who could cut across through parks and playgrounds, and some in cars with an aspect of catch (a passenger would get out and tag one if they saw one and that person would be in the car, or something). That sounded dangerous, but Los Alamos on a weekend is often a quiet place with little traffic.
This week my kids are playing a game of Killer. It's a role playing game with a book and a bunch of rules. I played one time, and did pretty well with a plate of poison chicken I sent to a party where several players would be. I had a note in the bottom, wrapped in plastic, informing them that any player who ate it was out. Got three that day. Died to one of Kirby's co-workers who had a star trek disk-shooting "phaser." She said "You're Kirby's mom, right?" and when I said I was, she "phasered" me.
This time I'm not a participant, but I am the backup bomb squad. They're not allowed to interrupt each other at work, so Kirby's phone message says if he doesn't answer, to call me. I had a call today. I don't actually have to go anywhere, just sort of declare a time it will take the bomb squad. This was an envelope under a doormat, sticking out a bit. The caller hadn't touched it, nor stepped on the doormat. He has two roommates also in the game. I told him to wait half an hour and then consider it disarmed, and if it was poison and not bomb, the bomb squad would've taken it away anyway. That didn't keep one of his roommates from stepping on it or opening it. I don't think they did.
Holly was eliminated this morning. I discovered her "killer," as I was leaving to drive 25 miles to buy eggs. I don't usually drive that far for eggs, but in keeping with the theme of this post it seems worth mentioning. I'm making pickled eggs and wanted to find small or peewee eggs. Only found medium, but it was a nice drive, and they're small enough. So as I walked out the door, a guy I've only recently met was unrolling crepe paper streamer around the house. I thought he was trying to get Marty, and was advising on Marty's scheduled return for lunch break but no, it was Holly. He knew he would lose points for Kirby being in the house too, but was willing.
I went by the store where Marty works to tell him that maybe he shouldn't go home for work, because there was paper around our house and if it was a bomb and he was the first to touch it... but he said "Paper? Really? Is it red or orange?"
"Yellow," I said, not knowing then that it was red around back.
"That's not a bomb. Someone was after Holly and set the house on fire."
Oh! Some bomb squad I am.
But the point is, this is the kind of game I fantasized about as a kid, only even better.
Last night Marty was miles from here, waiting in the bushes for his friend's girlfriend to come out of a workout class so he could shoot her with a Nerf gun. They all knew he had been there (the couple and another friend) but he moved the car and hid. He heard them talking about the fact that he seemed to have gone home. He was ready to spring out, with his two orange plastic guns and his ski mask, but headlights shone on him, and it was a police car. So he pulled the mask off, set the guns down, and by then she was in her car with the door closed and his opportunity had passed. The police didn't see him (or didn't stop and talk to him, anyway), but he certainly didn't want them to see him jump out of the bushes with a mask on and lunge toward a teenaged girl who was getting into a car after 10:00 at night.
Even though Holly's out of the game, she's still having fun because she designed and is helping maintain the webpage. Don't ask to be friends with it; it's just for the players. The pictures are all out front anyway, but it's attractive and that's to Holly's credit: http://www.myspace.com/killeralbuquerque
and you can see dramatic polaroid photos of my kids and maybe some others you know (for those who've visited here--Brett and Sadie are in there).
It's fun to hear the stories and see them plan so enthusiastically. It's nice that they included me, too.
P.S. The main photo on Kirby's myspace these days is not Kirby. It's the probably-very-nice boyfriend of some girl named Kirby who posted that picture of him holding a note saying "I love you Kirby" and ourKirby lifted him whole (well, that image of him).
Now I have kids, two of three of whom can drive, and they have played games involving moving around large areas. Kirby and friends played a game in Los Alamos that involved some people on foot who could cut across through parks and playgrounds, and some in cars with an aspect of catch (a passenger would get out and tag one if they saw one and that person would be in the car, or something). That sounded dangerous, but Los Alamos on a weekend is often a quiet place with little traffic.
This week my kids are playing a game of Killer. It's a role playing game with a book and a bunch of rules. I played one time, and did pretty well with a plate of poison chicken I sent to a party where several players would be. I had a note in the bottom, wrapped in plastic, informing them that any player who ate it was out. Got three that day. Died to one of Kirby's co-workers who had a star trek disk-shooting "phaser." She said "You're Kirby's mom, right?" and when I said I was, she "phasered" me.
This time I'm not a participant, but I am the backup bomb squad. They're not allowed to interrupt each other at work, so Kirby's phone message says if he doesn't answer, to call me. I had a call today. I don't actually have to go anywhere, just sort of declare a time it will take the bomb squad. This was an envelope under a doormat, sticking out a bit. The caller hadn't touched it, nor stepped on the doormat. He has two roommates also in the game. I told him to wait half an hour and then consider it disarmed, and if it was poison and not bomb, the bomb squad would've taken it away anyway. That didn't keep one of his roommates from stepping on it or opening it. I don't think they did.
Holly was eliminated this morning. I discovered her "killer," as I was leaving to drive 25 miles to buy eggs. I don't usually drive that far for eggs, but in keeping with the theme of this post it seems worth mentioning. I'm making pickled eggs and wanted to find small or peewee eggs. Only found medium, but it was a nice drive, and they're small enough. So as I walked out the door, a guy I've only recently met was unrolling crepe paper streamer around the house. I thought he was trying to get Marty, and was advising on Marty's scheduled return for lunch break but no, it was Holly. He knew he would lose points for Kirby being in the house too, but was willing.
I went by the store where Marty works to tell him that maybe he shouldn't go home for work, because there was paper around our house and if it was a bomb and he was the first to touch it... but he said "Paper? Really? Is it red or orange?"
"Yellow," I said, not knowing then that it was red around back.
"That's not a bomb. Someone was after Holly and set the house on fire."
Oh! Some bomb squad I am.
But the point is, this is the kind of game I fantasized about as a kid, only even better.
Last night Marty was miles from here, waiting in the bushes for his friend's girlfriend to come out of a workout class so he could shoot her with a Nerf gun. They all knew he had been there (the couple and another friend) but he moved the car and hid. He heard them talking about the fact that he seemed to have gone home. He was ready to spring out, with his two orange plastic guns and his ski mask, but headlights shone on him, and it was a police car. So he pulled the mask off, set the guns down, and by then she was in her car with the door closed and his opportunity had passed. The police didn't see him (or didn't stop and talk to him, anyway), but he certainly didn't want them to see him jump out of the bushes with a mask on and lunge toward a teenaged girl who was getting into a car after 10:00 at night.
Even though Holly's out of the game, she's still having fun because she designed and is helping maintain the webpage. Don't ask to be friends with it; it's just for the players. The pictures are all out front anyway, but it's attractive and that's to Holly's credit: http://www.myspace.com/killeralbuquerque
and you can see dramatic polaroid photos of my kids and maybe some others you know (for those who've visited here--Brett and Sadie are in there).
It's fun to hear the stories and see them plan so enthusiastically. It's nice that they included me, too.
P.S. The main photo on Kirby's myspace these days is not Kirby. It's the probably-very-nice boyfriend of some girl named Kirby who posted that picture of him holding a note saying "I love you Kirby" and ourKirby lifted him whole (well, that image of him).
Sunday, October 01, 2006
northern New Mexico
Holly and I went to Española and Dixon Wednesday and here are photos of round things. Clicking enlarges.
One of the chickens was laying eggs in that barrel of grain. The squirrel... he was unexpected.
The sunflower was HUGE, and I took that photo by just holding the camera under it, because it was so heavy it had bent over facing the ground. Elijah, my nephew, cut it and gave it to us. I stuck the stem into the umbrella hole on the table on the deck near our bird feeder and birds have been picking the seeds out of it. Very cool.
One of the chickens was laying eggs in that barrel of grain. The squirrel... he was unexpected.
The sunflower was HUGE, and I took that photo by just holding the camera under it, because it was so heavy it had bent over facing the ground. Elijah, my nephew, cut it and gave it to us. I stuck the stem into the umbrella hole on the table on the deck near our bird feeder and birds have been picking the seeds out of it. Very cool.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
The trip to Silver City
Marty, Holly and I drove to Silver City (from where this report comes). First, we listened to Little Shop of Horrors, and were happy to discover that the intro says "on the 23d day of September..." and it's September 23! We stopped in Socorro for breakfast. On the way out of the restaurant, Holly greatly amused an older lady by stopping and saying "OOH! I love this song!" and hanging back to hear it. It was "Carousel," by The Hollies. So when I got back in the car I quietly slipped in the "Best of the Hollies" I had brought.
Click on any photos to enlarge.
InTruth or Consequences there's a McDonald's with tile, and a neon sign stating that that they use Bueno brand green chile.
Then we went to Hatch. Some of the conference folk had asked about "Hatch" a couple of weeks ago, and it's a farm valley. Here's a photo of the Elementary school.
Holly fell asleep. I took a video of the sky, but the sound that should've been Weird Al singing "Yoda" glitched up or was overwhelmed by the wind. It started raining right afterward.
Good clouds, lots of hawks.
We've been to the wedding, but those photos haven't been uploaded yet. There was a mariachi group, all female, from El Paso called Mariachi Flores Mexicanas. They rarely used the trumpets and had no big bass guitar. Lots of violin, two guitars, three-part harmonies. They did at least eight songs during the mass, including Ave Maria. The most surprising part was one prayer with mariachi responsorial parts. The priest chanted his lines and that musicians sang and played theirs. Pretty cool. This was at the Santa Clara Catholic church in a teensy town called Santa Clara and also Central. As "Central New Mexico" is a common geographical term, and Santa Clara Pueblo, in Northern New Mexico is much larger, neither of its names is going to catch on big. It's only five miles from Silver City, so nobody but locals need to know anyway.
Click on any photos to enlarge.
InTruth or Consequences there's a McDonald's with tile, and a neon sign stating that that they use Bueno brand green chile.
Then we went to Hatch. Some of the conference folk had asked about "Hatch" a couple of weeks ago, and it's a farm valley. Here's a photo of the Elementary school.Holly fell asleep. I took a video of the sky, but the sound that should've been Weird Al singing "Yoda" glitched up or was overwhelmed by the wind. It started raining right afterward.
Good clouds, lots of hawks.
We've been to the wedding, but those photos haven't been uploaded yet. There was a mariachi group, all female, from El Paso called Mariachi Flores Mexicanas. They rarely used the trumpets and had no big bass guitar. Lots of violin, two guitars, three-part harmonies. They did at least eight songs during the mass, including Ave Maria. The most surprising part was one prayer with mariachi responsorial parts. The priest chanted his lines and that musicians sang and played theirs. Pretty cool. This was at the Santa Clara Catholic church in a teensy town called Santa Clara and also Central. As "Central New Mexico" is a common geographical term, and Santa Clara Pueblo, in Northern New Mexico is much larger, neither of its names is going to catch on big. It's only five miles from Silver City, so nobody but locals need to know anyway.
Friday, September 22, 2006
sneaky giant cloud
In the back yard it was still and cold and dark like before a snow. I went to the front and saw this:
There's a small local dark grey cloud over the mountains, and perfectly blue sky to the east, but the WHOLE rest of the sky, in every direction and way, way behind me is a high, thick solid snow cloud, slowly moving from the west. Kinda creepy, like when a giant spaceship obliterates the sky. To understand the effect, note that the transmission towers on the mountain, a mile up, are still clearly visible. The cloud isn't right on us, it's way up there, higher than that local cloud which is also really high.
There's a small local dark grey cloud over the mountains, and perfectly blue sky to the east, but the WHOLE rest of the sky, in every direction and way, way behind me is a high, thick solid snow cloud, slowly moving from the west. Kinda creepy, like when a giant spaceship obliterates the sky. To understand the effect, note that the transmission towers on the mountain, a mile up, are still clearly visible. The cloud isn't right on us, it's way up there, higher than that local cloud which is also really high.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Albuquerque Today
Holly and I went on errands in a leisurely fashion. There were beautiful flowers by the freeway, thanks to freakishly abundant rain. It was an unremarkable day, but it occurred to me that some of my friends who miss Albuquerque might want some familiar glimpses, on an unremarkable day. Those from elsewhere might find it exotic, or boring, but sometimes 'boring' is a big comfort!
These are thumbnails of bigger (but not better) photos:
The last one has the antenna-guy Holly made next to the Blake's guy! Unplanned, and very cool.
These are thumbnails of bigger (but not better) photos:
The last one has the antenna-guy Holly made next to the Blake's guy! Unplanned, and very cool.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Neighbors evicted
I don't know if it's "eviction." Their house was condemned yesterday and they were ordered to vacate by 5:30. These are the neighbors straight behind us, who have been loud and troublesome almost as long as we've lived here. Seven years, the police said (and we've been here nine). A social worker's car and two cop cars were out there, they were all standing on the sidewalk out and talked to me.
I feel sorry for the kids, the teens. The target person was the tenant, who was the owner of the house. An older woman (60's?) who wasn't able to get up and about, and they weren't taking sufficiently good care of her. And the house was "deemed substandard" for habitation. The social worker in charge gave me her card, and she was there for the older woman.
The guy I've called "the dad" (the dad of four kids or so) is "the son" to the social workers and police, because (I guess) his mom owned the house. They didn't even know there was a little boy there (little meaning four years old, give or take). I think, but am not sure, that the teenaged girl is his mom.... all confusing. Cast of too-many.
What I do know is they let a nice big swimming pool go to hell, and that one of the teens was dealing small-quantity drugs out the back corner of the yard, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone in the house was watching. It must have involved cell phones. Cars would park right outside our back gate, the driver would get out and trade cash for something, and get in and drive. Keith saw it once. I saw it three times. Our friend Monica told Holly she had to park and wait once for the transaction to be completed before she could keep driving through the alley.
So that will stop now, or move elsewhere.
Their poor yappy pit bull who only ever got yelled at won't be barking at us.
Still, I feel sad. When the grandma was able to get out, she used to do a lot of yelling and shaming. The mom, I hadn't heard for a long time. The most recent fighting was between a teenaged or 20ish girl and one of the teens of the family. He was being hateful to her.
The contrast to our yard and our family is stark. Their yard is dark and quiet now.
I'm glad for Keith, and I'm glad our kids are as happy as they are, and that we have smiles and kind words here.
I feel sorry for the kids, the teens. The target person was the tenant, who was the owner of the house. An older woman (60's?) who wasn't able to get up and about, and they weren't taking sufficiently good care of her. And the house was "deemed substandard" for habitation. The social worker in charge gave me her card, and she was there for the older woman.
The guy I've called "the dad" (the dad of four kids or so) is "the son" to the social workers and police, because (I guess) his mom owned the house. They didn't even know there was a little boy there (little meaning four years old, give or take). I think, but am not sure, that the teenaged girl is his mom.... all confusing. Cast of too-many.
What I do know is they let a nice big swimming pool go to hell, and that one of the teens was dealing small-quantity drugs out the back corner of the yard, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone in the house was watching. It must have involved cell phones. Cars would park right outside our back gate, the driver would get out and trade cash for something, and get in and drive. Keith saw it once. I saw it three times. Our friend Monica told Holly she had to park and wait once for the transaction to be completed before she could keep driving through the alley.
So that will stop now, or move elsewhere.
Their poor yappy pit bull who only ever got yelled at won't be barking at us.
Still, I feel sad. When the grandma was able to get out, she used to do a lot of yelling and shaming. The mom, I hadn't heard for a long time. The most recent fighting was between a teenaged or 20ish girl and one of the teens of the family. He was being hateful to her.
The contrast to our yard and our family is stark. Their yard is dark and quiet now.
I'm glad for Keith, and I'm glad our kids are as happy as they are, and that we have smiles and kind words here.
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