Shivering cold in August.

It's Monday night, and the original plan was for me to head up to the airport tomorrow to catch a flight back into Houston tomorrow. 

A little tropical storm had other plans for me.

It looks like I'll get to stay an extra night here in Albuquerque with my friends Aaron and Meredith. 

For the most part, we laid pretty low today. Aaron and I grilled some steaks that we had seasoned with some salt and pepper, garlic, olive oil, and fresh thyme from the garden. We also grilled up some red corn with green chiles wrapped around each ear. Meredith cooked some fresh green beans and baked this incredible homemade pie from scratch... it had berries, strawberries, apples, manna...

It was good.

To say we laid low all day would be, well, incorrect. The truth of the matter is that I saw more of Albuquerque today than I think I ever have.

After dinner we drove up to Sandia Crest, elevation 10,678 feet. We made it up there just as the sun was setting, but the sunset (or what we saw of it) wasn't that impressive. However, there was a storm rolling in. Dark thunder heads in the last light of day provided some great photos. Lightning in the clouds was also a nice effect on some of those long exposure shots.

Aaron and I both took photos of the city lit up that we are pretty proud of. 

I took pictures up there till my battery on my camera was almost dead.

We decided to head back down the mountain as it started to lightly rain. However, before we could leave, we noticed three teenagers (I'm guessing at their age) arrive near the parking area at the crest with flashlights. It was late, and the little concession stand/store was closed.

I asked if they needed anything, perhaps to borrow a phone to make a call. (Our ride was pretty tight already with the 3 of us adults and the baby in her car seat).

"Do you have anything to drink?"

"Yeah... I think we might."

I checked the front seat of the car, and a bottle of water that I had bought Saturday for our trip to Santa Fe was still laying in the front seat floor unopened. 

"Here you go, I bought this the other day, and never even opened it. God is good. Do you have someone coming to pick you up?"

"Yes."

With little else said, I wished them good luck and good night, and met up with Aaron and Meredith in the car.

It was an interesting drive down the mountain.

Oh, and we ate some of that pie a la mode when we got home. Aaron had to give Meredith a back rub it was so good. He would have probably done it anyway, but, man... that pie was good.

10:28 PM

Aaron and Meredith called it a night about half and hour ago.

The baby had kept them up for a while early this morning.

I checked out Desert Springs Church in Albuquerque this morning. It was good stuff. Oddly, the pastor reminds me of Austin Powers... and he was teaching on the marriage bed today... that means shagging, baby, yeah.

Anyway...

Yesterday we made the trek from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, and took the exit for Old Pecos Trail off of I-25. We turned toward town, then quickly turned north onto Old Las Vegas Highway. After about 5 miles of scraggly pinon bushes, dirt, and rock... suddenly, there it was on our left.

Bobcat Bite.

It tasted like grilled nostalgia... with cheese and green chiles.

Here's the crazy deal. We got there at 1:45 or so. We didn't get a seat until almost 2:30 maybe.

We didn't get our food until almost 2:50.

And we loved it.

Between the way you show up and write your name and party size on a white board yourself, slowly watching yourself move higher and higher on the list as other parties are seated, and actually getting into the restaurant (which feels like it may be 15' x 40') to order and then waiting for your burger to come out...

Well, it's an amazing burger.

Here's another thing: Aaron and I used to come to Bobcat's back when we worked at a summer camp and ate the same weekly rotating meals in the cafeteria.

"What's for lunch today?"

"Chicken-fried beige something."

"Again? I thought that was yesterday."

"No. That was chicken-fried beige something-else."

Now, by that comparison, a kick in the face may taste better. (Although, there was a meal we called shoe-leather steak...). But Bobcat Bite is nationally recognized as being a damned good burger. But there was something more to it, and there still is.

Those days busting our tails, working for chump change at camp were a ton of fun, and I wouldn't trade them for anything. Bobcat's was like the top of a loop on the wild ride that was those summers.

Later we made it up to the old camp ground. We saw the room we used to work in.

Bittersweet. Things change. You can't really go back. (Although I did try to help fix a display issue on the lighting console, to no avail).

We said hello and visited with some old friends, then made our way out and back toward Santa Fe.

Passing Bobcat's, we noticed that the line was much shorter for dinner. They may have already been closed, though, and just finishing serving those folks who had been the last in line.

We ended up at Harry's Roadhouse (also on Old Vegas) and got a seat in the orange room just off of the bar. I have yet to eat in every room at Harry's. I think it may become a goal in life. (It's good to have goals, right?).

The bread they serve while you are waiting on your dinner is crazy-good.

But that isn't the best part.

I had the strawberry rhubarb pie a la mode.

You can start envying me... now.

Seriously, this stuff can make you smile when you are in a bad bad mood.

Aaron snapped a picture of me eating some of this... ambrosia.

It's my profile picture on Facebook now.

Today after church we met up with my cousin who also lives in ABQ. We hung out for a while at his game shop, Ninja Monkey Gaming Center, then headed over to a local Dion's for an incredibly good pizza.

The night ended with Aaron, Meredith and I sitting on their porch... listening to a light rain falling, the sound of drops falling through leaves in the garden just off the porch, with voices like Harry Connick Jr, Frank, Michael Buble, Madeleine Peyroux, and others singing softly from the iPod. Aaron helped me figure out my way around my new Canon digital camera I got Thursday before coming out here.

He had left for church around 6:30 this morning, and was quite ready for bed by about 10 PM.

I sat, listening to the dark... raindrops lightly falling on the roof, the grass, the porch, the tomatoes, the basil...

The last few days have been great.

I'm sorry this little essay can't fully take you to the places I've been in the last few days, to show you the things I've seen, taste the things I've tasted (btw, Chama River has a Smokey flavored brew. It's really good stuff. It goes down perhaps... a little too easy), and feel the way I have with friends close to your heart, places that stir a thousand memories, and food that makes your taste buds and belly almost as happy as they make your heart.

I wish I could write that for you.

Anyway, it's 11:03 now, and the laptop's battery is in the red. Thanks all, I hope you get to feel the way I've felt the last couple of days sometime very soon.

New Mexican Food.

I arrived in Albuquerque yesterday afternoon. Last night I ate chicken enchiladas with green chiles and a fried eggs, with rice and beans (of course) at Garduno's. There should be a tilde over the "n" in that, but I don't know how to make one in this editor.

Oh well.

I'm not going to worry over it.

Sitting last night on Campbell's porch... cigar smoke lingering in the cool dry air...
Oil lamps flickering on the table... the warmth of Irish whiskey in going down my throat...
Talking about times we had thousands of days ago.

This morning we sat on the porch drinking lattes. Aaron and Meredith worked in the garden a bit picking peppers, cherry tomatoes you could eat like they were grapes, while I held baby Abigail in the shade.

Today lunch will be at Bobcat Bite, then on to Glorieta to see folks.

Short of some anxiety at the airport yesterday... this has already been an awesome weekend... and it's not even lunch time yet on Saturday morning.