Pleasant Surprise

Friday at work, I got an email from Del Powell, a dancer/caller from Sacramento, that he'd be in ABQ for a day, asking what's to do in a day here.

We met up Saturday evening at the ABQ Square Dance Center at the central district 5th Saturday dance. I was only calling one tip, but they stayed to listen to that.

Del is a travel agent in Sacto and was cashing in travel vouchers for Continental Express, which is apparently shutting down operations here in the western states.

He brought along a cute, personable bearcub friend of his, Randy. The weekend weather didn't totally cooperate for them. They drove to the tram to take the ride up to the top of Sandia Peak, but it started raining up there so they didn't stay long.

After stopping by the dance last night, I gave them directions to Sidewinders. They stayed for an hour or so, yakking with Scott Cline. Randy was apparently cruising bear there.

Since they were only in town for 22 hours, they didn't really pack in the sightseeing. We didn't help with that this morning either, since we all met for breakfast at Mannie's down the street.

Had a great yak over breakfast. Del mentioned that bay area dancers had gone to their first C3 invitational dance and did quite well: fuzzygruf, woofpup, and Ken Sale (not on LJ????). We dished and giggled, then headed off our separate way again.

It's gloomy enough out with threat of rain that we're ditching (my) plans to take the train to the Bernalillo Wine Festival today and instead do more shopping for remodeling materials and general vegetating. I did 2 hours of weeding in the rocks yesterday and trimming one of the 9 (again, overgrown) arbor vitae that I'm saying done for that. At 72 today and rainy today, probably won't venture into the ppol.

Pleasant Surprise

Friday at work, I got an email from Del Powell, a dancer/caller from Sacramento, that he'd be in ABQ for a day, asking what's to do in a day here.

We met up Saturday evening at the ABQ Square Dance Center at the central district 5th Saturday dance. I was only calling one tip, but they stayed to listen to that.

Del is a travel agent in Sacto and was cashing in travel vouchers for Continental Express, which is apparently shutting down operations here in the western states.

He brought along a cute, personable bearcub friend of his, Randy. The weekend weather didn't totally cooperate for them. They drove to the tram to take the ride up to the top of Sandia Peak, but it started raining up there so they didn't stay long.

After stopping by the dance last night, I gave them directions to Sidewinders. They stayed for an hour or so, yakking with Scott Cline. Randy was apparently cruising bear there.

Since they were only in town for 22 hours, they didn't really pack in the sightseeing. We didn't help with that this morning either, since we all met for breakfast at Mannie's down the street.

Had a great yak over breakfast. Del mentioned that bay area dancers had gone to their first C3 invitational dance and did quite well: fuzzygruf, woofpup, and Ken Sale (not on LJ????). We dished and giggled, then headed off our separate way again.

It's gloomy enough out with threat of rain that we're ditching (my) plans to take the train to the Bernalillo Wine Festival today and instead do more shopping for remodeling materials and general vegetating. I did 2 hours of weeding in the rocks yesterday and trimming one of the 9 (again, overgrown) arbor vitae that I'm saying done for that. At 72 today and rainy today, probably won't venture into the ppol.

Fairly productive

Since it's been pretty gloomy all day, with only a brief downpour, turned my attentions to baking. Now complete are:

- 4 meatloafs (one already eaten for dinner with tabouli, one given to neighbor Pat)
- 4 zucchini bread loaves (just fresh out of the oven!)

We made a trip to Lowes to check out pendant lighting and more gas stoves. When I grew up, a gas stove simply was a device to cook food. They aren't anymore with all the "dual fuel," "convection," and all the computerized bells and whistles.

After two days of shopping around, this is more or less what we're going to get.   Of course after the $1,500 in the contractor's contract to run gas lines to the kitchen.  Ack.  With this and the convection microwave over the stove model we're getting, that'll replace our 21 year old electric cooktop (badly placed) and aging double oven.  So guppy of us.

Glad I don't live on the Louisiana coast.   Always glad of that.

Danny's downstairs putting his portion of the office together.  Step one in turning that upstairs room into a ginormous walk-in closet.

Fairly productive

Since it's been pretty gloomy all day, with only a brief downpour, turned my attentions to baking. Now complete are:

- 4 meatloafs (one already eaten for dinner with tabouli, one given to neighbor Pat)
- 4 zucchini bread loaves (just fresh out of the oven!)

We made a trip to Lowes to check out pendant lighting and more gas stoves. When I grew up, a gas stove simply was a device to cook food. They aren't anymore with all the "dual fuel," "convection," and all the computerized bells and whistles.

After two days of shopping around, this is more or less what we're going to get.   Of course after the $1,500 in the contractor's contract to run gas lines to the kitchen.  Ack.  With this and the convection microwave over the stove model we're getting, that'll replace our 21 year old electric cooktop (badly placed) and aging double oven.  So guppy of us.

Glad I don't live on the Louisiana coast.   Always glad of that.

Danny's downstairs putting his portion of the office together.  Step one in turning that upstairs room into a ginormous walk-in closet.

Family affected by Gustav

Shreveport/Bossier City is 340 miles northwest of New Orleans, but the forecast is that they'll be slammed with heavy/gusty winds, torrential rains, and tornados by Monday evening and Tuesday morning.  I hope my middle brother and his wife haven't hightailed it out of town without thinking of my youngest brother and mother who have no transportation.

Family affected by Gustav

Shreveport/Bossier City is 340 miles northwest of New Orleans, but the forecast is that they'll be slammed with heavy/gusty winds, torrential rains, and tornados by Monday evening and Tuesday morning.  I hope my middle brother and his wife haven't hightailed it out of town without thinking of my youngest brother and mother who have no transportation.