Matt and I finally made the big decision. We finally decided to go through with it. We were super nervous, but it turned out well...
Okay so we rented a house in Albuquerque. Signed the lease on a 700sf casita that is super old but has been completely renovated and has a backyard big enough for a party. So if you live in the Greater New Mexico Area, be prepared. I will take pictures as soon as I get a chance.
We think we will be moving in starting next Wednesday, just in time for our lease here to be up and to clean out our house.
Also, as a side note, if you are ever in need of getting rid of furniture quickly, send out an email to a local college. We sent one to Matt's department around 4 pm yesterday and everything was out of the house by 8 pm. Speedy! And watching all those things go totally relieved my moving anxiety. Moving is so much easier with less stuff. Try it!
Friday, May 25, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Earthquake!
That's right folks, last night at 11:16pm Socorro time, there was a magnitude 3.3 earthquake 6km west of Socorro. It woke me up and scared the crap out of me. I think Matt thought someone was breaking into our house. Since we'd been asleep, we weren't really sure if it had been a noise that woke us up, but I was pretty sure it was movement and can't remember if it had been accompanied by a noise. I am used to the house shaking from various explosions Tech undertakes on purpose, but this definitely felt different - I guess because the ground was moving. I wasn't convinced it was an earthquake until this morning when the Albuquerque Journal and the USGS verified it. I am fairly convinced an "aftershock" woke me up later, but there is no mention of one.
This is the second earthquake I have felt in my life, the last one being my freshman year of college when we could feel tremblings from a California earthquake in our dorm. That woke me up too.
I guess the universe is prepping me for my summer in LA...
This is the second earthquake I have felt in my life, the last one being my freshman year of college when we could feel tremblings from a California earthquake in our dorm. That woke me up too.
I guess the universe is prepping me for my summer in LA...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Albuquerque
We spent parts of Tuesday and Thursday in Albuquerque looking for houses and hanging out with our friend Arun on his birthday. We managed to get ourselves invited to his parent's house for his birthday dinner by calling his cell phone at about 10pm Monday night and having his mom answer. Oops. Apparently Arun, who lives about half a second from his parents, left his phone at their house again. So anyway, on our way to meet Arun for the family dinner, we thought maybe we should get him a card. And maybe a present. So we stopped at the Smith's by his house, picked up a great pickle card, a six pack of New Belgium spring seasonal, and a $1 DVD called Kill Cruise, starring Elizabeth Hurley. It was originally a German movie called Der Skipper and has been dubbed into English for our viewing pleasure. What a great movie! Not in the traditional, artful sense, but it really was hilarious. We kept inventing alternate scenarios, none of which ever panned out. I think appreciation of this movie is related to a very narrowly defined sense of humor, so it might not be right for everyone. But if you are bored and live near a Smith's that happens to carry $1 DVDs, I recommend it. Good times were had by all. The fajitas at dinner were good too.
On a more sour note, we still have not made a moving decision. We found this gorgeous casita in our price range that we are really tempted to lease, but then we found out that Matt probably won't be able to get a seat on the vanpool next year. In other words, if we move to Albuquerque, he would have to drive one of our vehicles 150 miles a day, 2-4 days a week. That would suck. Our latest possibility is to get one small place in both cities to try to have the best of both worlds. And I don't even know if I have a job, so that is another hitch. I had another interview yesterday, but I don't think I want to work for them anyway. So yeah. We have two weeks left to clear out of our current house, and nowhere to go. Except a storage shed. And LA...
On a more sour note, we still have not made a moving decision. We found this gorgeous casita in our price range that we are really tempted to lease, but then we found out that Matt probably won't be able to get a seat on the vanpool next year. In other words, if we move to Albuquerque, he would have to drive one of our vehicles 150 miles a day, 2-4 days a week. That would suck. Our latest possibility is to get one small place in both cities to try to have the best of both worlds. And I don't even know if I have a job, so that is another hitch. I had another interview yesterday, but I don't think I want to work for them anyway. So yeah. We have two weeks left to clear out of our current house, and nowhere to go. Except a storage shed. And LA...
Monday, May 14, 2007
Back to Life, Back to Reality
After we returned from the mountains, we had an ant infestation in our kitchen, so we decided to order pizza for dinner. For the second time since we have lived here, we ordered Pizza Hut delivery. For the second time, they failed to bring my soda. Since the delivery guy last time never brought one to me, I refused to pay this one until he returned with it. Shockingly enough, he returned in about 2 minutes (Pizza Hut is not very far away).
The weirdest thing about this is that neither time did the delivery guy seem surprised or apologetic that they had forgotten the soda. It was like it was a given. So my question is, are they really just stupid, or is this some sort of scam that they pull on everyone? I mean really, what are the odds that 100% of the time they forget the soda (despite the small sample size). And then say nonchalantly, oh, I'll have to come back with that. What is with this state?
In relation to state weirdness, when we were on the trip this weekend, two different people were describing how great their neighborhoods were. And then, as an afterthought, discussed the gunshots and drug deals and thefts that go on all the time. So crime is just a given to people in Albuquerque. Whereas I would not think a neighborhood was great unless it was low-crime. I guess this is something we're going to have to get used to.
The weirdest thing about this is that neither time did the delivery guy seem surprised or apologetic that they had forgotten the soda. It was like it was a given. So my question is, are they really just stupid, or is this some sort of scam that they pull on everyone? I mean really, what are the odds that 100% of the time they forget the soda (despite the small sample size). And then say nonchalantly, oh, I'll have to come back with that. What is with this state?
In relation to state weirdness, when we were on the trip this weekend, two different people were describing how great their neighborhoods were. And then, as an afterthought, discussed the gunshots and drug deals and thefts that go on all the time. So crime is just a given to people in Albuquerque. Whereas I would not think a neighborhood was great unless it was low-crime. I guess this is something we're going to have to get used to.
Mountain Goodness
This weekend Matt and I visited our beloved San Mateo Mountains to help out with a stream restoration project organized by New Mexico Wilderness Alliance. Along with about 15 other volunteers, we camped for two nights and put in various structures to decrease the velocity of streamflow and re-wet the meadow. The Forest Service will fell some trees in the canyon bottom to complete the project.
Our mini-group built 12 'one rock dams' which require the moving of large rocks from the surrounding hillside to the riverbed. It was hard work.
We were with a couple Forest Service guys. There were also people from the BLM and other environmental non-profits on the trip, so I tried to do some networking. We even made a couple friends who live in Albuquerque and got their phone numbers so we can stalk them!It was definitely a lot more fun than we have at home, no matter how sore we are. Try it sometime! Your local environmental organization probably has similar functions. There were a range of volunteers from young and single to older nearly retired couples. A good time will be had by all (if you ignore the one or two super annoying people).
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Continued
I just picked up this week's Newsweek and read Anna Quindlen's The Last Word - Still the Brightest. In the wake of David Halberstam's recent death, Quindlen discusses the impact he had on journalism by doing extensive research, looking for answers where no one else wanted to go, and revealing information to the public. She notes his endless sense of "intelligent curiosity" that inspired her, along with other younger writers, to live up to their potential.
I must confess that I have never read Halberstam's book on Vietnam, "The Best and the Brightest," but I have nevertheless been well aware of his influence on journalism and the American public. I plan to add some of his books to my reading list. The tradition of Edward R. Murrow and David Halberstam must continue. I hope that journalists everywhere will continue to be responsible citizens by using their platforms to educate the public and reveal injustice wherever it may be, whether in front of our noses or in hiding. And as citizens, I think that we must demand this from our media.
I must confess that I have never read Halberstam's book on Vietnam, "The Best and the Brightest," but I have nevertheless been well aware of his influence on journalism and the American public. I plan to add some of his books to my reading list. The tradition of Edward R. Murrow and David Halberstam must continue. I hope that journalists everywhere will continue to be responsible citizens by using their platforms to educate the public and reveal injustice wherever it may be, whether in front of our noses or in hiding. And as citizens, I think that we must demand this from our media.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Carnival of the Liberals
Carnival of the Liberals is a biweekly blog carnival that is hosted on various websites and is a compilation of the latest and greatest liberal blogs. This week it is hosted by Faith on That's So Queer, which I link to on my sidebar, and I read the entries for the first time. My favorites were posted on The Republic of T and deal with how harassment, alienation, and definitions of 'masculinity' are involved in most of the cases of school shootings. This blog is well-researched, well-written, and most of all, a call for empathy and a fresh look at American culture. I'll let him explain the rest.
In a related note, Matt and I watched Good Night, and Good Luck last night, and I was impressed not only by the story of Edward R. Murrow taking on Senator McCarthy, but also the many quotes and scenarios that reflect what is going on today. One of the biggest issues is allowing the accused to face their accusers, which is definitely not happening right now at GitMo. Another issue is the responsibility of journalism to inform and even editorialize, not just entertain. Murrow acknowledged that sometimes there are not two sides of a story. Sometimes something is morally or ethically wrong, and people whose voices are heard should do their best to stand up to the injustice and inform their listeners. The movie is a little slow, but at only 90 minutes, it is well worth it. Netflix it today. And check out Matt's blog on the subject. Also see Amnesty International's Close Guantanamo campaign and join the flotilla!
In a related note, Matt and I watched Good Night, and Good Luck last night, and I was impressed not only by the story of Edward R. Murrow taking on Senator McCarthy, but also the many quotes and scenarios that reflect what is going on today. One of the biggest issues is allowing the accused to face their accusers, which is definitely not happening right now at GitMo. Another issue is the responsibility of journalism to inform and even editorialize, not just entertain. Murrow acknowledged that sometimes there are not two sides of a story. Sometimes something is morally or ethically wrong, and people whose voices are heard should do their best to stand up to the injustice and inform their listeners. The movie is a little slow, but at only 90 minutes, it is well worth it. Netflix it today. And check out Matt's blog on the subject. Also see Amnesty International's Close Guantanamo campaign and join the flotilla!
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Fair Housing Act my Ass
I look at craigslist about 200 gazillion times a day to try to find somewhere to live in Albuquerque. On May 4th, the absolutely best thing came up - A 600sf 2 story loft with patio and rooftop patio in the perfect area of town and within our budget. The property manager won't let us even look at it because she says it's not big enough for two people. Karen has informed me that their flat in Geneva is also 600sf, and it has two bedrooms! I tried to find out if this qualified as discrimination in the Fair Housing Act, but apparently 'familial status' only applies to people with children. What a bunch of ass! Shouldn't it be up to us to decide if 600sf is too small for us? This is the second time I have run into this in Albuquerque. What in the world is the deal with this state?
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The Not-so-sappy Love Story
I was recently reading a MySpace blog of someone I know, and it inspired me to write my own love story. She wrote the story of how she and her husband met and started dating after he dumped his girlfriend, and I have to say, I think it had some errors. But love makes us forget things I'm sure. And change facts around. And omit things. Yup. At any rate, I am going to put this out there, and if anyone thinks I may have an altered state of mind, please fill in the gaps.
So when I started grad school at the University of Arizona, Matt was a second year student. He encouraged me, as he did everyone, to play frisbee and volleyball with the department and to partake of drinks at No Anchovie's afterward. Besides that, he wasn't terribly outgoing. One of my newly-made friends confessed that at the prospective day the previous spring, she and Matt had had 'a thing.' She was drunk and couldn't remember much from it, but he hadn't been friendly to her either since she arrived at school. I thought it was too bad that he wasn't nicer to her, but shortly thereafter I learned he was dating an undergraduate. The horrors! Anyways, in October, our research group took a field trip to Albuquerque for the Annual Meeting, otherwise known as SAHRAfest (trademarked by yours truly). Somehow during this meeting, I was hanging out with Matt all the time. He was so much fun. (Incidentally, it was at this time that I first became friends with Kristin as well, so it was a good trip.) When I got home I told my friends how I was 'in love' with this guy, but that he pretty much had a girlfriend (although not according to him).
Anyways, we started hanging out back in Tucson and were basically known as the department drunks I think. I probably drank more than I should have so that I could flirt with him shamelessly. The other girl hardly ever came out, and sometimes Matt dropped by her house with me in tow, I think basically to make her jealous. They were obviously on the outs by this point. Then the day before Thanksgiving, Matt called me to see if I was coming over to his house that night and mentioned that he and the girl were done. Once again, I got wasted during drinking-games and couldn't drive or walk myself home that night. Matt offered to let me sleep in his bed and he would go sleep somewhere else. I coyly told him he was welcome to sleep in his bed as well. GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER! That night was pretty innocent, and in the morning he kissed me goodbye. I had been expecting him to pretend nothing happened, so I was impressed.
About a week went by before anything else happened. One night he drove me home and I invited him in, but he just said, "Maybe I should take you out to lunch." So I think the next day we went to Pei Wei together on our official first date. I'm pretty sure I had been drinking beforehand at Gentle Ben's as well. At any rate, it wasn't anything to write home about, but ever since then we were basically together.
We definitely had some rough patches after that, what with Matt making plans to get his PhD and me having another year left for my Master's. At one point he said he was going to Canada without me and didn't want to do the long distance thing, so I made him take all his stuff out of my apartment and leave his key behind. A few days later I called him and asked him to come over and basically begged him to take me back. At some point in that time period I yelled at him, literally, that he was stupid for thinking I didn't mean that much to him. He claims at that point he realized I was right. When he found out he couldn't start school in Canada until the folowing January, he asked if he could move in with me. That fall we decided to move to New Mexico instead of Canada. And then in December he told me for the first time that he had been looking at rings. He didn't propose until almost the end of February, leading to some awkward situations with our parents, but it was a fantastic proposal and worth the wait. And then we got married the next year.
So we are currently a few months shy of having known each other for 3 years and have been married for nearly 3 months. I had some hesitation back in the beginning what with the girl he was dating and the girl I was friends with, but it all worked out. I found out his not-girlfriend had voted for Proposition 200 and then didn't feel bad at all about breaking them up. And my friend was totally okay with everything and we definitely still joke about it. And now - well the love story is ongoing right?
So when I started grad school at the University of Arizona, Matt was a second year student. He encouraged me, as he did everyone, to play frisbee and volleyball with the department and to partake of drinks at No Anchovie's afterward. Besides that, he wasn't terribly outgoing. One of my newly-made friends confessed that at the prospective day the previous spring, she and Matt had had 'a thing.' She was drunk and couldn't remember much from it, but he hadn't been friendly to her either since she arrived at school. I thought it was too bad that he wasn't nicer to her, but shortly thereafter I learned he was dating an undergraduate. The horrors! Anyways, in October, our research group took a field trip to Albuquerque for the Annual Meeting, otherwise known as SAHRAfest (trademarked by yours truly). Somehow during this meeting, I was hanging out with Matt all the time. He was so much fun. (Incidentally, it was at this time that I first became friends with Kristin as well, so it was a good trip.) When I got home I told my friends how I was 'in love' with this guy, but that he pretty much had a girlfriend (although not according to him).
Anyways, we started hanging out back in Tucson and were basically known as the department drunks I think. I probably drank more than I should have so that I could flirt with him shamelessly. The other girl hardly ever came out, and sometimes Matt dropped by her house with me in tow, I think basically to make her jealous. They were obviously on the outs by this point. Then the day before Thanksgiving, Matt called me to see if I was coming over to his house that night and mentioned that he and the girl were done. Once again, I got wasted during drinking-games and couldn't drive or walk myself home that night. Matt offered to let me sleep in his bed and he would go sleep somewhere else. I coyly told him he was welcome to sleep in his bed as well. GET YOUR MINDS OUT OF THE GUTTER! That night was pretty innocent, and in the morning he kissed me goodbye. I had been expecting him to pretend nothing happened, so I was impressed.
About a week went by before anything else happened. One night he drove me home and I invited him in, but he just said, "Maybe I should take you out to lunch." So I think the next day we went to Pei Wei together on our official first date. I'm pretty sure I had been drinking beforehand at Gentle Ben's as well. At any rate, it wasn't anything to write home about, but ever since then we were basically together.
We definitely had some rough patches after that, what with Matt making plans to get his PhD and me having another year left for my Master's. At one point he said he was going to Canada without me and didn't want to do the long distance thing, so I made him take all his stuff out of my apartment and leave his key behind. A few days later I called him and asked him to come over and basically begged him to take me back. At some point in that time period I yelled at him, literally, that he was stupid for thinking I didn't mean that much to him. He claims at that point he realized I was right. When he found out he couldn't start school in Canada until the folowing January, he asked if he could move in with me. That fall we decided to move to New Mexico instead of Canada. And then in December he told me for the first time that he had been looking at rings. He didn't propose until almost the end of February, leading to some awkward situations with our parents, but it was a fantastic proposal and worth the wait. And then we got married the next year.
So we are currently a few months shy of having known each other for 3 years and have been married for nearly 3 months. I had some hesitation back in the beginning what with the girl he was dating and the girl I was friends with, but it all worked out. I found out his not-girlfriend had voted for Proposition 200 and then didn't feel bad at all about breaking them up. And my friend was totally okay with everything and we definitely still joke about it. And now - well the love story is ongoing right?
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Cinco de Mayo, Socorro Style
Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Although I'm sure growing up in Tucson we celebrated the real meaning of this holiday, the last few years I have found myself in bars with names like Dos Gringos and Macayos and Chuys, drinking Corona and watching very gringo bands perform.
This year we headed down to Socorro's historic plaza for the Cinco de Mayo Celebration, mostly to see Mariachi Bueno Ventura and also to get some tasty food. This mariachi group is all-female and we had previously seen them play at my company's Christmas Party in Albuquerque. They are quite good, but unfortunately it was so windy that the microphones didn't work very well. And being in Socorro, there seemed to be no one in charge who could help them out with technical difficulties. We also enjoyed roasted corn, funnel cake, and bean, chili, and cheese burritos.
It turned out to be quite cold, so we didn't stay very long. We did run into most of Matt's Spanish-speaking classmates and one Professor, who all seemed very surprised that gringos such as us were enjoying mariachi music. They were even more shocked when we told them we'd seen them before. Ah, being a gringa is so much fun.
Anyway, it was good entertainment for a Saturday in Socorro. I will miss a few things about this town.
Although I'm sure growing up in Tucson we celebrated the real meaning of this holiday, the last few years I have found myself in bars with names like Dos Gringos and Macayos and Chuys, drinking Corona and watching very gringo bands perform.
This year we headed down to Socorro's historic plaza for the Cinco de Mayo Celebration, mostly to see Mariachi Bueno Ventura and also to get some tasty food. This mariachi group is all-female and we had previously seen them play at my company's Christmas Party in Albuquerque. They are quite good, but unfortunately it was so windy that the microphones didn't work very well. And being in Socorro, there seemed to be no one in charge who could help them out with technical difficulties. We also enjoyed roasted corn, funnel cake, and bean, chili, and cheese burritos.
It turned out to be quite cold, so we didn't stay very long. We did run into most of Matt's Spanish-speaking classmates and one Professor, who all seemed very surprised that gringos such as us were enjoying mariachi music. They were even more shocked when we told them we'd seen them before. Ah, being a gringa is so much fun.
Anyway, it was good entertainment for a Saturday in Socorro. I will miss a few things about this town.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The Arlo Guthrie Family Legacy Tour
This show actually came to Socorro last night. Matt got in for free, being a student, and because it was sold out, we conned another student into getting me a ticket so I could go too. I am so glad we didn't miss this!
Arlo Guthrie, his son Abe, his daughter Sarah Lee, her husband Johnny Irion, and some random guy were all there. It was fantastic. Arlo told some funny stories and of course included the usual songs and and commentary against war and the current state of the world. I had heard of Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion before, but never really paid much attention. Her voice is beautiful and they have written some great songs. Johnny also plays a mean harmonica. The group played some of Woody's, Arlo's, and Sarah Lee/Johnny Irion's songs. It was pretty neat. I am considering picking up Exploration so I can listen to them some more.
Matt and I were definitely some of the youngest people in the audience, as all the New Mexico hippies came out of the woodwork for this one. But as Arlo said, unfortunately most of this music is still relevant today, some 50-70 years after it was written. Ya'll should check this out.
Arlo Guthrie, his son Abe, his daughter Sarah Lee, her husband Johnny Irion, and some random guy were all there. It was fantastic. Arlo told some funny stories and of course included the usual songs and and commentary against war and the current state of the world. I had heard of Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion before, but never really paid much attention. Her voice is beautiful and they have written some great songs. Johnny also plays a mean harmonica. The group played some of Woody's, Arlo's, and Sarah Lee/Johnny Irion's songs. It was pretty neat. I am considering picking up Exploration so I can listen to them some more.
Matt and I were definitely some of the youngest people in the audience, as all the New Mexico hippies came out of the woodwork for this one. But as Arlo said, unfortunately most of this music is still relevant today, some 50-70 years after it was written. Ya'll should check this out.
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