On Thursday Mom Kim, the Monkeys, and I drove to Albuquerque (two hours East) to see Rita, a friend from high school. We went to the
"Sandia" means watermelon. The mountain is called that because when the sun sets and reflects off the rock, the whole mountain turns pink and looks like an enormous watermelon. The tram is the longest one in the world. It was lots of freaky fun.
Here S is trying to avoid the inevitable ear-clogging that goes with pressure changes. He is why I buy gum from Costco.
This is at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. It is called High Finance. The food was yummy, but my boys were more occupied with catching two enormous moths which were flying around the window by our table. By the end of the meal they had succeeded in catching them and entrapping them in the air vents in the window sill. Isn't Rita gorgeous?
After lunch we hiked around a little and followed a trail that gave us some beautiful views. They'll be easier to enjoy once the boys are older and I won't be so freaked out about them falling off the mountain!
Once we were safely down at the bottom again we found the Albuquerque LDS temple.
"Sandia" means watermelon. The mountain is called that because when the sun sets and reflects off the rock, the whole mountain turns pink and looks like an enormous watermelon. The tram is the longest one in the world. It was lots of freaky fun.
Here S is trying to avoid the inevitable ear-clogging that goes with pressure changes. He is why I buy gum from Costco.
This is at the restaurant at the top of the mountain. It is called High Finance. The food was yummy, but my boys were more occupied with catching two enormous moths which were flying around the window by our table. By the end of the meal they had succeeded in catching them and entrapping them in the air vents in the window sill. Isn't Rita gorgeous?
After lunch we hiked around a little and followed a trail that gave us some beautiful views. They'll be easier to enjoy once the boys are older and I won't be so freaked out about them falling off the mountain!
Once we were safely down at the bottom again we found the Albuquerque LDS temple.
Due to the fact that there were at least 3 huge dead bugs floating around in the fountain, it was a struggle, to say the least, getting the Monkeys to turn around for a picture.
But we succeeded in the end!
It was HOT that day, and since grass is scarce in that part of New Mexico, we all took the opportunity to lounge around on the temple grounds. Very pleasant.
After locating a Bed Bath & Beyond and buying my mom her much-desired cherry pitter, we picked up Rita's husband Sne and toured the climbing gym where my parents go. It's huge! The Monkeys were especially fascinated by the overhang that was 40 feet up in the air and the "Fall Zone" that was down on the ground below it. It prompted all sorts of questions: "Why is there a 'Fall Zone'? Do people actually fall from way up there? Why do they have it go over like that if people could fall? Don't they know it's not safe?!?"
And here is a picture of one of Sne and Rita's cars. Oh blessed New Jersey license plate. It immediately made me homesick!
Rita and Sne. It was so nice to see her again. I'm afraid that when I left high school, my only intent was to be out of there and away from NJ. That Dixie Chicks song, "Wide Open Spaces" totally used to make me cry with the profound truthfulness of it all. I've grown up enough to know now that I was only running away from myself...hmmm, but that's a whole other post. Anyway, it was so nice to see Rita and remember that I do have friends who aren't white Mormon housewives. (Don't get me wrong, white Mormon housewife friends, I love you all dearly!) I'm so glad she's moved West and is only a 2-hour plane ride away from Salt Lake City. I hope she'll come see me soon!
But we succeeded in the end!
It was HOT that day, and since grass is scarce in that part of New Mexico, we all took the opportunity to lounge around on the temple grounds. Very pleasant.
After locating a Bed Bath & Beyond and buying my mom her much-desired cherry pitter, we picked up Rita's husband Sne and toured the climbing gym where my parents go. It's huge! The Monkeys were especially fascinated by the overhang that was 40 feet up in the air and the "Fall Zone" that was down on the ground below it. It prompted all sorts of questions: "Why is there a 'Fall Zone'? Do people actually fall from way up there? Why do they have it go over like that if people could fall? Don't they know it's not safe?!?"
And here is a picture of one of Sne and Rita's cars. Oh blessed New Jersey license plate. It immediately made me homesick!
Rita and Sne. It was so nice to see her again. I'm afraid that when I left high school, my only intent was to be out of there and away from NJ. That Dixie Chicks song, "Wide Open Spaces" totally used to make me cry with the profound truthfulness of it all. I've grown up enough to know now that I was only running away from myself...hmmm, but that's a whole other post. Anyway, it was so nice to see Rita and remember that I do have friends who aren't white Mormon housewives. (Don't get me wrong, white Mormon housewife friends, I love you all dearly!) I'm so glad she's moved West and is only a 2-hour plane ride away from Salt Lake City. I hope she'll come see me soon!
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