ALBUQUERQUE

WORKING  ONLY FOUR DAYS A WEEK DURING THE “SHOULDER SEASON” ALLOWS US SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND MONDAY OFF.  TIME FOR A ROADTRIP.

SO WE WERE OFF TO ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO TO VISIT AMY, DAN, AND THE BOYS.  AT 525 MILES, IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG ROAD TRIP, BUT 490 MILES OF OF THE TRIP IS STRAIGHT EAST ON INTERSTATE 40 AT 80 MILES AN HOUR.

THE BOYS WERE QUICK TO GIVE ME A TOUR OF THEIR NEW FOUR BEDROOM HOME.

THIS IS ALAN AND EDDIE ON THE TOP BUNK IN ONE OF THE BOY’S ROOMS. 

OF COURSE THERE IS A LOT OF FAMILY PRESSURE TO MAKE THESE THREE YOUNG BOYS GREEN BAY PACKER FANS.  SO ON SUNDAY THE BOYS WERE OFF TO WATCH ANOTHER PACKER VICTORY WHILE AMY AND MARY WENT SHOPPING.

THE BACK YARD LANDSCAPING IS ONE OF THE ONGOING PROJECTS OF A NEW HOME AND WHILE DAN MANNED THE GRILL, THE BOYS WERE HARD AT WORK FILLING IN A DEEP HOLE.

AMY MAY HAVE MOVED FROM PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA BUT SHE HAS NOT ESCAPED THE SAND.

THE BOYS ALSO TOOK US ON A TOUR OF THE NEIGHBOEHOOD, AND THIS IS THE FAMOUS SCHOOL BUS STOP.

ALSO THE PARK WHICH INCLUDES A SWIMMING POOL, HOT TUB, COMMUNITY BUILDING, AND PLAY GROUND.

SUNDAY MORNING I WAS UP EARLY AND SLIPPED INTO THE BACKYARD FOR MY COFFEE AND A CIGARETTE. EDDIE (THE 5 YEAR OLD) SOON JOINED ME, AND WHILE KICKING  AROUND THE SAND PROCEEDED TO GIVE ME AN IN YOUR FACE NO-SMOKING LECTURE!  THIS WASN’T THE TYPICAL 5 YEAR OLD QUICKIE LECTURE, IT CAME COMPLETE WITH QUESTIONS I WAS FORCED TO ANSWER:  HOW LONG HAVE YOU SMOKED? WHY DO YOU SMOKE? HOW MUCH DO YOU SMOKE? WHEN DID YOU START SMOKING? IT’S BAD TO SMOKE!  WHY DON’T YOU STOP SMOKING? I HAD TO LOOK AROUND AND SEE IF MY BROTHER, THE REAL DOCTOR, WAS STANDING THERE OR EDDIE?  THE FINAL QUESTION HE ASKED WAS IF I ASKED MY MOTHER BEFORE I STARTED SMOKING?

IN TWO WEEKS THE WORLD FAMOUS  HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL IS IN ALBUQUERQUE.  FROM AMY’S BACK YARD I COUNTED AS MANY AS 18 HOT AIR BALLONS IN THE SKY PRACTICING.  THIS ONE LANDED RIGHT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM THE BACK YARD.

IT WAS A GREAT ROADTRIP AND VISIT WITH MY THREE GRANDSONS,  THANKS AMY AND DAN FOR YOUR HOSPITALITY, AND TUNE IN FOR THE NEXT BLOG AS WE GET A PRIVATE GUIDED TOUR OF THE PETROGLYPH NATIONAL MONUMENT FROM A JUNIOR RANGER.