2004-06-09 - 1:07 a.m.

The whole time I was there I kept feeling like I should make a left toin

In my tradition of talking about things out of chronological order... before I wrap up this past weekend's trip, let me go back and tell a few anecdotes from a previous relatively recent trip to New Mexico. "New and improved Mexico," as one of my favorite funny people says. Kinda non-PC but it's just a JOKE, people. Further disclaimers hereby skipped.

What a BEAUTIFUL place. My trip to Arizona, I wasn't all that impressed with the landscape and the surroundings. To be fair, I didn't see as much of the area, and part of what I did see was total suburban land of pretentiousness. IMHO and all that. But I was like okay, Arizona, big cacti all over that look like they're giving everyone the finger, palm trees, Walgreens made of adobe, people who have no idea why there are turn signals on their cars. Got it.

New Mexico on the other hand - just gorgeous. One of the few places I've been where I left really strongly wishing I'd had more time and wanting to go back. Not that I wouldn't like to re-visit many of the places I've been - but this one was definitely an "I HAVE to come back here."

I drove between Albuquerque and Santa Fe on a beautiful, clear day, and spent some time sightseeing in Santa Fe, whose proper name is La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis. No one calls it that of course, but isn't it pretty? I wasn't able to go to all the museums I wanted to see (the Georgia O'Keeffe museum is closed on Wednesday - go figure) but I saw a couple, and some other historical and touristy locations.

I also spent a lot of time walking through art shops and galleries. Who knew I'd want to spend so much time there - but I could have spent all day just wandering through those. There was one shop where I loved everything in sight. I wanted it all to come home with me. Don't I just sound so sophisticated sometimes? Well don't be impressed. Walking through this one shop that I loved so much made me realize that if I had unlimited money, I would have a home with the world's tackiest d�cor. Not that the items weren't very exquisite, but I really mean I wanted them ALL. That would be just way too many, in colors too bright, and in much too high a concentration. And they'd be mixed in with cheap things which I just happened to like.

But the four foot tall peacock, and the lizard playing the guitar... loved them. I couldn't come close to affording either, though. I almost bought a smaller piece by the same artist, but I knew in my heart it would just become a victim in the perpetual game of "what happens when I knock this on the floor" that my cat plays.

One funny story from that trip... as much as I travel, sometimes I still marvel at the fact that I ever actually get anywhere. The way this itinerary worked out, I was flying in on the day of the show I'd be seeing. I hate doing that. Especially when I have to change planes. It's nerve wracking because what if there's a delay, bad weather, whatever - getting there late that night after the show is over would kind of negate the whole reason for the trip. But sometimes that's how it goes. So for this trip, I caught the earliest possible flight, so that if all went as planned, I'd be in town at 11:30 am for a 7:30 pm show. Lots of time for cancelled flights and that sort of thing.

So when you are on the first part of a connecting flight, sometimes they'll make an announcement near the end of the first flight, letting people know what gate the plane will be landing at, and what gates other planes are at, that passengers will be connecting with. So they did that on my first flight, and they said the connecting flight to Albuquerque would be leaving from gate B28. So, cool. So I get off the plane, hit the rest room, get something to drink (vicious cycle, isn't it?), go to my departure gate and sit down with my drink and my book.

So I'm sitting, reading, half listening to the announcements from the next gate as they're announcing that the flight to Los Angeles will be boarding soon and apologizing for the delay. Okay fine whatever. Check my watch... we should be boarding in about ten more minutes. Ten minutes pass... fifteen... but no one's at the gate opening it up yet. Okay no big deal. Then I start to hear announcements that seem to be coming from my gate, that the flight to Denver will be boarding soon. And I start to think (which as I said before, is usually bad).

So I think, hmm. That's odd. My flight to Albuquerque should have started boarding five minutes ago, but I haven't heard anything, and now I can hear announcements for Los Angeles and Denver but nothing for my flight, I wonder FUCK.

The big loud swear in my head was the accompaniment for me suddenly remembering that not only did I not double-check the connecting gate information I got on the plane, but I hadn't even FOLLOWED that information correctly - they said B28, and there I was, calmly sitting at B22, on purpose but for no reason. So I jumped up and booked over to B28... and they were just wrapping up boarding. Way to try and wreck your own obsessively laid plans!

It's a wonder I ever get anywhere.

my mood -

the mood of the whole world wide bleepin' web -