I absolutely positively have to get a good night's sleep tonight, so I can be productive at work tomorrow instead of just dragging my way through as best I can. I have about three day's worth of work to do tomorrow, so I fully expect to spend the evening in my cubicle. Some of it may spill over into Thursday, but that's all. You see, I'm off to Los Alamos on Friday to attend my godson's First Communion in the Catholic Church. It's been something like four years since I've seen him, so this is a big deal. I'm counting on this weekend to get me reacquainted with Jacob. At the very least, I want to get a handle on how old he is now. It's a little tricky buying Christmas and December birthday gifts when I'm not sure whether he's seven, eight, nine or ten years old!
I'll be driving, which is something I'm really looking forward to. Until John and I got to Tucson in March, 1986 on our six week Looking for Someplace It Isn't Winter trip, we were seriously considering moving to Albuquerque or Gallup. It's a beautiful state, especially the top half of it, where the mesas and other red rocks are. Southern New Mexico has kind of yucky Chihuahuan desert scrub, but even that part of the state has its charms, such as the city named after a game show, fabled Roswell and (despite controversy) the Deming Duck Race.
About a decade ago I went exploring in New Mexico with a particular quirky purpose: to find the "real" Project Quantum Leap. That is, I pored over maps and drove around central and northern New Mexico, trying to deduce from scenery and place names just where Sam Beckett's time travel project would be if it existed in our reality. In the end I found a spot north of Trinity Site called Stallion's Gate (same as on Sam's driver's license), where the road even looked like the one Al drives on in the Quantum Leap pilot.
The other candidate, Los Alamos, where the Manhattan Project took place, didn't stack up to the clues provided on the show. It's an interesting place, though, still largely a city full of government scientists, living on an isolated mesa (technically a plateau). There are several museums. I hope I get a chance to look around a bit more this time. My memory of last time is mostly of driving past the research labs and then visiting a bookstore.
The real Stallion('s) Gate
And the fictional one.I will take my computer along, and try to check in. Oh, and in case I seem to be putting out the welcome mat for burglars, let me assure you that John and Tuffy will both be home to defend our collections of swizzle sticks and tiki mugs.
*****
This palo verde tree near St. Michael's struck me this morning as being rather extravagantly in bloom. Since I griped last month about Tucson not really having a spring, honesty demanded that I take a picture for you. It was more impressive - and probably more allergenic - in person.
And the sign is covered up again. I don't mean to keep going on about it, but that thing practically makes me dizzy with its unpredictability. I think I understand the why of it, though. Father Smith told me recently that people from the city drive around, looking for violations of the sign regulation code. Until St. Michael's gets a variance, it will probably continue to sacrifice its famous sign - just half a foot over code - in order to display event-oriented ones as needed.
Just before midnight. Better.
Karen
2 comments:
I hope you make it thru the day without sleeping with your eyes opened to many times!
Have a good trip!! How long a trip is it for you?
I'm truly intrigued by the sign that keeps getting covered up! It must be a great location. Maybe it's cheaper just to cover it with a new sign to post current events rather than set up a new semi-permanent sign every time something comes up?? Bea
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