Perfect Mom

A friend of my wife's had this to say — to her kids:

I could have been a perfect Mom
. . . . if I'd had perfect kids.

Happy Mothers Day to all Moms!

Rest in Peace

My old friend Paul has gone to join his beloved Mary Alice, so he is now happy again.

Paul was always upbeat, always joking. At church one day he asked his pastor

Why did the raisin go out with a prune?

Because he couldn't get a date.

Their pastor often told Mary Alice over the years that she was sure to go straight to heaven, because she had put up with Paul for so many years.

Paul served his country proudly, and then served the people of New Mexico with his training and his humor. And Paul was always devoted to Mary Alice. His family says he died of a broken heart because he couldn't face a Christmas without her. I believe that is true.

Rest in peace, dear friends.

Labor Day, 2014

Mrs. Critter and I took off for Labor Day. We hadn't ridden the Rail Runner before, and thought it was high time we did. So we boarded the train this morning (Monday) and headed for Santa Fe.

On the way — both directions — we were joined by a lot of folks going to and from the 27th annual New Mexico Wine Festival in Bernalillo, not far north of Albuquerque. But many were, like us, going to Santa Fe. A major draw this weekend was the Santa Fe Fiestas, held continuously since 1712.

We enjoyed ourselves wandering about among the fiesta booths. We also visited a number of the shops on the Plaza, and the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis, a short distance off the city's central square. And we had drinks and snacks (tapas, if you like).

In the late afternoon, we headed back for the train station for our return home.

All in all, our holiday jaunt was very enjoyable. It was inexpensive, and avoided hassles with traffic and parking — twin issues for so many visits to Santa Fe.

We hope your Labor Day holiday was enjoyable, too!

I'm Back

My computer died. Belly up.

But now I have a new one. Got most of the software installed, too.

I'm back.

Travel Warning on Mexico

As a resident of a border state, this concerns me.

In all other respects, I find this just incredibly sad.

New Mexico State Question: Red or Green?

Yes, New Mexico has an official state question. The New Mexico State Question really is “red or green?”

To me, it seems the best answer to the question is “Yes!” But others may differ. And I must admit that, while I knew and enjoyed red chile when I was growing up in Tucson, I hadn't run across green chile there. Once I got to Albuquerque, though, I very quickly became addicted to green chile.

But I still enjoy both red and green. Here are some of my personal preferences. In enchiladas, it should be red. With carne adovada, also red. On hamburgers, it's got to be green. In and on burritos, green. In and on a chile omelet, definitely green. Huevos rancheros, green — except at Teofilo's 'cause their red chile is so rich.

And I nearly always prefer chile to jalapeños — I want flavor, not just heat.

Happy New Year!

Thanks to a good friend half a world away.

NM MOM -- An Incredible Event

This has been an incredible event. More than 200 dentists, supported by more than 400 other dental professionals and more than 1000 other volunteers, treated more than 2100 patients over two days for free on a first come, first served basis providing everything from cleanings and fillings to root canals and partial dentures. It has been an incredible event event over October 15-16, 2010. That makes it the largest inaugural Mission of Mercy event ever. Mrs. Critter and I are so glad we volunteered.

UPDATE: We have been given what appear to be final numbers from the NM MOM event. The dentists treated 2201 patients in the two-day event. 8724 separate procedures were completed, valued at $1.3 million. (From what one of the event dentists told us, that may actually be the wholesale value.) Still an amazing event.

The Smart Car

I like the Smart Car. It's cute. I liked seeing it in Europe a few years ago. I liked the fact that it's engineered by Daimler-Benz. I might have bought one if they'd been imported into the U.S. at the time I was needing to replace my old car (a Dodge Intrepid with 157,000+ miles on it).

Now I'm glad I didn't. No matter now well-engineered something is, it's going to lose when it goes up against the "big dogs".

Yes, it's hard to see. Look just in front of the red truck and the ambulance.

$3 Is Not An Appropriate Price for 85¢ Worth of Gas!

There's nothing else to say.

Rebirth — An Experiment

A couple of years ago, I started a small blog in an area provided by my ISP. I started because there were things I just had to comment on — and to make those comments available to my friends and to others. I started there because it was available and didn't require much of a learning curve.

So this is an experiment. If it's easier posting what I want to here than in my old area, I'll continue here. And this entry is an experiment, too, as I discover what the Blogger software does with my inputs and what I must provide.

I have a regular job, which takes up what's termed "full time" or a little more. I also have a lovely Mrs Critter, who likes to have at least some of my time. That means I cannot put the amount of time into writing for this site that a lot of bloggers seem to. Nor can I respond to large volumes of comments and e-mail. Thus,

Posts here will necessarily be sporadic — with no fixed posting schedule — and somewhat eclectic because a lot of different things interest me. I expect to continue posting more than Bill Whittle and less than Glenn Reynolds.

So here I am, opening a new window. I hope the weather is pleasant outside.