10 quick ones

1) Who decided that a cucumber was not a vegetable? All my life, I thought cucumbers were vegetables. Seriously, who makes the decision on what is a fruit and what is a vegetable? What is the standard?

2) Let's stay with the food thing for a little bit. On New Year's Eve, I'm going to the Chicago Chop House for the first time in maybe 15 years. They have one of the best steaks I've ever had and I love that the customer has the option to order it wet aged or dry aged. I'm definitely thinking a bone in Kansas City strip is in the works.

3) I finally had to cut ties with a friend I've known for 6 years. We can disagree on political issues and all of that stuff. But when somebody goes bashing people who believe in God and also insists that people can't control certain things, particularly sexual preference, I just have to draw the line. I just can't respect that type of propaganda or anybody who would dare spread it.

4) I definitely plan on seeing Manchester by the Sea this weekend. I went to college about five minutes from there and I have a feeling this film will bring back a couple of memories.

5) I have a new shower installed in my bathroom and I must say it looks beautiful. It's bright white with a small lip, so I don't have to deal with a bathtub anymore. The one downside is the water pressure is nowhere near as good as it used to be. I don't even have a dial to turn to get different levels pressure. I wonder if $3,500 was really worth it. Then again it's actually draining, so maybe it was.

6) I can't believe I'm going to a church where the freaking bass player wears the Chicago Cubs hat every week. I can't believe they actually allow people to wear that crap on stage. It's inappropriate and it's distracting. And I would say that about any sports team. You just don't do that in church.

7) It feels so strange being home for Christmas. This is the first Christmas season in maybe six years where I have not traveled anywhere. And without having a whole lot to do and not having my actual computer around, it's tough to be able to do much except work around the house. The first of four days off was filled with crawling through traffic and dealing with technical issues with my computer and TV, not exactly a day of fun.

8) I hadn't been bowling and maybe a year-and-a-half, and on my first game out last Sunday night, I bowled a 188. I don't think I've ever had a higher score than that in my life. Unfortunately, it's not going to work out with a girl, but when does it ever work out?

9) As I get older, the idea of falling in love and getting married becomes more and more unlikely to me. The whole process of finding somebody, meeting somebody, and trying to not lose them is just so exhausting. And as screwed up as marriage has become in our culture now, I  have to wonder if long-term relationships are really ever meant to work out anymore. Put it this way, it seems you have to have a ton of money just to attract anybody halfway decent nowadays. And it's freaking pitiful.

10) I'm so thankful I discovered the song "Pray For You". After a certain redhead got engaged to an ugly fat slob last week, it is such a fitting song.

Hideous customer service

After today, I don't know who has the worst customer service: Best Buy or AT&T or Dell.

Part of me just wants to let that sentence stand by itself and think about happier things during this holiday season. But with all the difficulties that I have had getting my computer working again it is still weighing my mind down. And since suffering breeds creativity, why not just do this?

So here's what it comes down to. On Friday we had a new carpet installed in the basement to cover up the cement floor. And I must say the gray look with the dark blue spots. It looks really classy and contemporary. But part of what had to be done was all the electronics had to be unplugged and strewn out all over the floor. So when I got home on Friday night, we had no Wi-fi, we had no Direct TV, and we had no working desktop computer.

Now after work and playing bingo with then yelp crowd, I did not get in the door till at least 10 o'clock at night. I stayed up till 1 in the morning trying to figure out all these cords that seemingly had no place to go into. It was like having a jigsaw puzzle at about 30 extra pieces that you have absolutely no use for. I did call AT&T and we did get the Wi-Fi working and I was also able to figure out the DirecTV on my own. But the issue was my desktop computer which I've only had for about 5 months. I would turn it on and within a few seconds, I would get an error message that the power cord was not supplying enough power to run the machine. Then it would just shut down by itself. After about the eighth or ninth time with different chords hooked up and then disconnected from it, I knew it was a serious problem. Exhausted and fed up and after fight number one with my mother, I went to bed.

The next morning, I went through phone calls with AT&T, Dell, DirecTV, and Geek Squad in the span of two and a half hours. The only people who were really helpful were Direct TV, and maybe that was because that was the one customer service rep I talked to whose first language was freaking English. The Dell people were just outrageous. We brought the computer out of box, meaning that somebody else had purchased it, and then returned it, and then we picked it up. However Dell did not recognize me as the owner of the computer. Essentially, they implied that the computer did not belong to us. What that meant was Best Buy never transferred ownership to me. The consequence? Our one-year warranty was not recognized and any parts I was going to get I would have to purchase.

And then with AT&T, they really couldn't come up with any ideas about what was going on or what the real problems were. Although they did want to send a technician to our house and charge us $149 to have anything like that besides the service. And that was after it took 15 minutes just to get a real person on the phone, who of course barely spoke English. And somehow I don't think his real name is Alvin.

The DirecTV guy at least got me figuring out what parts when where and the hookups that made the most sense. We eventually determined through trial and error that the problem had to have been the power adapter that goes from the wall into the computer. I called Geek Squad and they invited me to come in for an appointment and so I did thatat 1:20. An older gentleman named Bruce looked at it and he noticed that the pin from the plug had gotten stuck inside the computer, so the plug itself was not supplying sufficient power, even though I was definitely using the correct words. Since they did not have a replacement battery available, they sent me to a battery store up the road to get one. This Battery and Bulbs store had several 90 watt computer chargers in stock. However, none of the plugs fit into the back of my computer; they were too big for mine. So then I went back to Best Buy, feeling more annoyed, as I felt I was getting a little bit of a run around at this point.

They advised me to look for a universal charger in the store, but they were none left. The only universal charger they had in stock was a laptop charger, and that was never going to work on my computer. They even started looking through the Dell website trying to find the part that would work. They couldn't find anything except a 130 watt charger. The concern I had with that was I didn't know if 130 would be too powerful for my computer. But they assured me it would be okay. And keep in mind even though I had mentioned I had purchased my computer within the year and should have had a free one-year warranty, they still could didn't honor it. At the end of the day, they did not do anything for me. So I went home to contemplate my next move. Best Buy's Computer Service as well as Geek Squad's absolutely sucked.

My mother ended up calling Geek Squad and Dell as well, only to realize that they were no more helpful with her than they were with me. Now she tends to be a lot more aggressive and demanding than I am. But we have been fighting enough about all these electronic issues during the day and when she realize just how bad and unhelpful these people were, she started to understand the challenges that I was facing. Eventually we ended up doing a live chat with a Dell customer service rep and ordered a new power cord that is scheduled to arrive around Wednesday of next week. So we're talking about 5 days without computer access.

What's so frustrating about this, is that I plan on starting to apply for jobs across the country. And my documents are all on that computer and now I can't access any of them. I don't know what God has in store but I'm guessing it's just not my time to apply right now. Hopefully he's closing a door to open up a new one. But as I spend more and more time in Chicago, I realize more and more that I am absolutely ready to get out of here.

10 sad tunes

No matter how much pain, hurt, or frustration people give me, I'm thankful for other outputs. One of the greatest is music. These are ten of the barely known songs I turn up loud when I'm in need of a little hope. Some of them are sad and that's the way it has to be. Some people need happy music to lift them up. It doesn't work for me. I need to express mhow I feel in the moment. Songs like these do it for me.

1) Lost Stars-Adam Levine 
"God tell us why youth is wasted on the young."

2) More Rooms-William Bell
"Take a look out the picture window at the withered yard outside. Take a walk to the nursery where the babies never cried."

3) Somebody Lied-Ricky Van Shelton
"Well, don't worry, it wasn't me. Just someone whose world was torn in two. Someone who looks a lot like me. And loved someone like you."

4) Still Waters Run Deep-Bee Gees
"I see the angel and the devil in your heart. I confess, either one is my addiction. And where you're leadin' me I don't have the will to fight. Out of the darkness and into the light."

5) Promises-Randy Travis
"Back at home, in bed, she's crying. For her love for me is dying. But she'll pray I make it safely through the night. When the morning sun starts showing, to her bedside I'll be going. And she'll hold me while I face the morning light."

6) Colder Weather-Zac Brown Band
"She'd trade Colorado if he'd take her with him. Closes the door before the winter lets the cold in. And wonders if her love is storng enough to make him stay. She's answered by the taillights shining through the window pane."

7) Mental Revenge-Jamey Johnson
"I couldn't make you love me. You only made me blue. So all in all if the curtain should fall, I hope that it falls on you."

8) Dreaming Again-Jim Croce
"I'm not the same, can you blame me, is it hard to understand? I can't forget. You cant't change me. I am not that kind of man."

9) On a Bus To St. Cloud-Trisha Yearwood
"In a church in downtown Nw Orleans, I got down on my knees and prayed. And I wept in the arms of Jesus for the choice you made."

10) The Beast In Me-Johnny Cash
"The beast in me is caged by frail and fragile bars. Restless by day, and by night rants and rages at the stars. God help the beast in me."

Back in the NY groove, part 2

I started the day by taking the 6 to the 7 at Grand Central. I can't recall ever taking the 7 line when I wasn't going to see a Mets game. But this time, I took it all the way to the west to the Hudson Yards. My plan was going to be walking the High Line, which is an elevated walkway on the lower west side of Manhattan. It was sunny and maybe 40 degrees out. I took some pictures of the city when my hands actually felt like gripping my tablet. After maybe ten minutes, my walk was stopped short. All of a sudden, the path just seemed to stop. I guess part of the High Line is under construction. I'll put it this way, I planned on walking from 30th Street down to around 13th Street. I got to 34th. Not quite the length of a morning walk I had in mind.

Since my next step was Madison Square Garden, it suddenly hit me that I may as well just walk east about five blocks. I had an extra hour to kill so I got a smoothie at Jamba Juice (at $9.00 for a medium, it was embarrassing). I was anxious to find a place to charge my phone and sit down, and Penn Station offers neither unless one has a train ticket. And they don't hvae Wi-Fi either. Way to go Penn Station. 

Around 12, I met up with my uncle and we headed inside. I headed right to the Carnegie Deli stand for a pastrami sandwich. It was enjoyable, but it just wasn't as good as Katz's hand sliced meats. It was Kid's Day at the Garden, so I figured I should curtail my yelling. I did that pretty well and was especially proud of myself for never using profanity. Our seats were in the second row of Section 419, the new blue seats. The Rangers were playing the Hurricanes and they did play pretty sluggish, particularly in the first two periods. But Chris Kreider scored twice and Derek Stepan registered three points in a 4-2 victory.  

After I said goodbye to Brian, I decided to go to Cafe 31, since I knew a few people who'd be there. Two guys I knew were having a vicious screaming match over politics. It wasn't just an argument, it was a bonafide cuss out. Two minutes of that and it was over, but it was a very tense situation. I said hello to Danielle, who I rarely communicate with, but it was nice that she gave me a hug anyway. The problem was everyone was in their own clicks and I felt totally out of my element. I tried two other pubs, but I couldn't get to the bars for a drink and I just felt totally isolated, so I decided to just leave the neighborhood.

I walked south on Broadway through Chelsea. Somehow, I thought of the girl who I went out with two weeks ago. Probably because she has the same name. Corny? Yeah, I agree. Anyway, I was thinking I'd go to Mighty Quinn's for BBQ but I decided I wasn't really in the mood for that kind of food. I kept going down 7th Avenue until I got to Spring Street. I walked east through the bustling Soho neighborhood until I reached Little Italy. I decided to go to Lombardi's, America's first recognized pizzeria. I had been there briefly during the prior summer, when I got to try a slice during a walking food tour through Little Italy. They make their pizzas in a coal oven, which gets the oven extra hot and adds that smoky flavor that you just can't get in a wood or brick oven. I had a 40 minute wait, which I didn't mind. I found a quiet local Tapas restaurant bar and had two beers at the bar: another toasted lager and a Stella. The latter was for the simple reason that it was their happy hour beer. 

Back in Lombardi's, I ordered a 14 inch sausage and roasted pepper pizza. I admit I really wanted to try the white clam pizza. But for $35, that was absolutely laughable. Never mind that I wanted to add bacon to it, which would have cost another $4. I drank a Yeungling, followed by a Brooklyn lager. I guess I was feeling pretty jolly. At the table next to me, sat an attractive lady maybe in her mid 30s who appeared to be of Latina descent. She suddenly spilled her drink in my direction. I picked up the orange and cherry off of the floor and I joked if she wanted my attention, she could have just said hello. She was from Houston and was with her daughter. That pretty much prevented any chance of me asking to spend time with her. We did talk about NY and travel for a little bit, but I just didn't feel it was my place to ask to tag along. They left before I was done. As she left, she shook my hand patted me on the shoulder. I just wish she wasn't wearing a glove so I could have actually felt her hand. I left around 7:45 and my plan had been to go to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar in midtown. But the more I thought about it, I just didn't have any desire to spend more money, especially if I didn't have company. So I just took the hour long 6 ride back to Pelham.

Back in the NY groove, part 1

I had arrived in New York late Thursday night so I could start early on Friday. On the bus and then the train to the Bronx, I ended up in a lengthy conversation with a Panamanian man from Houston and a female filmmaker from San Francisco. We talked about travel, politics, art, and other topics for maybe 90 minutes. Those are just the moments that I walk away from and feeling that I can really connect well with people. Just makes me smile and feel that the world isn't always such a dark place.

So it was Friday morning and I walked over to the Buhre Ave station. When I saw twenty people huddled in the waiting area, I knew something strange was going on. Turns out there was a 45 minute delay because we didn't have a conductor to drive the train towards Manhattan.

It was a long trip to Brooklyn, as I took the 6 to the F, into the Red Hook section of Brooklyn. It's very urbanized, not as rough as it used to be. My grandfather worked there for decades and is known as the birthplace for wrestling legend Taz. I walked past chop shops and dilapidated factory buildings to reach my first destination: Defonte's sandwich shop. When I saw the TV show where Guy Fieri visited this place, I knew I'd be visiting as well. I ordered the rare roast beef, homemade mozzarella, roasted peppers, and fried eggplant. It was one of the absolute best sandwiches ever. But that Italian bread was what made it so memorable. Soft as a pillow on the inside, crunchy on the outside with a heaping of sesame seeds. This is the kind of bread that is just so hard to find outside New York.

As I was wolfing it down along with a bowl of cucumber salad, I got a phone call. My sort of friend Peter asked if I could meet up with him on his work break. So I climbed three escalators, and hopped on the F back into Manhattan near Bryant Park. We walked around for maybe a half hour and he spent most of the time taking about his exploits with women. Apparently, he's currently messaging 26 women. I would have trouble managing six. I know I would be sending messages to women that were intended for someone else.

I explored Grand Central station and their holiday mart with foreign eats and expensive shops. Then, I headed west on 42nd Street to the Mets clubhouse shop. I picked up a few small items, like a car decal and luggage tag. In the mood for dessert, I continued west into Times Square. And there was no other place to go but Junior's for a slice of the world's best cheesecake. I was going to go with blueberry, but I saw they had some pumpkin cheesecake left. I knew that would be my choice.  It was really good, but it needed some moisture like whipped cream or caramel. I like the pineapple topping more for that very reason. 

While in Times Square, I walked past a breakdancing show. The climax was when one of the guys somersault jumped over five guys. It was cool, but they spent fifteen minutes building up. The line at one points was eight or nine people, so to see him only jump over five people was something of a letdown.

I headed back to Bryant Park to explore their expansive Christmas mart. There were so many shops, dozens to be conservative. One of the most memorable was the one that sold metallic art. The artist had created sculptures made of different pieces of metal, including screws and wires. And the results were remarkable; he had projects ranging from Darth Vader to drummers to golfers. Also, there were shops for puzzles, ornaments, spices, paintings, jewelry, books, and just about anything else imaginable. I took care of my mother's Christmas shopping, as I bought here a foot scrub and foot lotion. I have to admit I felt a little out of my element as I shopped for beauty products, but I thin I may a wise investment. Mom would be expecting a gift certificate from the nail salon, so I think this will surprise her. After shopping and passing by food stands I wanted to try (the fried chicken in the waffle cone and the donut stand looked especially good), I headed over to the bar and ordered a Blue Point toasted lager, which is always a priority when I'm in New York. The highlight of the night was the Christmas tree at Bryant Park would be getting lit up while several famous figure skaters would be performing on the rink. Kimmie Meisner and Johnny Weir were the two most well-known. But I decided to leave. There were most places to explore.

It was starting to get dark out, so I made a visit to the NHL store to stock up on some Rangers merch. 

The trip was fruitful as I walked out with a blue Henrik Lundqvist pima cotton T-shirt, a drawstring bag with back support and two zippered compartments, and a commemorative 90th anniversary Rangers hockey puck. Plus since I used my Discover card, I got a 20% discount. In essence, I got the bag for free. 

My next planned stop was going to be Rockefeller center, but I took a detour. On my way to see the famous tree, I passed by the Nintendo store, which I had no idea existed. I went inside and it felt like was ten years old again. They had Nintendo systems set up, stuffed animals of famous video game characters, shorts and hats depicting old school game consoles. I'm amazed these stores aren't in a mall in every major city in America. I played a little Mario Kart and cruised to victory as Toad. So then I moved onto Rockefeller center. The Christmas tree looked nothing short of spectacular. I looked for people taking selfies and offered to take their pictures for them. Two ladies took me up on my offer. 

As I tried to work through the jammed streets around Rockefeller, I heard loud Chrsitmas music playing and a series of oohs and aahs. It was coming from the light show at Saks Fifth Avenue. They had a light show happening on the front wall that was synchronized with Christmas tunes. I only caught the last five minutes, but it was such a spectacular sight. There truly is nothing quite like Christmas in New York City. I also saw the remarkable sight that is St. Patrick's Cathedral. Despite not being Catholic, I am very much into exploring classic churches so I went inside. Little did I know mass was going on, but there were many people standing in the back of the building and taking pictures. 

I got away from the crowds by walking east on 51st Street and I then took the 6 train back to the Bronx. I thought Jimmy and I were going to munch on sausage pizza and watch ROH Final Battle. That was not to be. Gina's alleged hot date fell apart. So I guess Jimmy, Peter, and myself were her consolation prize. We drive into Scarsdale and had Chinese food. I had General Tso's chicken with fried rice. I think it's funny that it came with three pieces of lightly steamed broccoli. I don't know if that qualifies as a vegetable or a garnish. I don't even think I knew that the man who created the dish actually passed away that very day. So General, here's to ya. After that was done, we went back to the house. Peter went to work for his graveyard dishwasher shift and Gina, Jimmy, and I watched Final Battle, even if we missed the first two matches. To see Broken Matt Hardy debut and to then see Kyle O'Reilly win the ROH World title were amazing. And the surprise of the night was the three-way TV title match, considering I'd never seen Marty Scurll, Dragon Lee, or Will Ospreay wrestle before.

It's real

So how did I spend Thanksgiving? Well, it started off with throwing out a bunch of stuff in the basement that I don't need anymore. I also boxed my DVD collection, my bobbleheads, and most of my pictures from the basement and my bedroom.

This move really is going to happen and I'm strongly believing it will happen in 2017. I can't put a date on it. I don't know exactly where I'm going. I don't know where I'll be working.

I have lived in this house in St Charles IL since July of 2003. Over 13 years and I've had a lot of memories. I've owned two beloved dogs here, I did my Master's degree here, I've made love to women here, I've played a lot of music here, I've ate and drank a lot here. I remember the games. The high of seeing the Jets beat the Patriots in the playoffs and seeing the Rangers make the Stanley Cup Finals. And I was here for the Mets breaking my heart in the 2006 NLCS and the Rangers lose several heartbreaking playoff series. The loss to Buffalo is the one that sticks out the most.

But I think about myself personally. I've had great conversations with people in here, both in person, on the phone, and through social media, and I've grown so much as a man. I've had some of my worst moments come out here through verbal altercations with loved ones.

I've lived in five houses, not factoring in college. I can't particularly say that one means the most to me. But this one in St. Charles would either be #1 or #2. Edison NJ, I lived there until I was 15. Sure it's my roots, I can't remember as much of it as I wish I could. Wheaton IL, I only had a year there. My most vivid memories are watching TV when Princess Diana passed away, trying to mow that hilly lawn, and the raspberries growing in the backyard. Winfield IL has some personal meaning. On and off, I had four years there. My surprise 18th birthday party was one of the better days of my life. I remember Bible studies, Hogan running all over the house, and the island dining area in the kitchen. Cary NC, well, I only had a little over one year there and of that one year, I was only there around 3 months.

My hope is by my 36th birthday in July, I'll be gone. But we shall see. It's going to be an interesting couple of months. Looks like I have a resume to polish and then send out.

Costa Rica, part 6

Onto Wednesday, our final full day in Costa Rica. The plan was to wake up around 5:15 to see the sun rise outside our room. Well, when I started to rise and could see a hint of light peeping through the curtain, I knew that plan was done. I actually got out of bed around 7:30.

We drove to Tamarindo and walked down the beach. One of the things that made this speech interesting was how long the space of wet sand was. It really seemed that some waves travelled really far up the sand and some just really didn't go anywhere.

We spent about a half hour settling on the same refusing vendors offering us coconuts, duck calls, and massages. Interesting combination, to be sure. We then snuck onto the Diara hotel pool property. Sneaking on only required climbing a rock wall about one foot high. I tried to get two towels, but without a hotel towel card, that wasn't happening.

We sat under the palabra bar and preferred a couple drinks while playing farkle. 

I'm actually going to stop for a minute and just go on a segue here. I'm sitting on a couch on my screened-in balcony and the sun has set about 30 minutes ago. There's something so peaceful about the ruggedness and the strength of these waves crashing against sand not too far from where I sit right now. That sound represents freedom, power, and action. I feel very close with nature in this moment and very much at peace as I hear the strength of that water. It's a beautiful thing and something I can never have in Chicago.

Ok, now back to my post. I'm now 6-0 against mom in farkle, which is remarkable considering she's such a good game player. I guess she's more into Yahtzee. We wanted to have lunch in the town, but only new restaurant seems to be open: a pizza place and another joint called Walter's, which didn't really excite us that much. Though we knew we would spend some money at the Marriott, we knew the quality would be wonderful. So we decided to head back to the hotel.

In the mood for something unique, we went to the one open restaurant on the property. We started with a jumbo vodka shrimp cocktail with mango ketchup, horseradish sauce, fried plantains, and avocado ice cream. I'm not a big shrimp cocktail, as it usually lacks flavor. But there were enough elements where it was really enjoyable. I had a pan seared jerk red snapper with caramelized plantains, Caribbean peppers, and rice and beans. The spiciness of the peppers was very apparent, but the sweetness of the plantains helped to counter. It was a wonderful dish, I just needed a little more sauce. Mom made a great choice by ordering the grilled octopus. I'm not even sure what else was in it, but it looked like a snake. But as I tasted the octopus, I could taste the flavors of lemon, white wine, fresh herbs, and garlic. I can't say I'll be eating octopus anytime soon, because I'm not sure who can make it correctly in the States. But this was an absolutely wonderful dish.

As the train began falling, I realize the odds of ping pong and volleyball happening were not very high. So I spent some time reading in the balcony and watched the sunset behind the clouds, with my bare feet buried in the wet sand. I eventually went to the gym for about an hour. Meanwhile, mom spent most of the afternoon at the spa. I have to admit, I would really like to try a volcanic mud wrap treatment, but I don't think I want to spend $150 to get it.

For dinner, we went to Tamarine, the Asian fusion restaurant at the hotel. I wanted to sit on the balcony of the restaurant, since it overlooks the pool, which at that time of night had colored lights on. With the leaves in the palm trees blowing in the night time wind, it created a wonderful atmosphere for a nice final meal. We split vegetarian egg rolls, a wonderful fresh tuna salad, and a bowl of Japanese fried rice. It was a very nice dinner, but as much as I love fried rice, there is no fried rice in the world worth $22.

For my last morning, I had one last workout, before hopping in the steam room and sauna. The travel was smooth as we got both our flights without a problem. We wound up getting home right at midnight.

I don't know if I would go back to Costa Rica, as I'd like a little more structure on my vacations. But I'm definitely open to experiencing some more adventure when I do go away. I'm certainly glad I got to spend six days there and experience a different country and culture. Pura Vida!

Costa Rica, part 5

One of the most impressive factors of this hotel is the gym. They have almost 10 cardio machines, six Nautilus machines, three free weight stations, and a variety of sizes of medicine balls and kettlebells. I hit the elliptical for about 25 minutes and did some weights for the next half hour, before heading back to the room. We really weren't that excited about spending $15 for even a continental breakfast, so I had a tropical carrot juice from the gift shop, and half of a protein bar, which I had brought with me from back home.

For the first time since I have been in Costa Rica, the sun was actually out, so I knew I was going to spend a couple of hours in the sun and trying to get a little bit of color. For the most part, I was listening to more Jeremy Roenick hockey podcasts although I did take a couple of dips in the water. They have an infinity pool which leads to the small white rocky beach and then to the Pacific Ocean. From just the right angle, it looks like the pool leads directly into the ocean.

I enjoyed a great grilled shrimp sandwich for lunch, although I wish I could have done without the french fries. Even though the drinks are very expensive, as it's just about everything at this hotel, I give them credit that's your sizes of the drinks are really large. I spent $12 for a Mojito and it must have been a good 16 ounces. And there's just something about the flavors of fresh mint and fresh lime on a hot day. It is just so refreshing and invigorating.

After about four hours total in the sun, I figured that was enough for a while. I headed to another shaded hammock to relax before taking a shower. Then it was time to head into town. Mom had mentioned that she wanted to go to a beach in the morning to watch the sun rise. To scout the area, we decided to drive to Playa Negra, which was only about 12 miles away from the hotel. One thing we have learned is if you need to drive more than 15 minutes anywhere, you're probably driving on some brutal, muddy, bumpy roads. And for the third time, we did that again. Eight kilometers total. We did get to a decent beach, but it was by no means memorable or picturesque. So...back across the same lousy roads.

We eventually got to Tamarindo around four p.m. It seems like the inital goal was how many stores, hotels, bars, and restaurants can we cram into this little place. There's barely any room to sit or walk on the town built around this two lane road. There's one other decent road that sticks off that road so the town is shaped around a letter T. Anyway, we went to a pizza place. We had a fine margherita pizza, but the service was brutal. They never offered us a drink refill, they never asked how our food was, and it took twenty minutes to get our check after we had initially asked. It's a good thing I can't rip them on Yelp, because they'd be lucky to get two stars.

Mom took off, leaving me to fend for myself. I wasn't heading back to the hotel yet. It was World Cup qualifying night. USA at Costa Rica. Sadly, San Jose is nowhere near where I was in the northwestern section of the country. With a couple of hours to kill, I walked away from the main town and sat at a beach front bar. By now it was almost completely dark. I have to say I felt a strange mixture of gratitude and isolation. I was happy to take this trip, but wish I was with friends or a loved one.

My spirits did perk up when a mariachi band played Hotel California. One has not lived till they've heard that Don Felder-penned guitar solo being played on two trumpets. I made my way to Sharky's by 6, which was two hours before game time. Already the place was filled and I knew I was not going to get four seats. I watched the end of Chile vs Uruguay and right before the start of the big game, Joel cane in. He was with his neighbor and some other friends from Wisconsin. We all went to a local BBQ joint down the street, which is owned by an American who married a local. I didn't eat, I just had a real Coke with lime and a glass of water. I knew I had a cab ride coming and figured I'd better save the money.

We waited for the USA to start. In fact, they never got started. I guess this was the Ticos payback from when we kicked their ass in Chicago this past summer. This time, it was their turn to win 4-0. Jurgen Klinsmann needs to be fired today. He shouldn't even be allowed on the plane back to the States. Anyway, I caught my cab and it cost thirty dollars and left the guy a ten dollar tip. I don't know if I got ripped off, but hey, the driver is counting his dollars more carefully than I am. Thankfully I can watch the Rangers game in Vancouver and they're up three as I type.

Costa Rica, part 4

As much money as we had been spending to participate in activities, I think we were both ready to just hit the road and drive west to the JW Marriott. Thankfully with the car keys now attached to an American Airlines lanyard, it was much harder to lose. So there was one last breakfast. By the way, I tried soursop juice which looks a little bit like coconut water. It wasn't too bad, as it tasted very light and tropical. Almost like a blend of coconut banana and pineapple.

We took off around 9:30 and began making the endless dips and curves around the huge lake. I was struck by the rolling green hills, the high elevation, and the fact that we were actually seeing glimpses of the sun. We passed through a lot of small Costa Rican towns, and I noticed a lot of street dogs and kids getting out of school. We did drive over a few gravely and rocky roads, but nothing quite as treacherous as Route 927 on the first night we were in town.

Lunch was at a barbecue joint called 3 Hermanas, which is actually located in several major cities in South America. We split a BBQ combo and the food really wasn't all that impressive. I have to say I was a little surprised when they asked for our passports when we presented a credit card. But I guess that's one way that they try to prevent theft.

The total drive took about four hours, without breaks. We passed through the town of Tamarindo which is a surfing village but now has become a little bit of a tourist trap. I can't remember the last time I've seen so many surfboard repair shops, let's just put it that way. There are also an abundance of restaurants and small shops, and not exactly a lot of room to park.

To get into the hotel, we had to pass through a guarded gate and then drive an extra four or five miles just to get to the hotel on the coast. We were warmly greeted with cold hand towels and a small glass of passion fruit juice. When we checked in, we were a little surprised to find out our last night was Wednesday and not Thursday. So it turns out, we're coming home one day sooner than what I originally anticipated. It wasn't the most welcome news to get. For dinner, we went into the primary lounge, called Nau. Even though it was 5 o'clock  and the sun was on the verge of setting, it was still really dark inside. And with the sun starting to set seeing was a little bit difficult. I had a great cocktail with bourbon, lemon, orange, honey syrup, and fresh rosemary. But I had one of the greatest fish sandwiches ever. It had breaded sea bass, avocado, tartar sauce, pickles, raw red onion and a couple of other ingredients. Everything came together so well. Even though I have never been a sea bass fan, this sandwich might help me change my mind.

Our room has a great view of the Pacific Ocean. And one thing I have never seen is there is a sliding window in the bathroom which allows you to see through the room into the ocean. So I guess if you ever want to take a shower and look at the ocean while you're doing it, this is your opportunity.

I did spend a few minutes soaking in the hot tub, chatting with a couple from San Diego. But after about 15 minutes the water was so hot that I was pretty much finished with it. So I went back in the room, and took a bath. It felt as though something was missing without any bubble bath, so I tried to use the aromatherapy crystals. Sure, it smelled nice, but to me, if you don't have any bubbles, it's not really that good of a bath.

Costa Rica, part 3

After turning in at two am and downing maybe five beers and a shot of Jager, I decided a workout was in order to start Sunday. I paced past the pool and springs to the mini gym. The electricity wasn't on in the building, so I couldn't use the treadmill. Instead, I did ten minutes on the stationary bike, a machine which bores me to tears. I tried doing a few weight moves, but it was a typical disappointing hotel gym. Machines were jarring and not smooth, it was difficult to adjust to different exercises, and the dumbbells only went up to fifteen pounds. So I went running. This hotel complex is really hilly and within five minutes, I was totally gassed. Not the best workout I've ever had.

I got back to the room and mom's face was slight. She had lost the car key. Now she had misplaced it three times already in 36 hours. This time, it was nowhere to be found. We turned that room inside and out. We asked the front desk, I checked the car, but nothing came up. We had breakfast, but mom was absolutely overflowing with anxiety. Our pickup for the zip lining was scheduled to come at 8:20, so without much time, wet got on the shuttle bus for the ride to the Arenal Volcano National Park. We rode with Judy and Carmen, a mother and daughter from Jacksonville we had seen a few times already. Mom felt around in her backpack for some reason and somehow found the key in a small side compartment. The sense of relief we both felt kept us on a high the rest of the day. Even if we didn't get to church on Sunday, it was definitely a religious experience!

Now we get to the Sky trek. This is a zip lining course. Now I thought we would climb a ladder and be up in the air a little bit. I had no idea what I was about to experience. This place has seven different lines with such intimidating names like Speedy Gonzalez, Oh my God, and Big Daddy. We took a lift above the rainforest to the top of a hill. We were about 3500 feet in the air and I started to realize this was a little more adventurous than I expected. First we did a practice line, which was only about ten yards. I was told to lean back, straighten my arms, bend my knees,  and cross my ankles. Then I was told how to brake and finally to spread my legs in the shape of a V when I approached the platform.

So after the first one, I was OK. Then, I looked at the next line and I shivered. We had to go 1500 feet right over the forest to the opposite side. I didn't dare look down, because I knew that drop would've been long, far, and hard. As the guide let my line loose, it was almost surreal how fast I was traveling. I'm sure I had to be going 80 or 90 mph. All I could do was scream for the 20 or so seconds that I flew through the air. I barely moved my head as I was focused on getting to the next platform. I got there safely,  shaking just a little and mostly relieved. The next one was a little shorter, and I was able to look to the side at the huge lake out in the distance. I made it and started to feel more and more confident. Even as the rain started and increased, I felt better and more exhilarated with each slide.

I wanted to get pictures but it was $42 for all of them and I would've preferred having two or three for maybe $20 or $25. I would definitely zip line again. Since we missed our van back to the hotel, we stayed around and ate some fish tacos. The restaurant at Sky trek had a great view of the volcano, it was just a shame that another cloudy day kept us from having an optimum view.

We went back to the room and planned to head back to the national park and the Arenal observatory lodge. We pulled up to the security booth and were told it was ten dollars to enter the lodge. We weren't thrilled, but we said okay and mom gave the man a 20. He came back with wrist bands,  but no change. It turned out the ten dollar charge was not assessed per car, but per person. We immediately left.

At a local art shop, I did buy a wooden cross of many different colors. Then it was back to kioro. The rain is getting annoying, I can't even remember seeing the sun yet. And now I'm hearing thunder for the first time. We had our complimentary dinner at Heliconias, the main restaurant at the hotel. I had a garlic flavored marlin, which was great, but even I had to scrape most of the garlic off. But the highlight of the meal was the Montes twins wine. It's a red from Chile that's a blend of Cabernet and Malbec. It was so smooth, but was still assertive enough to pair will with a substantial meal. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered a separate bottle to take back to the room. For $32, it was a complete steal.

Not wanting to hang around the room, I walked outside towards the pool over to the hammock, laid inside,  and fell asleep for about 2 hours. I woke up just in time to watch the third period of the Rangers beat Edmonton.

A few thoughts about Costa Rica before I close this post. This place is all about tourism. Almost nothing is free and they crave getting the American dollar. The people are remarkable friendly as well as overweight, for the most part. I respect their Pura Vida motto. And there's something to be said about a country that hasn't had an army for almost 70 years. They're also rather aggressive with tourists, whether they're peddling coconuts, massages, or surfing lessons. They know English very well too.

Costa Rica, part 2

Thankfully, breakfast was included at our first hotel. Kioro had a mix of local and international options from French toast to rice and beans. I went right for the omelet bar. My order was simple: everything except ham. My order would be the same for the next two days. The bacon was more of a back bacon, like Canadian bacon, so it was really flat and not very greasy.

Our first stop was Mistico Hanging Bridges park. This is a new attraction, with 21 elevated bridges that are set through nature and the rainforest. Most are small green bridges made of solid steel. But they have four or five long suspension bridges. The views of the lake, hillside and rainforest were magnificent. Unfortunately, the rain started just as we began the trail. It rained so hard that we had to take cover for fifteen minutes. And I never expected rain; I had read that Costa Rica was a very dry climate. Not the northern plains, apparently. We walked maybe two hours and were in desperate need of drying off.

Anxious to escape the rain, we went back to the hotel and had lunch at the poolside. We had beef nachos and breaded chicken wings. The nachos were fine with the shredded beef, but they needed heat and some guacamole. With the rain only getting more and more intense, there was nothing to do except go back to the room. Mom said she was taking a 15 minute nap. As it turned out, we both slept about three hours. We both needed the recovery.

Around 6, I went to the bar for happy hour. I met Joel from Chicago, and Joel and Sean, who are neighbors from Milwaukee. I drank the kioro cocktail with pineapple, orange, and cranberry juice with rum. Chef Joel and I talked for about a half hour all about Chicago restaurants. He's a soux chef at an Italian restaurant on the west side called Formento's. I think I may have to check it out.

Mom and I then drove about twenty minutes west to the town of La Fortuna. It's a small but growing town that's in a great spot since it's near so many hotels. What was interesting was a lot of the restaurants we passed were empty, as this is the slow season for travel. I picked a place called Rancho la Cascada. It was under a large palabra umbrella and specialized in grilled meats and seafood. I ordered a sirloin steak with a vodka mushroom sauce with baby potatoes and a green salad. No, it wasn't a steak that one could get at Morton's. But it was still very flavorful and well-made, it was just a little tough. It only cost thirteen dollars, which was an absolute steal.

We got back to the hotel and I definitely was not ready to call it a night. However since this hotel is more of a getaway place, there really are not many activities to do like games, watch TV, listen to live music, or dance. So I just walked around and found myself in the game room. I played a little pool for a while, but it is not the most fun game when playing alone. I stumbled upon the six hot springs pools and immediately one I wanted in. I rushed back to the room and changed into my bathing suit and headed back to the pools. Actually it was more like the lukewarm springs. There weren't any jets, but I found it really relaxing to just sit in there.

I was heading back to the room and saw some of the same people I have met during happy hour. So I walked over to the bar and ordered a beer. Joel, Joel, Sean, a girl named Stacey, and I spent the next 3 or 4 hours talking about every subject under the sun. Primarily, we discussed the issues between men and women. It was a lot of discussions about sex and they were definitely graphic. But hey, it's not as if I'm going to see these people any time soon, so I guess I wasn't really that bothered by it. I just tended to keep really quiet, especially while Stacey was saying a lot of very blunt things about what women enjoy and what she enjoys. We stayed up till 2 am before I called it a night.

Costa Rica, part 1

The day started at 2 am on Friday, Veterans Day. We caught a 5 am flight to Miami intending to connect to Liberia, in the northwest corner of Costa Rica. Well, we landed at 8:30 in Florida and had a three hour layover scheduled. We killed some time by chowing on Mahi fingers, garlic shrimp, and salads.

The night before we left, the flights looked fine. There are only two of them a day to Liberia, but we didn't doubt that we'd be able to get on. What we didn't know was that the night prior, a volcano went off in San Jose. As a result, all flights were postponed and some of those delayed people decided to travel to Liberia instead. So we got bumped. The next flight didn't leave for another seven hours. So in the meantime, we played Farkle and napped near D14. I think I listened to three Jeremy Roenick podcasts. And I had a couple of hot dogs from Nathan's.

We got on the last flight, landing in Liberia at eight pm. Of course, it left a half hour late because the pilot was missing. We even got in business class, so we got dinner. Of course, this was an American Eagle plane, so there was no hot food available. It was either Cobb salad or vegetables and hummus. Of course,  the salad didn't have avocado.  Mom's complaint was that there was shredded cheddar cheese instead of Bleu cheese. I think I slept for a good hour.

Customs was a breeze, as no one was in line before us. Plus, our luggage actually showed up. Going international and making a connection always has me feeling a little uneasy, so I was glad this went so smoothly.

We took a ten minute van ride to Adobe rental car. The agent, Max, went into a crazy amount of detail on the car. Everything from emergency info, to how to pass another car, to GPS instructions. We appreciated it, but just wanted to go, as we had a three hour drive ahead of us.

So we pulled out in a very nice white Hyundai and started hearing this constant beeping. It was so annoying, once we were driving five miles per hour, it was going off. We pulled over and tried doing everything from turning the car off, to buckling up, to making sure the trunk was closed to checking the gas level. Out of ideas, we drive beach to the facility. As it turned out, The emergency brake was activated. Why they turned that brake on when the car facility is on flat land, I don't know. Also, I've never seen a car where the emergency brake is on the left side of the driver. For all the detail he gave us, he apparently forgot to mention the emergency brake.

So we left, this time for good, at 10 p.m. The first hour was easy, taking the Pan American highway. Then the GPS had us get off and take Route 6, which was a paved, but very quiet road. Then the fun began. We were directed to get on Route 927 for 16 kilometers. I don't know how this road qualifies as a route. I have traveled on some rough roads in my life. None was as bad as this. Boulders, puddles, pebbles, mud, tight curves, uphill climbs, and downhill twists from start to finish. To go about ten miles, it took us an hour. I was literally praying for protection on our car. And doing this at night made it even worse. I think we may have passed two other cars in the entire hour, so I guess the locals knew better.

To then get on Route 142 and a paved road was like walking onto a beach. But then we had another hour of driving. This last road had even more tight curves and sharp angles as we maneuvered around the huge lake for what must have been 45 minutes. We finally arrived at Arenal Kioro at 1 am, 23 hours after we woke up.

In short...

I admit I am a complex man. One sentence cannot contain me. One paragraph cannot encapsulate me. But after what I have been through in recent times, I feel the need to make a declaration.

I am a meat eating, old school country music listening, New York sports rooting, pro wrestling watching, singing while driving, right wing Christian with open emotions who doesn't love to dance or be around cats, doesn't support gay marriage, doesn't eat ketchup, sushi, chocolate, or candy, but loves gluten.

My conclusion is I'm going to offend everyone I encounter. And I'm finally ok with that.

The worst day in sports history

108 years. And it's over. The evil Chicago Cubs and their fair weather, clueless, and obnoxious fans (shout out to their owner, Tom ricketts) get to celebrate a World Series title. I seriously wonder what I've done so wrong in my life to garner this level of torture.

Ode to the end

You had told me I was all you ever needed.
You swore you would always be by my side.
Well eternity sure got cut off at its knees
I'm me and I can't change for you when you won't give a little back
You proved to me what I always knew
Just another woman with a heart filled with deceit
Who never truly loved me
Guess you needed a man who fit the image of perfection you had in mind
I'm just a man
Trying to get better every day
And if that's not a man you can accept
Then I want to find someone else who will

The ultimate liar

"I fell in ove with you the moment I met you."
"You're my best friend."
"I'm yours."
"I can't wait to do life with you."
"I'm in this all the way."
"I want you inside me."
"You're the love of my life."
"I love you more."
"Always and forever."
"To eternity and beyond."

And let's go a little bit longer...

"For me loving you is the easiest and most wonderful decision I have made thus far. When I look at you I get lost in your eyes and smile. When are in pain, I'll be in pain, when you dont want to talk I will keep talking so you know I haven't gone anywhere, when we fight I will still be by your side at the end, when you laugh, I'll laugh, when you're happy I'll be happy because I'll know that I'm doing something right. You are an amazing man of God who in the last 2 weeks has already encouraged me more about focusing on God first than my friends ever have, you are the man I see having a future with, you are the man I will never stop loving even when times are rough, and you are the man I plan to make the happiest and you are the man I plan on staying loyal, honest, and wanting to be with for a very long time. I will always support you, be there for you, I will always have my arms open and my ears ready to listen, my heart is ready to be put back out there and the day we started talking you stole my heart forever. I love you."

Why?

Two of the worst moments of my life have taken place this week. That evil cunt won her court case against my family and the fucking Cubs won the NL pennant. I seriously don't know what I did to deserve this.

The worst year of all time

The deaths (Nancy Reagan, Arnold Palmer, Jose Fernandez, Dennis Byrd, Muhammad Ali, Buddy Ryan, Gordie Howe, Pat Summitt, Merle Haggard, Glenn Frey, Prince, Paul Kantner, Lemmy, David Bowie, Maurice White, George Kennedy, Abe Vigoda, Alan Rickman, Gene Wilder, Garry Shandling, Mr. Fuji, Blackjack Mulligan, and Chyna, to name just a few).

This election.

Baseball.

This is officially the worst year in the history of mankind.

Two months off

1) I so want to say that I’m in love. And I am truly feeling it since I met her one month ago. But I read an article today that it takes 90 days for the initial feelings of infatuation to pass by. I was pretty surprised, I would have thought maybe 4-6 weeks should cover it. But as the male and the more experienced person in this relationship, it’s on me to set the pace. I really do not want to mess this up.

2) These last two days may have been the most boring two days I’ve ever had at this job.

3) The Mets absolutely broke my heart in the wild card game as they could not score even one run. The only good thing about them losing is the Cubs did not have a chance to end their season. Good luck to the LA Dodgers in the NLCS, regardless if Chase Utley and Carlos Ruiz are on the team.

4) As for football, the Jets are 1-4. They’ll probably lose Monday night to Arizona and be 1-5. The only thing left to wonder about is how good of a draft pick will they get for next spring.

5) With the pain of baseball and football, it’s a breath of fresh air to have hockey back. The 6) Rangers opened their 90^thseason last night with a home victory over the crosstown rival Islanders. They definitely look faster than last year and the offense appears more dynamic with the additions of Pavel Buchnevich, Mika Zibanejad, Brandon Pirri, and Jimmy Vesey. I definitely think they’re a playoff team if the defense just plays adequately. A Cup contender, that’s a little hard to fathom.

7) Farkle is a pretty outstanding dice game.

8) Garifuna Flava on the South Side of Chicago probably has the best jerk chicken I’ve had, certainly the best in the Midwest. That’s the one cuisine I wish I could find in the western suburbs.

9) Since when did a medium rare steak become warm and red on the inside? It’s all about the hot pink center for me. I don’t go to a lot of fancy steakhouses now, but it seems the more formal the steak place is, the rarer they tend to cook the steak. It’s stunning to me, but I think I need to start ordering my steaks medium.

10) Ring of Honor presents Glory By Honor tonight in Chicago Ridge. The main event is reDRagon of Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly vs. Bullet Club, represented by World Champion Adam Cole and Hangman Page. By no means is this the best card they’ve ever presented in Chicago, but it’s always a treat and an exciting time when ROH comes to town. Tonight should be no different. And to think I’ve been attending ROH shows for 11 years now. It’s pretty remarkable how long I’ve been a dedicated follower of a product that has reignited my interest in attending live pro wrestling.

11) Less than one month till my week-long vacation begins in Costa Rica. I’m certainly excited to say the least. The only thing that doesn’t excite me is the dreaded thought of going back to work after a week away and catching up on e-mails and voice messages.

NHL Predictions

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division

d-Tampa Bay

x-Florida

x-Montreal

w-Buffalo

Detroit

Boston

Ottawa

Toronto

 

Metropolitan Division

c-Washington

x-Pittsburgh

x-NY Rangers

w-NY Islanders

Philadelphia

New Jersey

Columbus

Carolina

 

Western Conference

Central Division

c-Dallas

x-Nashville

x-Chicago

w-St. Louis

w-Minnesota

Colorado

Winnipeg

 

Pacific Division

d-Anaheim

x-Los Angeles

x-San Jose

Calgary

Edmonton

Arizona

Vancouver

 

Eastern Conference Final

Washington over Tampa Bay

 

Western Conference Final

Anaheim over St. Louis

 

Stanley Cup Final

Washington over Anaheim

NFL Predictions

AFC East

b-New England 12-4

NY Jets 9-7

Buffalo 8-8

Miami 6-10

 

AFC North

b-Pittsburgh 11-5

x-Baltimore 10-6

Cincinnati 9-7

Cleveland 3-13

 

AFC South

y-Houston 10-6

Indianapolis 9-7

Jacksonville 8-8

Tennessee 6-10

 

AFC West

y-Denver 11-5

x-Oakland 9-7

Kansas City 8-8

San Diego 4-12

 

 

NFC East

y-NY Giants 10-6

Washington 8-8

Dallas 6-10

Philadelphia 6-10

 

NFC North

y-Green Bay 10-6

Minnesota 6-10

Chicago 5-11

Detroit 5-11

 

NFC South

b-Carolina 12-4

x-Tampa Bay 9-7

New Orleans 8-8

Atlanta 6-10

 

NFC West

b-Arizona 12-4

x-Seattle 10-6

Los Angeles 7-9

San Francisco 3-13 

AFC

Pittsburgh over New England

 

NFC

Arizona over Green Bay

 

Super Bowl

Arizona over Pittsburgh

New Mexico, day 3

For our final full day in New Mexico, Mom had a few places to visit. She was walking a little better, but still extremely limited. We first went to the Sweet Lily cafe for a quick breakfast. I think they made the best latte I've ever had. Just the right amount of foam, perfect temperature, intense flavor, and a lot of vanilla bean, which gave it another level of flavor. We also split a biscuit breakfast sandwich, which was wonderful too. The biscuit was hot and flaky, the cheese was melted and the eggs tasted very fresh, not poured out of a carton.

Two doors down was the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, one of the most popular tourist spots in New Mexico. Mom spoke for a while with the visitor coordinator about bringing a huge group in. She passed me off as her colleague so I could get in for free. Maybe not the most honorable approach, but it did the trick. It must have seemed weird to them when we said we were colleagues from Chicago and in town together to explore the area. As for the art, it wasn't really my style, between the faded oil colors and abstract approach. I appreciate that O'Keefe did do some paintings of New York though.

Down about a quarter mile on Johnson Street was the New Mexico school of cooking, another spot the tour group will be visiting. Their cooking studio was incredibly impressive, it looked like a studio from the Food Network. There were multiple cameras, a full wait staff, and an expansive southwestern menu. I went back into the shop and bought a jar of roasted green chile for the house and a bag of biscochito cookies for my co-workers. A biscochito is the state cookie of New Mexico, made like a shortbread cookie with anise and coated with cinnamon sugar. I haven't tasted one yet, but I think it'll go over pretty well.

Our next stop was the State Capitol building, which is also called the Roundhouse. The lobby was still under construction, so I went upstairs pretty quickly. They also have a very impressive art collection through the four story building. There was a buffalo head made of random trinkets like paintbrushes, spoons, and newspaper clippings. I took a picture of the state Senate chambers and also the display of the governor's office.

Mom was still limping terribly, so we decided to stay in the car and drive. She wanted to drive down Canyon Road. It's this little narrow road that goes about a mile and it's just filed with dozens of art galleries and shops. And they ain't cheap. I would have gone into the Palace of the Governors, but I wasn't spending ten bucks to just walk around the one level building.

With the weather looking decent, I made my reservation for whitewater rafting. Mom was not able to do it with her injury, so she just went up to Taos. As we began driving north, the rain started again. After an hour plus of driving, Mom dropped me off near Pilar, which is in the mountains, about fifteen minutes south of Taos.

My fellow rafters were a family of five Asians from Portland, so I guess I was the white sheep of the family. We had to put on helmets and life jackets. I was certainly pleased they had rain slickers for us as well. It was only about 65 degrees out, so the slickers were needed to keep us warm and dry. The rafting season was coming to an end that week and the water level had lowered, which added more rocks into the ride.

Since I had a little experience, I was named the point man, which meant I sat on the front left of the raft. There were a couple of times I had to dial it back because I was just using too much strength. The five miles took about two hours total. We did get stuck on rocks a couple of times, but came together well at the end.

Halfway through the drive back south to Santa Fe, the sun came out over the mountains. Not the best timing, but at least it did decide to make an appearance. Mom actually had it in mind to go to dinner right from rafting. I was wearing a bathing suit and nylon black t-shirt, so that wasn't happening. She wanted to get a steak and I barely felt dressed well enough to go through a drive thru.

We arrived at the hotel and had one happy hour drink, I went with a tequila sunrise. Even though the Bull Ring restaurant was only 0.3 miles away, we still drove since mom mom's walking was still painful to watch. We sat in the bar area, which was far more desirable to the main dining room's ugly mint green walls. The clientele was certainly locals and everyone definitely seemed to know everyone.

We started with the house salad, which was fine but skippable. The bread came late, but was warm and crusty. Then came the main event: the porterhouse steak for two. First, the server laid down hot plates with sizzling butter and a little minced fresh parsley. It not only adds flavor, but keeps the food warm. 

The steak had a great char on it, but the inside was cooked a little inconsistent. We asked for medium to get that pink center, but the tip was closer to medium well, while the inside was warm and red. It wasn't quite rare, but still a little underdone. The flavor was absolutely wonderful. For sides, we got Lyonnaise potatoes, sauteed with onions. The hot butter worked perfectly with them. Also, we got a bowl of creamed spinach. To be frank, it wasn't as good as mine. It just tasted bland, like it needed salt, pepper, and nutmeg. We finished the meal with a bottle of Australian Shiraz. There was definitely no room for dessert.

We got outside and it was raining again, so we headed back to the hotel. Knowing we were getting up at four am, and realizing Santa Fe didn't exactly have an exciting night life, it only made sense.

In terms of weather, I was amazed how cool it was in Santa Fe. Perhaps being 7,000 feet above sea level had a lot to do with that, but we never got above 85 degrees in August. The customer service was remarkable all the way around. Albuquerque was a little disappointing, as it seemed like I did everything I needed to do within one day. Maybe seeing a baseball game would have been fun, but that's about it. I might return to Santa Fe, if something brought me back, but I'm not sure what that would be.

New Mexico, day 2

I got up on Sunday at 6:15. My bag had never arrived so we headed straight to the airport. We wanted to get my bag before it left the airport and got placed on a van with some driver hauling it around all day to parts unknown. I marched into the baggage claim area and the lights were off with all the doors locked. There was a sign on the door and it said lost luggage didn't open until 10 am. Being that we were bound for Santa Fe, that was not acceptable. I walked out, and by this point, I was fed up.

Mom strode into the terminal and fifteen minutes later, came out with my bag. Certainly I was relieved, but a part of me wishes I had been resourceful enough to get it. Apparently she talked to a gate agent, who them talked to someone else. My bag was in the overflow of the overflow room.  

We drove back to the hotel for breakfast. Mom had told me I would enjoy this and she wasn't kidding. They have an omelet bar at the Marriott. I got one with bacon, two cheeses, and five vegetables. Plus sides of turkey sausage, wheat toast, and fresh fruit. And did I mention it was all comped?

It was time to leave Albuquerque in the dust and go north to Santa Fe. But we didn't take highway 25. We went with the Turquoise trail, which runs parallel to the highest, but travels through these old coal towns like Golden, Madrid, and Los Cerrillos. The tour was passing through this trail, so she wanted to explore this area to see what places were with stopping in.

Our first stop was the Sandia mountains and to take the tram from the ground up to the peak. As we approached the mountain, I looked up and my jaw dropped. This wasn't a train or a monorail, like I'd envisioned. No, it was like a hanging cable car that people use at a theme park to get from one side of the park to another. The difference was this car was climbing 4,000 feet straight up. We were going from 6,000 feet up to the peak of the mountain, around 10,300 feet.

Getting into the car was one thing, but that first push off towards the peak was something else. All of a sudden, a dozen people and I were right above the mountains. I felt pretty good as long as I didn't look straight down. As I looked around me, I was mesmerized by the amazing views. I could see layers upon layers of mountains. Downtown Albuquerque looked like a little village surrounded by brown squares of flat land.

The peak offered great views of Wheeler Peak, which is over 12,000 feet and the highest peak in New Mexico. I could also see Santa Fe and the San Pedro mountains. There was even a tiny square shaped rock cabin on the next crest for hikers to settle in.

After a half hour, we were getting ready to leave. We took the ride down to the terminal and I felt my ears popping as they adjusted to the chance in elevation. We were headed out the door with me in front, when I heard a thud and my mother growing in pain. From what I can gather, she tripped coming around a corner to the door. She reached out to grab the glass door to break her fall and her sciatica flared right up. She could hardly walk. Just to keep her from taking stairs, I drove the car illegally up a one way so it could be easier.

With mom in a great deal of agony, we resumed our journey north on the Turquoise trail. We spent some time in Madrid, which used to be a major coal mining town until the 1950s, when diesel began powering the railroad. This is like a hippie village, with eccentric art work and people riding on their cycles with wheels. I helped mom in the Mineshaft tavern and the staff gave her some ice, which helped her feel better for the moment. The tavern was a country-themed bar with a large outdoor patio, a cigarette machine, and a stage for live country music. We got a couple of iced teas and I ordered a green chile burger, one of New Mexico food staples. It was made from wagyu beef, which is a very high grade of beef, and it was topped with green chile strips, tomato, caramelized onions, and aged cheddar. The burger had a great beef flavor and the green chile added that extra kick off flavor and just a touch of heat. I think all I needed was some bacon for a little crunch.

This particular weekend was a challenging one to visit Santa Fe. They had a huge art festival, in fact, it was the largest Native American festival in the country all year. So in a city that is tightly crammed with loads of one lane roads and limited parking to begin with, it became that much more challenging to get anywhere in downtown.

Our hotel was the Drury Inn, which is just a block from the downtown plaza. Our room was ready early so we got our stuff set up before doing some sightseeing. It was quite a challenge with mom basically being so hindered by her pain. As we drove, the rain started, which would be the norm in Santa Fe over the next two days. It was like I was in Portland.

First, I went to Fort Marcy, which was the site of a battle in the Mexican American war. Right next to that is the Cross of the martyrs, a large white icon that I could easily see from my hotel balcony. There were only two other people there. Two teenagers making out. I'm just trying not to stare, but I was just thinking...they're making out next to the cross?! Still on a church kick, I visited San Miguel church, the oldest church in America. It was built back in 1610 and the original abode walls are still standing.

By this time, mom was getting crabby between her pain and not eating most of the day. I went back to the hotel and hit the gym for the next hour as the rain continued to fall hard on the roof. I did 45 mins between the elliptical and the treadmill with episodes of Bar Rescue playing in the background. I also did the bench press for the first time in maybe a year. I'm not lifting as much weight as I did when I was in the gym four days a week, but I still have my strength.

I was ready for a shower. Not just because I was sweating so much, but it was separate from the bathtub, and had a stone interior with dispensers of shampoo, conditioner, and soap. It was so nice, I just wanted to stay in there for an hour. Once I cleaned up, I headed down the hall from my room for Kickback, which is their version of Happy Hour. Every day between 5:30 and 7, guests can enjoy up to three complimentary alcoholic beverages as well as a food buffet. Unfortunately, there were only two beer options: Bud light and a local red ale that I didn't care for. Instead, I enjoyed a double margarita and a glad of Merlot.

With mom hobbled, I decided to get us pizza from Pizza Centro, a supposedly authentic New York style pizza joint. I walked fifteen minutes each way through downtown, which was a little confusing with the closed roads and dead end streets. But I arrived just as the pizza was getting boxed. I made sure to power walk through downtown and also not to make eye contact with a single soul, I didn't want anyone talking to me or possibly going after my pizza. I made it back to the room and we enjoyed the 18 inch Hell's Kitchen with marinara, sausage, caramelized onion, green chile, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. We left out the jalapenos and I just went with crushed red pepper. It was an amazing combination. First of all, they make their own crust and sauce so a lot of love goes into each pizza. The sausage was very well seasoned with fennel and Italian spices. The chile and peppers blended very well with the creaminess of the feta. I just settled in my bed with five slices, a bottle of sweet tea, and watched Summer Slam. Not a bad way to attend an evening, if you just want to indulge.

New Mexico, day 1

I got up at 2 in the morning on a Saturday. Now I'm used to getting up at 3 or so for a plane, but this was pretty extreme even for me. My plan was to take a five am plane to Dallas and then connect over to Albuquerque, arriving around noon MST.

Arriving at the Avistar parking facility, I was pretty disappointed that I couldn't use any more Groupons with them. It was a huge help getting a few dollars off each day. But I'm not going to pay a comparable price to get slower service. After breezing through security, I checked the departure board and I saw my flight was delayed a half hour. That didn't get to me, I knew I'd have enough time to make my connecting flight. But my heart sank when I saw the third Dallas flight of the morning was cancelled.

I was number 20 of 33 on the standby list. Then, when the gate agent asked for volunteers to give up seats, I knew my odds were terrible. I got bumped to the 6 am flight, which was delayed 45 minutes. But much to my surprise, they called my name, so I hopped on. They said there wasn't room for my carry on bag, which I expected. So I gave my bag up and took my seat.

An hour must have passed by. I had fallen asleep when I heard the pilot say we were getting off the plane because Dallas could not take in any planes due to bad weather. After finding out from my mother that the flights from Dallas to Albuquerque were not looking good, I figured my best bet was to avoid Dallas. So I went to the rebooking center, gave up my Dallas seat, and asked to be switched over to the non-stop flight at 10:20, which was still three hours away.

After a sub par breakfast sandwich at Dunkin Donuts, I headed to the G concourse. There was only one other standby passenger, so I knew I had a pretty good shot to get on. I was feeling pretty good. As I approached the gate, I saw the plane was delayed an hour. The only two good things about that were I had time to recharge my phone and I saw this adorable blonde cocker spaniel that looked just like Hogan. I so wanted to pet him!

Two gate changes and three 20 minute delays later (apparently because they didn't have a pilot), we boarded. So I'm getting in four hours later than expected, which isn't terrible. It's just that I'm missing my bag. I'm thinking as long as it comes in tonight, I'll be good. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and that bag of mini pretzels and coke were way more refreshing than they should have been.

As the plane touched down, I was reminded of what a mountain looks like. Living in such a flat land, it's refreshing to be surrounded by nature. Mom picked me up and we drove to the northwest section of Albuquerque to El Pinto, a restaurant that specializes in New Mexican cuisine. Their red chili ribs had been voted in the top five ribs in America by the did network, so I knew I wanted to try them. We got an appetizer platter of ribs, guacamole, and queso dip. The ribs were very tender, but they were weird in that they didn't have a sauce or a rub taste. They had the smoked chiles on the outside. While they were certainly smoky, I was glad they weren't too spicy. The guacamole was fresh, just excellent. I was really pleased with creaminess of the queso dip, which was accented with New Mexican green chile.

From there, we headed south into Old Town. This is a section of several blocks on the northwest side that has loads of little shops and the center of it is a square shaped grassy plaza. I enjoyed looking at all the Native American artifacts, the uniquely designed crosses, and western themed clothes. I also enjoy hearing the unique music of acoustic guitars and wind chimes. It just relaxes me in a way that so few things can. I also went into the San Felipe de Neri church, which was built in the 1700s. I may not be Catholic, but I have great respect for those old traditional churches, so it was a very sacred place to visit.

We went over to the Route 66 diner, near the University of New Mexico. Mom had a lot of places to visit to meet the owners and to make sure that they could accommodate her tour group. This place is so vintage. There's an old school jukebox, they have hundreds of Pez dispensers, and the waitresses wear poodle skirts. One of the things I really liked was the Route 66 map painted on the wall that highlighted the trip. We each had a small shake, mom had a turtle and I had the Elvis (peanut butter and banana). Good stuff.

I think we were both feeling a little bored this point. We drove north to the casino and the setting was beautiful. It was at the foot of the Sandia mountains. The golf course on the outskirts of the property was very well maintained and there is also an outdoor amphitheatre that I imagine would be great for a concert. But once we were inside, it seemed like Mohegan Sun light. Just a typical casino. Lots of lights, lots of colors, and lots of sad faces. If you ever want to see a truly depressed group of people, go into a casino and walk around.

After a half hour in the casino, we were ready to go. We checked again for my bag at the airport and it was still missing so I filed a report with lost luggage. Knowing we were driving to Santa Fe the following day, I couldn't bear the thought of not having a change of clothes in the morning.

We went to the Marriott hotel and I settled in...well, sort of. Settling in basically meant taking my sneakers off. The staff gave me a grooming kit with deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, q tips, and hair products. I really was imposed with the level of service on the trip and this wad just one example. I found out an hour later that my bag had landed in New Mexico. Since I had been told it would be delivered to the hotel, I let it go, and took an Uber to the Marble brewery. It was located outside the downtown area and I felt at home pretty quickly. There was a live band playing rock and roll, a Korean food truck was parked outside, and there were a lot of 20 and 30 somethings hanging inside and outside. Not having company, I went into the bar, sat down, and ordered a flight of six beers. My favorite was the Amber ale and I later drank a pint.

A few minutes after I arrived, a cute brunette girl in a jean jacket sat at the stool next to me. Her friend joined soon and it turns out they were mobile nurses from Louisville working in New Mexico. I had what I'd call a decent conversation with them before I took my exit and caught a ride back to the Marriott around ten.