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.