A new roof on the horizon......

Sandia Crest......

Well, we were lucky.  The adjuster came and approved a total replacement for the roof.  The funds we already received will cover the majority of the replacement, which is a huge relief.  The work will start the Thursday after Labor Day.  

I also received this from Romeo:

Lol.

I just had to get it in writing. :-)

Love, 365

When the Universe has a bad day.....

Sandia Crest view .... I took this one!

On nearly the same day that Romeo and I had our spat (see previous post) I discovered that my brother in law fell off a ladder, breaking both the tibia and fibula.  He was cutting down a limb that was overhanging the roof, since they are getting a new roof soon.  As the limb fell, it knocked over the ladder, he tried to jump free but didn't make it.  He had emergency surgery to stabilize his leg, and is at home now until the surgery to repair the leg next Friday.  But he is not doing well with the pain ~ I will spare you the picture my sister send of the stabilizing bar attached to his leg.  Not pretty.  

For that reason, I postponed my trip to Texas for a month.  Since I stay with my sister the majority of the time, and since she had planned to go to Round Rock with me to meet my new grandson, it just seemed prudent.  I was bummed to put off my trip, but now I just hope that BIL (brother in law) is sufficiently ok by the time I get there.  But the overwhelming evidence points to him having a long rehab in front of him.  I just hope he doesn't have permanent damage.   If you pray, please keep him in mind.  

Another beautiful spot on the crest of the Sandia Mountains....

Romeo and I took the dog to the crest this Saturday, and enjoyed a beautiful hike.  It was really just what we needed to break free of the lingering resentments of Thursday night.  We shared a burger at the new restaurant ~ which took almost 4 years to accomplish.  Demolition of the 60s era restaurant, to the new $7.5 mil restaurant that replaced it.  Remember that ALL construction materials were brought up on the tram, because there are no roads leading to the area.  So a goodly portion of that money was likely spent transporting the materials up the mountain.  It is beautiful though ~ shouldn't it be for that much cash?  Holy cow.  They don't have an area for people with dogs to eat, so we grabbed a small table outside designated for smokers ~ luckily there wasn't anyone smoking out there ~ and the burger and fries we shared was delicious.  I think we'll reserve dinner for our anniversary, it should be worthy of our 40th year of marriage.

Well, I've got to get busy on baking some cookies to take to my Orthodoxy class that wraps up this coming Tuesday.  It will be nice to have my Tuesdays free once again!  

I hope all of you have a great week ahead.  Fingers crossed on the insurance adjuster.....

Love, 365

The limits of patience.....

Yesterday was an interesting day. Much of it stems around the replacement of our roof...something that we really need.  Romeo has been talking about it for years.  It is over 20 years old now.  We haven't had any serious leaks, but there are times when we have a hard rain that comes in a certain direction, we will have some leaks around the living room window, which we have always had a problem with.  Romeo had three different roof estimates done in the past week, and was happy with one of them.  While having a discussion with my sister ~ who works in insurance ~ she said we should have our insurance inspect the roof to see if there will be any coverage at all on it's replacement.  Because each of the estimators mentioned that it is unlikely that it would be covered, Romeo didn't call for that assessment, but I did.  I called at lunch time yesterday and set it up, figuring we would discuss it when I got home.  Little did I know that they would call him 30 minutes later.  And he was upset that I had done it without discussing it with him.  I explained that I didn't realize they would call him before I was home.  I didn't really see the big deal.  If our insurance does find some loss they would cover, then hey!  the replacement would not cost us as much.  It created a bit of tension between us ~ apparently more than I anticipated. 

Later, I texted him that I wanted to go to the gym after work.  He texted that he wouldn't cook the burgers that night then....and later said he would go with me.  Great, we could work off our stresses together then, right?  After an hour at the gym, I strolled over to the racquetball courts to change my shoes in preparation to go home.  And a group of guys I know (racquetball players) asked me to be their 4th in a single game of doubles.  I agreed, since it sounded like it would be a quick game.  About 10 minutes into the game, I noticed Romeo standing by the glass wall...he pointed toward the door, and I thought he was going out to the car.  5 minutes later I changed my shoes to go look for him......and could not find him.  I went out to the parking lot and looked ~ in vain ~ for his car and couldn't find it.  I texted and asked where he was with no reply.  Called with no reply.  Texted that I was walking home.  Which I did, doing a slow burn on the way.  He left me!  I couldn't believe it.  He didn't have his phone on him, it was at home charging.  But while I was walking home, he called, and like a child, I didn't answer.  I was too mad to answer.

So, it seems that I have a habit of not discussing things with him.  I didn't go find him and tell him I was going to play a quick game.  Apparently he thought I was going to be awhile.  It's a classic communication issue, where neither of us is letting the other know what's going on.  And if I had taken a moment to step outside of the court, I would have known that he was ready to go, and I could have told him it would only be a few more minutes. 

As hard as it is to admit, I failed in quite a few ways yesterday.  I didn't say anything when I arrived home......and it was a good thing that it took me 15 minutes to think while I was walking, it gave me time to review my behavior through the eyes of my partner. 

I still feel resentful although I am trying hard not to.  We'll get through this.  And hopefully I've learned something. 

Love, 365

Resistance......

How great it is to wake up on Saturday morning with no alarms....and few plans.  My first loaf of bread is in the oven ~ it didn't quite rise as much as I expected the first 20 minutes, but it will be tasty.  I still struggle with the intricacies of artisan baking ~ I guess I need to watch a few more you tube videos....the struggle is to find the right one.   ***Oh, yeah, I forgot to preheat the dutch oven, which probably accounts for the lack in rising.  =sigh=  The second one was over-proofed (while I'm waiting on the first loaf to finish cooking because I only have one dutch oven.  Still tastes good, but I want it to look a certain way....it's all in the details, in an OCD sort of way. 

Today is my oldest sons birthday.  It is days like this that I wish I lived in Texas.  Watched a video that his wife filmed while they all threw water balloons at each other, which is a tradition his Dad started.  It's hard not to be jealous.  I could solve the problem by moving there.  Only problem is, I don't want to put up with their weather, and I would miss the desert and the mountains.  He has his own life....I just wish I could be more of a part of it.  

Well, I need to do other things other than sit here and feel regretful!  I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend....

Love, 365

Cooked..................

Backyard gardening.....(not mine though)

Even though most kids went back to school today here in Albuquerque, it's still summer.  The temp's this week are in the low 90s, and this evening is the first where we didn't get any rain in about a week ~ which is really unusual here, which I mentioned in my last post.  Even though summer gardens are starting to wrap up, its just now that tomatoes are really producing.  There's tons of green ones on the vine, and that urban gardener is looking at those plants and calculating that very soon there will be way more than they can eat.  Even if tomatoes are your "nectar of the Gods", and really there is nothing like a homegrown one, there is a limit to how many your family will eat in one day.  That's when neighbors, co-workers, family and friends get to share in the bounty.  When our OM brings in her excess, everyone in the office comes up and snags a bit to take home.  

I don't know about your friends, family and co-workers, but almost every one I know has a garden, or at least a few potted tomatoes.  Well, except me.  I didn't quite finish up with college soon enough to prepare my little plot of open space for a garden this year.  I can't put potted plants on my back patio because the sun is so intense that it literally cooks anything that isn't in the ground.  Believe me, I tried every type of pot available ~ clay, glazed clay, plastic....nothing can hold back the power of the sun to suck every bit of moisture out of it.  By the time I get home from work I can see the severe wilting.  After a week of that, it simply gives up.  I discovered that although I can't container garden, my small garden area can produce quite a bit.  In years past I had tomatoes, tomatillos, herbs, etc.  Once I tried cantaloupe and discovered that I didn't plant it soon enough.  It was not much bigger than a softball, and never ripened.  I didn't try those again, haha.  

The prompt to this post is the Netflix show Cooked.  Michael Pollan is the host (& apparently a cook book writer) who explores cooking through the inspiration of the four basic elements ~ fire, earth, air and water.  It's really quite a good series.  Of course I watched the one on bread first, and I learned something quite new about sourdough.  Fermentation apparently increases the nutritional value.  So, although you can't live on simply flour and water alone, you could ~ although it wouldn't be too much fun ~ live quite awhile on certain kinds of bread, and sourdough in particular.  Fermentation also increases the digestibility ~ and therefore the nutritional value ~ of foods that we routinely ferment.  After watching it, I realized that I will never look at a store bought loaf of bread in quite the same way.  

By the way, my sourdough did revive, and quite nicely.  I apparently wasn't paying attention to what I was doing when refreshing it (which needs to be done once a week ~ bakers never refrigerate their sourdough, because they use it every day) and I apparently added twice the water I was supposed to.  I was just relieved that it came back so strongly.  It even leaked a little out of the crock I keep it in.

And you guessed it, I made two loaves of bread today.  Romeo has already had 3 pieces.  We'll see if there's any left by the end of the day tomorrow.  :-)

Love, 365

Rain, rain, rain.....

As I left church last night at a quarter to 7, it started to sprinkle.  By the time I hit the highway, it was pouring.  Maybe there have been years when we've had more inches of rain, but this year it's the number of rainy days that is unusual.  I wonder if this is what it was like here 40 years ago....when there was much more snow, and the monsoon season really dumped it.  The Rio Grande looks a lot more grande when there's more than calf deep water in it :-)

Monsoon season usually means evening showers.  But lately we've had rainy mornings too, which is not at all common.  There are many more pros than cons here, I recall a few years ago when we hardly got any rain during the monsoon at all.  Lots of folks lost trees that had been on their property for years.  I am not really complaining about the rain which has given us a delightful break from watering.  It's the humidity that we aren't used to.  Those of us with evaporative coolers suffer a bit, but this morning the temps were in the 60s....no complaints there.

***I can't believe that my post is about the rain.  I must find a little more excitement in my life I think......

Not sure if all the rain is responsible, but my sourdough starter seems a bit sluggish today too.  I had planned to start the bread this morning, but I think I will wait until noon.  See how it does.  Not sure what I will do if it doesn't get more bubbly.  Probably wait longer, haha.  Or give up for today and shoot for Monday instead.

 Not long ago I joined a FB group called "forbidden archaeology".  Probably because they search out the bizarre and then attempt to fashion their studies to suggest that aliens built and inhabited, for example, Machu Picchu.  Mostly they are using the "elongated skulls" as their main DNA evidence.   There are already suggestions that the buildings were built with alien help, since they don't believe that earthly human beings were capable of constructing such incredible feats of engineering during the 15th century. 

Although I do not discount the idea that life exists elsewhere in our universe, I just haven't been able to buy into aliens living here on earth and directing the construction of the pyramids, Machu Picchu, Gobekli Tepi, Chichen Itza and others. 

There seems to be little logic in the claim ~ my case in point: the continued search for Yeti.  No skeletal remains.  No structures.  Only grainy films where you can't tell what you're looking at, and "footprints" in snow and mud.  I can't imagine someone spending their entire life looking for Yeti, although I know there are many who look.  Maybe they need a more exciting life too.....

Love, 365

I have no idea.......

Here's another photo taken in NM....I plan on taking a class or two so that I can figure out how to take photos like this one.....   Hello Milky Way!
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I knew this would happen.  One day I would sit here and despair at the ideas I had are gone. I no longer have college experiences to write about.  Work is boring.  By 10-11 am I have completed most of my regular tasks, so all that is left is greeting patients and filing insurance claims.  B.O.R.I.N.G.  I really need to look for a new job that is a bit more exciting. 

My trip to San Antonio is now exactly 3 weeks away.  Last night I searched for a hotel for my sister and I while we are visiting the kids/new grandson in Austin.  Motel 6 was the only one I could find that was close to their house that had two beds in one room, at a reasonable price.  I don't care about the free breakfast.   And hey! they will leave the light on for us ~ lol.  Many of the hotels I looked at were at least 95 per night, and the second bed was a "sofa bed", and the few times I've slept on one of those was no fun at all.  So, most of the details are set.  Next week I'll get out the luggage ~ I prefer to add stuff as I think about it ~ less likely to forget something important (you know, like contacts).  I texted my sis about the hotel reservation and she said she hopes it's a little cooler when I come because "it's hotter than 3 blazes of hell" right now.  Oh, I do so love visiting in August.  :-(

Otherwise there is nothing of interest going on.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.  I have made a tiny little bit of progress on tidying up my closet and my office.   Although if you asked Romeo, he'd probably say I haven't done anything at all, it's still a vision of chaos.  :-)

I'm going to go with "a messy desk is a sign of genius"

And you can't stop me (giggling)

Love, 365

I just had to share......

When I first saw this photo, I had a tough time believing it to be in New Mexico.....

I'm going to have to go and check this place out.

Carrizozo Community Lake.  

Beautiful!  I told the photographer that it looks more like a fantasy.....he agreed.

Have an excellent week, ya'll.

Love, 365

3 freaking days........

Last Sunday I sold the 2002 Rodeo to my co-worker.  She had known for over a month that I planned to sell it when I was ready to buy a replacement.  Actually, I had mentioned that I would trade it in because I know it has some mechanical issues despite the maintenance and repair we heaped on it over the past 17-18 years.  But she offered to buy it.  We agreed on a price.  All I had to do was decide when.  Two weeks ago on a Monday I told her that I would be dropping the price on the Rodeo because it was making a new noise.  I took $600 off the price.  She drove it at lunch, and said she was still interested in buying it.  So, last Sunday after I bought the Rav4, she and her boyfriend came buy and bought the Rodeo & drove it off.  On Wednesday last week she told me they had to tow it to a shop.

I felt really bad.  To be fair, I texted her on Saturday and explained that if she had cold feet, or had changed her mind and didn't know how to back out of it, I had an offer from my neighbor across the street.  Not for her, but her boyfriend wanted it (and he doesn't live with her, so I wouldn't see him often).  But she insisted they wanted it, so there you go.  I shouldn't feel bad, I was upfront with her about everything, but I still do.

I am thoroughly enjoying my new ride.  It feels so ~ reliable.  Cool with the a/c.  It's been great using the phone hands free.  I'm getting hang of parking it too.  
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Now for the photos of our beautiful state ~ these were all taken here in New Mexico.  I don't have the photographers names except for one, but all have taken some beautiful photos......

 It is not unusual to view a cloudburst like this over the mesa.....

These are rare, but I've seen one before ~ the "Halo Rainbow"

We've had a lot of storms lately.....But wow, this is cool.

 

Night time Albuquerque from Sandia Peak by DL Photography505

Amazing & beautiful!

Now for funny:

 

A funny meme for my daughter in law....my grandson is two weeks old now.....

 

Have a wonderful weekend....I need to get a few things done while my bread is rising....

Love, 365