Saturday, Oct 5 (actually Friday)

Back to Friday.  We got a call from the hikers about 7:30pm saying they were in a long line to come down on the tram so we called to make reservations at Sandiago at the bottom of the tram.  We got in our various vehicles and headed off the the restaurant.  The hikers beat us there only to find that a reservation had not been recorded.  But they got a table and waited for us.  Delicious Mexican dinner. I had a lime and cilantro marinated steak and was it every tender and yummy.

Then we all drove home and crashed.  It was a long day.  

Saturday, Oct 5

3 am and I am up and showered and waiting for George.  I hope we go up in the balloon.  That will make this early rising worth it.

I have not been getting much distance with my walking but "they" (my family) have guilt-ed me into using the stairs.  We are on the 8th floor!!!!

Friday, Oct 4

We had to be at Menaul at 7am for our balloon ride.  We helped with set up.

After helping they decided it was too windy.  If the wind is stronger than 10 miles/hour the balloons can't take off.  So they cancelled our ride.  They will try again tomorrow morning.

We then went to the school chapel service to hear the kids jazz band.  They did a nice job.

Interesting electric cello.  

After lunch the hikers were leaving to hike up to the top of the Sandia crest. It is about an 8 mile hike.

We went to Target and Trader Joe's for a few odds and ends, essentials - like wine.

George, Pam and I did a leisurely stroll through a nature park.  Looked at the Rio Grande. 

Then back to the hotel.  We are now waiting at the hotel at the free wine and food bar.  We don't know what we will be doing for dinner until we hear from the hikers.  

Albuquerque October 3, 2013

Joyce got George and me to the MAX in the morning in plenty of time to catch our 10am flight to Albuquerque.  The flight was uneventful.  Rebecca met us at the airport to give us a ride to the car rental place.  Now that was an exercise in futility.  It was great to see Rebecca while she drove us around in a big circle.  She finally let us off back where we started so we could get the shuttle to the car rental place.  Apparently the only way to get into the car rental place is through the car return and we did not want to do that.  Oh well.  She went back to work while we got the car and met up with Nathan, Jim and Pam and Steve.  They watched us eat lunch (it was 2pm so they had already eaten).  Then we all went for ice cream.  After that, Nathan joined us as we went to Menaul School to meet up with Rebecca.

Rebecca's office

Rebecca's room.  Her little suite is 2 rooms and bathroom in a huge house.

Teacher's Hall where Rebecca's suite is.

We went to check in at the Embassy Suites.  Got there just in time for their afternoon free wine and snacks.  I had a nice Pinot Gris.  We sat in the lobby and visited with Jim and Pam.

Jim and Pam. After a relaxing glass of wine we went to Trombino's Italian restaurant for dinner.  It was celebrating Jim's birthday.  

Debbie and Joe, just got in from the airport in time to join us at dinner.

Steve and Jennifer

Nathan and Rebecca

George and me.  We had a nice bottle of Sangeovese (sp?)

Jim's free ice cream - he shared.

Very nice meal.  

My chicken marsala was superb. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals.

After dinner we dropped Nathan and Rebecca off at Rebecca's place and we went back to the hotel.  Visited a little longer with Debbie, Jim and Pam.  I hope Jim had a nice birthday.  It was fun to be all together for it.  11:30pm time for ZZZZZs.  

Wed, Sept 4

Jeanne and I left her place about 7am to drive to Duluth.  We got there in plenty of time so we just hung out for a little while.  The flight to Minneapolis St Paul was uneventful and quick.  I had 3 hours to kill in MSP so I stopped at TGIF for lunch.  My skinny margarita was especially delicious.  

Then I had a long walk to my next gate.  Then they changed it to another gate.  1.67 miles later I got to the correct gate.  That is quite some airport. The flight home was about 3 and 1/2 hours.  George met me at the airport and I pretty much went directly to hand bell rehearsal at the church. That was fun.  The only down side was that my mosquito bites were giving me grief.  I have over 100 bites from our wild blueberry picking day. 

Anyway I am home now until Oct 3 when we go to Albuquerque to visit Rebecca.

Last day Tues, Sept 3

 We did our morning walk and were very lucky to have a gorgeous sunrise.  Unfortunately my pictures do not do it justice.

We got home in time for Jay to make his famous wild blueberry pancakes.  They were delicious.  Then Jay had to leave to go on one of his work dart trips to Atlantic City.

At coffee one of the women brought in a show and tell.  2 very unusually shaped potatoes.

The new subway has a fake fireplace that Jeanne had to show me.  We did not eat lunch here.

Jeanne apologized for not providing a more photogenic day. We did a lot of errand and I tagged along.  We had a full busy day but she was right I did not take a lot of pictures.  After a delicious dinner of ham, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables and apple sauce we relaxed with an easy 500 piece puzzle.  Got it done lickity split.  Fun.

Tomorrow will be an early start.  We will plan to leave the house around 7 am so I can start my trip home.  

Monday, Sept 2

Today was a full day.  Started the morning with hawk outside of the deck. It was windy - you can see its feathers are blowing.

 We did the usual walk, breakfast and then coffee at the church.  We came home and washed fresh wild blueberries to prepare them for tomorrow's pancakes.  We made granola and did a few other things before lunch.  After lunch Jay carried the canoe down to the lake and Jeanne and I went canoeing.  Gorgeous day.  It had cooled down and the sun was just coming out but it was not hot.

Got pretty close to a turtle

Jeanne carried the canoe back up the hill to the house.  After relaxing a bit Jay, Jeanne and I went exploring with Jay to a place he had heard had a patch of wild blueberries.  Eureka!!  We found them.  We picked like crazy.  I could have pick more but one hand was busy waving the mosquitoes away.  We got 3 quarts of berries.  Wild berries are very tasty but they are tiny.  

We got home in time to make a nice birthday dinner for Jay.  Yummy meal.

We made a real dent in the birthday cake.  I wanted you to see the layers.

Tonight we watch RED.  Fun Bruce Willis movie.  A full day.