Joe Lawson, The Gumball King, Dead at 58

NOB HILL--Joe Lawson died last Thursday night. Saturday we had a wake. There are no words that can express the loss.

But I tried. I posted a piece about him on The Duke City Fix this morning.

Two Small Rains Equal 350 Gallons in the Barrels

NOB HILL--On the Duke City Fix one month ago I posted a story about my new rain barrel. It holds 100 gallons. I already had one that holds 55 gallons. And that covers the only 2 spouts I have on the entire house.

Well, here's an update. We have had two little rain events since they have been installed. Each one accounted for only about 1/2 inch of precipitation. From those I managed to harvest 350 gallons of water!

The smaller barrel filled up and I drained it during the storm into my small orchard. It has filled up twice since.

The 100 gallon barrel has filled up twice. Altogether that makes 350 gallons. Not bad for two tiny rain storms.

Find the Coyote...

NORTH BOSQUE BIKE TRAIL--Do you see the coyote? I didn't. Almost rode past him. Bob pointed him out.

This is in the same stretch of trail that has all those organic torpedoes littering the asphalt. Bold. But when you blend into your surroundings as well as this guy, what does a coyote have to fear?

If you need help, click on the picture.

Shit...But With Apples

NORTH BOSQUE BIKE TRAIL--Don't tell me you can't recognize that blur on the ditchbank as a coyote. He really looked fat and healthy. And fast. I took the shot, but had to do it one-handed with the LED washed out with sunlight while I was riding my bike.

Excuses...excuses.

Nevertheless, that IS a picture of a fast-moving coyote just south of I-40 and west of the bike trail. Then I happened upon several piles of coyote scat right on the trail.

Many of you know that coyotes like to mark the territory with scat, even to the point of depositing it on top of rocks near a trail.

Well anyway, I was riding along and swerving to keep my tires fairly clean when something red caught my eye in one of the piles. I rode on for a ways, then told bike-partner Bob, "I've got to go back and look at something."

I didn't want to tell him it was a pile of shit.

That shit had a lot of red in it. I looked closer. I thought there must be fingernails in there. I got off my bike and looked a lot closer. Nope. Apple skins. What a relief. That coyote is eating good. No wonder he looked so fat and sassy.

Those Little Lights that MaryAnn Loves

NOB HILL--It looks like we are putting up Christmas lights...and we are. But not for Christmas, which is still almost 2 months away. MaryAnn loves those little lights and this time of year the stores are full of them.

We bought the lights at Walmart: 2 bucks for a string of 70 with white wire. We used 4 strings. We also got fasteners. The lights really are beautiful. Actually the whole world is beautiful in our backyard. Especially when MaryAnn is there. This year it is still so warm that we use the outdoor area quite a bit. The temps are in the middle 70's and it is Halloween tomorrow.

Everything we have done in the backyard has been worth the effort and money. We love it. It is not finished, but still it is so peaceful, useful, (and delicious).

Sunday Wallpaper: Bike Camp

NOB HILL--The Bike Coop sponsored a youth bike camp last week. The kids would gather each morning in front of the store before they all rode away.

Eating Cheap at the Route 66 Casino

RIO PUERCO--The billboard said the $7.95 buffet was '2 for 1' on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Well, that was enough for The Artist Ken Saville and me. We went. Then, a week later, we went again...this time with friends. Here is a scouting report.

First, the buffet is large and full of a great variety of things. There are 3 hot food lines, 1 large salad island, and 1 dessert island. One of the hot lines has what might be called 'western' food, including barbeque and tacos. Another has 'home cookin'...items like roast beef and mashed potatoes. The other line contains asian cuisine: fried rice, noodles, and various stir-fry offerings.

Ken and I visited every line and island. It took three trips...plus an extra two trips to the dessert section (small plates at that island).

I wouldn't say that it was the best food I have ever had, but it was certainly above my minimum standards. But then, my standards are heavily influenced by PRICE.

So we got a group together and went out there again. Everybody seemed satisfied. There were enough healthy items as well as comfort food to give everybody something to grab.

One thing. You need to get a Player's Card to get the special price. And then there need to be 2 of you...it is not $4.00 each--it is 2 for $7.99. Some people were teaming up with strangers at the cashiers desk. Without a card the price is $12.00.

And another thing. The compliementary Player's Card comes with $5.00 worth of gambling chips in it when you get it. So there's that.

Just stop by the service counter to the left when you go in the casino to get your free card. Bring a carload. You won't regret it...unless you lose more than the five bucks.

MaryAnn Takes Train Home: Rochester, NY to Albuquerque, NM

FIRST & CENTRAL SW--I pulled up in front of the Alvarado Station and there she was...smiling, happy, beautiful, holding her suitcase. What a wonderful day! She had been away in New York visiting her sons, brothers, and sisters for three weeks. Welcome home!

Post Ride Carb Intake...Lam's Chinese Restaurant

CENTRAL & RIO GRANDE SW--Yesterday I tried out my ankle on what turned out to be a 35 mile jaunt. It would have been longer except for an incident as I was riding past the Hispanic Cultural Center.

I was on my #3 bike, that beautiful road tourer, just cruising like a sonofabitch, when a bee popped out of the bushes and flew into one of the vents on my bike helmet. I tried to brush it off, but it couldn't get out. I was shaking my helmet as best I could (since it was still on my head) and hoping the bee would work its way to freedom. It stung me as all this was going on. Not only that, it kept stinging me until I could stop the bike and take my helmet off. Right on the top of my noggin.

Well, I decided to cancel the 50 miler and settle for the 35 miler...especially since my ankle is still more than a little tender.

I stopped at Lam's on the way home. I usually do.

For me, a good lunch starts with the word "Cheap." Ideally it would also be tasty, fresh, low-fat, and good carbs. As I said, I usually stop at Lam's. It is west of Rio Grande on the south side of Central Ave.

I ordered my favorite: the #6 off the luncheon menu. This is their jumbo portion of Szechwan chicken. It comes with egg drop soup, an egg roll, and a mountain of fried rice. Cost: $5.25! I usually splurge and get an iced tea. They bring a pitcher and put it on the table. That's an extra dollar.

The portions are so big, I have never been able to finish the meal. I take home enough for supper. They serve lunch until 3:00. It is always a pleasant way to end these long rides.

Riding the Singing Wire Home

NOB HILL--Sometimes life is so perfect no words are necessary. Oh Sweet New Mexico!

Sunday Wallpaper: Old Albuquerque High School

EDO--Taken from in front of The Daily Grind, this view of downtown and "EDO" gives a sense of both the old and the new.
Remember, to use as a desktop background, click on picture to enlarge, then right-click and select "use as desktop background."

Johnny_Mango's Sunday Wallpaper: Downtown View from Barelas

BARELAS--Route 66 ran right through Barelas prior to 1937. This view from south 4th Street still has a few remnants from earlier times, but nothing that goes back that far. The appliance store has been around for over 40 years. But probably the most interesting feature is the ghost of the "Royal Fork Buffet" sign that is visible on the right hand side of the street.

For years I had seen the points at the top and the word 'royal' always came to mind...sort of a crown in the sky. It wasn't until a few years ago that I also clicked to the 'fork' aspect of those points.To use as wallpaper, click on the image to enlarge, then right-click and select "desktop background."

Little Luke Tames the Halfpipe

NOB HILL--How many dads build a halfpipe for both him and his son? Well, Vitus did. Here is Luke on the day after Vitus finished it. By the way, Vitus, Luke, and Sally live in the big log cabin across the street.

The Metropolitan Transportation Plan Meeting: A Person Reaction

NOB HILL--I went to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan meeting Tuesday night at the Unitarian Church. Perhaps it is just too big a topic for a two-hour meeting. It is one of those 'trains, planes, and automobiles' subjects overlaid on the human denominators of walking and biking. The primary emphasis of the presenter, Mark Fenton from Massachusetts, was the health benefits derived from these human-powered means of getting around. Making our neighborhoods walkable and bikeable was the thrust of the whole meeting.

Who could be against such a concept? Well apparently a lot of people. There was a kind of a guerrilla movement quality to much of the discussion. I do know from personal experience that even getting a crosswalk in the Nob Hill area is impossible...not difficult, IMPOSSIBLE. After all, cars have right too.

This kind of auto/pedestrian dichotomy is exactly the kind of thinking that goes on in ABQ's department of traffic engineering. No crosswalks. They told me that according to research crosswalks were more dangerous than running across the street. They hope that the bump-outs currently under construction will make the dash even easier.

But wait a minute...I thought engineers were problem-solvers. So said Mark Fenton at the meeting. He started talking about Tucson's Speedway Blvd. MaryAnn and I are familiar with that particular thoroughfare: six lanes of fast-moving traffic that serves as the main east-west surface street for most of Tucson. One peculiar feature of that aptly named arterial is that it has signaled crosswalks!

Fenton explained that the traffic engineers timed them to be in sequence with the rest of the traffic lights. What a concept! And then the pedestrians have to stop on the median and push another button and wait a few seconds to cross the other half of the street...because that signal is sequenced with the lights for traffic flowing in the other direction. Engineers as problem-solvers.....hmmm.

I continue to be impressed with City Councilor (and Council President) Debbie O'Malley. Smart, unpretentious, and dedicated to actually using government to make life better for all of us, she is on my list of people I'd like to see as Mayor someday.

Scott Hale came up and introduced himself. What a treat! Scott comments on many of my Duke City Fix posts and I was so happy to meet him in person. I was especially appreciative of his sharing in one of his comments of a somewhat embarrassing but extremely instructive experience in getting disoriented even in familiar areas.

The last highlight of the evening had to be the snow coming down. What a wonderful way to go home...

Ditch Digger

SOUTH BOSQUE BIKE TRAIL--There is an unbelievable amount of mud and dirt in the diversion channel. It is about 5 feet deep in places. This was cleaned out last spring, but the rainy summer and wet winter have left tons and tons of dirt in the bottom of the channel.

When they cleaned all this out last spring, they hauled it up to the corner of Rio Bravo and 2nd St. where it is currently stockpiled awaiting use as fill for some project. This winter it looks like a lot of the pile has ended up back down in the ditch...I can only assume they will get dump trucks down here to haul the dirt back up to Rio Bravo and 2nd.

It would make a nice poetic complete circle, but I don't really believe that is where the dirt came from...although I have no doubt that it is where it will end up. Instead I guess Albuquerque is losing ground ever so slowly to the ravages of the elements. It seems even here in the middle of the high desert we have to fight nature just to keep water from washing it all away.

Shoot Out at the Grocery Cart Corral

COAL & YALE SE--Bob Evans and I were coming back from our Monday bosque bike ride when we came upon police cars blocking Coal Ave. at Yale. This was part of the Jay Ulibarri stand-off. Ulibarri, firing a "hail of bullets" at a police car, escaped from the Smith's parking lot and ended up in an apartment building on Harvard where he kicked in the door and made a hostage of the man who was living there.

Thank God no one was killed. No one was even hurt. Officers tazed Ulibarri instead of shooting him. This is the sort of response that should be praised! Good work APD! We are all so glad you were able to handle this difficult situation without causing serious injury or death to anybody.

It would be great if more details of the arrest became available. I am sure many of us would love to hear how APD was able to bring this to a successful conclusion.

"Spare Change?" Came the Voice Behind Us

"Spare change?" came the voice behind us.
"John! Haven't seen you in a long time!" John looked good: clean clothes, clean shaven. He was wearing gloves. I wondered if his hands were washed...something that is pretty rare in his life. Sometimes his hands are so black his palms look burnt.

There are countless stories about John, his life revealed in short tidbits picked up almost at random on Central Ave. He attended Pius X High School. His mother was apparently murdered in front of him during childhood. His life seems to be intertwined with street drugs, but I've never seen him drunk. He loves my girlfriend MaryAnn.

"I've been in jail," he said matter of factly. "I was in there for five weeks."
"What for?"
"They caught me sleeping on somebody's porch."
"Five weeks for sleeping on a porch?"
"I hate that place. It's so crowded. They let me out downtown. The jail is way out by Grants."

The author David Stuart told me he once took John and his buddy Morris out to eat in a restaurant. John was clean and sober at the time. "He was surprisingly articulate," said David.

"Well you sure look good," I told him. He always looked good after being in jail for a while.

"Got any change?"
"Not tonight."
"God bless you."
"You too, John. God bless you."

Another Nob Hill Business Bites the Dust: Hey Jhonny Home

NOB HILL--Graze doesn't seem to be the only neighborhood business closing its doors in Nob Hill. Hey Jhonny Home has been running what seems to be a "going out of business" sale all week. I'll go down there and talk to them this week.

I can only guess they don't want to say "going out of business" because they intend to keep their original store on Central Ave. open.