VB Price: A Lion Amongst the Boulevardiers

NOB HILL--Just as soon as I say VB Price doesn't hang out in Nob Hill anymore, he makes a fool out of me and shows up! But he can't be both an Icon and a Hero, so he will have to stay a Hero. Actually, I emailed him in care of the editor of the Tribune and he sent me a nice reply. He has also started his own website, which has some of his poems, etc.

I wrote him about how the electon had affected him. Here is part of what he had to say:

For some reason I can't explain, the election defeat revved me up in
a way that I haven't been in years. I was worried that I'd be completely
deflated by a loss, and just run out of gas. I don't understand why that
hasn't happened, but it hasn't. I just got really pissed, and figured
now we have nothing to lose. But really as curious, I guess, as I am
pissed. I'm fascinated by how this all happened, by dirty tricksters, by
the political judo they work on the Dems. So lots and lots to learn and
that's always a wonderful motivation.

"We have nothing to lose." That pretty much sums it up. And it does give off a lot of energy!

I'd Like To Place A Buy Order On The Chicken-Fried Steak With An Option On A Chocolate Malt.

Four members of the Double-in-5 investment club listen intently to a discussion about the future of Starbucks in the back room of the 66 Diner. Or maybe they're just day-dreaming after a good meal. The club has about a dozen members.

Don't Be Afraid To Talk About Money

NOB HILL--Have you ever heard of an investment club? Well, Yours Truly, Johnny_Mango has belonged to one for over ten years. It isn't making me rich, but it does keep me thinking about the future...my future. We better take care of ourselves as best we can. Being savvy about money is part of that.

The club I belong to meets once a month at the 66 Diner. We eat, we talk, we discuss various companies. Sometimes we buy or sell. It doesn't cost a lot of money. Our club dues are $30/month. Of course when you quit the club you get all your money back plus whatever return your share of the stocks have earned. But basically it is about education. It is about learning how to buy and sell stocks intelligently. It is about learning how to think and talk about money, the market, and the future.

Most investment clubs are affiliated with the N.A.I.C. If you are interested, the New Mexico chapter has a list of contact people on their website. Think about it. Think about whether you would enjoy it. I bet most of you would.

"Hero of Reality" Keeps Working, Writing.

NOB HILL--I have been waiting for VB Price to show up again at the Flying Star so I could name him an Icon of Nob Hill. Unfortunately, I haven't seen him in a while so that title is perhaps not all that appropriate. So I am giving him the title of "Hero of Reality." Why?

Because he always is aware that we create our own world...our own reality...and he has devoted his life to making us aware that this particular world we inhabit in ABQ is worth thinking about. How can we make it as livable as possible? VB Price acts like every one of us is able to know beauty and fulfillment, and he democratizes beauty every time he writes.

Is he depressed by the election? Who knows. Many of us have been through SO many fights in our lifetimes that life is no longer a rollercoaster. But Price has always stuck up for intelligence, conservation, beauty, and compassion. He writes for the Albuquerque Tribune. In his latest column he takes the Republicans to task for making hatred a "moral value."

I admit I have never met the man. But once I went up to him and embarrassed both him and myself by blurting out to him that he was "one of the good guys." But he is...and he always was.

Ken and Dagwood Take Five...Maybe More

NOB HILL--NewMexiKen and Dagwood of Metaquerque have suspended posting to their blogs. They say they are either burned out or too busy. In times like these we all have to conserve our energy. Always work for good...but pick your battles. Save yourself. We WILL live to fight another day. Here's hoping they come back soon (but not before they are ready). Sit down and rest a while. Good job, guys.

Quit Whining About Teachers Working Overtime (For Free!)

APS--The School Police have proposed that teachers be limited in their access to their classrooms after school. I guess it is too difficult to keep track of things what with everybody working all the time. Two key parts of the proposal are that teachers must stay at least an hour if they go to their rooms, and no going after 8:00 PM on weeknights. Weekends have even more restrictions.

The problem is that there are about 5000 classrooms in APS, all of which have motion detectors. Any idiot could predict that a system that relies on 5000 people calling in to Police HQ is not going to be successful much of the time--especially since most classrooms don't even have phones. The penalty for forgetting to call is to surrender your key and have a nasty meeting with your principal...as if the teacher were a child rather than a professional. I personally don't care if it makes the job of the School Police harder to have to deal with the realities of teaching. Let them work as hard as teachers do and then we'll have a talk. What person wants to have to go back to work at night and on weekends? Nobody. But a classroom is a complex part of a teacher's life: part workspace, part home (25 young people live in a classroom for most of the day), part maintenance-needing interactive learning environment, part repository for sensitive information which cannot leave the building. The School Police stated that teachers were just showing up to feed their hamsters. Frankly, it is not Police business what a teacher thinks needs to be done in that classroom. It could be that the teacher is sick and dropping off lesson plans. It makes no difference: it is not Police business.

If the job is too difficult with 5000 people working in 5000 different rooms, get rid of the APS Police and let APD respond. Or come up with a different system. But quit whining. Everybody has a tough job.

Three Postcards from Route 66 in our Neighborhood...Every Business Tried to Attract Its Share of Travelers

UNIVERSITY OF NM--I am sure you recognize this building, but have you ever noticed the words and pictures above the windows? They say, "Pig and Calf." It used to be a restaurant. The above postcard shows it called, "The Pig Stand Cafe." It might have had other names as well.

NOB HILL--Sam Pillsbury mentioned the other day that he remembered eating at Hoyt's Dinner Bell. The building has been torn down and the corner now houses a strip mall, but the aroma of those steaks and chicken still wafts down old Route 66.

Help me...Help me. Does anybody remember the Iceberg Cafe on East Central?

EAST CENTRAL--The Iceberg Cafe and gas station was located on East Central (Route 66). Here comes the hard part...and I need some help. At some point this wonderful roadside attraction was moved to or from Algodones. It makes more sense to move the building to Central from Algodones because Route 66 was shifted to Central Ave in 1937 from the northern route which did pass through Algodones. But I am not sure if that was the case...or was it later moved up north of Bernalillo from its Central location. Anybody know?

An ABQ Best Bet: Lady Lobo Basketball

THE PIT--The Artist Ken Saville demonstrates proper binocular technique while participating in Albuquerque's #1 male spectator sport: Lobo Women's Basketball! Go Lobos! Last night's game showed that the Lobos look good, deep, ready for action.

Do You Miss Baca's Red Chile?

DOWNTOWN--Will is part owner of Wrap It Up. His dad is the head chef. While I was eating the carne adovada something about the red chile kept nagging at me. It tasted SO good and yet so familiar. Well, it turns out that Will's dad used to be the head chef at that Nob Hill institution of yesteryear, Baca's. He used to make that great red chile at Baca's! Thanks God it's back! Yahoo!

DOWNTOWN--Tuesdays and Thursdays Bob Evans and I ride the river bike trail end to end. We get hungry, very hungry. To top things off, Bob is so particular about food, and so knowledgable, that he should be doing a weekly TV show from his kitchen. So when we stopped in at a new restaurant, I wondered what he would think. Look at his face. Look at his plate. He liked it, and wanted seconds. The restaurant was called Wrap It Up on the corner of Coal and 10th. They moved there from the old Tito's Bar location on 4th NW. This building used to house Carlito's restaurant. In fact, what they did was combine Carlito's menu with their own...so now it serves wraps and Mexican food. Cheer up Bob, have another carne adovada burrito.

Enlarge This Picture! Look at that Road...

Looking back into the canyon from partway up the other side, you feel humbled by both the scenery and the riding experience. Believe it or not, I don't think we ever felt proud...just humbled by being able to be part of it all.

Lighting Up the Sony at the Bottom of the Salt River Canyon

Mike worked into the night on his laptop every night recording the day's events. They are published here. This was a wonderful, quiet evening along the Salt River featuring Mountain House freeze-dried stew for Mike and MH chili-mac for Yours Truly, Johnny_Mango.

A Beautiful Campsite on the Salt River

When we got to the bottom of the Salt River Canyon we found the store closed. We had plenty of food, but needed to refill our water bottles. Sorry Charlie. Still, the place was so beautiful and peaceful that it didn't bother us too much. The next afternoon, however, we did get down to one cup of water between us as we rode up and out of the canyon and into Globe.

The Old Mission at Zuni Pueblo

The Zunis convinced us that we ought to spend the night at the b&b in Zuni Pueblo rather than camp by the side of the road near the Arizona border...after all, it was cold, windy, in the middle of what they called a "spooky" area, and Halloween. Also, it was near the only bar in 50 miles.

So we stayed at The Inn at Halona. It was just great, and cost $80 for the two of us including a big, hot breakfast. It gave us time to wander around the pueblo and even go to see the "Santo Nino," a statue whose origin in Zuni history goes back to Coronado's passing. Care of the statue is handed down from generation to generation. I do not feel comfortable writing more about it, but there is a house in Zuni with "Santo Nino" written above the door. Go in there. The statue is in a large sort of living room. The Santo Nino also has a bedroom which we did not get to see.

While we were there, the statue's guardian was explaining the stories to us when an old pickup drove up. A middle-aged cowboy got out and helped an older cowboy into the room. I took them to be father and son. The father went up to the Santo Nino for a few moments and spoke softly. They sat quietly on a couch for a little bit, then went out to the pickup and drove off.

On the road to El Morro

Mike Moye rests with El Morro in the background. This is an unmistakable sight on the road from Grants to Zuni, and has been for centuries. Coronado stopped here at the spring in 1540 and his scripted name with the words "paso por aqui" are still to be seen carved into the bluff. If you haven't been here, do it. There is a nice campground here connected to the National Monument.

Hanging Out at the Witch Well Bar

This is the infamous Witch Well Bar. I had a microwave sandwich and a coffee. Mike just had the coffee. The man at the bar ordered 200 gallons of diesel from (I guess) the proprietor's private stock.

Time for a Clif Bar...Maybe a Piece of Cheese

These cliffs near Zuni show some of the spectacular scenery you always have time to stop for if you are on a bike. The flag gives you some idea of the headwind we encountered in that area.

Sitting In Globe, Arizona With Chips and a Coke

GLOBE, AZ--I have had a hard time posting, but here we are at a Comfort Inn in Globe. We have at this point biked about 280 miles with about 90 more to go. Today, starting with breaking camp on the Salt River and then climbing out of the canyon was spectacular! Everything about this day was harder than we thought it was going to be. We had been told that the road out of the Salt River Canyon gained 1500 ft. in three miles. Well, we climbed 3000 ft. in over ten miles getting away from that beautiful slash in the earth. Then, the store at the bottom of the canyon was closed because the owner was attending a workshop in Albuquerque! The hard part about that was that we were depending on the store to resupply our water supply. As it was, we went 90 miles in 2 days with less than a gallon of water each. Mike Moye has posted a detailed journal of the trip complete with pictures and in his own inimitable style. Please check it out. Tomorrow we have to climb out of Globe and then camp out someplace around Mammoth.