Ok, so I thought a Land of the Zia twitter account would be cool for when I'm on the road. I have no idea how to work it and am playing around with it so bare with me.
tweet.
www.twitter.com/zialander for those of you who know about such stuff.
[any tips would be greatly appreciated]
29 January 2011
26 January 2011
NEW YEARs EVE FREAKOUT!
Greetings citizen! I hope everyone had a good and safe New Years!
I did. I managed to swing a trip out of town to visit T-Rob in Oklahoma -- and just in time too. The day I arrived in Tulsa it was almost 70 degrees while that morning in Albuquerque it was 28 -- YUCK!
I was in town to visit T-Rob and to see what has become an annual New Years Eve event in Oklahoma City: The Flaming Lips New Years Eve FREAKOUT concert.
The who, you ask? Flaming Lips are local Okies done good. They scored a big hit a few years back with their release PINK ROBOTS [YOSHIMI BATTLES THE GIANT ROBOTS] a sci-fi, Pink Floyd-ish album.
Lead singer Wayne Coyne is Grand Marshal of the annual March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons Halloween parade in Oklahoma City every year which I have covered in this blog.
I always enjoy visiting Tulsa and OKC. They are big metropolitan areas and so green thanks to the rivers and lakes near both cities. Lush is not something we see much of in Albuquerque even with the Rio Grande River running through the core of town.
I ate well while in town, from Cattleman's Steakhouse in OKC to The Hideawy in Tulsa. From POPS in Arcadia to Coney Isand hot dogs in Jenks, OK
I'm STILL stuffed.
Ah, but the main reason for visiting was the New Years Eve concert in OKC:
OKC and Tulsa are great towns to visit if you ever get the chance!
Well, I'm glad to say I know winter is on the way out -- I heard the ice cream man driving down the street this week and he was open for business.
I'm in the process of planning several exciting adventures for the year, in fact one is happening this weekend, so stay tuned!
I'm out.
I did. I managed to swing a trip out of town to visit T-Rob in Oklahoma -- and just in time too. The day I arrived in Tulsa it was almost 70 degrees while that morning in Albuquerque it was 28 -- YUCK!
I was in town to visit T-Rob and to see what has become an annual New Years Eve event in Oklahoma City: The Flaming Lips New Years Eve FREAKOUT concert.
The who, you ask? Flaming Lips are local Okies done good. They scored a big hit a few years back with their release PINK ROBOTS [YOSHIMI BATTLES THE GIANT ROBOTS] a sci-fi, Pink Floyd-ish album.
Lead singer Wayne Coyne is Grand Marshal of the annual March of 1000 Flaming Skeletons Halloween parade in Oklahoma City every year which I have covered in this blog.
I always enjoy visiting Tulsa and OKC. They are big metropolitan areas and so green thanks to the rivers and lakes near both cities. Lush is not something we see much of in Albuquerque even with the Rio Grande River running through the core of town.
I ate well while in town, from Cattleman's Steakhouse in OKC to The Hideawy in Tulsa. From POPS in Arcadia to Coney Isand hot dogs in Jenks, OK
I'm STILL stuffed.
Ah, but the main reason for visiting was the New Years Eve concert in OKC:
OKC and Tulsa are great towns to visit if you ever get the chance!
Well, I'm glad to say I know winter is on the way out -- I heard the ice cream man driving down the street this week and he was open for business.
I'm in the process of planning several exciting adventures for the year, in fact one is happening this weekend, so stay tuned!
I'm out.
17 January 2011
SUFJAN
Hey gang, just wanted to share some great new music with you!
Fellas name is Sufjan Stevens and he has several CDs and EPs out.
The first song is VESUVIUS from his CD - THE AGE OF ADZ.
The second is Chicago from his CD ILLINOISE.
Check him out.
Fellas name is Sufjan Stevens and he has several CDs and EPs out.
The first song is VESUVIUS from his CD - THE AGE OF ADZ.
The second is Chicago from his CD ILLINOISE.
Check him out.
SHAKEY-TOWN
How time flies.
It was 17 years ago today I awoke around 4:27 am in Los Angeles.
I'm not sure why I woke up, I wasn't due at work til 8 am.
I looked at my table clock and vividly recall it reading 4:27 am. I took a glance out the window [at the time it faced Sony Studios down the street].
I then laid back down and rolled over.
The shaking started four minutes later at 4:31 am.
Some memories stay with you forever...like they happened yesterday.
The apartment was turned upside down that night.
As the violent shaking started I just kept repeating, "Oh my god, oh my god...!"
I jumped up and put pants on as the shaking increased. I then stepped in the door frame of my closet [not sure why, it wasn't a tornado!!]
I heard my roommate, Andre, call out my name from his room.
As the shaking began to decrease, I put some shoes on and went into the living room and saw Andre coming out of his room. Everything had fallen out of the cabinets and refrigerator. The power was out too and it was pitch dark. We could hear screaming coming from the three storing building and people running down the hallway.
We gathered our wits and ran down three flights of stairs too!
Everyone had gathered on the dark street along with other tenants from other buildings. We could see blue sparks in the sky from the downed transformers.
Then there was an after shock! It was right out of a movie as people started to scream in the streets.
Eventually the cold got to us and many of us went back in to the building and went back to sleep.
The following day I managed to get to work along with two other people. The boss' of course did not. There was no power either.
We mainly just held the fort and played poker all day -- and got paid for it, woohooo!
By that evening power had returned to the apartment and I saw the damage in the city on the TV: a freeway had collapsed literally down the street from work!!
I wasn't able to get a hold of my family until the following evening.
In the end, it is part of living in LA I guess.
I'm out.
It was 17 years ago today I awoke around 4:27 am in Los Angeles.
I'm not sure why I woke up, I wasn't due at work til 8 am.
I looked at my table clock and vividly recall it reading 4:27 am. I took a glance out the window [at the time it faced Sony Studios down the street].
I then laid back down and rolled over.
The shaking started four minutes later at 4:31 am.
Some memories stay with you forever...like they happened yesterday.
The apartment was turned upside down that night.
As the violent shaking started I just kept repeating, "Oh my god, oh my god...!"
I jumped up and put pants on as the shaking increased. I then stepped in the door frame of my closet [not sure why, it wasn't a tornado!!]
I heard my roommate, Andre, call out my name from his room.
As the shaking began to decrease, I put some shoes on and went into the living room and saw Andre coming out of his room. Everything had fallen out of the cabinets and refrigerator. The power was out too and it was pitch dark. We could hear screaming coming from the three storing building and people running down the hallway.
We gathered our wits and ran down three flights of stairs too!
Everyone had gathered on the dark street along with other tenants from other buildings. We could see blue sparks in the sky from the downed transformers.
Then there was an after shock! It was right out of a movie as people started to scream in the streets.
Eventually the cold got to us and many of us went back in to the building and went back to sleep.
The following day I managed to get to work along with two other people. The boss' of course did not. There was no power either.
We mainly just held the fort and played poker all day -- and got paid for it, woohooo!
By that evening power had returned to the apartment and I saw the damage in the city on the TV: a freeway had collapsed literally down the street from work!!
I wasn't able to get a hold of my family until the following evening.
In the end, it is part of living in LA I guess.
I'm out.
09 January 2011
PACK UP
Don't know if you guys have heard of this chick....correction, young woman, from England but I sure hope you will. I can't get this song out of my head and if this is the sound of new music to come, I'm very excited.
...but it's not just Miss Doolittle that is bringing back a retro sound, I'm sure by now you have heard Cee Lo Greens infamous 'F**CK YOU' song which is also fantastic [please forget the Gwynith Paltrow version from GLEE... PLEASE!!!]
I'm out.
...but it's not just Miss Doolittle that is bringing back a retro sound, I'm sure by now you have heard Cee Lo Greens infamous 'F**CK YOU' song which is also fantastic [please forget the Gwynith Paltrow version from GLEE... PLEASE!!!]
I'm out.
09 December 2010
02 December 2010
...winter arrives
Autumn has turned into winter.
Even though this is a mild winter I hate to see the colors abandon the landscapes before me.
The smell of fresh cut grass: gone.
Somehow, sweet tea doesn't taste as sweet as it does on a warm summer day.
Two days before Thanksgiving I opened the door to get the daily paper [yes, I still read the paper!] -- 75 percent of the leaves had fell from the trees. The mass exodus of Autumn had begun.
Two days later it snowed. Four out of five years that I have been here our first snow has been on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanksgiving was nice. Dad celebrated his 82nd one with us, how cool is that!
Mom was missed -- 20 years since she has passed.
I don't really have a set time when I put up the Christmas Tree...whenever the spirit moves me, usually around 1 December though. Just a small one for me and dad.
I'll be leaving for Okie City soon for New Years, excited about that.
A new year.
A new trip around the sun.
Pack your bags.
Pack your bags.
I'm out.
18 November 2010
ZIA-LANDER
Yes friends, it has been awhile.
September/October always seem to be my busiest months.
Nothing exciting to report, just busy with life as many of you are.
Winter is trying to settle in here; however, looks like fall just doesn't want to budge. The mornings are in the 20s but the days warm up to the upper 50s -- just how I like my winters. Apparently it is a weather pattern known as 'La Nina'.
Although I usually don't travel in winter, this New Years I wanted to go somewhere to celebrate it...and so I am.
Oh, no where 'grand' by any means, I will be seeing The Flaming Lips in Oklahoma City New Years Eve...very cool.
Tulsa and Oklahoma City are becoming favorite destinations of mine. How can you not love the salmon at the White River Fish Market ... sooo good. And of course a banana split at Braums... mmmm.
A couple of observations:
New Mexico being a swing state and all, going Democratic one election and Republican the next, we recently elected both a Republican Mayor and the first Hispanic Latina Governor.
Governor Susanna Martinez is a Republican dream! She's a smart cookie -- former District Attorney and fluent in both English and Spanish! Oh how the Republicans have chased after that elusive Spanish vote...or is it Latino vote....or Chicano vote or...they'll figure it out!
Governor Martinez and Senator Marco Rubio out of Florida will make quite a team in 2012 pitching for the Republicans.
I can see the Republicans salivating now....next thing you know John Boehner will say he loooovvves tacos! Ole' !!
Congratulations are in order for the Navajo Code Talkers of WW2!!
NM Route 264 has been named the Code Talkers Highway in honor of the Navajo marines who created the complex code never broken by the Japanese during WW2.
"Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima." said Major Howard Connor at Iwo Jima during WW2.
The code talkers received NO recognition until August 14, 1982 when President Ronald Regan declared the day National Navajo Code Talkers Day -- well after many of them had passed on.
In July of 2001, President George W Bush personally presented the Congressional Gold Medal to four surviving code talkers.
Check out the official code talkers website:
www.navajocodetalkers.org
24 October 2010
The Enchanted Mesa
Welcome to my final travel blog for the season. New Mexico winters can be too harsh to travel in so I stick close to home and pretty much hibernate.
I'm not a big fan of winter unless I am in doors under ten blankets with the heater on.
My last planned excursion of the season took me again to the Acoma Pueblo, almost four hundred feet high on a butte in a remote region of western New Mexico between Grants and Gallup.
The view of the valley ad you enter from the other side is striking and this was a gorgeous day to be here: 70, light breeze, clouds.
Keep in mind you are not allowed to take pictures unless you have received a permit from the visitors center.
The cost at this time to visit Acoma Puelbo [which is also known as Sky City because of its position on the butte almost 400 feet above] was $20 and this includes your camera permit.
The most prominent building, which can be seen from most points on the butte, is the San Esteban del Rey Mission which was started in 1630 [32 years after Juan de Onate took possession of New Mexico for Spain.
Since then the Acoman people are Catholic mixed with traditional beliefs.
Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously occupied community in the US.
For further history on the Pueblo see my link at right from my first trip here.
The pueblo is not occupied full time by the families who own their houses. It is occupied during traditional ceremonies and special occasions like the fall feast day on 2 September in which outsiders are invited in to the homes of the people and fed.
During the summer and fall some of the residents do occupy the homes to welcome tourists. Tables are set up with jewelry and crafts, like this jewel box that in Santa Fe would easily cost you $100.
Lucky me...home made blueberry pies were for sale too... man this was soooo good.
...but I digress...
You totally feel like you are on a movie set, which by the way REDSKIN and WAY OUT WEST were filmed here.
There are no amenities here. No running water, electricity or plumbing, thus the port-o-potties everywhere.
The views are AMAZING!
The mesa in the distance is called Enchanted Mesa and is a spiritual place. No one is allowed to scale it to this day.
Mount Taylor can be seen in the distance.
After the tour, you are given the option of taking the tour bus back down or taking the 'rock' walk back.
The rock walk is a trail used by the early residents to go up and down the butte. It is NOT for the weak of heart. A few people found that out as the walk down began.
From the bottom of the trail you can get a good look at the pueblo up on the butte.
[click to enlarge]
Once you are back at the visitors center, I might suggest you stop by the cafe for some good grub, like the chips and roasted green chili avocado dip [yes yes, we put green chili in EVERYTHING here...]
And so ends another great travel season. I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me.
I'm out.
I'm not a big fan of winter unless I am in doors under ten blankets with the heater on.
My last planned excursion of the season took me again to the Acoma Pueblo, almost four hundred feet high on a butte in a remote region of western New Mexico between Grants and Gallup.
The view of the valley ad you enter from the other side is striking and this was a gorgeous day to be here: 70, light breeze, clouds.
Keep in mind you are not allowed to take pictures unless you have received a permit from the visitors center.
The cost at this time to visit Acoma Puelbo [which is also known as Sky City because of its position on the butte almost 400 feet above] was $20 and this includes your camera permit.
The most prominent building, which can be seen from most points on the butte, is the San Esteban del Rey Mission which was started in 1630 [32 years after Juan de Onate took possession of New Mexico for Spain.
Since then the Acoman people are Catholic mixed with traditional beliefs.
Acoma Pueblo is the oldest continuously occupied community in the US.
For further history on the Pueblo see my link at right from my first trip here.
The pueblo is not occupied full time by the families who own their houses. It is occupied during traditional ceremonies and special occasions like the fall feast day on 2 September in which outsiders are invited in to the homes of the people and fed.
During the summer and fall some of the residents do occupy the homes to welcome tourists. Tables are set up with jewelry and crafts, like this jewel box that in Santa Fe would easily cost you $100.
Lucky me...home made blueberry pies were for sale too... man this was soooo good.
...but I digress...
You totally feel like you are on a movie set, which by the way REDSKIN and WAY OUT WEST were filmed here.
There are no amenities here. No running water, electricity or plumbing, thus the port-o-potties everywhere.
The views are AMAZING!
The mesa in the distance is called Enchanted Mesa and is a spiritual place. No one is allowed to scale it to this day.
Mount Taylor can be seen in the distance.
After the tour, you are given the option of taking the tour bus back down or taking the 'rock' walk back.
The rock walk is a trail used by the early residents to go up and down the butte. It is NOT for the weak of heart. A few people found that out as the walk down began.
From the bottom of the trail you can get a good look at the pueblo up on the butte.
[click to enlarge]
Once you are back at the visitors center, I might suggest you stop by the cafe for some good grub, like the chips and roasted green chili avocado dip [yes yes, we put green chili in EVERYTHING here...]
And so ends another great travel season. I hope you have enjoyed the journey with me.
I'm out.
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