Greetings! I wrote this from the road, blogging as Corelyn drove for Truth and Consequences, AZ. We were on Route 25, driving though the desert that is very beautiful and awe-inspiring.
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On Monday, we didn’t update you as much because we were in Albuquerque, hanging with Meg for an entire day. We got up early to stay on a schedule and to see Mike off to work…with a breakfast burrito. We went to Golden Pride, which apparently is the place to go for burritos of the breakfast variety. Golden Pride is owned by the same people who own and operate Frontier which is known as an Albuquerque food sensation.
Post burritos, we headed a turquoise shop to look at traditional Native American/Native American inspired necklaces, earrings, and the like. After scouring the shop, we hopped in the car and drove to the University of New Mexico, which is where Meg works. She showed us around the campus, pointing out the beautiful sculptures and landscaping, and touring us around the duck pond that was an adorable addition to the campus. We took lots of photos on the campus, making Meg stop frequently to either pose or allow one of us to get the exposure correct. She was patient with us, and even posed with a few statues.
After the campus, we went to Flying Star to get some lunch. Corelyn had a delicious turkey and avocado/cheese sandwich, while I had a Mediterranean plate. Meg’s salad made us both jealous, and was full of spinach, strawberries, and other yummy salad toppings. After we were satisfied, we let loose in a thrift store called “Buffalo Exchange.” Meg scored with a few dresses, Corelyn picked up a lovely orange dress, and I made out with a pair of peace sign dangling earrings. Meg also ended up trying on two dresses I already own (one that MMC gave me, black with white polka dots) and purchased one (the MMC one!!)
Dresses secured, we decided we’d like to see Old Town of Albuquerque. Meg drove us over, and we spent a while walking around, getting ice cream, and taking in the sights. Old Town Albuquerque is a beautiful, Mexican-inspired area that was quaint, historical, and interesting. We walked by many shops, popped into a gorgeous church, and spent some time on the green. (For those of you who don’t know, a green is kind of like the town center/square. Think Gilmore Girls. Think Big Fish. Think Back to the Future. You get the idea.)
We also made Meg pose for photos here, me lying on the ground posing Meg, chin up, chin down, tilt this way, etc. After capturing some of Old Town, Meg walked us to a lovely park that was attached to a few museums. It was full of exercise equipment, so obviously Corelyn, Meg, and I spent the next thirty minutes exercising and goofing off. Then we headed back to the car, and back to the apartment to get ready for the Albuquerque Isotopes baseball game.
The ‘Topes are the farm team of the Dodgers, and they are beloved in Albuquerque. Corelyn had never been to a baseball game, but we assured her the game was mostly about hot dogs and beer, and she was amenable to the idea. Mike even let me borrow his ‘Topes t-shirt, so I was ready for the game. We headed to the ballpark, where we got to park for free due to the four people in our car (free parking! For carpooling! Thanks, Albuquerque!)
Once inside the ball field, we met up with two of Meg and Mike’s friends (Justin and Stacy), and their friend from out of town (Devon.) As it turns out, Devon was also road tripping from Los Angeles, and was following a similar route to the east coast. He also was a Yankee’s fan, so that was a point of contention between us as we sat next to each other.
We had, coincidentally, talked in the car on the way over about how I hate all Yankees fans (except for my family and K and T, who are the exception to my rule.) “This is going to be hard, you picked the wrong person to sit next to,” I said, but continued to have a pleasant conversation all the same. Devon turned out to be a baseball player, so I learned a lot about the game, as well, and he kept an eye for fly balls while Corelyn, Meg, and I chattered away.
We had beer, a hot dog, and churros at the game, interspersed between innings two and seven. When we arrived at the seventh inning stretch, Corelyn said, “Oh, that’s a real thing?” Oh, Corelyn. We belted out “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and Mike and Justin actually stood up to get a good stretch in.
The game ended in and exciting manner: bottom of the ninth, tied score, bases loaded. The ‘Topes hit a high fly ball to left field, bringing the third base runner home and ending in a 7-6 victory. We headed home, full of good food, Coors Light, and giggles, and prepared for the longest car day we have on our road trip: 14 hours to San Antonio. Meg and Mike proved the best hosts we could have asked for, and it was lovely to meet their friends and get a glimpse into their life in the wondrous city of Albuquerque.
[addtoany] Yum