Check your thumbs

If they're green, we need your help.  Our house came with beautiful landscaping, thankfully looked after by an automatic watering system.  As Dad pointed out, this makes it virtually maintenance free (I know, I've become a through and through city boy; I couldn't tell if Dad was appalled or jealous when he noted that).  Nonetheless, our plants do take some work, and I am clueless as to how they should be looked after.  Some are in bad shape (see the poor tree (#17)  below) and need careful attention to grow correctly, and others look good and need to be kept that way.  Take a look at the numbered pictures, and if you know what plant it is, or even better how to care for it, let us know in the comments.

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PS:  10 and 14 are roses (not the same kind), 4 looks like some sort of bamboo, and you can click on the pictures for a close-up view.

I ski again

Wolf Creek had some of the best snow I've ever seen:

Albuquerque weather

I just want to expand on the weather theme. It's interesting that very little of importance happens in Albuquerque weather wise, but the local news places great importance in the weather, sometimes issuing updates between news casts. Realistically Albuquerque residents need a weather update once per quarter. In fact, I'll give you all you need to know right now:




June - August: Very hot, with periods of insanely hot.

September - November: Perfect temperature to enjoy the balloon fiesta.

December - February: Pleasantly chilly with a possible dusting of snow.

March - May: Windy!




Action movies often involve a hero being chased down by a dust storm of apocalyptic size, which blots out the sun and makes people run for their lives. I couldn't connect with such scenes until I lived one:





This is the middle of the afternoon, and the picture accurately picks up how dark it was. The wind was blowing the sand hard enough to make me worry for my car's finish and make it impossible to walk around.

********* UPDATE **************

Although everything Jesse said in this post is generally true, the funny thing is the very next day we received plenty of weather. We were so unprepared for it that Jesse left his shoes and the charcoal for barbecuing out on the patio. When he asked me if he should bring it in, I said "what's going to happen -- it's not going to rain or anything." But it did. Hard. We had our first real rain (by real I mean not a sprinkle that lasts a few minutes). Everything was soaked! More amazing still, however, was the fact that this rain turned into hail that afternoon. While the hail did not last very long and wasn't very big, it was certainly weird and unexpected. I guess the only way to get real weather in Albuquerque is to complain that it is always sunny and warm!

Albuquerque + Spring = Windy

Holy cow it was windy this week. I have never spent a spring in Albuquerque before, but they weren't kidding about their winds. Although the temperature was actually nice, the excessive winds made it cold -- especially if, say, you went to the top of a mountain!

See?

We certainly screamed at the cold wind and huddled together for warmth, but we did not let a little wind prevent us from seeing the beautiful views from the Sandia Crest . . .

or the petroglyphs . . .

All in all we had fun hiking and seeing the sites -- maybe we'll do it again during some other part of the year!

Chloe Comes to Visit

After months of me dying to hold and kiss my little baby neice, Chloe and Nicole came to visit for a couple days!

She is so adorable and lovable! We had tons of fun at the dog park . . .

and at the McDonald's playground . . .

and at Toys R Us . . .

where we got a princess outfit!

And she LOVED dancing and singing in her princess dress!

Beyond fun events, we also got to share everyday moments with her as well. We read together. . .




and slept together . . .



and bathed together . .

and cuddled together!

So much fun!

Cars we left by the side of the road

Being a bit of a car nut (and a basket case when it comes to big decisions), our new car search began essentially with the dawn of time.  Officially it lasted for about six months.  During that time we test drove the following cars:

2005 Audi A4 (Used)

2009 Honda Fit (New)

2009 Mazda 6 (New)

2009 Mazda 3 (New)

2005 Mercedes-Benz C230 (Used)

2006 Nissan Maxima (Used)

2008 Saturn Astra (New)

2009 Saturn Aura (New)

2009 Suzuki SX4 (New)

2009 Toyota Corolla (New)

2009 Toyota Camry (New)

2008 Volkswagen Jetta (New)

2008 Volkswagen Rabbit (New)

2007 Volvo S40 (Used)

Our 2010 Mazda 3 wasn't my first choice; I preferred the Mazda 6, Saturn Astra, and Volkswagen Rabbit, the first two of which have the added benefit of being somewhat American made.  The Saturn would never really have been an option though, because they killed off the brand just as we were finally ready to buy.  I was really disappointed with the Camry and Aura (though I liked the Aura better) for incredibly weak engines and poorly tuned transmissions (both with the 4-cylinder engines).  They get the job done, but without even a hint of passion for driving.  

One of our requirements for a new car was that it have a stability control system (if you're buying a new car, be sure to get it!), which when combined with our budget ruled out a large portion of the available cars.  There were a few that we could have considered but didn't:  2009 Ford Focus (too ugly and apparently less fun to drive than a Camry), 2010 Ford Fusion (the stripped down model would just barely fit in our budget), 2009 Honda Civic (only the top of the line model has stability control, and it's quite expensive), 2009 Subaru Impreza (too granola), and 2009 Chevy Malibu (again, only the stripped down model could possibly, barely, almost fit in our budget).  Hyundai and Kia also offer some models we could have looked at, but we felt no need to go to them.  The models just listed were enticing as either highly reputable companies (Honda) or American made to some degree.  Unfortunately, our ultimate goal was an elegant, compact car with the requisite safety features and in our limited budget, something the Detroit automakers just don't offer.  

Ultimately though, one criteria mattered the most:  Krystle's choice.  And in case you hadn't picked up on it from earlier posts, Krystle loves her car (even if it does look like a smiling whale with braces).

Farewell to a good and (mostly) faithful friend

As Krystle wrote below, we have a new addition to our garage.  More on that later.  First, I want to remember our now gone Pontiac Grand Prix, for as younger siblings push their older brethren from their parents' affections, so our newest addition has shoved its predecessor out of our care (and apparently into the waiting arms of Mexico, if one dealer is to be believed).

For reasons unfathomable to my wife, I actually liked that car.  At the end, it was a little bit like driving a truck:  large engine, meaty tires, so many dings and stains that you didn't even notice more as they appeared.   It was also dead reliable, except for all that stuff I had to fix.  Pontiac got the major parts right though, since the engine and transmission still run like they'll never give up the ghost.  It will make great transportation for some thrifty traveler, as long as they don't mind the heat since the a/c quit.

All those imperfections also made it a perfect commuter car.  Rolling down the city streets, if a BMW or Mercedes wants to cut me off, no problem!  This lane's big enough for the both of us!  I probably wouldn't even be able to tell if I got side swiped.  I'm sure the BMW owner couldn't say the same.

In conclusion, the car served us well and was the best hand-me-down I've ever received; it was from Krystle's mom, thanks!  (As a side note to any guys reading this, here's a great way to scare an actual or possible mother in law, potentially enough for them to offer to replace your car:  After driving to the house of the parents of the girlfriend/fiance/new wife, excuse yourself to inspect your car since it was having problems on the drive over.  When they ask what is the matter, tell them it's no big deal, you're just trying to plug the leak in the gas tank.  Worked like a charm for me!)

Our New Baby

No, not a human baby, just this smiling bundle of joy:

Yes, after six months of research and saving, we brought our new car home today. I had a lot of fun reading up on all the car's cool features, particularly its bluetooth capabilities. I can now make or receive calls using my car's voice activated bluetooth device! We can also plug in our ipod directly into our sound system. My happy baby makes a chime sound when it starts and says goodbye to me when I shut it off -- how cute!

Other cool options include a sensor that lets me know when my tire pressure is low (or high) and safety features like dynamic stability control. And it is super-fun to drive. Zoom Zoom!

We're No. 1

Guess who was the first couple to drive a 2010 Mazda3 in Albuquerque? Hint: we're pretty amazing, and being the first to drive a 2010 is pretty amazing!

I am pretty much obsessed with this car, so I found out as soon as one of the mazda dealers in town got one in. We went in, made them pull the car out of the back where they were sprucing it up to put on the floor, and took it for a spin! I love it, and hopefully I will own one by the end of the month.


We're not going to buy the one we drove though because it was white and I am not a fan of white cars (though I will admit that the 2010 mazda3 wears white well). We are thinking of getting a deeper red color (they call it "copper red mica") with a tan and black interior (the combination is sporty-looking . . . I will have to get used to it though).

I realize that not everyone is as enamored with the new 3's looks as I am. Jesse is skeptical for one (though he admits it looks better in person) and Warren said it looks like a "smiling wale"!

Anyway, I thought I would share this picture, which while intended to make fun of the car, actually makes me love it more.