And the surrounding areas
June 4-8, 2020
The Western Slope of Colorado is a region that contains many counties and much of the water that can be found in the state. Nestled in the Western Slope is Gunnison County, home of Gunnison, Almont and Crested Butte, CO.
Admittedly, I’d never heard of these places before I met Brandy. She’s a fan though and we went on our first major “couples trip” last weekend.
Before I go into my planned trip, I’m happy to say that my permanent pass for the Air Force Base is ready and I’ll be picking it up in the next day or two.
Secondly, I’m going to say, I love working for Presbyterian. Despite losing money by the elimination of elective surgeries during the COVID crisis, they’ve continued to pay all of their employees even if there’s no work for them (caveats included though.)
Since my last trip, a lot has happened, yet simultaneously, not a lot has happened.
On February 29, I met Brandy. Her and I have so much in common, but yet we are such completely different people. I quickly realized though that this is a woman that I am madly in love with. She brings out the best in me and for that, I am forever thankful.
I met my partner, Brandy, on February 29, 2020. Before that, I’d never even heard of Crested Butte, Colorado. She had spent some time living there though and absolutely loves it. She has apparel, pictures in her (our) house, she talks about it constantly. In fact, she had an annual trip planned with her mother for shortly after I met her.
Then came the COVID.
As we sail through the month of March under social distancing and stay at home orders, getting out to see the sights I’ve sought has been impossible.
But fear not! My plans and desires persist and shall not fail! I’ve had some developments recently that will allow me to travel more, more frequently, and to farther away than I initially was seeking.
As we move through this scary time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remain optimistic and look forward to the time when we can travel, eat, and shop freely. Those days are within our grasp. I promise.
Until then, continue dreaming of that great horizon.
-Phil
February 15, 2020
Belen, New Mexico, was settled in 1740 and incorporated as a city in 1918. Its proximity to the geographic center of New Mexico earned the city the nickname “Hub City” and Belen became a centralized transportation hub including access to rail, interstate highways and air travel.
As a main stop on the AT&SF railroad, Belen was home to one of the many Harvey Houses throughout the country. Many of the Harvey Houses were torn down or lost to fires or floods, but the city of Belen made effort to restore their Harvey House and reopen it as a museum.
Well… more like my day as a farm hand…
Febrary 8, 2020
Alan put out a call for help earlier in the week. He was putting new fences in at his ranchette and will soon be re-seeding his pasture. I gladly accepted the invitation.
February 1, 2020
January 25, 2020
My plan for this week’s outing was to stop by my parents’ house to drop off some boxes, then head down Corrales Blvd to Alameda, then Rio Grande Blvd down to downtown-ish then head up the El Camino Real senic byway (4th Street) into Bernalillo, swinging by the Coronado Historic Site before heading back home. I decided to reverse the trip instead.
I work on the 8th floor at Presbyterian hospital in downtown Albuquerque. The view from one of the windows in my clinic faces north, northeast-ish. The view from that window is pretty nice, especially in the spring, summer and fall when the trees are green, or starting to change colors.
In the dead of winter, the trees are… well, dead, but there’s still a pretty nice view of the Sandia Mountains.
I gaze out that window a few times a day and invariably wish I was out there, rather than cooped up in the building.
Not that I necessarily hate my job, but I would much rather be breathing fresh air from atop the mountain, or roaming among the trees along one of the many hiking trails up there.
Knowing that today is Thursday, and all I have to do is get through the rest of the day today, then tomorrow, is what keeps me going.
Come on, Saturday!
-Phil