Truckin’

I could never live in Albuquerque, or probably any other city like it. And the oversized pickup trucks that are so prevalent on the roads are as good an explanation as I can offer. I have no doubt that many of these trucks are used for things like ranching or hauling. But some probably never

Vegas Matchbooks, part 2

I’ve been to bingo parlors a couple of times in my life, on Native American lands outside of Albuquerque. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, by any means. Imagine a big room of cafeteria tables, and people with bingo cards, ink dabbers, and cigarettes. It’s not a fun way to spend an evening, believe me. All

Seeing the President

It’s an election season, as everybody knows, and that offers a chance to reflect on the two times in my life that I’ve actually seen the president with my own eyes. Some people see the president more often than that, and others probably live their lives without ever seeing the president at all. As with

All around the world

When I was a kid growing up, I used to dream about the world outside of where I lived. I wasn’t near any airports, so the only time I ever got to see airplanes were when they were high up in the sky. I told myself that the people on those planes were probably going

Has it really been eight years?

I remember the weekend before it happened. I was in Albuquerque with my family for the annual balloon festival. I had been there before, but it was different that time. The Cubs had advanced in the playoffs, and I could taste the World Series. It seemed inevitable. A couple of games in the Marlins series