summer blues: mom's birthday

This is my mom's birthday in Moriarty. August 18, 2009

She's the youngest of her siblings, so she still gets treated like a baby.

My parents' property has a ton of Russian Olives around the perimeter of the gardens and driveways. I remember growing up thinking the Russian Olive tree was as ubiquitous as the Junipers in New Mexico. It didn't occur to me that my dad loved the look and shade of them and planted every single one himself.

They are breathtaking to look at and wonderful to smell. A very crisp and dry reed.

But, watch for the thorns!

I bought my mom some delicate pink and yellow roses. They reminded me of her.

We didn't have any vases, my dad put it in a gigantic pretzel jar.

I love my Auntie Martha's fry bread.

I played lifeguard while the kiddies swam. Can you see the rainstorm to the west?

This picture reminds me of my mom and her sisters so well. They are exceptionally strong ladies. Quiet and powerful. Doing the work of twenty men without complaint. And still, able to have time to paint her nails.

green chile ...

drool.

I was informed this is called Navajo Tea.

One of my aunties found it on the side of the road and brought some for mom.

Afterward, I took Marc on a hidden road beyond Edgewood. A few friends from High School lived that way and I hadn't driven on it since then. The rush of forgotten memories picked me up. It's funny to think about how long ago high school was when I can still feel lightheaded and dizzy from a first crush and staying out past curfew.

It's very different living on this side of the Sandias. The quiet can scare you.

All the while, I silently pleaded to live within the city. On the other side of the mountain. I missed out on the very crucial events that occurs to a city child. Riding bikes to a friends' house, walking to stores, walking anywhere important (to a teenager). I just wanted to be part of that anonymous wave of people in a city. I wanted to be a part of something bigger! And I was stuck at the end of a dirt road with my kid sister, baby brother and two parents who already lived out their party days.

I'm quick to groan about my own country upbringing. Meanwhile, I'm trying to capture the stark beauty in the East Mountains. Funny.

bicycle fiend

Yesterday was our family's (plus marc) 2nd ANNUAL EXTREMELY LONG (for us) BIKE RIDE!

We biked from Moriarty to Galisteo, which is 28.4 stinking miles! Let me put this in some perspective ... ahem ... WE RODE PAST HALF THE LENGTH OF THE SANDIAS AND FULLY PAST SOUTH MOUNTAIN. I didn't fall or complain either. I just cried once because I couldn't finish the last hill without stopping twice. My leg muscles just turned to jelly. Here's the whole story (with pics!):

I decided to spend my birthday money on bike helmets and gel bike-seat pads for mi familia. Actually, did you know bike helmets are $16 to $800?! My bday money didn't cover everything so I dipped into my alcohol and catnip expenses. It made meesa sad, but proud of myself. Now, I'm only rich in kindness and family. Does someone want to buy me a tom collins and toy mouse?

I asked Marc to wear his XXXL Lord of the Rings tee shirt for laughs. Not only does it say "My uncle went to the Misty Mountains and all I got was this evil ring" on the back, but he could sail a pirate ship with the sleeve flaps of that thing. lol for eternity!

Yeah, I looked like a wiener. A safe, well-ventilated, sun-protected wiener.

We loaded the bikes and ourselves in the back of the truck and my dad drove us up to highway 41.

I made up a song called "calves on a country road." The melody sucked but I sang it like Bobcat Goldthwait and made up for it.

Those are the back of the Sandia's on the left and South Mountain is on the right. Look, my camera already has a bunch of smudges and particles in the lens because of the damn, dirty bag I keep it in. oh wellsies! Mi papa took my brother to get a new bike and then met up with us in 30.

R and M took off like rockets. I kept a slow pace in the beginning.

We met up to drink a kool-aid burst and look at the scenery. Farms, fields, cars and cows.

It doesn't look like much, but if I could show you a 360, you'd be awed. For the first 13 miles, it was very flat with a few gradual hills. We passed a corn field, alfalfa field, ten haunted houses, a haunted gas station, fields of wildflowers, one of the King's shi shi ranches, a field of cattle and their baby cattle - a thousand awww's!, and a ton of people driving by waved at us. Tres cool!

Plus, anytime I got too bored, I'd pump my arm and someone would honk at me.

J. met up with us. His new bike was being a literal pain in the ass. The seat was too small and loose. He rode it anyway.

Anyway, the big drama of the ride was when J.'s bike seat fell off and he practically snapped his spine in half. We called my dad to pick it up and exchange any bike with the new one, so he gave us this really, really tiny bike that J used to ride when he was 4'3''. I volunteered to ride it and gave him my purple bike.

I'm not sure why but it's funny when a cow stares at you.

So, anyway, the tiny bike was extremely ridiculous to ride. It took about 12 pumps to get the same distance my purple bike would go on 1 pump. J and I had to switch riding it back and forth every 1/2 mile since it was such a nightmare to ride. The upside is that I cracked up for the rest of the day when J sang the crazy circus song while I was riding.

Finally, my dad returned with the fixed bike seat. Jack gave me old purple back and I took off like lightening.

It was really beautiful to watch the wind blow this purple and white grass. The blades are super shiny and made it look like lavender water was crashing into the pavement. Weird and cool.

A bunch of dead trees and vultures ... and haunted houses. I didn't want to stop long enough for the cosmic goons to catch me though. Ride away!

Some rich fuck's compound. Bla.

Basically, right after I passed this sign, the shoulder went away and the road became a mess of terrifying slopes with loose rocks and insanely steep uphills.

I stopped after the first hill to let my heart catch up to my body. I couldn't hold the handlebars, my hands were trembling too much.

For the most part, the cars gave us a ton of room. And when they didn't I gave 'em the philadelphia wave. Up yours, fuck rats.

And the next 8 miles were terrifying and amazing and unbelievably beautiful. I hardly stopped at all to take pics. I was too happy being in the sun and riding through the gorgeous desert.

I made it! I made it!

I biked through town and found Rye, Marc and Nico sitting under a tree.

I was filled with happy endorphins and so proud of myself. I made it all the way there!

We ate green chile and cheese hoagies with peach fresca. yum yum yum!

Yay! Almost nothing feels better than accomplishing something like this. About 4 times on the bike ride, I literally had to stop and say outloud, "You can do this. You can do this." Cheesy, right? Wrong! When you're twenty miles into a bike ride and have jello legs, nothing you can say to yourself is cheesy.

I thought I could do it and did. That sums it up pretty well :)

Awwww! And my mom's hoagie exploded in the bag.

Let's get ourselves some ice cream. We deserve it!

Next year: 40 miles!