That last post was, get this, number 500!
Five freaking hundred!
In just less than two years.
Wow.
Considering that when I started this thing back in March of 2007, I was unsure what the heck to write about.
Thanks to those who have come along for this crazy ride.
w00t!
I am always filled with a not-so-quiet joy when I see the place from whence I came showcased on the big stage.
It somehow validates me.
Sure, having Big Bad Billy run for President surely upped New Mexico’s cool quotient and “put us on the map” in plenty of ways.
But my heart sang and my eyes wept last night watching an episode of “No Reservations” on the Travel Channel.
I love this show. Starring Anthony Bourdain, a career chef, New Jersey born, New York resident. This is a high class, high dollar guy who knows his food.
He was head chef at upscale Les Halles in New York for many years. He’s also a prolific writer and avid traveler. I’ve read a few of his books, many of his editorials and some blog posts. His writing is tight, snarky and well, just good.
I’ve watched his food/travel show since it was called something different for a season on the Food Network. I’ve also seen every episode of the long running series now on the Travel Channel.
I’ve been around the world with Tony. Watched him get pummeled by bulky bodybuilders in Finland, seen him travel the back roads of Viet Nam eating god knows what, watched him get bucked off a four wheeler in New Zealand, and am intimately familiar with his love for all pork products.
So last night’s episode (actually, it was last week’s, I missed it and caught a rerun), Anthony was given use of a BMW SUV, then set out on a road trip to the American Southwest.
Hoookay, Mr. Snappy Chef Boy, you are dancing on my terrain now.
I was pretty certain I’d see plenty of Arizona, lots of Texas, and none of my Fair New Mexico.
I was wrong.
In between stops in Indio, CA (god, why would *anyone* willingly stop there) and Waco, TX (home of one Mr. Ted Nugent), the No Reservations crew made a stop in Hatch.
Yes, Hatch, New Mexico, home of one of the finest food ingredients in the world.
Tony sat at a vinyl-topped table with the owners of The Pepper Pot, and talked with them about the troubles of chile farmers (mostly that there is lack of demand, so farmers are converting crops to more profitable items, like corn).
While they talked, the host was served both a red and a green enchilada.
And Mr. Bourdain, world traveler, renowned chef, he of highly calibrated taste buds turned to the camera and said, “That is the best enchilada I have ever eaten.”
Yes, yes it is. The best you’ll *ever* eat.
Take that to Manhattan, big man.
Because if it was the last day of my life, and I was told that I could choose one of two places for my last meal: a high end, high dollar establishment, or a crappy diner in New Mexico, there would be no contest.
Chicken enchiladas, green, with a fried egg and sour cream.
And I would go quietly into that great beyond with a big smile and a full belly.
Salute to my home state for getting a good review from a snarky host of a travel show!
To celebrate, I’ll have feet on the ground in just less than two weeks.
Because it’s time. And because my sweet New Mexico calls to me.
Mostly because my best friend said she’d make rellenos.
Green chile chicken enchiladas, here I come!
As mentioned yesterday, I’m participating in Blog Comment Day 2008.
The rules are to comment on five blogs, two have to be blogs you’ve not commented on before.
So since I’m running around the ‘net putting in blog comments, in some cases, I’m using pseudonyms. I know, that may be cheating as it isn’t driving traffic to my site, but since I don’t know these folks….yanno….
Here’s my list of where I’ve been this morning:
1) I started by going to the WordPress front page because they always list what’s hot on their service.
My eyes went right to a post on Apple 2.0 – Fortune on CNNMoney.com.
The topic of the post was, “Does Steve Jobs Lisp?”
The post was made in response to an episode of the Simpsons where there was a Steve Mobs character, a send up of the real Steve Jobs, who, in the episode, spoke with a pronounced lisp.
Well, having had some “in the same room” time with the guy, I can confirm that yes, he does lisp, slightly. My issue with the Simpsons version of SJ was that they had him in khaki pants. He doesn’t wear those. He wears jeans. Usually with holes in them.
Anyhow, I put in a comment but comments are moderated on that site, so mine may or may not show up. We’ll see. A pseudonym was used for this comment.
2) Next stop, also culled from the WordPress front page was 1000 Awesome Things and a post entitled “#883 Ugly actors“
It was hard to resist a title like that. I looked at their list, and I observed that, Paris Hilton notwithstanding, there are some damn fine, albeit, visually challenging, actors on that list.
The bad news is…my browser seized up on my first attempt to comment…so I made the newbie error of double posting.
Ah well. Redfaced, I’ll move quickly from that blog…
3) Ok, I’m in the swing now. On the hunt for a next stop, I scanned the comment list on the original Blog Comment Day 2008 post. I figured these are good people, in on the game, so I’ll hit them up.
The one that caught my eye was called Cuppajavawithfriends.com which I found to be an inviting name.
First post on the blog was “100 Things – Some of which I have done”.
The blogger has done a LOT of the items in the list. I’m impressed. Going to have to look closer at the list to see how I’ve done in my years.
This seemed like a good blog with good people, so I went ahead and put my blog link in my comment. Have a made a new blogging friend?
4) Ok, so commenting and blogging about it at the same time is taking a lot of time! Work is starting to interfere! My email keeps chiming and people are stopping by my office. This is where, in the marathon, I start thinking about stopping…resting…having a nice glass of water and calling it quits.
But I cannot. I made a promise. To myself. To the blogosphere.
I carry on. Battered, but spirit intact.
I’ve now commented on THREE blogs that I’ve never hit before. I consider taking the easy road home and hitting up friends to complete the journey. Even though that’s allowed under the rules, I’m going to take the road less traveled and find two more blogs that are new to me.
Back to the list of folks participating in the Blog Comment Day and I found a great, exuberant response from Lanie Petersen. I like her style. So I visited her page.
And while there found a link to another of her blogs, Lainie Sips, where the blogger reviews teas.
Well. Now, I’m a huge fan of tea, so I HAD to pop over.
I commented on her post Trader Joe’s Pomegranate White Tea (review). As I struggle with my blood pressure, I have to watch caffeine and I find that white tea can zing me up. So I posted a question.
And I also bookmarked a new page that I’ll find my way back to.
Nicely done, Lainie!
5) Ok, we’re close to the end. The last mile. Rounding third headed for home. And a bunch of other euphemisms I can’t think of right now.
I need to find one last blog and I need to make it good. It’s been an epic journey thus far.
I go back to the place where this very blog is hosted, Blogspot, and look at their “Blogs of Note”. I ping a couple, but they are not my style. A knitting site, a gorgeous food site, and an artist’s site, but none so far really stick with me. And as they are “blogs of note” they have a LOT of commenters.
I’m looking for someone like me, who would love an extra comment or two here and there.
Nothing is really popping. So I go to Google to do a blog search and put in “New Mexico” in the search box. I found a lot of “the ones you know already” but undeterred, I drilled down on the list.
A post titled “Good eats New Mexico” of course caught my eye. But I read it and disagreed with the whole list. You KNOW how I am about my food, especially New Mexico food, so no, this is not the place for my dramatic finish.
I’m starting to worry. Will I pull this one off? Will I get so close I can *see* the finish line, but not get across it? Am I that person?
Wait, what’s this?
A blog post about moving to New Mexico. It is a Malaysian woman and her husband raising their five children in the US, homeschooling them, and it looks like her family will soon be moving to New Mexico.
It’s a blog for her friends and family mostly, to talk about homeschooling and about life, so I don’t want to be a pest. I don’t want to alarm her. I just want to let her know that it’s ok.
Out of respect, I’ll not link to her blog. But in my comment, I let her know that while New Mexico may seem odd or strange, that it really is a lovely place to live. I wish her only the best that New Mexico has to offer.
I now find myself worrying about this woman. How she’ll fare in the move. How New Mexico will seem to her. It seems intrusive to bookmark her blog and peek in, but I find I must.
I want to check her progress. Hear her thoughts. I love New Mexico so much, I sometimes wish I could have that fresh perspective on going there. I love when friends visit (as one recently did) and share with me their first impressions.
And so, with this last thoughtful and meaningful experience, I have found conclusion to Blog Comment Day 2008.
I thought it would be really easy, but proved to be a bit tougher than I thought. I have visited five new-to-me blogs and left my thoughts behind. I’ve made some new destinations to visit and found I’m not as web savvy as I’d like to think (still can’t believe I double posted, *sigh*).
In all, a meaningful experience. Thanks to John Smulo for the idea!
Such a simple idea, but such a good thing.
December 3 (that’s tomorrow, people) is Blog Comment Day, 2008.
“Though there may be 100 reasons why people blog, I’ve yet to meet a blogger who doesn’t appreciate comments.” So says John Smulo about the idea.
The very easy rules:
On December 3, 2008 you will leave one comment on at least 5 different blogs.
Out of the 5 blogs you comment on, at least 2 of them will be blogs you haven’t commented on previously.
And there you have it. As a former musician friend of mine used to say, “Applause is a musician’s meal.” For a blogger, comments are your applause.
Not a huge time commit, but a good thing all around.
Who’s in? Go to John’s page and leave a comment to sign up!
Thanks to Jamie Dedes for emailing me the link!
Oh Fair New Mexico, for better or worse, you are stepping up your game.
First we had our friend Bill run for the Office of President, and it looks like Bill is soon to be appointed to Secretary of Commerce.
And today I’m reading in Michael Coleman’s blog in the ABQJournal that Louis Caldera, former President of UNM, has been appointed Director of the White House Military Office.
Well ok! Biscochitos for everyone!