Kids at the Four Corners Monument

“Tourists who want to put a hand or foot in each of four states at the Four Corners area are apparently are way off the mark. According to readings by the National Geodetic Survey, the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be.” [Link]

Keep Alameda Beautiful had a great write up in the Sun News, two pages and three pictures!

We got an invitation yesterday. Keep Alameda Beautiful and Alameda Elementary want to recognize the kids at the next LCPS School Board meeting for everything they’ve done at the school.

• I was driving downtown and passed by the old Popular Dry Goods. There was a new business there with a shiny new sign. I refuse to believe that the old one is gone. Today I’ll have to drive by and double check because it was one of my favorites.
• We have a new president. I was sitting in the parking lot of the post office when I got the text from CNN that he was officially sworn in. As soon as I got home and turned on the tv, I saw the Obamas WALKING in the parade. I don’t know why that meant so much to me. I guess I’m used to the president hiding in a car, driving past protests. It was refreshing to see the crowds of people celebrating and have him out there with them. I truly believe that Barack Obama is going to try and unite this country, working with everyone and finding a common ground. He has a tough road ahead and I wish him well.
• I finally got a planner to keep myself organized. It is an Ansel Adams calendar and I chose it because it is simple and clean with lots of white space. Plus, the awesome photography doesn’t hurt. I’ve been using my PoGo to print out the occasional photo to stick inside. I have my notebooks from the past few years and it is fun to look back through them and see photos I’ve taken. The fact that I can print stickers just makes the process easier.
• The thrift store had a display with a ton of elephants. Obviously, someone collected them. It makes me a little sad when I see a bunch of them like that. I always think that maybe whoever worked so hard collecting them died. I collect elephants but never buy them in bulk. Getting an ‘instant collection’ defeats the purpose of collecting. I did choose a plastic circus one because it was different than any I already had. When Echo and I put in the batteries, it actually worked. Score!
• Best tweet yesterday, from Michelle_V: A rheumy-eyed old peacenik Buddhist-vet looked right at me and said, “I have it on good authority that it’s OK to be happy!“

Gas prices have risen a bit in the last week or so. The Las Cruces Sun News had a front page story on the hike: “About midday Wednesday, motorists could only stand and watch as the price of gas climbed from $1.29 to $1.46 at Sav-O-Mat, on El Paseo. The station typically charges among the lowest prices in Las Cruces.” [More] I won’t pretend to understand everything behind the rise and fall of gas prices. Politics and money make my head hurt. What I do know is that I’m thankful for the gas prices, even if they are a little higher. I’ll gladly pay $1.49 [the price today] rather than the $4.00 of a few months ago!

Perspective is a funny thing. There is a gas station that is closed and the prices read around $2.00. When gas was double that amount, I would drive by and laugh, “It must be closed with that price!” Now that gas is fifty cents less, I do the same thing but for a different reason.

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.” Marcus Aurelius

Check the price of gas around New Mexico at NewMexicoGasPrices.com!
Gas on flickr: set | slideshow

the kids picking up trash at Onate

I got a call from Santa Fe yesterday. Sometime last year I entered the kids in the Pickup Olympics. She told me that we won. I couldn’t believe it! I called a few people right away and then started stressing out. Maybe I had misunderstood? It couldn’t be right. Right? Then I got the confirmation email:

It was great to talk to you this morning. Congratulations on being selected the gold medal winner for the State of New Mexico Tourism Department Pickup Olympics. We look forward to meeting you on Friday, December 19, 2008 at the recognition banquet.

I’m so excited for the kids and proud of this accomplishment. They really have worked hard for it.