"What most people are at 25, I don't think I became until I was 38...I thought, even if I could just make enough to buy a loaf of bread and not starve to death, this would be the greatest adventure that I could ever go on. I said, 'I don't give a damn what happens to me. I'm doing this.'"
Jerry Seinfeld, October, 2007, on being a star and a comedian.

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I'll be spending my last week in ABQ trying to prepare for the next leg of my Fall Adventure. My plan is to visit Santa Fe on Tuesday and Wednesday. I can't be this close to Santa Fe without spending some time there before leaving the area. On Tuesday night I'll be attending the "New Mexico Filmmakers Intensive," at the College of Santa Fe. Screenwriters who attend the school will be reading from their screenplays, and the college will have an open house for those interested in attending the school. Actors will also be performing some of the scenes from scripts actually produced in 2007.

On Wednesday in Santa Fe, I'll be attending a new photography exhibit at the Photo-Eye Gallery on Garcia Street. Mark Klett is opening an exhibit titled "Saguaros," with a reception and book signing after the opening.

My last day in ABQ will be Sunday, October 28.

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One of the items to hit the paper this week concerns a lawsuit against the Sandia Casino. Good Morning America was on site Friday to do a feature story that will air sometime next week. The pending lawsuit might make it to the Supreme Court and have an effect on how Indian casinos operate in the future. That's why it's attracting the national press.

The lawsuit concerns Gary Hoffman's complaint that the casino failed to pay him a slot machine jackpot prize of almost $1.6 million. Hoffman was playing a nickel slot machine last summer when he supposedly hit the jackpot. He even took a photo of the slot machine showing his good fortune with his camera phone. Casino officials claim the slot machine malfunctioned, and therefore, they don't owe Hoffman a dime.

Hoffman wants to sue the casino in state court, but the Sandia Pueblo tribe that owns the casino and the surrounding reservation lands believes they are a sovereign nation and cannot be sued in a state or federal court. Thus the Supreme Court may need to decide if Indian tribes that owe casinos can ever be sued for such a thing. Poor Hoffman just wants his money but for now must fight it out, probably for years, and he may end up with nothing.

The fact that Indian tribes are sovereign entities within the U.S. shouldn't provide a shield from someone wanting their day in state or federal court. It's only fair, it seems to me, that Hoffman have his case heard. The tribal governments have their own courts, but few people believe he could ever receive an unbiased opinion in a court run by the same people who run the casino.

I'm beginning my last week in ABQ, with plans to head for Tucson on Monday, October 29. The photos below show the year's first real cold front moving into the Sandia Mountain area today, so I'm leaving at just the right time. While beautiful, the mountains today look ominous and very cold. Some elevations will get their first snow this week.

Later in the week, warmer weather will return. Tonight it will dip below freezing sometime after midnight, but by Tuesday night the evening temps will return to the mid 40s.

In Tucson, Arizona, the temperatures will be much milder during the next few weeks. I'm seeking the warmth of the sun this Winter, so it's time to move on west and south. Once in Tucson, I'll see how things go. The Casino del Sol looks nice. I'll check it out first and go from there.

I've enjoyed my time in ABQ, but it's time to hit the road once again.






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I’m guessing the best place to taste the real flavor of a community is the coin-operated Laundromat. One of life’s necessary duties is washing clothes. Almost everyone must do it. I say “almost everyone” because I doubt Paris Hilton has ever put a cup of Tide into a washer, unless of course it was done on some goofy reality TV show. Without the local coin-operated machines where would a person go to wash their smelly socks?

The American Laundromat provides a snapshot of the community in which it is located. Visit any of these places and you’ll find a cross section of locals: college students, senior adults, single mothers with kids in tow, middle-aged couples, and travelers like me. And it’s amazing how quiet the place is.

For whatever reason, the Laundromat is the one gathering place in the community where very little talking takes place. I suppose it is the nature of cleaning clothes in public—exposing of your dirty laundry before a gawking crowd tends to make you tight-lipped. When you walk in with your duffle bag full of soiled underwear, the last thing you want to do is have a deep conversation with a stranger about the war in Iraq. So, the result is often silence.

I wonder if the Laundromat is uniquely American. Do other countries have such places? For some reason, I just cannot picture a Laundromat in Paris, or Stockholm, or even London for that matter. Obviously, foreigners must wash their clothes somewhere. Unless your in Germany, that is. And I know in many places around the world the local river serves as the place to clean your pants, so I guess we are lucky to have these places.
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I know I’m fortunate to have found some wonderful Laundromats since I’ve been on the road. The nicest one I’ve seen is located near the University of Oklahoma in Norman. It was clean, had an attendant ready to help you with a big smile on her face, and there was a color TV so you could watch “Oprah” while waiting for the rinse cycle to finish. Of course, the day I was there Paris Hilton was Oprah’s guest.

My Christmas Wish List

My Christmas Wish List

The Winnebago View, 2008, is now available and I want one. I only need to raise about $50,000. No problem.

"Like most of the others, I was a seeker, a mover, a malcontent, and at times a stupid hell-raiser. I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right. I shared a vagrant optimism that some of us were making real progress, that we had taken an honest road, and that the best of us would inevitably make it over the top.

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At the same time, I shared a dark suspicion that the life we were leading was a lost cause, that we were all actors, kidding ourselves along a senseless odyssey. It was the tension between these two poles--a restless idealism on one hand and a sense of impending doom on the other--that kept me going."

"The Rum Diary", Hunter S. Thompson, 1959.

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I saw this sign yesterday and had to take a shot of it.

Husband to his wife: "Honey, breakfast in bed is so cliche'. How about breakfast in the pool?"

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The Borders Bookstore on Wyoming is next door to the Whole Foods Market, and I've spent plenty of days at both places. The photo below is taken from my favorite chair near the front windows.



Here I am trying to look like I'm working. See the Dallas Cowboys decal on my laptop? I won the decal at the Sandia Resort in a drawing. A local radio station was giving away prizes during a Cowboys football game. That decal, retail $19.95, is about the only thing I've won at the Sandia Casino!

Where will I go next? I'm thinking seriously about heading south to Socorro, then take the scenic Hwy. 60 through the Tularosa Mountains on my way to Silver City in the southwestern part of New Mexico. From there it's a short drive to Tucson, Arizona. I can make the drive in one day, unless I decide to stop and visit some tourist attractions along the way. The Gila Cliff Dwellings might be a nice place to see, located in the Gila Wilderness Area north of Silver City.

I've made my decision to head south and west in a few days. I'll give my notice to my boss today, and will work through next week. I'll target Sunday, October 28, as the launch date for the next leg of my Fall Adventure (the Fall Adventure is quickly becoming a Winter Adventure!).

I've been receiving emails regularly from investors both in Dallas and Las Vegas, making me anxious to get to Nevada. However, I'm in no hurry. We'll see where The Road takes me. It may be early Spring before I arrive in Henderson, Nevada. I'm enjoying traveling my way across the Southwest. I'm looking to spend the Winter in the warmest climate I can find. It appears that southern Arizona and California are nice during the Winter months.

"Finger of the Week": October 15, 2007

Balloon Fiesta, 2007, Albuquerque

As I continue my travel across the Southwest, Albuquerque has been a nice stop over for me. I recently took some photos with a new Nikon digital camera the size of a credit card. I'm wanting to push the limits of this low cost 7 pixel camera, and will post some results here as I go along.

Below are a few shots from the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque.

Isleta Casino and The Patio

I visited the Iselta Casino last night. It's located about 10 miles south of Albuquerque on Exit 215 from Interstate 25. I didn't see the casino from the I-25, but once I took the exit and rounded a curve to the southeast the casino appeared in the distance. Alone in the desert, the Isleta Tribal Council has created this place and I'm not sure I'll ever be back.

For one thing, there's nothing else to do within miles of the place. They are building a huge resort motel next to the current facilities, but I could see no other development of any kind in the area: no homes, no shopping malls, nothing. I admit I didn't look around much, but from the looks of things this casino is like the Route 66 Casino west of town: all alone on the reservation and miles from the nearest grocery store. Albuquerque is not far, maybe ten minutes north on I-25, however.

The second reason I was not impressed by the Isleta Casino is the poker room. Since poker is about all that I play at a casino, a poker room must be a good one. Unfortunately the poker room at the Isleta is very small. I counted eight tables packed inside a space the size of double-car garage. I visited the place on a Saturday night and there were only two tables active with players. At the Sandia Resort, as a comparison, on a Saturday night there are maybe 18-20 tables full of players with a waiting list.

After leaving the Isleta I drove back to the Sandia and spent the evening watching high-stakes blackjack players. I awaited the eight 0'clock drawing for the Fall Cash Giveaway, but alas was not selected to take home the $7,000 pot.

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She cuts my hair, so I have to mention her. I write of her because she represents the many kind people I have met while on the road. She works hard, has a funny disposition, and obviously loves people. I first noticed her at Starbucks, on The Patio. I was a new arrival in town and was sitting on The Patio and noticed she came there for breaks from work. Her hair salon is located next door. Every day for a week I saw her. I finally met her and had her give me a haircut. Often here family will drop by and visit with her. They are typical of the working class of Albuquerque, living from payday to payday, lucky to get a day off and maybe a break during the work day.

This composite picture of life at the Starbucks patio also contains images of weathly retired people who frequent the place to talk shop and read their newspaper. They've made money in real estate, the hi-tech industry that flourishes here, or any number of the federally-related scientific and military businesses for which Albuquerque is known. Along with the lady who cuts my hair, I've met movie producers, real estate developers, consultants, stock brokers, scientists, artists and authors on The Patio.

They all ask me, of course, what I do for living. I tell them, "I'm doing it. I sit at Starbucks all day and visit with people."

One particular man I see almost every day, I have not met. He's a consultant for people looking for professional jobs. He meets his clients on The Patio. They discuss resumes, job interviews, and all kinds of issues related to job-seeking. He's written a book that he provides them, has regular meetings with them individually and in groups, and has periodic conferences related to helping others find high-paying professional work.

How do I know all of this? By listening closely. I sit near by and listen in. I've learned a great deal from him and he has no idea I'm one of his "clients." He's a busy man. I've seen him meet as many as four days in a row with four different clients. Most of his clients are middle to late aged, and are concerned about competing in the professional job market against younger men and women. He often tells them, "looking for a good job is a full-time job in itself." A person must put in the time and effort to find the job they desire. I can feel the empathy he has for them, and I can understand their frustration. Many of his clients have been forced out of their high-paying careers for numerous reasons, and now find they have to hit the job-seeking market.

One afternoon, this consultant finished couseling a man who was obviously in anguish over his situation. I could tell by observation that this particular client was in emotional trouble and the consultant did his best to keep him focused on his future. It was evidently a rough meeting.

After his client left, the consultant looked tired, took a sip of his coffee, then received a phone call:

"Yes, dear. I'm coming home. Do you need anything?"

"Some soup? Do you like that chicken noodle?"

"Okay. I'll run by the store on the way home. I love you."