The coldest night of the season hit us this week when temps dipped below freezing. Snows hit the upper elevations and the mountains, but here in the valley it was just cold. When I awoke and drove for breakfast into the city, fog was so thick that visibility was down to about 30 yards. As the morning sun melted away the fog, the skies cleared and I was startled to see the snow-capped mountains surround Tucson.

I took this picture from the parking lot of the shopping center where I work. What a beautiful scene.
The snow melted within a day or so and the mountains were back to normal. Temps are beginning to warm back up and we'll see a normal sunny day with little or no rain.

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The Philadelphia Eagles slammed the Cowboys today, giving the Pokes their second defeat of the season. If they continue to play this bad, forget any success in the playoffs.

I was driving down Broadway after work yesterday and saw this car in front of me. I had to take the photo...Cowboy fans are everywhere. They'll need to update their window, however, now that Dallas is 12-2.

Nothing much happening today, just work. The rain continues. The sun is usually out with Tucsonians involved in their outdoor hobbies and work, but for the last few days the rain has forced everyone inside. I'll be glad when the storms move out of here so at least I'll be able to find a seat at my local Sbux.

A retail UPS Store at Christmas is a madhouse. Gas may be $3 a gallon, but that and a slow economy hasn't slowed the pace of people shipping Christmas gifts around the world. I began this morning at 11 a.m. and didn't have a chance to catch my breath until mid-afternoon. It was a steady barrage of nonstop shipping, faxing, wrapping, processing, and general mayhem. We finally slowed to a snail's pace around 6 p.m. It will more of the same until Christmas week.

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I'm listening to the new album Raising Sand, a collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Do yourself a favor and listen to the entire album, for free, online at http://www.robertplantalisonkrauss.com/site.php .

I've not written much here, because I've taken some time off from the felt. It's been good for me. I've been playing a lot the last few months and I needed a break. I'm not sure how the professional poker player does it. The game is fun and I enjoy nothing more than sitting in a poker room with a stack of chips in front of me with a nice group of players.

But 50 hours of poker play, week after week, can be draining. While many players claim to be professionals, earning the majority of their income from poker, I believe most of them have other interest away from the table. Some have local businesses they own in Las Vegas. Others may write books or travel or attend poker training camps as instructors. The point is, they have a life outside the poker room.

I'll be getting back to the poker room, soon. And I plan on writing more about my experiences, especially about the characters I meet along the way. For me, poker is a great game because of the people you meet. But I'll always have a life and other interests to keep me sane.

It rained again today, making me wonder about the so-called desert around here. I guess it does rain in the desert, especially as the seasons change. But it's been raining for almost week now. Temperatures remain moderate, however, so I'm not complaining. The sun will be out soon.
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Tucson is definitely growing on me. I met a nice couple from Texas who have been living here for a few years (he works for the railroad and was transferred from El Paso and has kids living in Austin) and I told them, "I can see why you like living here. I'm beginning to think I want to spend winter here and summer in Santa Fe." They agreed. For them, their summer retreat is in Ruidoso, New Mexico where they own a cabin.

When I set out from Texas (seems like years ago, but its only been a few months) my first idea was to take my time while traveling to Las Vegas, thinking I might settle down in Henderson or some other town on the outskirts of Sin City. And to be honest, I may still do that. But I'm becoming more intrigued by the idea of living in two places, with some traveling about to keep things interesting.

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I'm trying to decide on what to do with my blogs. I have three blogs, but also want to begin a blog for my interest in art. Do I create another blog devoted to art? Or, do I combine all of my interests into one major site? I have five main areas of interest right now: writing, art, photography, poker, and traveling (or at least a blog of my journey on the road as it currently exists).

My photography blog, Photographium, is at http://photographium.blogspot.com. My writing blog, WriteFinger, is at http://writefinger.blogspot.com. And of course I have this blog, 1100 Miles to Vegas, which I began when I hit the road. My poker site, The Seven Seat (or The 7 Seat, if you prefer), is at http://www.7Seat.com. I'm also a former REALTOR and broker of real estate, but I'm switching my interest from sales to investing. I would also like a blog-slash-website on real estate investing. My question: what's the best way to organize all of these interests, where I can write about and promote my various hobbies?

I'm of the belief that the more blogs/websites you have, the more likely you are to catch an audience. But I may be wrong. Maybe I need just one site that plays host to all of my hobbies. I'm getting a headache just contemplating the ideas bouncing around in my head.

The Cowboys and The Lady of Guadalupe

I was scheduled to work today, but business was a little slow so I found myself with the day off. I spent the first part of my day watching the Dallas Cowboys come from behind and beat the Detroit Lions. I viewed the game at the Fox and Hound Sports Bar and Grill near the Foothills Mall. The game was a squeaker, with Dallas lucky to pull it out at the end with a touchdown from Tony Romo to Jason Witten with 18 seconds remaining. Dallas clinched the Eastern Division Championship and a first-round playoff bye.

After the game I had time to make it for the last two hours of the La Fiesta de Guadalupe on the grounds of the adobe gallery and chapel built by foremost Southwestern painter, the late Ted De Grazia. DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun was host to spirited outdoor performances by mariachi groups, folklorico dancers, traditional Yaqui deer dances, ethnic foods, La Posada procession, and arts and crafts. The Fiesta celebrates the Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint.

I stayed until the last remaining event, which was a "las posadas procession" to the Mission of the Sun (the chapel built by DeGrazia) by students of the Carrillo Elementary Magnet School. "La Posadas," the remarkable buildup to Christmas Eve, is perhaps the most delightful and unique Mexican tradition.

The procession commemorates the events in the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Children carry a small pine-decorated platform bearing replicas of Joseph and Mary riding a burro. Other members of the company, all with lighted long slender candles, sing the "Litany of the Virgin" as they approach the door of the house assigned to the first "Posada." Together they chant an old traditional song and awaken the mast of the house to ask lodging for Mary. Those within the house threaten the company with beatings unless they move on. Again, the company pleads for admittance. When the owner of the house finally learns who his guests are, he jubilantly throws open the doors and bids them welcome. All kneel around the manger scene or "Nacimiento" and offer songs of welcome, Ave Marias and a prayer.

I took these photos of the children leading the "la posada procession" to the Mission of the Sun.


These children were among the dancing groups who performed throughout the day.

A Sunday at Play

After three days of rain, it was nice to see the sun rise above the mountains of the Tucson valley. November was the warmest on record for Tucson, and maybe the most arid. This was the first rain I'd seen since being here.

However, today the sun was out and it was a beautiful day to play. Slightly cool, but not cold by any stretch, I had my day planned out precisely. First, I had my morning coffee at a Starbucks on Skyline Road in the Foothills of northern Tucson. The views are breathtaking there, and I wonder if I will ever get used to them. With coffee mug in hand, I went across the street to the La Encantada shopping center. The La Encantada is the premier upscale outdoor shopping center in Tucson, and I wanted to drink my coffee there on the patio among the beautiful plants and Christmas decorations. I took my art-pack with me and spent a couple of hours drawing the shadows and hues reflecting on the adobe walls adorning the courtyard. (I took these photos while there.)

My second stop of the day was the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun located a couple of miles from the La Encantada. I spent two hours at the grave of Ted DeGrazia, who is buried near his beloved "Mission in the Sun." It's very peaceful and quiet there, and I spent the time drawing an altar built of stones located near his grave. My drawing tablet is becoming a "journal" of the places I visit, and I'm teaching myself the fundamentals of drawing by reading used books I purchased at the bookstore. At the first of the year, I'll be taking art classes at night offered by a local artist.

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An art and crafts show sponsored by the Tucson Arts and Crafts Association was my third stop for the day. I drove east from the DeGrazia Gallery along Skyline Drive until I reached Kolb Ave. The Ventana Plaza shopping center is located just south of the intersection, and the parking lot was full of booths from local artists and crafts persons. I spent an hour walking around and taking photos, as usual. (See photos below.) I met as many of the local artists as I could. Some were from the Phoenix area, and other parts of Arizona.

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I had an lengthy discussion with a fine arts photographer from Phoenix. His photographs were of flowers and other plant life, enlarged to enormous scale, then presented on canvas using the Giclee printing process. I asked him what format he used (35 mm), and if any fine arts photographers had made the switch to digital photography (not yet...digitals limit the size of enlargements you are able to produce).

The fine arts photographer pictured above displayed photos from around the world, including scenes from Paris, Venice, and London.

After the art show I dropped by a Laundromat and washed clothes. Local Laundromats have their own kind of art on display: dirty tile floors, broken down washing machines, and cash machines that are supposed to provide you with quarters but almost never work.

I finished my day back at Starbucks, as usual, to do some reading and writing. Today was a great way to begin the month of December in a very beautiful city in the desert.

Cowboys vs. Packers, Round 1

The Cowboys outlasted the Packers last night and continue on their history-making season with a 11-1 record. What a great game. Unfortunately, the game was not available for 70% of the viewing audience and commited fans had to find a sports bar offering the game via the NFL Network.

I watched the game at the Touchdown Sports Bar on Broadway Blvd. on the east side of Tucson near the Parks Place Mall. Touchdowns is a typical sports bar-slash-restaurant with big screen TVs and pool tables.

I arrived two minutes before kick-off and the place was already standing room only. Every seat, stool, and bench was taken. Some fans were even sitting on the floor. I found the edge of a cushioned bench and watched the game "sitting" on my knees, turned backward on the bench, viewing the TV screen on the opposite side of the room. A ledge above the bench served as my table.

I met two men working for Raytheon in Dallas who were in town for a meeting (Raytheon is the largest employer in Tucson). We were not the only Cowboy fans. The place was split almost evenly between Cowboys and Packers fans. The atmosphere was much like a Super Bowl game's, each play bringing boos and cheers. It was no doubt one of the most entertaining games so far this year.