slinging around gallup-towne

New Mexico is home to Roswell, and enthusiasm for all things extraterrestrial in nature is shared by all the denizens of this fair state.  Apparently there will soon be a UFO film festival in Gallup.  I shiver with anticipation.

Camille's is a great place to grab a coffee and meet with friends.  This particular "coffee shop" type of restaurant is unique in Gallup to Camille's alone.

A number of murals were painted around the City of Gallup under FDR's "New Deal" Works Progress Administration.  They can be found around the City proper, and are an important part in representing to the outside world the importance of American Indians in this city's history.

Colorful signs hearken to days long past when Route 66 was the main thoroughfare through the South and the Southwest, a thin and fragile strip of concrete snaking along the Union's underbelly.  At night, the lights can be a bit overwhelming to those whose eyes have grown accustomed to the dark as black as pitch.  During one of the more than 280 days of sunshine that grace the Land of Enchantment, however, the signs are a reminder to residents and tourists alike that the good days of Gallup live on.

Industry is no stranger to Gallup, where aging reminders of an era of pioneering and taming the land live side-by-side with the strength of a city whose residents have the ability to look to the future and adapt to the challenges yet to come.

einigkeit und recht und freiheit, oh my!

I drove through town today on a mission to transfer my gas bill from my landlady's name to my name, and had the pleasant surprise to meet two Germans at the train station.  We had coffee and spent about an hour talking.  I think I got roped into hosting some students at some point in time in the future, but my German is not as good as it used to be.  At any rate, it was fun.  It made me remember all the things I liked about living in Germany, complain though I may.  There's a genuine curiosity about their surroundings that Germans have unique in comparison to the other cultures to which I have been exposed.  I also like the opportunity to practice German.

Worf's doing well, I brought him to a new vet today for a second opinion and she seems to think he's doing well.  We had an interesting conversation about a fungus endemic to this region, Coccidiodomycosis.  This particular fungus is dangerous to people and animals in New Mexico and Arizona, and she stated that the fungus needs a more desert-like environment, unlike the high-desert environment around Gallup.  It gets too cold here, she explained.  I've heard conflicting opinions, but it's rare at any rate, like the Plague or hantavirus.

I have some friends coming in this weekend, and am looking forward to a good time.  Auf Wiedersehen, meine Freunde!

gelahmte

I love the German word for "handicapped," which is "lahm," sort of like our "lame."  Gelahmte is (now please tell me if I'm wrong, Lisa) the word one would use to describe having undergone the procedure required to have the adjective "lahm" attached to your name.  As in "Worf's adventures outside have gelahmted him."  Please see photos at the very bottom of this post, as they may be a little graphic for some.  I personally like that Worf has a handlebar piercing, and find it to be super badass.  My super badass, sick little buddy.  I am super happy that he's back and safe, and I plan on keeping him in that state.

I've sort of been consumed with this and work lately, which is going really well.  I've decided that it's alright to admit that I wish I had some more friends in the area, but then I just remind myself that everything is going well and that I haven't been here that long.  I was invited to this thing the pharmacists are throwing later in the month, so I'm looking forward to that.  It's really weird, all the pharmacists are commissioned corps, but nobody else is except maybe a few nurses.  I had expected more, I suppose.  At any rate, they're all pretty cool, so it should be a fun event.

I never mentioned the Lady Gaga concert that Alex and I went to, it was pretty amazing.  She's quite a character, and her songs (or at least the words) don't jive at all with what her personality seems to be.  She's very eccentric, usually a plus in my book.

Please to enjoy more photos of the American Southwest.