Jae Travels: New Mexico

Thinking of going on a vacation? Well look much further than New Mexico. Seriously, go look.

Okay, no disrespect to the New Mexicans, but other than checking off the “been to New Mexico” spot on your visited all these states list, there’s not a whole lot happening in the big NM. But just because it isn’t the Florida Keys, doesn’t mean there’s nothing to offer. It just means you can probably make a long weekend of it.

ALBUQUERQUE

Here’s the thing. I lived in Tokyo, I’ve been to Hong Kong, New York I love, and L.A. is all right, so big city appeal in ABQ isn’t so hot. But there are things to do. We honestly didn’t spend a ton of time in ABQ, other than the airport, which I found to be clean and efficient as far as airports go. I’m not giving ABQ a fair shake. There is the Sandia Tram you can ride, but living in Utah where we ride trams to ski, well…you probably catch my meaning.

We ate at Mary and Tito’s Cafe, although I’ve heard good things about El Pinto. The BFF had already visited El Pinto and found it to be spicier than hot Pace salsa as their mild, so we decided to try another venue.

TIP: We learned in NM anywhere, if you’re a wimp when it comes to spice, is to ask for the “chile” on the side. That means the hot sauce can be added at your discretion, even if it’s “mild.”

But back to Mary and Tito’s. It was a delicious meal. We ordered the house favorite, the turnover with carne adovada (also called stuffed sopapias). Spicy, but delicious. For those in need of milder delights, the “Mexican Pizza” was also good: refried beans on a crispy tortilla with all the fixin’s. We saved room for dessert, which is whatever is available that day. For us it was Mexican Wedding Cake. Think carrot cake texture, but loaded with pineapple, a super moist cake and cream cheese frosting. Another slice? Yes, please! Mary and Tito’s is right off the freeway, so if you’re in ABQ, be sure to stop by. Something else I loved about the place is the mom and pop feel—another of the reasons to go there.

ROSWELL

Roswell Lamppost

Unless you’re a die-hard alien fan, I wouldn’t recommend making this your sole destination, but it’s a great stop on your way to Carlsbad Caverns. There’s plenty of alien fun to be had by all, whether you’re serious or just seriously laughing. I had lots of fun just taking pictures of all the alien decor all over town.

Thursday News

Today is Thursday. Today is the day we are supposed to hear back on the Writer’s Digest Short Story contest.

But I’m not sure whether we would hear back on it via email or snail mail or both. And unfortunately, I’m leaving town from work, which means I can’t check the snail mail until I get back Sunday. So I may be a winner, I may not be. Ugh, suspense…

UPDATE: Just got the email at 11 o’clock my time. I’m not among the winners, unfortunately. Oh well, better not to stress over it all weekend, right? Good thing I’m going on vacation, now I can treat myself to something fabulous tonight. 😉

The upshot of losing means I can enter my short story Trick or Tree into other contests and see how I fare. It’s really short, like 1,500 words. But that was the requirement for this particular contest.

OUT OF TOWN?

And just where am I going out of town you might ask? Does this give you a clue?

The BFF is down in New Mexico for work, so I’m going down for the weekend and we’ll catch the sights, like Roswell and Carlsbad Caverns. I’m sure I’ll have lots of pics to post on Tuesday. Who knows, I may even run into a blue box. I mean, there are a few likely places to encounter the Doctor. Obviously, London. Utah (woot!). And of course, at least once in Roswell, right? 😉 I’d love it if someone had erected a blue box, I’d be giving a fangirl squee and the BFF wouldn’t have a clue why. She’s not a fan. Sci-Fi isn’t her thing, although visiting the UFO museum is somehow. *shrug*

I feel like I’m so close to getting the query letter done. It’s like it’s just around the corner. I may work on it on the airplane, or I may just read my Kindle. But I’ve got my handy dandy bluetooth keyboard, so if I feel like it at any point during the weekend I certainly will (likeliness is probably 10% though).

Does anyone know how they notify for Writer’s Digest competitions? *sigh* I’m guessing it’s a no-win, but hey, I’ve still had quite a lot of success lately. And there are still future opportunities for Trick or Tree in the future. I’m not going to let it get me down.

Have you ever been to Roswell or Carlsbad? Any recommendations? Ever won or lost short story competitions? Are you waiting on news that’s keeping you in suspense? Let me know in the comments below.