Welcome back to the city – NOT!

Three hours in Albuquerque and I really want to be back in the mountains

We had to go back to Albuquerque before the year ended, in order to take care of some financial matters, including things that needed to be postmarked before the year ended. It was hard to leave Five O’Clock Somewhere, but at least I could look forward to possibly sailing with Zorro if the weather permits.

We made a rendezvous in Santa Fe with Fuego and his family, as well as the folks, to celebrate Fuego’s birthday. It was an excellent dinner. Fuego and MaK have decided this is one of their favorite restaurants, and with good reason.

We then proceeded on to Albuquerque, where we arrived shortly before 9 p.m. We got stuff unloaded, and I settled down to watch the television news – the first television I had watched in more than two weeks. Pat and Gerald worked on some financial stuff, including some of the aforementioned things that needed postmarks. Just before midnight, they set out to the post office to mail an important document.

That’s when they discovered that somebody had smashed in the rear window of the Expedition. As far as we can tell, nothing’s been stolen. It just seems to have been a totally senseless act of random destruction.

So we’ve been dealing with things like filing a police report and making an insurance claim. At least both the police officer who came to take the report and the insurance company person answering the 800 number were courteous and efficient. The cop used his spotlight to help Pat and Gerald clean up the broken glass from the driveway while he was filing his report, and the insurance person booked us into a local glass company’s schedule for first thing in the morning.

Yeah, I know, crime happens in rural areas too. But to have it happen so shortly after we just got back from the country, that just emphasizes one of the differences between the city and the country. I can’t imagine even the more lawless elements in Rio Arriba County smashing somebody’s car window just for the heck of it. They might smash the window to steal something from the vehicle, or they might smash the window as a form of revenge against somebody, but they wouldn’t smash the window for no reason at all.

I was perfectly happy basking in the glow of the fireplace at Five O’Clock Somewhere. I would not have minded staying up there until next Tuesday, when I have a meeting to attend. But there were these financial matters to tend to. And maybe, there’s a chance of sailing with Zorro. I sure hope so.