hola, isabel

I spent last week driving ALL OVER New Mexico doing inspections on construction work.  Five days away from The King and Babboo was about three and half too many days.

Things I learned during my week in New Mexico:

• There are a lot of super old and super cool churches in New Mexico.  The coolest ones seemed to be Catholic churches.  I was lucky enough to have the time to stop and get pictures at quite a few church.

(My coworker was shocked that we could just go inside the churches to look around.  I had to explain to them that they WANT you to come in.  They are trying to get you to come to Jesus.  Duh.)

• There are some pretty amazing natural wonders around New Mexico.

(Some of these natural wonders are even cool enough to have even been used in the filming of the adaption of ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS!)

(No, not “Young Guns II”….I love “Lonesome Dove”.  Duh.)

• Apparently the Mormon Battalion marched through New Mexico.  There is even a monument for them there.  Seriously, it was just right off the road.  Naturally I had to stop and check it out.

(My mom will be so proud of me for taking the time to visit a church site. She LOVES them and has made it her personal calling in life to visit all church historical sites.)

(And by “church”, you know I mean “the Mormon Church“, right?)

• There are rattlesnakes in New Mexico.  Much like Indiana Jones, I hate snakes.  Especially the kind that can kill you.

(As if I need to a sign to tell me to stay away from the rattlesnakes.  Dude, doesn’t that go without saying?!)

• Having a three hour layover in Salt Lake City isn’t quite enough time to have my Mom drive an hour and a half to come see me for an hour.  But it is the perfect amount of time to call Heidikins, who lives and works in SLC, to meet me for an impromptu get-together.

Heidikins is, clearly, a better Mormon then I am.  She took me on a little tour to visit the new LDS Conference Center for the very first time.  She knew all sorts of facts and history about all of Temple Square.

(I think I learned more from Heidikins about the history of the SLC Temple then in the previous 34 years of being a member of the LDS church.)

( I am shamed.)

(Not really. But it was cool to hear what she knew.)

• I don’t like going on business trips.

• I don’t like being stuck for a week with a coworker that I don’t particularly like.

• I don’t like to eat out for every meal.

So tell me, is there anything else about New Mexico that I missed?