Author: kdavis

new mexico – day 3

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and just like that, it was our last day in new mexico. we’d been hearing from everyone on our trip that we needed to drive up to santa fe because it’s not too far and definitely worth a visit, so since we had a car and no other plans, that is just what we decided to do! but first, we did make a couple stops to some breaking bad filming locations. the dog house drive in was from the night prior, and walter white’s house was that morning. you can pay for official rv tours, and i imagine mega fans everywhere (like my mom) would be all about that!

we lucked out with a gorgeous day for a drive up interstate 25, and i loved taking in all the landscapes on our way. the skies here are so wide, and i wish i had a better camera and better picture-taking skills to do it all justice. so, if you are not impressed, you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself!

now, i didn’t have much in mind for what we would do when we got to santa fe, but one thing was on my must list: meow wolf. i’d heard about this art exhibition a few years ago, and they only have locations out west. and, who would have guessed it, they have one in santa fe! i figured this was a now-or-never type of thing, so we pulled up, bought our tickets, and excitedly got in line. but, just as they were about to call our group to begin, we heard sirens and saw all the doors suddenly open. i thought maybe it was just part of it all until we were ushered away from the building and informed there was a gas leak. noooooo! only steps away and then it was out of reach. we stood around for a bit and listened to see if there was a chance we’d still get to go, but with the fire department needing to come and check things out, we unfortunately could not wait and had to cancel. surprisingly, there were many out-of-staters also checking out meow wolf. i cannot lie, i was disheartened it didn’t work out. but maybe another opportunity will present itself to check out this immersive experience.

a little down and a lot hungry, we drove into santa fe to get some lunch. we parked in the la fonda garage and chatted it up with the front desk folks to find out where to go and what to do and see and, of course, eat. they overwhelmingly suggested we dine at the plaza cafe, and that is where we went. this bustling spot is right on the plaza, and i can imagine the outdoor seating is extremely popular in the warmer months. the dining room was already pretty full when we arrived, but we were quickly seated at a table right up front.

it was that weird time between proper breakfast and proper lunch, making it hard to decide what to eat. it didn’t help that all the plates on all the tables around us looked incredible. i wish i could have somehow sampled everything! after much deliberation, phillip decided on the norteno tacos and i on the santa fe frito pie. folks, if you know phillip and i at all, we both can do a lot of talking at the table, but the only sounds were our forks scraping the plates and our stomachs growling in satisfaction. we even had a little room left to try their homemade biscochitos, a traditional new mexican cookie. honestly, i cannot recommend the plaza cafe enough!

norteno tacos.
santa fe frito pie.

with full bellies and renewed energy, we spent the rest of our afternoon in santa fe strolling the streets and taking in the local sights and history. some of the highlights included the cathedral basilica of st. francis of assisi, the loretto chapel (including the miraculous staircase), the oldest house in the usa, and the state capitol building (the only round one in the whole country!). this list is just a tiny glimpse into what santa fe and the surrounding areas have to offer. i hope we get a chance to come back again for a longer visit!

it was time to head back to our hotel, pack up our things, and get ready for our flight the next morning. but, new mexico was not done with us yet! phillip took us on a detour so that we could ride the sandia peak tram. now, before our trip, i’d been casually researching what to do in albuquerque, and something that came up again and again was the sandia peak tramway. phillip was a little skeptical, and honestly i did not think we were going to go. however, his adventurous spirit kicked in, and before i knew it we were riding in a very large tram with a lot of other people on a very steep cable up to the top of the sandia mountains (did you know sandia is spanish for watermelon? now you do.). i wouldn’t say i’ve ridden a lot of trams in my lifetime, but for some reason i was expecting a much more gradual incline. this was quite the opposite. the ride is smooth, yes, but you are going up very high alongside very steep cliffsides on just two cables. phillip can confirm i had a white knuckle grip on the handrail the entire ride, and i am certain there was a very audible exhale of relief when we reached the top, where it was barely ten degrees! it was so cold and so windy that we barely could stand to take our hands out of our gloves to snap a couple pictures. maybe it is better that way, to just remember it ourselves. 🙂 we had timed our visit perfectly because we got to watch the sun set pretty much all the way up and all the way down. it was a thrilling and unique experience, and i am so glad we had the chance to enjoy it.

reinvigorated with a fresh spurt of energy, we enjoyed our final meal at the 66 diner. i mean, where else would we go? we sat at the bar, split a chocolate banana milkshake, patty melt, and cheese fries, and reminisced about our trip. i am so grateful we went outside the box to stretch ourselves and explore something different and learn something new. new mexico has so much to show, and i encourage you to consider it when you’re planning your next getaway. you just might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

new mexico – day 2

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our bodies were still two hours ahead, so when we woke up early friday morning, we decided to make the most of the day and start out with a workout at otf albuquerque. a short 5-minute drive away, we arrived at the studio and were politely cautioned by the front desk staff about exercising at high altitudes (less oxygen, folks). we did heed their warning and felt a big difference even in just the first few minutes of the warm-up! i quickly realized i needed to slow it down and pace myself if i was going to last the entire class, which i somehow did (even if just barely). coach greg was kind and checked in on us regularly and thanked us for joining him.

feel the burn!

with our bodies now feeling a little more tired but also a little stronger, we naturally now needed to refuel them. cue the next food scene! we were ready for some brunch action over at the range cafe. this place is funky and cozy and warm and open all at the same time, and the smells that hit our noses right as we walked in had me thinking, “yes, i think this is gonna be good.”

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new mexico – day 1

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like many folks, phillip and i had built up airline rewards over the past couple of years, and one of them (the companion certificate by delta) was set to expire soon. however, “soon” was sooner than we though, as instead of having to only have booked our trip by the end of january, we had to have taken our trip by the end of january. so, it was adventure-planning time!

we considered many possible destinations but very randomly decided to check out new mexico. aside from visiting a state we hadn’t yet, there were no specific reasons we chose the land of enchantment. quite different from the typical big city vacations we take, i’ll spoil it all for you now and tell you that new mexico did not disappoint.

we landed in albuquerque just before noon, checked into the hotel early, and then bundled up to begin exploring. we learned very quickly just how cold the high desert gets in winter; we had our boots and big ski jackets with us always! with it being lunchtime, we checked out the first of many restaurant recommendations: frontier right across from the university of new mexico campus (go lobos!). we’d previously been educated about proper chile-ordering etiquette so started with the breakfast burrito (per the cashier’s suggestion) and chicken enchiladas (with Christmas chile on the side). we were quite excited for our first serving of authentic new mexican cuisine, and although we did eat everything we were served and even ordered a sweet roll for dessert, everything tasted only fine (especially compared to the other new mexican food we would eat later in the trip). i don’t know if disappointed is the right word but do think phillip and i secretly wondered, “is this the best of the best?” good news, folks, it was not.

on our way to frontier (which, by the way, was via THE route 66), phillip had spied a cookie shop. you know what that meant, we had to stop in for some dessert (er, second dessert in this case). we popped into rude boy cookies and were extremely pleased. phillip had a deconstructed ice cream sandwich. it included a mammoth scoop of chocolate blue bell ice cream (although i would have liked some homemade ice cream, you generally cannot go wrong with blue bell) and warmed up and crumbled chocolate chip cookies and double chocolate cookies. i think his face says it all.

ice cream and popcorn (for national popcorn day!)
this was his “i’m getting full but still going to eat it all” face

i went for something a little less complex but equally satisfying: a homemade oatmeal cream pie. you read that right, folks, and although i would not call myself an oatmeal cream pie expert, i could find nothing wrong with this one. it had a perfect balance of slightly spicy but deliciously sweet flavors. and that filling? i could have eaten it by the batch.

we were a little tired from our travels so took a couple hours of rest back at the hotel. what i’ll say is that it is very easy to get around town. the duke city is essentially a grid, and so long as you can locate i25 and i40, you should be able to find your way. if you ever are in abq and have a car, though, heed this warning (which a local was kind enough to share): leave nothing visible in your car. apparently, there is a lot of property crime in the city. so, essentially anything not tied down can be a target. rest assured we stayed smart and never felt unsafe during our visit.

refreshed and not quite ready to call it a night, it was time for more eating! this next spot was highlighted on the local map, and little did we know we were trying a spot that had been featured on albuquerque’s “best of” list in 2022. i present to you clowndog hot dog parlor!

i know hot dogs gross lots of folks out, which just means more hot dogs for the rest of us! clowndog is as fun and circus-themed on the inside as you would hope it would be, and with an extensive menu, tvs, a bar, and outdoor seating, they have something for everyone. phillip and i started out with a couple of local brews and then dug into our generously-topped hot dogs.

phillip went for the tailgater clowndog creation. i promise there was a dog underneath all those pinto beans, coleslaw, bbq sauce, and bacon! these hot dogs definitely require a fork and knife, so don’t be shy to ensure each bite includes some of each mouthwatering ingredient.

i was inclined to try the frito dog but last-minute decided to build my own. mine included an all-beef hot dog on a traditional bun with heaping helpings of mac’n’cheese, bacon, and (per the waitress’ recommendation) green chile sauce. folks, don’t you dare make a grimacing face. this combination slapped (as the young folks say these days). to translate for those who don’t know the modern saying “slapped,” that means it was EXCELLENT. the rich mac’n’cheese with the zippy green chile sauce made for a heavenly bite so good to finish. if you ever visit albuquerque, i implore you to give clowndog a chance. you might surprise yourself how fun (and delicious) it is to go outside the box sometimes.

so, that was a wrap on our first day in new mexico. everyone we encountered was quite polite, the food redeemed itself by the end of the day, and we went to bed excited to explore more of this new-to-us state. stand by for what happened next!

greetings from greenville

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this post and this greeting are a little tardy, but happy new year nonetheless! and happy reading as i catch you up on all the things we did in greenville, sc for thanksgiving last year. as i often say, better late than never. 🙂

the company

phillip’s uncle steve and aunt pam hosted us, his sister natalie and her boyfriend dave, and cousin tony for thanksgiving. it was a day full of resting, football watching, spirit drinking, and delicious eating. i don’t mind getting fancy every now and then, but it’s so nice to be with folks who are happy just being together. can’t wait to see them all again soon!

the activities

of course we did do a lot of eating (more on that soon), but all things require balance, so we did stay active while on vacation. we squeezed in a couple classes at the local orangetheory fitness and enjoyed walking all the bridges and seeing the sights in downtown. i can only imagine how scenic it is in the spring and fall seasons!

the eats and the drinks

now, it wouldn’t be a phillip and kelsey trip if we didn’t eat our way through town, and greenville was no exception. some places the locals recommended, others we stumbled upon on ourselves, all were good enough to go back. check out these spots if you’re ever in town!

  • this bagel had honey and pecans and peanut butter and a banana. REAL GOOD. (coffee underground)
  • phillip ordered this fancy mocha with lovely latte art on top. (coffee underground)
  • can you guess where we were? (eggs up grill)
  • phillip loves coffee! and so do i. 🙂
  • we split some eggs benny. (eggs up grill)
  • we also split a side of salty, crispy corned beef hash. yum! (eggs up grill)
  • we lucked out with gorgeous weather this day. nice enough to enjoy a pint outside! (fireforge)
  • cheers! (fireforge)
  • pretzels, mustard, and pimento beer cheese. heavenly. (fireforge)
  • a nice little wine flight at foxcroft.
  • more carbs! truffle and parmesan french fries at foxcroft.
  • more smiles!
  • caprese salad at trattoria giorgio. the pastas were pretty good, too.
  • last stop, sully’s steamers!
  • I LOVE BAGELS.
  • more bagels! (sully’s steamers)

all in all, our visit to greenville was 100% enjoyable and made better by the fact that it is only a quick 2-hour drive from our house! i expect we will find ourselves back again in 2023.

my suburban diary: paint on the floor

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here in georgia our nephew bode lives nearby, and each november when his birthday rolls around, his parents invite us to his celebration. it’s only been four years now, but phillip and i have set a reputation for dressing up for the event to really enhance the theme of the party. the first year we were tigers and lions and cheetahs for “wild and one,” the second year we were minnie and a hot dog for “twodooles,” and the third year we were a paleontologist and dinosaur for “three-rex.” you get it.

well, when bode turned four earlier this month, it was time to channel my inner crafting skills and get to work. the theme was “the need four speed,” and my mother gets all the credit for this idea: box car lightning mcqueen and sally! it was genius and, i’d say, beginner on the difficulty scale. 🙂 getting the boxes folded just right was step one, and then they needed some beautiful coats of paint. well, i opened the garage door, laid down some spare cardboard and newspapers, and got to work. i was highly satisfied with the results, but when i pulled up my “protective” base layer, i couldn’t help but laugh. that spray paint sprayed a little further than i intended, and we now have lovely abstract blue and red artwork on our garage floor. it’s not like we have a professional finished garage floor, so it is no big deal, but it just made me smile because i feel like everyone at some point works on some sort of craft in their garage (if lucky enough to have one) and inevitably gets a little of the art where it shouldn’t be. but honestly, isn’t it a memory you are making? i am certain that each time i walk in the garage and see a little sliver of paint here and there, i will think back to, yes, the craft, but also the reason for it: family. you’ll have to check in next november to see what we come up with next!

oh my bagels

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there’s nothing better than a good icebreaker, and one of my favorites (albeit a little weird/maybe morbid) is to ask folks what their last meal would be if they could choose. you’ll learn a little bit about someone and, more than likely, foster further conversation around food, which is typically a pretty safe topic.

my answer has always been and, unless my tastes change dramatically between now and whenever, will always be a bagel with cream cheese. that’s it, kelsey? that’s all you would want? yes, no questions asked, no second thoughts, no regrets. equal parts cream cheese and bagel, sliced and toasted, that’s all i need.

as a self-proclaimed bagel and cream cheese superfan, i always welcome the opportunity to indulge this craving, and i think phillip and i have uncovered two spots in town that really have just set the bar high. part of me is glad they’re both a 20-minute drive away; otherwise, i’d need to be working out way more to burn off all these dense calories.

first up is the bagel hole in cumming. they’re a no-fuss, we-have-bagels-and-cream-cheese kind of place. i will say they do have fun flavors and also serve lunch, but their bagel and spread selection is fair, and the folks are friendly. they also have homemade bagel chips that i highly recommend! this place gets points for having an egg bagel (which has become my all-time favorite) and teaching me what a bialy is (our recommendation is to get it toasted with butter, simple and delicious). oh, and their coffee is fantastic.

next up is bb’s bagels, a spot known and loved by many. i think i heard about them on the local news (like i do so many places we try), and i can confidently say phillip is glad i recommended we check it out. this place has the diner vibes at 100 with a huge menu that will be sure to satisfy everyone in your party. the staff were very friendly when we went, and the portions made the drive well worth it. the bagels were wonderful and the strawberry spread scrumptious, and the sausage links were mouthwatering (and are flown in from new york, from what i hear). whenever the line is out the door (like it was when we went to bb’s), that’s usually a good sign. i’d say you can’t go wrong here!

do you have a favorite bagel place in town? what would your last meal be if you could choose? i need a new spot to try!

my suburban diary: lookin’ my best

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if you know me at all, you know i don’t sit still for long, even on the weekends when that is exactly part of what one should do. i’m usually out and about running errands or doing chores around the house, gettin’ to all that stuff i neglected during the week. included in that list is almost always at least one workout to keep myself in check.

well, several months back i had popped on over to orangetheory for an early morning class one saturday. in typical fashion, afterwards i also took grace on a nice stroll through the neighborhood and then showered off for the rest of the day. however, that particular saturday had “the rest of the day” start with a nap. i am usually not a weekend napper, but clearly my body was telling me i was due for some much needed rest, so i threw on my long, fuzzy, pink robe and curled up for a snooze.

hours later (who knows exactly how many) i was jolted awake by grace’s barks. someone had rung the bell, and since phillip was out doing his own thing, i raced down the stairs, big hair flying everywhere (and i mean EVERYWHERE). i can only imagine how i looked to my neighbor when i flung the door open! she, too, was slightly taken aback since it was the middle of the day and had certainly never seen me in this state. i can only hope there weren’t drool trails down the sides of my face!

i eventually got my bearings, engaged in a brief conversation that was more than socially acceptable in length, and promptly went back upstairs to finish my nap. so, if answering the front door in my robe was on my bucket list, i guess i can mark it off now!

an mcu journey: ENDGAME

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I CANNOT BELIEVE WE FINALLY DID IT. I’M SO AMPED UP THAT I THINK I’LL DO THIS POST IN ALL UPPERCASE, IT’S THAT EXCITING! IT’S SO UNBELIEVABLE I ALMOST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF.

just kidding. i know exactly what to do with myself, give you all the final mcu review you’ve been waiting to read for MONTHS. and i mean months. you guys have held on through the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we now get to wrap things up with my review of avengers: endgame. but first, for one time more, let’s talk food.

i saw this final night as a celebration, and we deserved to do it up big. sure, we could have easily gone to a fancy steakhouse for dinner, but since we had a few special guests joining us for the evening, we decided to stay in and go all out on ultimate charcuterie. i mean, it was just perfect. we had hard cheeses, soft cheeses, salamis, prosciuttos, olives, nuts, fruits, gherkins, crackers, baguette slices, thor hammers, infinity stones, hummus, spreads, and champagne, of course! it was a roaring success, and i’m not sure anything can top cheese and champagne. except perhaps cheetos and champagne. 🙂

we all loaded up our plates and settled into our spots. i mentioned we had some special guests joining us, and it was so great having kyle, kyle, liz, and dom with us for the big finale. even grace and gwen didn’t mind their company. so, with the lights dimmed and everyone set with food and drink, dave clicked play.

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an mcu journey: latin flavors & a new hero

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as we gathered for marvel night last week, i realized we had started this journey one year ago. i do not know which stuns me more: that another year has passed or that we are now just two movies away from the end of the infinity saga! both are pretty unbelievable, and it’s incredible what you can accomplish in 12 months’ time. i mean, i promise i did more in 2021 than just watch a bunch of superhero movies, but even that is time well spent!

we all were glowing with that new year energy and excitedly gathered around the table for cuban. i was pretty unsure what i was in the mood for, but trusty yelp suggested sandwiches and then directed us to tortugas cuban grill. jenn and i both went for the media noche, and i scarfed that thing down with minimal hesitation and even less manners. i mean, i’m not sure i was taking a breath between bites, only pausing to declare how delicious my dinner was. it had the right amount of zippy mustard with crunchy, briny pickles, all atop perfectly soft, fresh sweet cuban bread. i usually have leftovers during marvel night but left nothing in my box this time. even phillip was jealous of my meal, and that hardly ever happens! that’s not to say his pan con bistec sandwich wasn’t good, too, but this media noche really was a step above.

i also ordered a side of tostones for the group and will say it was a huge serving for only $4.25. the tostones were big (there were about 12 of them), and that green dressing/sauce that came on the side was heavenly. i only wish there had been more of that to go around!

dave was craving something a little more substantial and tried the pescado a la tortuga. to be honest, i’m still not sure how he felt about it, lol. the fish portion was generous, and there were lots of shrimp hiding in the secret sauce, but it seems it was a little underwhelming. perhaps it needed more flavor? perhaps it would be better in the restaurant? we may never know. all i will say is that if you said, “hey, kelsey, let’s meet at tortugas,” i’d be in the car before even replying to your message.

after washing up and refilling our drinks, we settled into our regular spots, this time to watch captain marvel. before i get into the details, i’ll say i thought this movie was fine and hope that marvel is going to play a key role in endgame, otherwise, what was the point? even before we clicked play, it confused me that they would introduce a new character so late in the game. but hey, what do i know?

well, for starters i know what i liked about this film, which includes…

  • all the 90s references
  • learning more about nick fury
  • getting to see agent coulson again (if you don’t love agent coulson, i’m uncertain if we can be friends)
  • goose the cat
  • the soundtrack (i’m always happy when no doubt comes on)

and there are the things i didn’t so much care for, like…

  • the fact that it took me a while to unravel exactly what was going on and who was really who (that may be more on me, but perhaps it is due to confusing storytelling)
  • all of the unclear flashbacks with lawson
  • that they found lawson’s space lab so quickly
  • how fury loses his eye (really, they couldn’t think of anything else?)

all feelings aside, though, we are somehow just about done! will i be emotional when we watch endgame next week? will our next meal dethrone tortugas? will i wonder what to do with myself now that we are done? how will 2022 possibly live up to all i saw in 2021? we are only one 3-hour movie away from finding out, and i am excited to see how things end.

EATS

  1. tortugas
  2. trader joe’s
  3. sweet octopus
  4. alessio’s
  5. gordo’s pizza
  6. alebrije mexican restaurant
  7. jim’n’nick’s
  8. burger 21
  9. masterpiece
  10. jerusalem bakery
  11. armando’s caribe
  12. honeypig
  13. sonny’s bbq
  14. cue barbecue
  15. lon u
  16. rose and olive
  17. wayback burger
  18. 2 nyers pizza
  19. tokyo shokudo

MOVIES

  1. iron man
  2. avengers: infinity war
  3. ant-man
  4. spider-man: homecoming
  5. guardians of the galaxy
  6. captain america: the first avenger
  7. black panther
  8. thor: ragnarok
  9. thor: the dark world
  10. captain marvel
  11. captain america: civil war
  12. guardians of the galaxy vol. 2
  13. thor
  14. avengers: age of ultron
  15. captain america: the winter soldier
  16. doctor strange
  17. iron man 3
  18. the avengers
  19. iron man 2

my suburban diary: the ultimate favor

kdavis 1 Comment

with a new year comes a new blog series (don’t worry, i promise i’ll finish the mcu!). this one is going to be casual and fun and will include posts whenever the mood hits me. i’m looking to minimize self-induced stress this year, and blogging when i want to (rather than when i feel like i should) is step one. 🙂

a couple years ago phillip and i moved out of atlanta and up to the suburbs for more space and more affordable housing. city livin’ has its price! our neighborhood has proven to be the ultimate suburban dream, one of which i feel like i have been waiting my whole life to live. so, as fun things happen up here in our little bubble, i’ll share them with you!

there is a family of five down the road with the sweetest group of daughters, and a few months ago they went on a roadtrip. i of course offered to pick up their mail and boxes while they were gone, and a couple nights before they left, the mother saw me on a walk and asked if we could watch their fish, too. i don’t know if i have ever been more flattered in my life! i immediately replied yes and ran home to tell phillip the good news.

for five days, we kept their beta fishes bluey and bella alive. my only regret is that i did not get a picture of them! they were in a compact tank with a divider (apparently beta fish attack each other if they are in the same space?) and each gobbled up their fish flakes when they were fed. only bluey gave me a scare a few days in when he was lying side-up at the top of the tank and not moving much. turns out their water probably should have been changed once or twice while they stayed with us. but hey! the fact that we walked that little aquarium back to their house with both fish alive is all i wanted.

p.s. the fish did finally meet their fate about a month ago. i think they had a little ceremony in the backyard and buried the fish in some shoeboxes. some things never change. 🙂