Category: Albuquerque

Parapet Down

Timothy PriceLeave a comment

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In preparation to raze the burned out flamenco building, workers tore out the parapet wall from Patrician Design’s building in order to detach the flamenco building’s roof from the two buildings firewalls. The workmen also sawed out portions of the front and back of the flamenco building to detach the structures’ vertical attachments. The workers labored under a sunny sky throughout the day, but then the sky became overcast with ominous inklings of rain after the workmen had retired for the day.

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Espresso Fino

Timothy Price15 Comments

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Espresso Fino opened at 222 Gold Ave, SW in Downtown Albuquerque right next door to our office. Owned and operated by Greg with his lovely daughter Nina, and handsome son Pablo (not pictured), Espresso Fino offers fine espresso coffee using organic beans. The shop has a brand new Nouva Simonelli 4 group Aurelia II espresso maker that is as bright and shiny as a fine mirror. They also offer pastries from Le Café Miche (two doors down on the corner of 3rd and Gold), breakfast burritos, and they will soon offer goodies from the New Mexico Pie Company.

Greg is former furniture craftsman from Taos, New Mexico, who has operated two other coffee shops in Taos over the past six years. Now that Greg and his family are offering their espresso making skills on Gold Street, be sure to stop in and try out their coffee.

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Broken Truck Breakdown

Timothy Price6 Comments

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We watched the movie “Broken Circle Breakdown” the other night. It’s a very good movie, filmed in the Netherlands, with fantastic blue grass music. The movie is sad and melodramatic, but we were drawn in by the characters as the story went back and forth between past and present. Herman recommended the movie on his Hands On Bowie blog.

A sink I ordered for my up-and-coming darkroom came in on Friday, earlier than I expected. After my run to the dump in the morning, Laurie and I headed down to the office in the truck to pick up  the sink which was in a very large 7 foot by 36 inch by 12 inch box. Then we were going to drop by Tristan’s house and pick up some stuff she wants to get rid of. The truck was running rough like it normally does, but as we got near the office it started acting like it was vapor locking — almost dying and then it would start running again. I left the truck idling, ran in and got the box, threw it in the bed of the truck, and then we decided to just try and get back home. We made it to 4th Street and Griegos, where a car that was two cars in front of us at the light died. A couple of kids got out and pushed the car out of the street into the bank parking lot on the corner. Then our truck died in the same spot the other car had died, and the kids helped us push the truck into the bank parking lot next to their mom’s car.

We called Laurie’s mom and she drove their van down to pick us up. We transferred the sink to the van, and got it home. After we got the sink unloaded, I grabbed some tools, and Laurie and I drove back in her car where I performed some basic troubling-shooting on the truck. I discovered the fuel pump I had replaced a year ago had quit working. I called for a tow truck, and he took our truck to a shop where I asked the mechanics to figure out all the things that are wrong with it besides the fuel pump.

Even with all the frustration of getting stranded, three good things came out of our adventure: 1) I got my new darkroom sink home. 2) After we got home, Laurie sent her mom home with cake and cookies that she served to their house guest. 3) We didn’t total the truck* and maybe we’ll finally get it in decent running condition so we can sell it.

*Last August we had a car adventure that left us stranded in the middle of nowhere. Luckily we had cell phone coverage and got the car towed to the dealer for repair — but then my insurance company ruled the car a total loss.

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Trees in the Mist

Timothy Price15 Comments

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When we left early in the morning there was a mist that gave the trees a ghostly look. As we headed out to Paradise Hills, the mist turned into a thick fog, which is quite rare for the Albuquerque area. When we got to Paradise Hills, a couple hundred feet above the Rio Grande Valley, the sun was making its first appearance above the fog blanketed the valley below.

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Thérèse of Lisieux

Timothy Price17 Comments

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We went to A Lenten Penitential Prayer Concert. A Dedication to Our Lady of Sorrows presented by the Albuquerque All City Women’s Catholic Liturgical Choir at St. Thérèse and the Infant Jesus Catholic Church last night. The concert included a service with the Stations of the Cross — the first time I’ve attended a service with the stations of the the cross. After the concert I was talking to Father Vincent who gave me the history of the church. Built in 1954, St. Thérèse and the Infant Jesus Catholic Church just happens to be one of four shrines in the world for Thérèse of Lisieux. The full name of the of the church is the Shrine of the Little Flower, St. Thérèse and the Infant Jesus Catholic Church. 

I learned that they have some of the bones of St. Thérèse in the marble under the statue in the first photo, in marble at the main alter, and a bone fragment in a small gold reliquary the priest takes out of its nook to venerate St. Thérèse. They also have rare statues of her, and various other relics such as her choir robe. One of the first priests at the church was French and he designed the stained glass and statuary  — he had the stained glass made in France and the statues carved by craftsmen in the Italian Alps. Father Vincent said the Church cost over $3 million dollars to build in 1954, and he was estimating it would cost about $18 million to build today. I looked around at the quality of the construction, the marble, stained glass and statuary, and told him that from my experience with construction costs, I thought it would cost around $30 million to build church like it today.

St. Thérèse was a French Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis at the age of 24 in 1897. known as “The Little Flower”, Roman Catholics love her for what’s considered the simplicity and practicality of her approach to a spiritual life. St. Thérèse was beatified in 1923, and canonized in 1925. She was named co-patron of France with Joan of Arc in 1944, and Pope John Paul II made her the 33rd Doctor of the Church in 1997. A collection of her autobiographical manuscripts called “The Story of a Soul” became very popular in the early 1900’s, which ended up making her one of the most popular saints in the 20th century.

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Breakfast on the Run

Timothy Price11 Comments

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As there is a lot of chance on the outcome of drive-by photos — my camera focused on the buildings instead of the cyclist eating a breakfast burrito while peddling into oncoming traffic on 2nd Street. He was a good rider — he held a straight line as he peddled along with no hands. He seemed to be an interesting character and fashion statement, as well, with his dreadlocks coiled up on top of his head, full beard, bandana around is neck tucked into a dark hoodie, messenger bag, dirty kakis, and cool shades.

Vida Loca

Timothy Price3 Comments

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Around 4:00 PM, Di Anne came back with her lunch of fried platanos that she had picked up from one of the street vendors, and told me that there was a guy on the street with a snake I should photograph. I went out and found one of the street vendors who prints hats and T-shirts and makes jewelry packing up for the day. I asked if he had a snake and he said “yes” and motioned to his friend who brought out a healthy Ball Python. His artwork has a nice local flavor at very reasonable prices. He told me he is out selling his goods on Central Avenue most days.

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