5/14/9
Problems with the weather getting there. Complete change of planes, cities, arrivals. Good thing as Mark wouldn't have been able to pick us up as he was working on his car. Stacey fixed chicken enchiladas for dinner - wonderful! She prepared a computer Mother's Day presentation complete with rose, card and digital photo keychain. Off to bed after a quick tour of the house - new breakfast bar and stools in kitchen; new bedroom set - beautiful - bath repainted and upgraded - new light fixtures everywhere - Mermaid room new queen size bed - computer room painted and with new futon. Everything looks great and bed is mighty comfy! I could live here!
5/15/9
Up early to pick Ryan and Chrystie up for breakfast at Weck's - Poppa Bowls all around - really good. Then off to the base for Sandia Family Day! Weather is sunny, cool, crisp and windy, windy, windy. No problems getting on base and registering. We get our badges and first stop is Mark's office. It's in a big building but he has an office of his own with 4 computers and many pictures of Stacey. I thought he shared this place with someone but he doesn't - pretty nice. He works as a technician for K-Tech. We were then off to the control room where he spends a lot of his time. He explained it all to us but I know I didn't understand 1/2 of what he was saying. It seemed to make sense at the time but I could never re-explain it to anyone else. We went into the big room that houses the Z machine and he did a pretty good job explaining everything not only to us but to a lot of other people there too who for some reason thought he was a tour guide. I think it embarrassed him - at least he seemed like it with his face turning red. We met several of his coworkers and went into a lot of places that even the co workers couldn't go in to. He does something with all the computers so he pretty much has access to everything. By the time we left, there was a line to get into the facility as it seems that this was THE place to tour and everyone wanted to see what they do there. (I think you can hear the laser for quite a way when it fires.) We were able to get in early and see parts no one else could visit.
It was very windy when we left but we went to the Solar Tower and toured it. Very interesting. We met some more people Mark knew and watched a very good movie on the applications of solar energy before leaving. We drove around the base some but other than Larry's building, no one was too familiar with what we were seeing so we decided to go to the Atomic Museum. Now that was very interesting also with all the displays on WWII, Los Alamos, Trinity, The Cold War, medical applications and experiments, etc. Pretty cool. I could have stayed longer but everyone else was ready to go. So home for a nap before dinner at Bruce and Michelle's. Mark claimed he wasn't surprised but I think he really was. Lots of people came and wore their "I'm a Fan of Mark Dudley" masks. We had good food (burgers, brats), good conversation and lots of drinking. A good turnout considering the soccer team was in Vegas, the Lake People were at the Lake and there were lots of graduation parties going on. We were home by midnight with plans for breakfast. A truly great day!!!!!

5-16-9
Beauty of a day. We slept in a little and met Ryan and Chrystie at Murphy's Mule Barn to watch Wil eat the Country Fried Steak breakfast: 16 oz steak, 2 eggs, hash browns, biscuits and gravy. And he did it in record time. Then home for evacuation and recovery! Stacey did her grades and we sat around the outdoor patio table and talked. Finally decided to go for a ride up thru Placitas and up the mountain. I could live there! Nice views - we got out and walked around the crest before coming down Rt. 14 and going up the Turquoise Trail to Madrid and the Tavern there - one of the coolest places on the face of the earth. Wil polished off another 3/4 pounder and Mark had a Buffalo Burger. Pretty good and a really cool place. I could live there! I invited the owner to come visit us in Baton Rouge but I doubt he gets out of Madrid much! We went back down the trail to ABQ where we stopped on the way for a fantastic sunset. Another wonderful day!
5-17-9
Stacey had to work but Mark took the day off and we went on another drive this time south on Rt. 14 to some old Pueble ruins of Quarai and Abo. The weather was again perfection and I got some lovely pictures of the old churches against that blue, blue New Mexico sky. I could live there! We saw James Dean giving a tour to some 4th graders from Estancia - he's alive and well and working for the National Park Service in some obscure New Mexico location. I took some great rocks even though I shouldn't have. We did a loop tour and came back up to ABQ on the east side of the Rio Grande thru many small towns. I could live there! We got back in time to take a short nap before going out to dinner at Gruet's Steakhouse - one of the finest restaurants in town. It was a fantastic meal with unhurried service located in an old historic Firehouse #1. I thought Wil would faint when he saw the bill. But we hardly ever do anything for Mark and Stacey and this was a good birthday/anniversary gift. Some fierce thunder/lightning storms came up while there and when we got home Stacey and I sat under the patio cover talking and watching the lightning. Then off to bed after another wonderful day.
5/19/9
Heard Mark leave but got up when Stacey did. We said our tearful goodbyes. Ben will be here next month and they will be in LA for Ben's wedding in October. Got ready, packed and Mark returned from work to bring us to the airport. More tearful hugs and goodbyes. We ate breakfast at Garduno's in the airport before boarding our flight home. It was an extremely long walk thru DFW but otherwise uneventful. It was a great trip - almost perfect. We did lots in a short time. Now home to plan a wedding and a trip to Thailand.

Some unrelated thoughts:
Big long cargo trains out on the plains - lots of them.
Chilili Land Grants - NO Land for sale here
Humongous gravel truck in a quarry - still looked big 2 miles away!
Not enough time to talk to everyone.
Vicki Wade sells gourmet sandwiches - need more information.
Jason and Stacey both have "friends" - even though Jason assures me I am still his first - tunnel of love.
Joe is going to Columbus Ohio for the 4th of July