Super Bowl Sunday in ABQ

We took a couple of lefts while in Albuquerque and ended up at Steve Smith's house. Steve and I have known each other for 32 years. We met because our families attended First United Methodist Church in Carrollton, Texas and to this day, I wear a necklace his mother gave me when I made the American Choral Director's National Jr. High Honor Choir. It's a James Avery silver cross with a music note in the middle. Not EVERY day, but it is in my jewelry box and I still wear it 22 years later.

Steve and his wife Nicole, their daughters Izzy and Shyla Kay and their dogs Baxter and Schatzie were amazing hosts. The Gman was THRILLED to have another dog close to his size to wrestle with. Both boys wore smiles on their faces all day long! Schatzie hid. She was intimidated until the next morning when I had Schatzie curled up in my legs under the covers, Garrison on top and Baxter on the floor in the doorway of the guest room.

Steve and Nicole are total foodies... and the menu was AMAZING! Steve bought several cheeses from Whole Foods and sliced them into small pieces so that they could be eaten alone OR paired with a grape on top of fig spread and different types of crackers or wafers. Home made guacamole - DELISH! Queso - YUM! And the main course? Sliders with green chili and cheese on Hawaiian bread and home made potato salad. Oh.... and wine. Of course.

While we watched an excellent game between the Colts and the Saints, the girls were playing with princess stickers and reading princess books.

It was awesome catching up with Steve and Nicole and we're looking forward to spending another night with them on our way home from our Road Trip. Steve texted the next day and told me that Baxter was sulking all day and night on Monday because his buddy the Gman wasn't there to play with.

We left Albuquerque around 9am and I could tell that the storm that started in CA over the weekend was still moving across the country. Yes... this storm has continued to escort us across the country. But I-40 was easy and clear. Only a few snow flurries. And hardly any traffic.

We saw lots of fun things along the way, though. Garrison tweeted about most of them while we were driving. One of the funniest things we saw was a huge billboard that said, "Top of Texas Catholic Superstore". WHAT?!? I guess if you're looking for bulk rosaries or priestware or plastic bobble head Marys or Jesuses... or maybe even Jesus action figures... that's the place. Who the heck knows, but if any of you Catholic readers out there are interested, there is a Top Of Texas Catholic Superstore near Amarillo, Texas.

It was an uneventful day of driving... just long. And we made it to Tulsa.