dadSongs: Hotel California

Hotel California
Gipsy Kings

I'm not sure what I was listening to recently (the radio? It seems unlikely this version would come on!), but I heard this. It stirs up a couple of things. It's a tangle of The Big Lebowski and driving around somewhere diligently listening and trying to translate.
I think of your Dad and I both first heard this (independently) in that movie. It's a remake of the Eagles song by The Gipsy Kings. Flamenco-ized and translated into Spanish. It's actually pretty cool. And we know your dad appreciates a new spin on the old (while still loving the old). Your dad had it burned on a disc during our 2004 adventure. That's where I come in. I recall listening to it over and over in the car with your dad, attempting to translate the Spanish back into English. I didn't know the English lyrics, but your dad could confirm. Did we come to a conclusion? I don't know. All I recall from it when I listen now is champana en el hielo/champagne on ice. They're singing too fast! And my Español is getting to be nearly 2 decades out of practice. Ugh.

Spanish lyrics - I can still pick up words, but you know words don't a sentence make. Well they do, but not the way I see them.
On the desert road, the wind somethings me.Up comes the aroma of colita. What's colita? Ha! The moon, the moon of no-one. There in the distance a light centela. The idea of my being.

See? Doesn't work! But I'm still glad I studied language. ;)

Grover

The other morning I was trying to get a good shot of you two in the onesies you got from daddy's aunt Tina and her daughter Maddie.



Did I have any luck getting you two to look at the camera?



Not much. But a blurry photo of Roman hugging Grover?



Yes. This is the Grover mama got from Macy's (?) on Black Friday 2004. We were in Arizona. Tucson I think. Qwest trip! It was hard to be away from family on that day, but it was also fun to be in Arizona. We don't see Mexican license plates in the mall parking lot too often in Minnesota. Nor are we normally wearing short sleeves on Thanksgiving day.



We took Grover with us and took some photos of him at White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo. It's a cool place we probably wouldn't have seen (twice) except for this trip. It's not the kind of place you go unless you have some time and are in the area. So you just wait, we'll be sitting in the rocking chair telling you about the day we bought Grover. A family tradition. Oft repeated legend. (nothing better to say!).



Action shot! Blurry! Getting closer to two together with onesies readable. Almost. Oh well. I certainly have fun trying to get the great shot.

Back to Elm Creek

This time we entered at the Nature Center entrance.
Mama got a map. This is a big park! We took a walk on the paved trail first.


Not sure what Roman was thinking, but Zoe was ready for the camera.




Having fun. And mom was stunned at the beauty of the prairie landscape.






I had a lot of thoughts.
1) Why hadn't I been doing this all summer? Walking outside with you two every chance I got? Instead of sitting around gaining weight? Eek.




2)It's funny how a landscape can bring up memories, or stir your thoughts. I thought about a book I read in college - My Antonia. About living out on the prairie (and if I remember, how depressing it was to move there and find no trees). I thought about how beautiful the sky looked against the tall grass. How blue it was. And how beauty DOES exist in Minnesota. Sometimes I'm down on MN because there are some amazingly beautiful places out there. I took some pictures of the landscape, but it doesn't do them justice. I think the last time I paused to take a picture of the sky was in (Qwest trip!... snooze) Angel Fire, NM. Gorgeous. Never forget it.

Well, I had to go find those pictures. The snapshot in my head and the label associated says "Angel Fire". But my file name on the photo cd indicates I have it wrong. Imagine that. Outside Taos is the real location, although I do remember Angel Fire too. It's a ski area near Taos (and visited the same day I am sure)

By scanning my disc of pictures from back then, I see I took a lot of pictures of skies on that trip! Mama is getting an idea....Qwest trip 2004 might be integrated into this blog. Lots of pictures, and many with stories.

Taos:



Angel Fire: