good morning santa fe

i woke up this morning in a quaint little casita on san francisco avenue in downtown santa fe. my sleep was permeated by a couple of strange noises and the sense that something wasn't the same.

this is exactly what i need, i think. i have found myself this last week feeling as if i am pushing an excruciating heavy boulder up a hill and it has not been pleasant. getting out of dodge seems to be good idea to renew my perspective.

we walked around the town square when we arrived yesterday afternoon. there is quite a chill in the air, and most of the shops and galleries were closing by 5. no matter really, as shopping is not the first priority of this trip. there are so many more galleries than i remember and the town has lost a tiny bit of its colloquial charm. there is much western art, native art, and more "modern" art than i could take in. and of course there is silver jewelry, turquoise, coral in many shops and on most streets. and it's been awhile since i have seens rows of chile wreaths hanging in so many places.

i was looking around for la casa sena but i couldn't remember where it was located. the last time i was in this city, i had a meal there and the food was spectacular. it was an "old" famliy owned business located in a hacienda-style building which is fairly common in santa fe. the public outdoor space in these structure are located in the middle of the building and the actual structure wraps itself around the outdoors in a 360 degree fashion- but squared not in a circle. this concept really appeals to me.

also the last time i was here, my family had arranged to meet a half-sister of mine for the first time. she had been given for adoption when i was five and 1995 was the first time anyone in my mother's immediate family had met her. that was quite an experience as she looks so very much like my mom and she acts and speaks very much like her too. it was a little eerie actually. she had taken a job at the office of the doctor who delivered her and rifled through the files to find information on herself. she had contacted my aunt who lived near her and started the conversation.

this was all about a year or two prior to 1995 when we met. i remember being overwhelmed by the whole thing and getting very drunk. but that was not unusual at all for me back then. i even had died my hair blonde that holiday season. it was supposed to be an homage to gaultier, but i really didn't resemble him at all. but i digress here. she (my sister) met all of us, and i think the enchantment and curiosity ended. she and my mother have kept up a correspondence, which i believe has been a wonderful gift to my mother.

we do have a mission here. we begin at about 9am. we are visiting "southwest cares", the local hiv clinic here. they have been most helpful and accommodating thus far. it may prove to be an interesting day full of questions and more questions. this is an attempt to forge perhaps the beginnings of a new collaboration here and i am thrilled by its potential. either way, it will be an education (and time outa dodge).

again i say, good morning santa fe...

with tongue-in-cheek, today's sound choice is santa fe from the "rent" soundtrack.