Category Archives: Uncategorized

No, I’m not that old — well almost. Read on. In the late 1960s, New Mexico became a hot spot for “hippie” dropouts, most of them ending up in communes near Taos and Santa Fe. As you might expect, many of these people had interesting stories about why they joined the counter culture and movedContinue reading “I interviewed Ulysses S. Grant…”

In the 1970s when I was Santa Fe Bureau Chief and State Political Editor for United Press International, I covered eight sessions of the New Mexico Legislature. I met and wrote about many colorful characters and incidents during that time. One of those that stands out occurred when the Senate was debating a proposed lawContinue reading “They got the “L” out of there…”

My WordPress program, which I use to create my website and post blogs, does not have an easy way to go back to read earlier blogs. You can do it, but it’s a cumbersome process. You have to go to the oldest blog that shows on the blog page, open it, then click on theContinue reading “If you’re really bored…”

Some of you may remember a blog I wrote a few weeks ago about a good friend of ours who stunningly discovered she was dead, even though she felt very much alive and looked just fine to us during a Zoom meeting. It turns out that an online ancestry search listed her as having kickedContinue reading “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, Version 2.0…”

About a month ago, residents of our quiet neighborhood learned that the city was planning to cut down a large number of trees growing along an iconic street that is a beautiful gateway to the area. The trees overhang the street, forming a canopy that is especially refreshing in the hot summer and spectacularly colorfulContinue reading “An orange dot becomes a plot…”

Last year, an Albuquerque Fire Department commander saw someone “unofficial” jump into his “official” SUV command vehicle and drive away in a hurry as if — well you guessed it — he was rushing to a fire. Police were summoned to track down the vehicle when they heard reports of a red SUV blasting throughContinue reading “A thrill ride that was over the moon…”

Several years ago in our neighborhood, police showed up early one morning at a house just up the street to arrest an individual who had been involved in a crime. I don’t remember exactly what the crime was, but the perpetrator escaped the scene in a vehicle which left no doubt about where he couldContinue reading “Following the bread crumbs…”

A Democratic candidate for a New Mexico House of Representatives seat in the Santa Fe area ‘fessed up that he had starred in two porno movies in the 1980s. He said he was a starving college student at the time and needed the money. Besides, he said, it was a “different environment” at that time.Continue reading “The “it was a different time” excuse is wearing a bit thin these days…”

My driver’s license was up for renewal this year, and now that I need to have a “New Mexico Real ID” license, I decided to get the complicated process moving early so I would not miss the appropriate deadline. Enter the Social Security Administration to waylay my plan. When I was 11 or 12 yearsContinue reading “You had ONE Job…”

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. — Mark Twain There is a scene in the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” in which England has been devastated by the bubonic plague and carts are being rolled down streets to pick up bodies claimed by the disease. As the person pulling the body-ladenContinue reading “About being dead, maybe…”

Starting today, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2021 would have kicked off with the “Albuquerque Aloft” event, where pilots take their balloons to elementary schools around the Albuquerque metro area to demonstrate them for kids. Then the next morning would begin nine days of pure chaos, excitement, thrills, happiness, disappointment and in the end, exhaustion.Continue reading “The Fiesta that won’t be…”

I have changed the e-mail address you can use to contact me through this website. The new address is: patrick@aero-cordero.com While I’m flattered that I have a few souls who look periodically at my website and my blog, it’s been interesting to see that some vistors have come from China, India, Nigeria and France. IContinue reading “A quick update on this site…”

You’ve probably seen the artwork somewhere before — on a wall behind a bar in a back country tavern or in someone’s tacky pool room. It’s the famous series of works by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, “Dogs Playing Poker.” He began creating the series in 1894, showing anthropomorphized dogs around a table playing poker, smoking cigars,Continue reading “Our dog, Chester, should never play poker…”

Good news!!! Lindsay, our daughter, tested negative for the COVID-19 virus, as her husband Tedd, had done the day before. Hannah has been symptom free since Saturday (except for the erroneously low blood oxygen level reading due to her application of glittery fingernail polish.) The family should be able to return to “normal” activities today.Continue reading “Almost back to “normal”…”