Marriott Pyramid, Albuquerque, NM

Earlier today I found a great deal on a trip to Egypt, but why spend the money when you can wander North on I-25 and find Albuquerque's own Aztec-style pyramid?

The Marriot Pyramid on San Francisco Rd NE in Albuquerque is a beautiful hotel beginning with its unique architecture. With 10 floors, over 300 rooms and over 18 meeting rooms, the Pyramid is the perfect venue for a conference, meeting or convention.

The Pyramid is a "Santa-Fe", southwestern-style hotel featuring an open ten-story atrium with a rock waterfall and lush greenery. Artistically designed after the style of an Aztec pyramid, the Marriott Pyramid offers the Marriott standard of service, comfort and hospitality along with the imposing shape and size of an ancient pyramid. It's a winning combination.

Our company held our annual lunch meeting there yesterday. The staff was efficient and attentive. The meeting room was clean and the tables were set with an eye for simple detail. As is often the case, food for 170 was not quite the same as it would have been if 6 of us were dining in the hotel restaurant, but it was good and again, the service was excellent. We will return next year.

The Marriott Pyramid is a hotel I would choose to stay at, if I didn't already live here, but you can be sure it will be at the top of my list when friends come to town! And they will be enchanted.

Egypt can wait.

23rd Contemporary Hispanic Market, The Burrito Company, Santa Fe, NM

I headed north on Sunday and spent the day in Santa Fe. I love that place.

The 23rd Contemporary Hispanic Market (art festival) was in its second and final day and I managed to walk the whole thing. This event is the largest annual contemporary hispanic art event in the nation and is held in Santa Fe's historic downtown plaza.

The market vendors share artwork that is unique and amazing, althought the artists were sweating buckets - and not from a lack of sales. New Mexico is having record temperatures this summer (of course, since it's my first summer here), and we are all feeling it. Sleeveless blouses, sandals and capri's, shorts or skirts are the only option. I am gonna get to be a hippie yet. Although cowboy hats were not something hippie's typically wore, and I was wearing mine on Sunday so I guess I looked like a hippie cowgirl or something.

A delicious vegetarian burrito from The Burrito Company ended my day perfectly; located just off the plaza on Washington Avenue, my linner (lunch and dinner) was a whopping $4 and change. I will definitely mark my calendar for the Market next year, it's always in late July, so I can start saving money right now so that I can increase my southwest art collection. I plan to be there in 2010, to buy art and more art and to have another burrito too; if I am careful with my art purchases I should be able to afford the 4 bucks and change for another delicious linner.

But in case you can't wait that long (and I probably can't), there is also a 9th Annual Contemporary Hispanic Winter Market 0n November 27 & 28 this year. It will be held at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe. For information call: 505-296-2749.

See you next year at the Plaza! (I'll be the one in peasant blouse, daisy chain, sandals and cowboy hat.)

La Dolce Vita, Albuquerque, New Mexico

It never fails. When on a diet, I find great restaurants and bakeries, and yesterday was no different.

La Dolce Vita, SERGIO'S La Dolce Vita to be exact, is located at 4300 Lomas Blvd NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico (505-232-7023). It's a real Italian bakery with everything from pizza to canoli,donuts to bagels and rolls to breads.

And ohhhh, it smells so good! I wandered in yesterday and exclaimed in one breath, "I am so glad to find you, I wish I had never found you"! They laughed, but I was dead serious. Ecstacy and Agony relived.

Everything is baked on the premises, and based on my very thorough taste testing, everything is authentic, old school Italian baking.

And they deliver! You just can't beat friendly folks, authentic baking, Italian flavor and free delivery. All in Albuquerque.

I am sooooooo enchanted.

My Dog Digs Albuquerque, New Mexico

Yep, that's right. I am not the only one who is enchanted. My dog digs New Mexico too - literally and figuratively. And I have the holes in my backyard to prove it!

Actually, as true as this may be (my dog "Doodle" definitely digs ABQ), this phrase came from a bumper sticker that I saw today on the back window of a Toyota truck that was waiting for the light at Jefferson and Osuna in Albuquerque. I just had to share it!

Her dog digs Albuquerque and my dog digs Albuquerque. If you've got a bone to pick over that, just toss it to Doodle!

Coronado Center Mall, Albuquerque, New Mexico

I went to the mall yesterday, it was a deja vu experience.

It's been a LONG time since I have shopped at the mall. I have spent decades honing my skills as a bargain shopper at boutique shops, antique stores, TJMaxx, REI, gun shows and online, and I haven't needed to wander the mall.

And I am not a mall walker either. High stepping laps in tennis shoes around the two levels of Coronado Mall in Albuquerque, NM is not my idea of a fun way to exercise. I think it's great for others, don't misunderstand, but it's not me.

Anyway, I went to the mall and it wasn't all that bad. There were a lot of people since it was a Saturday, and there were too many kiosks lined from one end to the other with rather aggressive sales folks calling me "hon", but other than that it wasn't bad. (I have always had an issue with 18+ year olds calling me "hon").

I really hadn't walked the entire mall before, my typical errand is a direct line in to The Body Shop and then out again, but yesterday I took my time.

Coronado is anchored by three major department stores - Macy's, Penny's and Sears - putting it right in the middle of mall greatness, in other words it's not a high end mall. No Nordstroms. No Dillards. But between the 3 anchors going every which way (this is not a long straight mall, it curves and heads in different directions) are most of the "to be expected" mall stores, including Banana Republic, Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, etc. And because we ARE in New Mexico, there is a large Boot Barn as well - a favorite of mine.

I will go back to the mall someday, probably to The Body Shop and to Boot Barn, but I have to admit that Banana Republic caught my attention and managed to lure me in long enough to take some of my $ too (probably because the sales staff was trained well enough to NOT call me "hon").

Coronado Mall in Albuquerque is located off of I-40 between Indian School and Menaul just west of Louisiana. It's a fun excursion into the past. Can tennis shoes and mall laps be far behind?

Nah, if we wore tennies we couldn't hit the gun show later that day.

After all, this is the Land of Enchantment!

Denzel Washington, Costco Warehouse, Albuquerque, NM

He's there. Almost every day. Denzel works at Costco, who would have thought. Evidently the economy is tough on everyone!

Obviously, the Denzel Washington of movie stardom is not really working at the Costco Warehouse on Renaissance Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but his double is. And if you don't believe me, go see for yourself!

Twice now I have ended up in Denzel's line. The first time I simply stared and opted to say nothing at all (knowing that every other person in the line probably had and would). Yesterday I couldn't restrain myself, "Does everyone tell you that you are the spitting image of a younger Denzel Washington?" His response (swoon), "Every day."

Like the famous Denzel, this guy is very handsome, very fit, and very married - the glowing gold ring on his left hand cannot be missed. And very nice too. I am certain he puts up with comments from people all day, every day.

I noticed, while searching for the link to Denzel Washington, that according to their popularity poll, the real Denzel's popularity is down 7% this week. I have no doubt that his decline has a direct correlation to Albuqueruques' Denzel's rise in popularity.

I love Costco, it's a great place to shop for just about anything, unless you only want ONE of that 'anything'. I love it more now that Denzel is working there. It gives me a reason to stand in those long lines.

I am heading there today, in fact. I need some berries. And while I am there, I think I will get an autograph. If you want one too, you'll have to get in line, but trust me, it will be worth it!

Batty Tickers

He's a redhead too, my new doc; John Batty is his name. Dr. John W. Batty, MD, FACC. He is a cardiologist.

I like him because he is a redhead, but I like him more because he didn't seem too concerned that I was about to check out. Life looks like it's going to continue for awhile longer!

Dr. John Batty has been practicing medicine for several decades and his patients seem to love him (I just met him, so at this moment I can only comfortably say that I like him). Two men stood and chatted with him for quite some time while I was filling out my paperwork. One had been a patient for over 7 years and looked pretty darn good, the other had been a heart patient of Dr. Batty's for nearly 30 years and looked fantastic.

They were a living testimonial to Dr. Batty. Not only were their tickers still working, but they looked healthy and seemed happy!

But, Dr. Batty seemed happy too which always helps. It's no fun to go visit a grumpy doctor. And I will be seeing the good doctor again in few weeks, after a bit more testing on the ol' ticker (so far so good), and at this point, I am happy about that.

If you are in need of a cardiologist, you can find Dr. John W. Batty, MD, FACC on the Second Floor at 715 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. in Albuquerque. His office number is 505-248-1800.

Dr. Batty has a website, but I am not going to link to it because all of the information is inaccurate. I mentioned the need for updating and offered marketing services while propped on the exam table; I am certain he thought I was nuts, but he nodded his head in agreement. It appears his business cards need updating too, they say he is on the First Floor - but I can assure you that he is not!

Ah well, as long as my ticker keeps ticking I don't care what floor he is on or if he does think I am nuts.

After all, I think he's Batty and we're both redheads.