Destination: New Mexico

Move over Rio Grande, there's a New Mexico!

So my pappy and I finished up our road trip--2 days, with an overnight in Pratt, Kansas--and celebrated by staying in his buddy's Indian casino in Albuquerque (i'm getting really good at spelling Albuquerque. Albuquerque. no i did not just copy and paste that. albuquerque.) And we won money! Single deck blackjack is the single most convenient form of gambling known to man. Hell, when the shoe is just 52 cards, even I can count that. So I arrive in Roswell about $120 richer.

My living situation is this. There are no good, cheap apartments in Roswell, near as my Craigslisting abilities could flesh out. I spoke with another guy I'm going to be working with, who's also from out of town, and he's been living in a hotel for the past few weeks. Furnished, and nice, but my god that adds up.

So my dad took the liberty of inquiring into housing at the University of Eastern New Mexico Roswell campus--which, sadly, is only open to actual students of the university. We inquired as to what this meant, and it means taking a minimum of 1 credit (in St. Olaf terms = 0.25 credits. Or Fitness Walking, for god's sake). So I looked at a course listing. Of course, i'm here to work a job, not get my degree; however, there is a 1 credit, weekend-long EMT-training refresher course. And it's next weekend. I'm signed up, I live in an ENMU apartment for peanuts a month, and I learn what to do if I find a guy passed out on the sidewalk. Tuition? Fifty-two dollars. YYEEEAAHHH!

I haven't formed any real impressions of Roswell yet. Just an average town, maybe 2 or 3 Northfields, 4 or 5 Cambridges. And constantly over 100 degrees, which is nice. Judging by the absolutely stellar (note: sarcasm) works of sci-fi that Roswell has spawned,

i figured the whole UFO crashsite/alien cover-up thing would lend itself to some serious chincery around town. i haven't encountered it yet but will keep my eyes peeled.

Dear god, it's Martin Sheen in that awful Roswell movie! Co-starring Dwight Yoakam. Must... not... rent... ...!

Lastly, I realize my last post ("Road Trip, Part 1") implied that this one would be entitled ("Road Trip, Part 2"), but it wasn't. I'm here in New Mexico now; who wants to recap? Not I. Plus, now it's sort of like Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part 1, to which no sequel was ever made. Awesome movie. You should rent it. But not Roswell. leave that alone.