Drive In, Drive Out

Here is a rather short trip report to New Mexico - September 22nd & 23rd - for the GoldenPalace.net World Green Chile Grilled Cheese Eating Championship.

I got a Chevy Aveo from Enterprise and headed to Santa Fe. T, her mom, and Shamalama were there. We'd meet up Friday, and go to the competition on Saturday.


Crossing into New Mexico.


Nice crepuscular rays. For the meteorologist in us all.


This is the hotel in Santa Fe. You can barely make out the snow on the mountains in the background.

I don't know that I've ever seen this sign:



And look here...


There's the sign in the foreground, and then another sign maybe 50 yards later.

But you do get some warning about what's coming up:



Fortunately I saw nobody. Maybe they were too tired.

In Santa Fe just about everything is in a faux-pueblo building. The McDonald's:



The IHOP:



Courtyard Marriot:



A photo of an aspen tree against a deep blue sky.



Another aspen, with the sun shining through.



As for the contest, due to some logistical problems I did not have my digital camera and Tommye had the digital video camera but I was not able to warn her about how when you use the zoom it totally blurs the picture. She zoomed. It did get good sound, though! And with Mike Castellano tearing it up on stage that sound is gold! Gold! Mike kicks ass!

So there were 10 competitors. Four New Mexico locals, Allan, Russ, Mongo, Rich, Joey and me. Russ & Mongo are from the Denver area, too. That's cool. (If either read this, send me an email - iamskinnyboy at gmail dot com). Intros. On my right is Mongo, and on my left is ... Rich! WOW! For someone who has been following the scene for a few years, well, being at the table and *next* to him is pretty cool! In other competitions I have been at the table with Sonya, Pat, Badlands, and others, but getting to stand, and elbow, and eat next to HIM is nothing short of a moment. I cannot tell you how big of a Locust fan I am! I think I am only an even bigger fan of the lovely Carlene! I will strive to have him on my left and HER on my right! One day. One day.

The contest finished: Joey 34.5, Rich 28, Mongo 14, me & Allan 13.5, and on down. But did I mention Rich was on my left!