Tuesday, January 29

Mirror, mirror.

[Polaroid Spectra + Softtone film]

Saturday, January 19

Hotel Andaluz.

[View from the 8th floor]




[All photos taken with an iPhone 4 + various apps]

I think I fell in love with Hotel Andaluz the moment we stepped into the lobby. We were only there one night, but we were totally impressed with the place. We were given a corner room which was quite spacious and had a great view of the city of Albuquerque and the Sandia Mountains. 

Once we got to the room, it didn't take me long to start taking self-portraits in every mirror in the place. Something I just can't resist doing when we stay at hotels. That and the carpet with my feet thing. Hotel carpets are always so interesting to me; they are either geometrically fabulous or completely hideous.

This hotel was obviously thought out with incredible detail. Even the elevator was gorgeous. And the Moroccan-style lobby was pretty mind-blowing, scary clowns and all. We hope to go back one day and hang out in one of the casbahs.

I was dying to take instant shots in the lobby, but I knew there wasn't enough light for hand held shots and I would probably just end up wasting film. Perhaps next time I will lug a tripod along with me.

The hotel has a restaurant and a rooftop bar which, sadly, we did not check out as we were not there for celebratory purposes. It just  happened to be very near to the hospital that we needed to be at very early the next morning. We did eat at the restaurant and it was quite good.

We're so used to staying at the likes of Comfort Inns when we're on the road so it doesn't take much to impress us, but this place truly was amazing. We had a little snafu with the billing after the fact, but it eventually got sorted out so we do hope to visit Hotel Andaluz again and live it up a bit more.

And if you happen to be visiting Albuquerque, I highly recommend this place. You won't regret it. It's right downtown and only a few blocks away from the train station. It's also the first Hilton Hotel that was built in New Mexico by New Mexico native, Conrad Hilton. (His fourth hotel overall.) I have to admit that I didn't even know the Hiltons had roots in New Mexico! A little more history here, if you're interested.

Sunday, January 13

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[View from the High Line, NYC - Polaroid Spectra + PZ680 Color Protection film]

Thursday, January 10

The year in running.


Is it really already January 10th?! Where does the time go? We haven't even been doing all that much, and the days sometimes seem to go on forever, but still, somehow, time passes so quickly.

I have posts to write. The New York trip. The ear surgery. The year in review, kind of. But I can't seem to get myself to do any of it. I'm not particularly motivated and focused right now. Not always the best place to be, but not the worst either. I'm learning to accept that there are times like these, when maybe I read or knit or watch movies all day instead of constantly taking care of business. (Or whatever you want to call it.) And the cold weather certainly doesn't help. I am not a big fan of low temperatures under 10 degrees.

But anyway, the year in running. I am really quite thrilled that I got so much running in last year. I ran almost 400 more miles than I did in 2011. And no, there's no point to this goal of running more, really, but it makes me feel good. (I mean, I am not training for a race or anything specific like that.) And I hope to continue on in a similar way this year. Not with even more miles but with about the same. And with more long distance running when it warms up again.

I think I am already behind since I've missed a few days this year and had some shorter than usual runs due to icy and freezing cold conditions. I guess it wasn't as cold last year? Or maybe I was tougher? I don't remember. But it's okay. While I am obsessive about running, it is not something I beat myself up about. If I have to miss a day, so be it.

At any rate, when I think that maybe I didn't accomplish much in 2012, I can whip out this chart and remind myself that it was an excellent running year for me.