Let Us Now Praise Gordon's Gin

Monday, September 20  -  Santa Fe to Mesa Verde, Colorado

With sincere apologies to James Agee, but if it weren't for Gordon's Gin I would be in a dark, dark place right now. 

Today was one of those days when I ended up hating my husband, a tricky position to be in at the best of times, but traveling 4,500 miles in a glorified tin can with a huge mistake sitting next to you has to be one of the worst of times.

Even worse is the knowledge that he's not entirely to blame for my present state of extreme regret.  Full disclosure: I may be just a teeny bit shy of being entirely the injured party, but he still bears the lion's share of responsibility for the disaster this day turned out to be.

We got a good early start and headed north from Santa Fe through some of the most spectacular country I've ever seen.  Each turn was more breathtaking than the last.  And such a contrast to the arid, rocky terrain around Santa Fe.  New Mexico is amazing.

Even the power lines are cool.

 

I had told Dan (often, repeatedly, many, many times) how much I'd like to see the Four Corners area of New Mexico which I'd been reading about for years in Tony Hillerman's wonderful, evocative mysteries featuring the Navajo Tribal Police.

It would mean a bit of a detour (okay, an extra hour or two) on an already long day of driving, but when was I ever going to be in this area again?  Sadly, due to one of those annoying marital misunderstandings - I thought he didn't really want to make the detour, he thought I didn't really care - we took the short route through the Rockies to Mesa Verde.   And then I realized how much I wanted to see the New Mexico desert and one of those tight lipped silences ensued (Leslie, if you're wondering, yes, you called me in the middle of it - sorry!)

If it hadn't been for the Gordon's (and the Cerignola olives I found at Whole Foods in Santa Fe) crossing the Continental Divide would have assumed even more significance.  Mother's Ruin be damned, Wife's Savior more likely.

And my sweet husband now tells me we can still make a detour to Four Corners the day after tomorrow.  The olives are back in the fridge for now and the Gordon's is standing by.