Leonard Napolitano

A friend left us this week.  

Dr. Leonard Napolitano.

He died one day before his 83rd birthday.

I remember so many times seeing Leonard, as Dean of the UNM Medical School, slipping through the halls of the New Mexico Legislature, looking for a few crumbs to help build the medical school.   He found a lot of them.

In Santa Fe, Leonard and Bobby McBride would spend hours in the committee rooms - Bobby working on behalf of his clients and Leonard working on behalf of his school.

May they both be resting in peace - and watching the merry round house from above - enjoying a cigarette.

Pasadena Roses

Here are a few shots & thoughts about the 2013 Rose Parade.

It was warmer than we expected.

 Leading the way...the theme...

 

The most important job in a parade that has horses...you guessed it!

Raul Rodriguez and his parrot.  

A famous float designer, who usually rides on one of his floats.

The most popular spot on the block.

The traveling trio!

Rodger, Connie, Betty

Spotted in the neighborhood - it is SoCal after all!

A fun time was had by all.

You should do it sometime!

Rest, Mr. Speaker

Ben Lujan

Mr. Speaker

New Mexico House of Representatives

Mr. Speaker, may you rest in peace!

"It's a humbling experience, to say the least, and a deeply rewarding experience that we could contribute in some small way to make New Mexico and hopefully the U.S. and the world a better place," he said in his farewell speech at the end of the last session.

He was 77.

Santa Sighting

In a nearby parking lot yesterday...unsual sights.

Cops on horses & kids.

The Oreo cookie

The Coca Cola Polar Bear

Santa sighting!

Veteran's Day

Sam Beimer

1945

Germany

Those brave souls like my dad helped make this a much better world.

Thanks!  

You've been resting in peace for almost 25 years.

Twenty Years Ago

Twenty years ago on the eve of the 1992 election Bill Clinton came to town.  

Actually, it was Election Day - because it was after midnight - when he finally arrived.

And, if memory serves right, it was cold and breezy in that corner of the Albuquerque Sunport tarmac.

It was his last stop before getting home to Little Rock.

My wife, Connie, found the button in the "button file" this weekend.

Ryder Cup Notes

It was a fine crisp fall time at Medinah near Chicago as the Europeans took on the Americans in the Ryder Cup golf matches.  

There were too many of these shots - Bubba headed for his ball in the woods - and USA fell to the Europeans.

Right after I took this shot a "mobile device enforcement officer" threatened to kick me out if I did it again - taking a picture of the players during play.  Seems a little over the top, but rules is rules, and I broke them.  Good for him.  Bad on me.  I put away the phone and then took pictures of scenery and things while there were no players around - and nobody cared.  

On the way into the matches on one of the shuttles I visited with a "Brit" who indicated to me that there weren't many folks on the European team that cared about the Union Anthem - isn't.  Each of their countries has their own anthem, so this is just a marketing something.  

Here's the music.

 

Medinah Country Club has been around for a long time.  In visiting with one of the 600 members at lunch, he said most of the playing members are "blue collar" but there are quite a few who are allowed to join the club and use it for marketing and promotion of their firms.

What a magnificent club house. It was originally the site of a Masonic or Shrine temple.  The facilities for the Ryder Cup were built right over two of the courses - while walking into/out of the matches, here in the middle of the path was a sprinkler head with yardage distances - but I couldn't tell where the green was - under a "building" or under the entrance/exit.

Of the three Ryder Cup matches I've visited, it was the best.  Looking forward to the next one on American soil in the Minneapolis area in 4 years.