Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM

Holiday Fix

We've got a big holiday week coming up (or already in progress, depending) and the folks who bring you the Duke City Fix have gotten together to suggest a list of things to do over the next seven+ days. Enjoy, and remember to turn off your car lights, people!

Barelas Babe:

Meet up at Barelas Community Center for Las Posadas de Barelas on December 19 at 6 pm.
Christmas eve, we like to check out the balloon glow at the Albuquerque Country Club before we walk through the Country Club neighborhood and Old Town to check out the luminarias.

Johnny_Mango:

Cut your own Christmas tree in the Cibola National Forest. Both the Mt. Taylor and the Magdalena districts have $10 permits available.

Sophie:

Nothing says "Christmas!" like pasties and glitter. Burlesque Noir Unwrapped bumps and grinds into the Launchpad tomorrow night.
This weekend, the infamous Bunny (aka Victoria Delaney) will be touring to Popejoy Hall to appear in Sister's Christmas Catechism. I'll be at the Sunday matinee (3pm), but there's also a 7:30pm show. Longtime readers of the site may remember Bunny from past posts (in the archives, which are alas! currently down).
Turn of your car lights and jack the KMGA on the stereo: the neighborhood sets out luminarias all along Ridgecrest Blvd on Christmas Eve. It's a lovely slow drive through one of Albuquerque's prettiest neighborhoods.
Not yet done with your holiday shopping? Spend your Bill Richardson-mandated $50 at one of the fine local businesses in the Alibi's Last-Minute Gift Guide.

Brendan:

River of Lights at the Botanic Garden. It just gets better every year. In fact, I should go and take my camcorder. It's just delightful. Here's the entertainment schedule.

Lita:

Make your own luminarias (farolitos, whatever) Keep the tradition alive. Don't forget that the North Valley is beautiful Xmas Eve along Rio Grande Blvd. Lots of luminiarias and lights.
OK, so Martini Mike (who is a member of the Fix) was once homeless and is now dedicated to a yearly event that benefits Healthcare for the Homeless. I'll be donating jewelry for the silent auction.
I have to ditto River of Lights.
Support the Lobo basketball teams. The men's team is kicking butt and the women's team ain't doing so bad either!!
Kiss someone under the mistletoe!

Alexis:

Railrunner Santa Train Dec. 19th. Also, general Railrunner trips. Only closes Christmas Day.
Eat Green Chile Turkey Bread from Golden Crown Panaderia.

Edith Grove:

The Ridgecrest stroll n sip (everybody seems to walks around with hot chocolate, a dog, a glass of adult beverage or all three). Christmas Eve, Ridgecrest Blvd.
River of Lights: a fave for for the families at the BioPark. I heard they're throwing in the mini train ride for free with it.
Finding a neighbor with a blow torch: A wonderful neighborhood ritual where after your thumb gives out from trying to use a lighter stick or matches on all of your luminarias, you start the hunt for a friendly neighbor with a blowtorch.
Trunk wrapping: After a noticeable drop off last year, I'm glad to see that Albuquerque trunk wrapping is back in force this year. It's the phenomenon where decorators start at the bottom of a tree trunk with Christmas lights and go up until the entire trunk is wrapped, the light strand runs out and/or some of the bottom most branches are lit up in a spoke-like fashion. It has a wonderful sort of alien look to it like we're really worshiping Cthulhu.

Vashti:

Make a donation to the Storehouse or Roadrunner food bank.
Go for a walk with your family or friends and just enjoy each others' company.

Masshole:

The only thing I want to contribute is a quick tip for Luminaria viewers in their cars... I think the cogent parts are a quick anecdote about walking thru Ridgecrest every year (and the Country Club area in years past) and hearing pedestrians yell at motorists "TURN OFF YOUR HEADLIGHTS!!!" at the top of their lungs totally ruining my birth-of-Jesus-Eve-spiked-hot-chocolate vibe I have going... So I thought this might be helpful reseource for people so they can disable their own daytime running lights, that way when they shut their lights off during the crawling drive of luminaria viewing, they will actually be effective.
I also have another tip for those less fuse-box tinker-minded and that is to turn your lights off, then push in your parking brake, BUT ONLY FOR ONE CLICK (on Automatics, anyway-- on "Standard" transmission it's a hand lever, but I still suppose you could just pull it to one click) and that will disable the lights, and I don't think it causes permanent damage to your actual brakes because my (very shaky) theory is that it takes at least a few clicks of the mechanism to actually have the brake pads physically bear down on the discs (etc.) themselves and only one click in doesn't result in actual friction. Don't sue me though...

Photo: Ian McNemar via Flickr

Comment by Phil_0 on December 18, 2009 at 1:19pm: I'm honestly curious - what makes exposure to cold for a thoroughly-bundled-up kid such a big deal? It's not a health risk...

Comment by Devon on December 18, 2009 at 1:24pm: Will he be able to see the lights from his car seat? I'm pretty sure my 8-month-old can't see out the windows from her command chair.

Comment by Masshole in Fringecrest on December 18, 2009 at 1:36pm: Um, i'm usually a live-and-let-live kind of moderator here on DCF, but I have to say that the "cold" being too much for children is a farce, at best. I have a 6 year old that I can hardly get to wear her jacket, let alone zip it up, so I let her "suffer" through the cold underdressed day after day... and she has yet to get sniffle one this winter. I grew up in Massachusetts and Maine (where your shots literally freeze on your face) and would be outside for hours upon hours in the winter, you know, PLAYING IN THE FREEZING COLD SNOW. I think that any kid could handle an hour or two of 26 degrees.... but to each their own, I guess.

Comment by ramon t on December 18, 2009 at 2:09pm: Phil - It is my choice. He has had a cold for a couple of weeks and just finished getting over it.

Devon - Yes he can see out of the window from our gas guzzling SUV.

MIF - You are a tough cookie. Glad you had fun.

Comment by LaGuera on December 18, 2009 at 2:47pm: Being cold doesn't give you a cold. Having a virus gives you a cold.

Comment by ramon t on December 18, 2009 at 3:07pm: laquera - No one said that. You do feel bad to terrible at times. Kids can't communicate how they feel. I will keep him where it is warm.

Comment by Benny the Icepick on December 18, 2009 at 3:47pm: Mama's gonna keep you right here
under her wing.
she won't let you fly but she might let you sing.
Mama will keep baby cosy and warm.

Comment by Benny the Icepick on December 18, 2009 at 3:52pm: Great music aside, Ramon, obviously OBTS wasn't necessarily speaking to you when she offered the ride. I doubt it would be appropriate for your infant to kiss people under the mistletoe, either. I'm sure you can figure out something to do that makes you and your little one happy. Let the people who like to bike do their biking thing. If you feel left out and want to join in, get a sitter.

Comment by jenprosser on December 18, 2009 at 6:51pm: slamwagon - hysterical!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HW4IZ0Flh3M

Comment by J. Paul Lanier on December 19, 2009 at 2:01pm

So many options! I confess my doubts about "find a neighbor with a blowtorch" (Edith Grove), however after Googling "neighbor with blowtorch," I have refined my available options somewhat... Regards, Paul