Chris in New Mexico

I have been working in New Mexico now for 9 days straight. Blake and I first started in Cimarron, NM. We stayed at the haunted St. James Inn. I have a couple pictures, but I can't upload them yet as I don't have my USB cable. This picture is one I found on Google.

I learned about the haunted hotel and then walked all the way through it. However, they won't let anyone into room 18, as anyone who goes in there has serious problems that shortly follow. Either they are physically hurt or something goes terribly wrong for them. I'm personally fine with not going in there! Each room has a different theme and is really decorated very nice. The dining room has bullet holes in it from the likes of Billy the Kid and many others. Annie Oakley and many other well known cowboys stayed frequently at this hotel. It was alot of fun there, but there was no Internet and my cell phone wouldn't pick up a signal. AT&T would work, but not Verizon.

I worked in Cimarron, NM at the school district for four days and then traveled to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. I worked Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. I think I am done now, but I will be having a close out meeting with the Superintendent tomorrow morning to confirm. It has been a great trip and I cannot even count how many miles I have walked, going through all of their schools several times looking for equipment to gather and label.

One real cool thing about Santa Rosa is that there is a blue hole for scuba diving. It is about 85 feet deep, it is fresh water, and there are big fish in it. Alot of people come here for the scuba. It pushes 3,000 gallons per minute through there!

The only problem is that the water is 62 degrees! You also have to buy a permit to dive there. Well, next time I come back to Santa Rosa, I will bring my scuba gear and give it a shot. It looks like a ton of fun! Of course, Scuba is always fun! I am currently in a class to become certified as a DiveMaster. I told Michelle and my girls that once I earn that certification, they will have to call me Master Dad, or Master Chris (in Michelle's case)! They didn't like that idea very much, but we'll see if it sticks :)

Chris' Lobster Hunt

Chris went lobster diving in March 2008 off the coast of Santa Barbara island (northern most island in the channel islands - off California). This is the lobster that he caught and ate! Michelle, Madeline, and Olivia wouldn't eat any lobster because Chris had it crawling around the hotel room 30 minutes before he cooked it! It was plenty of food for a full meal and it was delicious! Chris also caught another lobster, but it was too small to keep.


There were also hundreds of sea lions that were quite aggressive. Several divers had their regulators pulled out of their mouths and their masks knocked off their heads! The sea lion in this video barked at Chris! Watch and see!

Do you like my lobster hat??