Pictured above: Flowering Almond Tree, North Valley
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ABQ Weather or Not
Plenty of sunshine coming our way, zippy doo-dah....
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Upcoming April Holidays of Note
(This list is not meant to be conclusive - simply representative of noteworthy April dates)
4/8: National Empanada Day
4/10: National Hug Your Dog Day
4/12: National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
4/16: National Eggs Benedict Day
4/18: Nulman Birth Day
4/22: Earth Day
4/24: National Pigs in a Blanket Day, Ethier/Or Birth Day
4/28: National Blueberry Pie Day
4/30: National Hairball Awareness Day
Note to Diary: Coming in May: National Put Your Pillow in the Fridge Day
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Beyond the Rio Grande
- Infrastructure Plan- $2.3 trillion Plan "good, but needs work" - but one wonders if any amount of tinkering will result in bipartisan support for a plan chock full of programs the Republican Party has previously supported. So what gives? Even some Dems are weary. Not so the markets - and investors seem invigorated by the prospect of a strong recovery. When I was trading bonds on Wall Street in the mid-80s we were talking about the sorry state of our nation's bridges and highways. Hello? Let's put safety, jobs, and the economy on the front burner, and partisan politics on the back. Enough already!
- Chauvin trial - If there were any doubt, we now have it straight from the Minneapolis Police Chief that Derek Chauvin's 9-minute foothold on George Floyd's neck in fact breached Department policy. Good to know (whew!!). What will be better to know is that this highly publicized trial doesn't end in an acquittal. As much as the Defense would like COD to be "heart attack", asphyxia is far more likely. Neither Chauvin nor other officers present rendered any first aid when George Floyd stopped breathing, which according the Chief Arrandondo, was "their absolute duty."
- COVID-Watch: Ground Zero has moved to India, less than 10% of members of the EU having received their first shot. Meanwhile, with 4% of the world population, the US has administered 25% of the world production, and New Mexico is leading the parade on # per capita vaccinated - as well as the only state where 50% of the eligible population has been vaccinated. Let's hear it for the Land of Enchantment !
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In-State Que Pasa
La Politica - For those of you who missed it, the NM State Republican and Democratic Parties chose their nominees last week for the June 1st Special Election to fill Deb Haaland's vacant CD-1 seat.
State Senator Mark Moores (R) and State Representative Melanie Stansbury (D). The Democratic race was one for the history books: In Round 1, which included all 8 candidates, Antoinette Sedillo Lopez led 37.16% to Stansbury's 21.61%. Because a candidate must win 51% of the vote to get the nomination, there was a runoff the next day, Wednesday March 31st. In an amazing turnaround with a mere 6 vote advantage, Melanie Stansbury defeated Sedillo-Lopez with 51.24% vs 48.26%. We are just beginning this 56 day race - and hope both campaigns will be civil and the path from here to June 1st isn't littered with negative campaign ads.
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MRGCD - The 2021 election for the Board of Directors of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District shall be held on
Tuesday, June 8, 2021 from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
(currently held by Karen Dunning)
(currently held by Valerie Moore)
Pls note:This is neither a citywide nor countywide election - votes are residents of the MRGCD. If there's doubt in your mind, go to their website
or check your Property tax bill to see if you have a line item charge.
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Bikes, Anyone?
(FB4K Website - click here)
Just in time for the annual Garage cleaning, I'm taking 2 bicycles over to Balloon Fiesta Park on Saturday morning. From today's Albuquerque Journal:
Free Bikes 4 Kidz seeking donations to provide used bicycles to children
Want to help a youngster get going on their first bike? Do you have an old one in disrepair or that you’re no longer using?
Consider donating to the UPS-sponsored Free Bikes 4 Kidz program in partnership with 11 local bike shops in north and central New Mexico to help get more kids on wheels this summer.
In Albuquerque drop off bikes – including tricycles, balance bikes and bike accessories – at Balloon Fiesta Park or at Sport Systems, 6915 Montgomery NE, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
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The i'S Have It
iRead
“I don’t say this often, but when I do I mean it: This book changed my life. Breath is part scientific quest, part historical insight, part Hero’s Journey, full of groundbreaking ideas, and a rollicking good read. I had no idea that the simple and intuitive act of inhaling and exhaling has taken such an evolutionary hit. As a result, I figured out why I sleep so badly and why my breathing feels so often out of sync. With a few simple tweaks, I fixed my breathing and fixed myself. A transformational book!” —Caroline Paul, bestselling author of The Gutsy Girl
I'm going to load up on some 3M micropore tape and see if I can reverse my nighttime mouth-breathing. Who knows - it might end up being good for my golf handicap. They say breathing right is a game changer and most of us are doing it wrong. I'm in! Stay tuned.
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iWatch
Backing into THE INVESTIGATION, let me say my favorite series ever is BORGEN (3 seasons of which are now available on Netflix). So it was great to reunite with two Borgen characters in HBO's Season 1 of THE INVESTIGATION.
The Investigation is written, directed and executive produced by Oscar-Nominated Tobias Lindholm. The series was made in close cooperation with the real-life Jens Møller and Kim Wall’s parents, Ingrid and Joachim Wall.
To learn more of the backstory, CLICK HERE.
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iEat
This has two things going for it: easy to make and just one pot to clean up - a cast iron skillet or whatever you prefer.
There's just something about shrimp and lemon zest and white wine - give this a spin on the road to swoonworthy territory.
Source: Nassau Street Seafood, Princeton NJ.
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iBuy
If you're someone who likes to read in bed, reading a real spine and paper book - this backlight is for you! Instead of singlehandedly underwriting the AAA- battery market, for $20 at amazon you can get a rechargeable, adjustable, three light-color option, answer to your prayers. It's also great for reading on the plane once the lights are turned down - if you've always felt a bit guilty that you are probably bothering your seat mate.
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AFL
For this blog, a departure from all things non-financial. April is Financial Literacy Month and we are all over it.
You can check us out on FaceBook where our social media posts will be intermittent teaching moments.
You can visit our website and click on the GREEN BAR on the upper right (or CLICK HERE).
Spring Cleaning is more than moving the Peppermint Schnapps to the rear of the liquor cabinet - it's a great time to tidy up,tweak your financial priorities, review your budget, let the kids know a little more about the importance of managing money, etc.
Call us - we're here for you.
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Parting Shot
We hope you have a chance to smell the roses...uh, rosemary and have a wonderful week!