5-30-09 Saturday (The Plant Ate Pistachios)

Lunch at Chili’s was the start of the day.  It wasn’t the greatest start.  Our plan was to order off the $7.00 lunch menu, and utilize a $5 off coupon.  Cheap, thrifty, whatever, don’t be jealous.  Anyway, we arrived, no hostess.  A server walked by and broke eye contact as soon as it was made.  No “someone will be with you in a moment” line, no nothing.  The hostess arrived with the personality of a gnat.  She seated us, our server was to be Chuck.  2 servers stood by and chit chatted while we sat and sat waiting for Chuck.  Maybe a fellow server should have offered help?  As Jim said, this is Chili’s not Chuck’s.  The chatty one’s leave.  The gnat walks by, we informed her of Chuck’s missingness.  She’s “stunned”.  She walks off to “find” him.  Chuck comes by, we order.  Jim’s crispy chicken tenders aren’t crispy.  He sends them back.  Manager dude comes by.  Jim lets him have it in a very nice way.  Manager dude is apologetic.  Jim’s meal is comp’d. 

Next stop was the New Mexico Museum of Space History.  We walked around the outdoor exhibits of the John P. Stapp Air & Space Park until it started to rain.  We continued the outdoor exhibits after the indoor exhibits.  The museum was 4 stories and we were fortunate to catch a 15 minute presentation at the start of it.  The presentation, given by Charles Farrant, who was 81 years old, was informative.  He had been into space and gave many factoids about what life was like while in space.  The food, gravity, clothing, and such.  The most interesting facts were that the spine decompresses and you gain 3-4 inches in height.  Also water is displaced into the upper body giving you “chicken leg syndrome”.  He was an interesting man to talk to. 

Above: View of Alamogordo from the museum.

 

Above: A really, really big rocket… aimed at Chili’s.

 

 

Above: Jim wants to launch it.  He’s a little disappointed that there was no button.

 

Above:  Jim inside the Mercury Capsule.

Above:  Jim and I inside the capsule.  I’m sure if it were moving, we’d look like this.  Really.

 

Above:  Charles Farrant heats up a tile to show how hot one side is and the other is cool to the touch.

 

Above:  A view of the outdoor exhibit from the comfort of indoors.

 

Above:  Astronaut food evolution.

 

Above:  Jim wants to know what that button does.

 

Above:  Bad news: Jim crashes the space shuttle twice.  Good news: No one you knew was on board.

 

Above:  Garret argues with Molly Mannequin. 

 

Above:  Garret is floating. He did this intentionally while Molly was talking back.  A rude gesture indeed.

 

Above:  Garret is floating… still.

  

Above:  Send us money.  This missile is aimed at your house.

On the way home, we stopped by a giant pistachio that’s across from the RV park.  It reminded me of Audrey from Little Shop of Horrors. 

And while we were here at the awesomely large pistachio nut, we ate samples.  Pistachio nut brittle, oh my.  Oh yum.  They also had pecan creations as well.  As I gazed at their large McGinn’s sign and wondered if I should snap a photo of it, I stepped in the one and only mud puddle in all of New Mexico.  Pissed, party of one.