Around Albuquerque

This morning I slept in, I had had a choppy night's sleep on account of the heavy dinner I had eaten last night at Elaine's.  Asparagus salad (arugula, shaved zucchini, and asparagus with amazing burrata) and barramundi (Asian sea bass) over pureed Jerusalem artichoke.  Both dishes were exquisite but heavy and would have been much better shared.  Ah well, next time.I went out for a walk in the crisp morning air, it was about 40˚ here but the cold is more bearable because it's that dry, desert cold, not like Monterey with the penetrating, wet cold of the coastal fog.After getting ready, I walked to the Hyatt Regency where the conference I'm here for is being held.  I registered and went to find a café to work; the first session relevant to me isn't until the afternoon and I find that I'm tremendously productive in my work when I'm out of town.Albuquerque is quiet and slow.  I thought Monterey was slow but this is a whole new level of slow and quiet.  There is nobody on the streets, cafe's are empty.  I guess it's conducive to my productivity.I worked at The Brew until it was lunch time at which point I walked over to Le Troquet for lunch.  I started with a split of prosecco and some escargot with piping hot bread rolls.  It was divine--melted butter and garlic and thyme chunks running down the side of the crispy, crunchy bread, topped with the chewy escargot, immediately followed by a tiny sip of the magnificently effervescent, chill, prosecco.  Divine, simply divine. I made friends with Sherry, the waitress.  She was large and in charge, "I stay big so I don't get kidnapped, honey, Albuquerque is dangerous, you know!" Oh.  I see.Next course.  French onion soup and a deep cabernet.  Delicious.In between customers, we made conversation, she was from California and interested in what I was doing in town, if I was single, what I did for a living, etc.  I watched her open a nice bottle of red wine and pour two glasses.  A diner came up and asked if that wine was for her and her husband.  Sherry responded that, yes, it was.  The woman told her they had indeed ordered white wine.  Sherry apologized and went to fetch the wine they had actually wanted.  Moments later, she deposited a glass of red wine (pinot noir, it would turn out) on my table, "my mistake!!"  So I stayed, enjoying my "mistake wine.""Dessert?" Sherry asked me, "the chocolate mousse is amazing, it has 3 egg whites in it, it's super fluffy."  ha ha ha.  Sherry, you had me at chocolate mousse.I had the chocolate mousse and another glass of pinot noir mysteriously appeared at my table.  I leisurely enjoyed my dessert and wine as Sherry cleaned up the place, preparing for the dinner shift.  I figure a nap is due in preparation for the rest of the day.Cheers, folks!