New Mexico for 4 days

We're in Taos. We arrived in Santa Fe on Tuesday afternoon and checked into the Inn at the Loretto. Beautiful lobby and pool but the rooms are a bit faded and the bath amenities smell like bubble gum. We met Kent, Bob and Rob Lang at Senor Lucky's for dinner, then we joined the boys across the street at a big party being held to celebrate some community Awards Ceremony, which had just let out. Everyone was there, the mayor and all the local celebrities. In fact it seemed like the whole town was there, I don't know who was actually working and who was a guest. Left there, home to bed.

Wednesday after breakfast at Pasqual's we drove up here and checked into our beloved Monte Sagrado spa. It's the first time we've been here this time of year and everything is so lush and green. Last night there was a very dramatic thunderstorm and around 830 Hector and I were stunned by a nuclear flash of light, an incredibly loud crack and for a few seconds the air was sizzling and our hair was standing up. Lightning had struck a huge cottonwood tree right out back in the Sacred Circle. It split a seam 35 feet long from the ground up and threw scraps of kindling 50 yards away. I just spoke to another guest who was outside when it happened and it threw him to the ground and broke his camera. So we got our money's worth this trip.

Hector is currently being massaged and facialed. I'm getting a massage from Alex at 3.

Hot as Hell! Although I really shouldn't complain since I see that Dallas is having 104 today and London is having record heat as well. My paltry 82 degrees, 71% humidity seems negligible.

Electricians are here destroying the house this week. We're having new much-needed lighting installed in every room and they are carving long furrows in the ceiling to run their wires. A fine toxic powder of plaster is covering everything. One of them is cute but I caught him listening to Christian music yesterday.

I'm so disgusted with Israel, almost as disgusted as I am with Bush, inc. Innocent Lebanese are being pounded into the dirt and these fucking war-mongers won't even issue an official call for a cease-fire.

On a lighter note, I was thrilled with the footage of Bush at the G8 summit, chewing with mouth open, making the usual hillbilly remarks, looking like the bumpkin he is.