One of the hottest meals ever

Over the Thanksgiving break I traveled west for climbing of Guadelupe Peak, hanging out in Ft. Davis, and then on to Marathon where I went into a small Mexican food restaurant for dinner. I ordered "Ruben's Guiso," which was the special concoction of Ruben the cook. The waitress asked me if I wanted it hot or mild. "Hot," I said. "It is very hot," she told me. "You might want it mild." I told her I frequently eat spicy foods, and that I would like this dish hot. She went into the kitchen and placed the order. I could hear her arguing in Spanish with Ruben. Ruben then came out and explained to me that when people order the dish "hot" they cannot eat it. "There is only one person who has ever been able to eat it as hot as I make it," he said. "So I would be the second?" I asked. "Yes," he said. I felt at this point as if my personal pride were on the line. "Make it as hot as you want," I said. He raised his eyebrows, said "okay," and headed back into the kitchen. About ten minutes later the waitress set the plate in front of me and said "good luck." I asked her for a large glass of water and dug in. The meal was extremely hot. One of the spiciest meals I have ever eaten. Shortly I removed my cap and with a napkin wiped the sweat off my head. Then I blew my nose and kept eating. I finished every bite, but it was a challenge. Ruben came out and smiled and nodded his head in approval. I could tell he was impressed. I told him it was delicious and thank you very much. I then paid out and drove back to the campground, wondering what kind of troubles this would cause with my digestive system. Fortunately there was minimal damage, and I lived to tell about it. My advice: if you are ever in Marathon, stay away from the guiso.

Note to Fam

Note to the blogging family: This weekend when we were in Brownwood Patsy told me that Carly has a blog site. Please visit for a nice picture of Carly and friend in front of the Alps, and for descriptions of some interesting experiences. I am sure Carly would appreciate hearing from us. The address: cbheidelberg.blogspot.com. * Peace.

Thank you Philly

One of the more encouraging things to occur in the world of sports lately: the Philadelphia Eagles suspended Terrell Owens for the remaining six games of the season. Good for them. Too often we hear of teams tolerating all kinds of unfortunate behavior from star athletes because those teams have, in my view, a convoluted value system. They want to win at any and all cost and are therefore willing to compromise their standards and continue to play athletes who they wouldn't otherwise hang on to. But this week they said to Terrell, one of the most talented players in football, "adios." I realize that they may have done this from a selfish standpoint, having arrived at the conclusion that they will be better off without him - better off not having to deal with his constant criticism of McNab and the Eagles management, better off not having to deal with his selfish, self-aggrandizing on-field antics - but still I say "go Philly." It takes some guts to say to the best wide receiver in the game "clean out your locker and go home. We would rather try to live without you than try to continue to live with you."