In Twenty Years: From Chinchon to China to Capulin

New Mexico antelope.


On Day Two of our summer vacation--the 20th anniversary of our Chinchon wedding!--we drove from Amarillo to Capulin Volcano (extinct) in northeast New Mexico and listened to the anniversary mix CD I made (see the playlist below). Along the way, we stopped to get gas in Dalhart, and Emilio discovered Ding Dongs on the shelf ("the greatest comeback in the history of ever"). We hadn't seen them in a while, so we had to stop.


On this date in 2013: "At the Cadillac Ranch," in 2012: "The Eye of the Nina"; and in 2011: "17 Years ago today in Chinchon."

A selection of contents from the Anniversary Mix CD: "The Sign" by Ace of Base (the most popular song of 1994); "There She Goes" by The La's from the So I Married an Axe Murderer soundtrack; "Madrid" by Ana Maria Gonzalez; "Mission Impossible: Main Title" by Lalo Schifrin--the soundtrack to our trek across Asia on the Trans-Siberian; "Xiamen" by Guy Farley from the soundtrack of "The Secret Sharer"--a movie that has not yet been released and doesn't look so good--but one of the themes is called "Xiamen"!; "Money (That's what I want)" by Barrett Strong--which Mari and I performed at a Christmas talent show in China; "Sweet Home Chicago" by Robert Johnson; "Oklahoma Hills" by Jack Guthrie; "Always on My Mind" by Willie Nelson and featuring Carrie Underwood; "Kathy's Song" by Simon and Garfunkel.

We got married in a city hall office overlooking this plaza, which sometimes doubles as a bullfighting ring--as seen in the 1956 Academy Award-winner Around the World in 80 Days (see image at right--that's Cantinflas as Passepartout).

That night we went to see So I Married an Axe Murderer.