Frozen Ravioli

It was just a matter of getting over the texture. The cheese that was mixed in the red gravy had frozen and made it gritty. That was acceptable though, considering the beef inside the pasta pockets was frozen.  It was like beef ice cubes in an overly thick, frozen, bloddy mary. They only half promised a view at the ranger station and especially did not promise accommodations.

I was at 8,300' on the ridge line to Guadalupe Peak. My entertainment for this too solid dinner was the lifting storm in the high country of this little range.  It was a great show of the "sea of clouds" and slowly, emerging from the void were the distant ridge lines of the other scattered peaks. You could have given me a private jet back to New Orleans and a fully paid dinner at Emrils and I would have turned it down. My view was better.

My dirtbag attitude towards vacation can come off a bit bizarre to traditionalists. These days, people love to spend money on vacation. How can you blame them? You work all year for your two weeks off. Why not indulge? Order the finest liquor and cocktails, room service, that suite in the hotel, and don't skimp out on the entertainment. It's a good bit different from the way I approach vacation but if that's what people want, then let them have it. What we all value as a rewarding experience differs and I am not here to argue about how to achieve a satisfied life. However you want to spend your vacation go for it, climb your mountain.

I really don't believe that everyone could enjoy my dining experience, I bet some of you out there are saying "bless your heart". But I don't want you to do the same and I really don't expect everyone to find fulfillment in that kind of experience. I want to see more people happy about the person they are and where they are in life, regardless if it is eating sub par frozen pasta dishes on a mountain side. 

-MG


*For full sizes of the panoramas:

http://imgur.com/Fdx2eeO

http://imgur.com/GJ2pc8d