Day Trip, Of Sorts .....

..... a trip down memory lane, thoughts about aliens and UFOs, and my house.

Believe it or not, all that is related.

I'm finally closing on the house ... for real ... on Monday. I've been in limbo all this time. It is a long story, and I'm not going to bore you with the details, but the first three dates were thwarted by various details, the biggest being that VA said I didn't qualify for the inherited benefits. I said from the get-go that I didn't, but the mortgage people were "sure" I did and were going to check it out. They didn't, so eight weeks were wasted. I finally had to change mortgage companies because the first couldn't do conventional loans ... and because I was livid with them for the screw-ups and delays. This is what I alluded to in a recent post about stress. However, now all is well, and Monday is THE day!

Yesterday I had to drive to Roswell, a little over an hour away. My down payment money was in an account in a bank that does not have a local branch. Since I needed to have a cashier's check for the transaction, I had to appear in person to withdraw it and have the check prepared. It's not a bad drive, and while it was a minor inconvenience, I didn't mind a break from the painting.

I actually lived in Roswell for a few months in 1969. My first husband was transferred there to clean up problems in the office, and we expected to be there for a year. We weren't happy about it, but it had to be done. Luckily, he was very good at his job, and had things in order and functioning well quickly. I don't remember how long, but it was less than six months, I think. We were happy to leave, because the town was dead. Literally. There had been an Air Force base which had closed just months before we moved there. The good thing was that rent was dirt cheap. The bad thing was there were blocks upon blocks of houses that were empty. The street we lived on was about three blocks long, as I recall and there were four or five houses inhabited. It was dreary and spooky. When we left, we didn't look over our shoulders.

In the ensuing years, I haven't been into Roswell again. I've driven past it on the by-pass. The town has grown to about 45,000 and has flourished, I could tell that from the bypass. I had no desire to stop and see anything. I'd left nothing there.

Yesterday, as I drove to the bank, which is right downtown I had a chuckle. I saw a lot of interesting names on businesses, and I was able to jot down a few ...

Alien Zone ...

Roswell Landing ...

Alien Crossing ...

Cover-Up Cafe ...

Not of this World.

There were a bunch more, but I couldn't get them all while driving unfamiliar streets.

If you haven't realized it, this is the Roswell of UFO landing fame, the one that the TV series was about. It is often referred to as the home of the UFO Incident. When I lived there, the whole story was one usually told with a hint of embarrassment by locals. Some were outspoken either pro or con, but most just wished the decades-old story would go away. Obviously, through the years, interest and exploitation has taken the lead!
The Alien Incident has taken hold for sure, and there is even
a museum dedicated to it. This year is the 60th anniversary of the incident, and they are having a festival to celebrate it! Clearly this town has "come a long way, baby!!!" I am going to have to go back and explore the town more!

Maybe I'll make it to the festival and do it up right!

You never know ...
I might find
the man of my dreams
standing on a street corner there!!!

Hope everyone has a surreal weekend!!!