Counting down to combat cancer in Cruces

Not sure how you ladies — and you gentlemen with long hair — do it. My hair has been left uncut since November and is going everywhere all over my eyes and face.

Takes forever to dry, and uses a lot of shampoo and green alien slime hair gel.

Don't take that as a complaint. I'm grateful to have the hair. The people I'm getting my hair cut for don't have an alternative.

The chemotherapy is a nasty thing in many ways. Losing the hair, while externally obvious, may be the easiest thing about the cancer treatment.

And, of course, there are plenty of guys out there facing genetic hair loss that don't want to hear me whine about my hair being too long.

At any rate, it's now about two hours away from the big shaving at St. Baldrick's here in Las Cruces.

There is still time to attend the event, as well as to donate to children's cancer research.

Here's how:

http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/eventid/800/eventyear/2010

Shiny, happy heads

Back in October, my flatbed trailer was stolen from my yard.

I never knew there were so many trailers in town until mine was gone and I was looking at every passing trailer with Sherlock Holmes eyes.

Since I made the commitment to shave my head for the St. Baldrick's event, raising money for children's cancer, I have begun noticing bald heads.

It seems like they're everywhere.

Tall bald guys. Short bald guys. Skinny bald guys. Fat bald guys.

I've long held the belief very few white guys can effectively pull off the bald look. Black guys look cool, slick or tough with the cleanhead look. Latinos make it work well. But white guys tend to look like thumbs.

But I've reassessed.

Almost everyone I've seen in Las Cruces, at least the guys who've gone completely shaven, look decent. Many of their heads literally shine. As if they've used a car-polish buffer from Auto Zone. They also seem to carry a bit of swagger. Maybe it's because they've shed some baggage.

Despite this hopeful observation, there's only one thing I'm confident about regarding my baldheadedness: I'll look like a goober.

At any rate, as long as people donate some money for this great  cause, it is well worth it.

Donate here: http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/participantid/376011

Bald is beautiful, or at least a beautiful honor

We think a lot more about our hair than about cancer. Until we get cancer. Or until someone we love gets cancer.

Then we don't think about hair at all. Until someone we love loses their hair from chemotherapy.

This week, a hundred or so Las Crucens — myself included — are thinking about hair and cancer a lot. We're thinking about our hair, because in three days, it's getting all shaved off. And we're thinking about cancer because we're shaving our heads to draw attention to the need for children's cancer research. And the need for funds for the research. And the bald heads will pay homage to all the kids who have to go through chemo each year. Many of them don't make it.

You can help by making a donation to the St. Baldrick's Foundation.

The link for the Las Cruces event is http://www.stbaldricks.org/events/mypage/eventid/800/eventyear/2010

Click on View all participants or View all teams to find someone you know, and make a donation under their name.

Donations made in New Mexico will go to cancer research at the UNM Children's Hospital in New Mexico.

The Las Cruces event is Saturday at 3 p.m. at Dickerson's Event Center, 3920 W. Picacho Ave. In addition to the head shaving, there will be lots of music, food, and some powerful words from some people who have dealt first-hand with the draining power of cancer.

There will also be a hugely important bone marrow drive. A simple swab of the cheek could help save a life.

My hair right now is longer than it's been since 1989. The last time I had a burr haircut, I was eight. By the end of the day Saturday, my head will be shiny bright and crazy clean. Some dudes look good bald. I guarantee I will NOT be one of them. But if I continue to raise money for the research, I don't care how I look.

Land of Lotaburger

Some colleagues brought in some Blake's Lotaburger for lunch yesterday.

Is there anything more New Mexican than a Blake's green chile burger for lunch?

From Aztec to Tucumcari, from Alamo to Santa Fe, there are few better ways to spend a hungry Saturday afternoon at Blake's.

My personal favorite is the double Lotaburger with grilled onions, bacon, cheese and green chile. But you gotta be careful with that stuff. You can't do that every day.

Saturday, my daughter and I dined at the Blake's on North Main in Las Cruces.

You've probably all noticed this, but Saturday was the first time I consciously thought about it, but Blake's has, on its walls, framed, faded photographs of Blake's meals.

Isn't that kind of odd?

Are there other restaurants that have pictures of the food you're eating on the wall?

These photos feature the burgers and fries with cups of Pepsi and piles of fresh, whole tomatoes and lettuce, which by the way don't come with the meals.

I'm especially glad that local Mexican restaurants. How would you like to be dining on a Saturday or Sunday morning, with your face over a bowl of hot menudo, and you look up to see a photo of another bowl of hot menudo amid a pile of pig entrails?

Anyway, for the joy of eating at Blake's, I'll certainly overlook the small quirk of the photos of food.

Especially at the North Main location, which also features outdoor dining, with one of the best views of the Organ Mountains of any restaurant in Las Cruces. True, you have to overlook one of the busiest streets in town, but if you catch it a little while before sundown, with the alpenglow coloring the Organs magenta, and you've got a green chile Lotaburger in your hand, well, it doesn't get much better.

Aggies one win away from Big Dance

One point. When you win by one point, every single thing that happened in the previous 40 minutes has absolutely mattered.

Hamidu Raman's two free throws early in the game were as important for New Mexico State University as Jahmar Young's jumper with 3.8 seconds left that gave the Aggies their 80-79 margin of victory in the Western Athletic Conference tournament semifinal game in Reno.

Saturday night, Feb. 27, after the Aggies beat Boise State in the Pan Am Center, 95-92, I was disappointed. I didn't want the home season to end. I wanted to watch the Aggies more.

Watching them on ESPN2 last night was fun, particularly watching, or more accurately, hearing, ESPN analyst Steven Bardo (a former player for Lou Henson when Lou was in Illinois) fall in love with Wendell McKines.

Here are the top seven Aggies this year, and why I've enjoyed all of them so much this season.

HAMIDU RAMAN, sophomore, center: Hamidu is the tallest Aggie, and the only one I've ever had a conversation with. It went like this.

Me: Hey, Ham, how's it goin?

Ham: Good, good.

Many people shudder at the thought of Hamidu going to the free throw line, and his percentage IS less than 60 percent. But I've always felt good about Ham at the line. And, remember, he won a game for us last year at the line. He fouls a lot, but the only time I got upset with him was when he jacked a 14-footer late in a game when we were trying to use up some clock. He would be fun to go to the movies with.

GORDO CASTILLO, junior, wing: Gordo looks exactly like Jon Cryer, the co-star of the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men. Gordo even wears black socks, like the nerdy Cryer character would do.

Everyone in the Pan Am loves Gordo because he's the hometown kid from Las Cruces High. He has had a great career by having a limited but definite role, and performing that role incredibly well. Gordo hits the three. 'Nuff said.

HERNST LAROCHE, junior, guard: Of all the top seven Aggies, Hernst is the least likely to make a mistake, especially at a critical juncture in the game. He wears No. 13, which tells you he's not superstitious. It is said he can speak four languages. He's from Montreal and speaks French well. Also English, Spanish and Creole. I took five years of French and even got to go to France. If I met Hernst, I might say to him the first thing I said to a real French person when I was in the heart of Paris: Mes levres est mal. Avez-vous du Chap-Stik?

TROY GILLENWATER, sophomore, post: Troy seems the most relaxed of the Aggies on the court. I've heard cynics say it's because he's the laziest of the Aggies. I disagree. I think when he first returned, he was a little slower because he wasn't in game shape, but he's been a dominant force inside and out in every game. Has a great touch around the basket, and the strength to finish and draw fouls.

JONATHAN GIBSON, senior, guard: Friday night, I screamed at Gibson through my TV when he fouled Nevada's 90-percent free-throw shooter Luke Babbitt while the Aggies clung to a one-point lead with under a minute to play. He occasionally will make you do that, but more often he'll make something positive happen on the offensive end. He drives well in the paint, can dish or finish, and, of course, drain the three-pointer. What impresses me most, however, is his toughness. At least once a game, he takes a hard hit to the gut, chest or face, and never winces. It strengthens his resolve, and in a short time he is making a key play. He will be greatly missed next year. My biggest disappointment was that he always wore his hair in cornrows and a headband. Just once I'd like to see him set his extension free. Gib, if we make the Big Dance, will you let your hair out for the first game?

JAHMAR YOUNG, junior, wing: Here's one of my favorite Aggie plays: when Jahmar grabs a defensive rebound and takes off on the fast break. He handles the ball well in transition, and usually makes good decisions in the open floor. He has broadened his game this year, proving to be a good passer and even working hard at times on defense. I once sat in the barber chair next to Jahmar as he held court at City Barber Shop. Let's put it this way: Jahmar has an unorthodox perspective on the world. That's why I was not surprised when he mouthed off at a Nevada player after a bump, drawing a critical technical that helped the Wolfpack to a five-point possession that changed the game. I was not surprised, but it didn't stop me from yelling at the TV again. But maybe knowing he made that mistake gave him more determination to correct it, as he did when he hit the eventual game winner.

WENDELL McKINES, junior, forward: Saving the best for last, everyone's favorite Aggie. Here's how ESPN analyst Bardo put it: "If something happens outside after the game, I want this guy with me." And that's the way every Aggie on the floor feels, and every Aggie fan in the arena. He calls himself Wen, but I call him WenDELL, with the emphasis on the Dell. I overheard one Aggie fan say he looks like a young Mike Tyson. That may or may not be, but he certainly projects the image of strength and invincibility the pre-Buster Douglas Tyson had. McKines will not get out-hustled on the floor. He will go and get the rebound. He will dive and get the loose ball. He will put back the missed shot. He will make the great pass. And he WILL dunk straight on your head. With considerable authority. He clearly loves basketball, and he does everything he can to win the game. However, my favorite Wendell McKines play of the whole season came on a play after the clock was stopped. I believe it was the Hawaii game. The Aggies were in their 2-2-1 zone press (which I hate, and could spend a whole hour explaining why, but that's another blog). Gibson got a steal, drove in for a layup, was fouled and knocked to the floor. Wendell was the first one there, helping Jonathan up. Then I thought, How did Wendell get there? Wasn't he beyond half-court on the back side of the press? Wasn't he 60 feet away from Gibson? Now he's helping him up? Then they showed the replay on the Aggievision scoreboard, and I saw exactly what happened. Sure enough, as soon as Gibson was going down, Wendell burst into a full sprint, racing down the court to greet, help, encourage, congratulate and energize his teammate.

I know Utah State is a well-disciplined, well-balanced team that does all the fundamental things you're supposed to be. But damn, they don't have Wendell McKines, and Wendell McKines is the type of player who should be playing in the NCAA tournament.

Let's go, NMSU. Let's go to the Big Dance. Let's win tonight.

She who has the last straw laughs best

Friday morning, as I have almost every day for the past three years, I drove across the U.S. 70 bridges over Del Rey Boulevard and I-25. Usually the only things to look for are the occasional cop, the people who are still traveling 55-60 after the speed limit drops to 45, and other drivers' license plate frames that say things like "Ask me about slumber parties."

Today, though, I glanced at the side of the road and saw a battered straw hat with a bright green hatband.

I wondered where the hat might have come from, and who wore it last.

Was someone driving a Jeep or convertible and the hat blew off? Had someone tossed it in the back of the pickup and it flew out? It was the perfect kind of hat for a scarecrow.

Who might wear such a hat? It was ideal for doing yard work on a sunny southern New Mexico day. Or for laying bricks. Or reading out on the patio at midday. Whatever it would be, it struck me you couldn't ever wear this hat and be angry.

For whatever reason, I found myself fixating on this floppy straw hat. I hadn't seen one in quite a while.

About four hours later, at lunchtime, I was driving south on Alameda Boulevard between Madrid and Picacho.

And there was another floppy straw hat. This one was darker, and the hatband may or may not have been a dark green.

And it was atop someone's head.

It was a lady, maybe a girl, walking on the sidewalk. With the floppy hat and big sunglasses, her age was indeterminant. She could have been anywhere between 16 and 36.

If you were out Friday, you know what a beautiful day it was. Perfect temperature. No real wind.

The floppy hat girl was walking not one, but two smallish dogs. The other thing that stood out was the large, contented smile on her face.

And really, how could you not be happy. On such a beautiful day, dogs underfoot and a big floppy hat overhead.

The high was 42 degrees in Denver this day. Denver: stocking cap, late-winter frustration. Las Cruces: floppy hat, early spring bliss.

One of many reasons it's great to be here.

Dapper Man ushers in spring

In southern New Mexico, there are several harbingers of spring. There are everyone's favorite, the hummingbirds, who begin their six-months long period of flitting about and seeking red Kool-Aid in hanging bottles on patios from Lordsburg to Carlsbad. There are everyone's least favorite, the rattlesnakes, which never make a welcome appearance, and when they surprise, well, just hope you have some clean underwear handy, as well as a good sturdy shovel. To clarify, the underwear's for you; the shovel's for the snake.
But in Las Cruces, I discovered another sign of spring: The Dapper Man breaks out the shorts.
For those who aren't one of the eight people who saw my previous blog about Dapper Man, here's a brief introduction. He walks around Las Cruces, primarily in the downtown area, a sharp-dressed man with a nice, gray goatee and always a slick, nifty hat.
When I saw him last week, he was in shorts. And not some ratty dinks, or tight cutoff jeans. These were nice, like right off the rack at Dillard's or Kohl's. Of course, this is from my observation driving by at 35 miles per.
But, as always, Dapper Man was quite natty looking in his shorts, nice shirt, the ever-present cool hat and, I believe, some of those cool half-sandal, half shoes.
Here's the interesting thing. He was carrying a hanging clothes bag. Had it draped across one shoulder. Perhaps this carried his entire spring line. I'll be looking for the upcoming editions.

Here's an update on some local dining fare. In case you haven't seen it, check out the Pulse article comparing Go Burger burritos to Santa Fe Grill's. You can find it here — http://www.lcsun-news.com/pulse/ci_9185280. Short version: you can't go wrong either way. But also check out the comment posts below the story. Someone takes a hilarious jab at our sports editor Teddy Feinberg, who made some burrito comments in the story.
I tried La Fuente (a nice little Mexican restaurant on south Espina) for the first time. Very nice. I had take out, so I didn't get the full ambiance, but I look forward to it.
Also, during Gus Macker weekend, my Write Men Can't Jump teammates and I had breakfast at Delicias at Amador and Solano. I can't believe I'd never eaten here before. And I can't believe I haven't eaten there 10 times already since. It was packed on Saturday morning, but that didn't keep the waitresses from being right on top of our service. The salsa was great and the food was even better. Here's the clincher: You can get a two-egg, bacon, pancake and hash brown breakfast for only $2.65! And the Huevos a la Mexicana and Chilaquiles were both also under $3. Of course, I could not resist the eggs and chile verde for 5-something, but I plan to try them all before I'm through.
It's also a great place to have a birthday, or at least tell the waitresses that someone at your table has a birthday, because the staff will gather round the table and sing and clap a cumpleaños greeting. Great for embarrassing a hungover friend.
And another shout-out to La Nueva Casita at Organ and Mesquite, right across from Klein Park. Great food, great location. And wonderful for breakfast followed by hanging out in the park.