Greg In The Desert

I considered not writing about HGTV’s 2010 Dream Home giveaway because I don’t want it to get any attention. The home is located in San Pedro Overlook, New Mexico near Sandia Park. It’s on the other side of the Sandia Mountains from Albuquerque. I really want to win this house so I don’t want anyone knowing about it. I came to the realization that I’m unlikely to have any impact on it’s promotion.

The custom-designed 3,900-square-foot HGTV Dream Home 2010 will mix southwestern architecture with modern design. Created with the bold, innovative ideas, architecture, art and design that make HGTV Dream Homes so exciting and unique, it includes three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a home office, gourmet kitchen, home theater and a guest casita. The amazing home site is nestled in the gaze of the majestic San Pedro Mountains with breathtaking scenery and a plethora of outdoor activities. Nearby, the historic towns of Santa Fe and Albuquerque offer an international art scene, amazing cuisine and a rich, multicultural heritage.

I could totally dump nearly everything I own and move into the house as it is. I would be happy to commute to Albuquerque. The only thing I would need to do wire it for my home automation system. And figure out how to pay for the taxes.

Please do not enter the contest.

• HGTV Looks To Put Santa Fe Family On TV – Albuquerque News Story – KOAT Albuquerque – Popular cable channel HGTV is looking for a Santa Fe family to put on television. They are looking for outgoing people between the ages of 25 and 50 who would like help with a small home improvement project
• SRP to build 20-megawatt solar facility in Phoenix area – Phoenix Business Journal: – Salt River Project will build a 20-megawatt photovoltaic facility southeast of Phoenix that will come online in 2011. The solar power station, to be built by Iberdrola Renewables, will be capable of powering about 4,500 homes.
• Global study of salmon shows: ‘Sustainable’ food isn’t so sustainable | Science Blog – Fish should swim, not fly. Air-freighting salmon, and any food, results in substantial increases in environmental impacts. If more frozen food were consumed, more container ships would be used to ship food. Container ships are by far the most efficient and carbon-friendly way to transport food. Globally, the majority of salmon fillets are currently consumed fresh and never frozen. In fish-loving Japan, which gets much of its fish by air, switching to 75 percent frozen salmon would have more benefit than all of Europe eating locally farmed salmon.
• Mexico City mayor on quest to increase quality of life – "When you throw your gum on the ground, you're saying, 'I don't care about my quality of life,' " said Ebrard, 50. "The idea . . . is to change our civic culture."
• 5-day delivery no sure cure for postal woes, economist says | Science Blog – Seung-Hyun Hong says projected savings from weekday-only delivery could wither if the move chases away lucrative business customers who count on the mail to blanket homes with coupons, fliers and other advertisements.
• Gil’s Thrilling (And Filling) Blog » Davido’s Pizza & More – Rio Rancho, New Mexico – Add Davido’s Pizza & More to the list of Rio Rancho pizzerias with a claim to the New York pizza heritage. The family patriarch (not named Davido) is indeed a transplanted New Yorker though it is his daughter and son-in-law who own and manage the restaurant. The restaurant opened in April, 2008. Davido’s is situated just about as far north as you can go in Rio Rancho before you’re on Santa Ana Pueblo. Heretofore, the good citizens of this outpost had to drive several miles to placate their pizza fixes with the good stuff–or they could have “pizza” delivered by nearby chains Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s and Domino’s. Pizza pundits now have a real choice–a good one.
• Moab man embraces simple life living in cave – The Denver Post – The 48-year-old kneels in front of the desert cave he calls home, sips cedar tea from a chipped mug and explains, again, why he has intentionally lived the past nine years without using money.
• News : City focuses its vision on the future – Rio Rancho Observer – Unlike Albuquerque, Rio Rancho has plenty of room to grow. Of the city’s 106 square miles, only 34.5 percent is developed. “This is allowing us to build a city from scratch,” Colley said. “The challenge is having to balance the wants and needs of different populations.” The city is updating the plan to better manage and guide development. In 20 years, Rio Rancho could look very different. The Mid-Region Council of Governments projects the city’s population to double to 160,000 by 2030.

HGTV’s Gardening By The Yard with Paul James will be showing an episode filmed at Sandoval County’s Waterwise Garden in Rio Rancho. The episode number is GBY-1807 and is entitled “Xeriscaping, Drought-Tolerant Plants, Wise Water Practices“. It will be shown in New Mexico on HGTV which airs Sunday June 7th at 5:30am.

Gardening By The Yard is one of my favorite gardening shows and it’s too bad I didn’t know they were here filming. I will add video of the episode here if it becomes available.