Two of Us
by ROBYN SOLTEZ
Sometimes, the preconceived notions people have in their heads about twins really get me steaming. Just because I shared a dark cramped space with some random embryo for nine months does not automatically mean that I wish to go on living on top of her for the rest of my days. No, Jessica and Robyn (that��s me), don��t get along so well. Yes, we��re frighteningly identical in appearance, but there��s very little we agree on other than that it��s best for us live on opposite ends of the country.
For the most part, we��ve managed to keep our lives pretty separate �C Jessica is a chef in Montpellier, Vermont and I��m a professor at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Every now and then however, we succumb to this bizarre call of our mutual genes and schedule a let��s-try-this-one-more-time get together. To keep things verging on fair, we alternate between the Southwest and the Northeast.
I pulled up proudly curbside at Las Cruces International Airport (yes to all you naysayers, our little town does indeed feature one of these), in my brand new Pontiac G6 convertible. And that��s when the bickering began. Jessica disapproved of me driving around the Southwest with my hair flailing about �C she actually referred to it as promiscuous �C and she was put out that if she had brought her husband and three kids, we would have had a space issue. Naturally I apologized profusely and promised to purchase a Pontiac Torrent for her next visit. Things were going swimmingly.
After releasing my self-mutilated tongue from between my clenched teeth, I suggested a new approach. Why not call a ceasefire and each choose an activity of personal interest that might serve to educate each other as to what makes us tick. This of course led to a bit of a scrap over the virtues of my iPhone versus her BlackBerry as we scrambled to research the possibilities for the day via the Internet. Eventually, we each made our choices.
As luck would have it, Jessica��s visit coincided with the ��Whole Enchilada Fiesta,�� a world-famous (note above-mentioned injured tongue firmly in cheek), three-day celebration of southwest traditions, people and great food. Being a chef, Jessica thought it might be interesting to witness the making of what the Guinness Book of World Records considers to be the largest enchilada on planet earth. I had never attended the event before, and I have to admit, I was somewhat intrigued.
I parked the controversial Pontiac G6 and we made our way through the crowd to watch the action. What can I say �C 250 lb. of masa dough, 100 lb. of corn, 50 gallons of vegetable oil, 12 lb. of grated cheese, 10 lb. of chopped onions, a tow truck, and 14 sweaty men do make for a spectacle. At one point, Jessica and I exchanged looks and fell about in an uncontrollable fit of laughter that seemed to dissolve years of open hostilities.
Next it was my turn. Back in the G6 and a short drive to El Paso with our hair in the wind and reconciliation in our souls. Destination? El Paso Zoo for an afternoon with the elephants. Ever since I saw the ��Jungle Book�� when I was a tot, I��ve been totally elephant obsessed. I have a collection of elephantalia that approaches the ridiculous. Anyway, we arrived at El Paso Zoo in fabulous spirit and proceeded to have a whale of an afternoon (if you��ll excuse the expression), eating popcorn and worshipping elephants.
By the time we returned from El Paso to my little house in Las Cruces, we were getting on like a house on fire. We spent the evening drinking Margarita��s (invented in El Paso I might add), and making outrageously raucous toasts to enchiladas and elephants.
Author Bio: Originally from upstate New York, Robyn Soltez has lived and worked in the Southwest for the past ten years. She loves cars, and maintains her Pontiac G6 herself in her fabulously appointed garage. She writes the occasional article for selected websites. As of publication, Robyn was still talking to her twin sister Jessica. For more information on the Pontiac G6, visit southwestbpg.com.
