20 April, 2012

Baltimore in…1, 2, 5!

So yesterday was quite full. “Let me ‘splain. No; there is too much. Let me sum up.”

1.       Misty! I met with Misty of Misty’s Laws for lunch by Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Here’s a picture of the two of us together:

You didn't think I'd really show our faces, did you?

It was great fun. A fantastic “hello!” at a lovely restaurant. She looks exactly the way she sounds on her blog…if that makes any sense. And she now knows my true identity, which makes her my double-extra-special Secret Squirrel! We did have a real picture taken of the two of us together, so we have blackmail photos of each other if we misbehave. Hmm, wait… WHAT was I thinking!

2.       I actually got there a little early, and wandered the Inner Harbor because it was a too hot for April gorgeous day!  There’s this sort of walkway, water feature (ha! On a harbor. Because they need a water feature), relaxation spot that connects the Harbor area to the businesses that don’t have the grace to sit ON the water.
Here’s one of the sculptures.

Then as I walked up towards the bridge, I saw this tunnel thing:

Looking out the other side of the tunnel, you look through a waterfall:

Here’s that sculpture from the front:

This was all about half a block from where I met Misty. It was a short but sweet lunch-time visit. A couple hours downtown, and I headed north of the city. I was meeting my rollercoaster buddy for dinner, but the place we were meeting was attached to a major shopping center, so I knew I could entertain my inner bibliophile at Barnes & Noble, and perhaps even satisfy the Movie Whore at the cinema.

3.       My inner bibliophile is laughing her butt off! She’s so happy with me for buying her THIS:

Yes, I bought the Bloggessbook.
And I was laughing out loud in the café.
Unashamedly.
Every other sentence.
Because she’s such a hoot.

4.       Then, I took the Movie Whore off to see Mirror, Mirror. She’ll review it in a separate post.
The dwarves are AWESOME!

5.       THEN I met my rollercoaster buddy for dinner. The food was great. I couldn’t help, however, thinking of another person we all know, who would have been better company at that moment. >sigh<

I had just been up at Hersheypark over the weekend, riding rollercoasters with the rollercoaster buddy, who is a friend I know from the theatre. He’s a lighting techie, and very good at what he does. We have precisely two things in common: Theatre and rollercoasters. I believe he’s suffering from separation anxiety because he’s never moved anywhere before and doesn’t seem to be a big fan of change.

He kept saying “you’ll be back.” …”You’ll be back.” …”You’ll be back,” at random intervals in the conversation, sometimes generously adding “after you get settled in”. He started making plans for the fall. So I finally got annoyed and laid down the law. “Stop pushing me into my future! Right now I’m focused on moving. After I get there, I’ll focus on getting a job. Then a place to live. THEN I’ll start settling in!”

I’m really trying to distance myself. (can you tell?) In my perfect world, I’ll move and my memory will fade away! I’ve not told him about my internet fiancé Brett for the simple reason that he’s not very computer savvy and would probably dismiss the concept because of the internet involvement. (But don’t worry, Squirrels, Brett is aware of this whole rollercoaster buddy situation, and fully understands that it is no competition to him. At all!)

So I imagine, if I don’t fade away out of the rollercoaster buddy’s mind after moving, and the rollercoaster buddy actually does start contacting me to try to get me out there, I’ll have to say, “Um, sure. Can I bring my boyfriend?”

Finally, I submit for your approval:
My Random Act of Kindness for the day.

THIS is what a “normal” person (or, at least, me) brings in to feed her coworkers:

Let me zoom in on that label for you:

See – the local orchard’s market is open. I know it’s not apple season, so the Apple Cider donuts are not from “freshly pressed” cider but from last season’s “freshly pressed” cider. Still.

Something sweet, yummy, and guilt-laden.
NOT dried fruit!

Do you think anyone will get the message?

22 comments:

  1. Hiya Hon! I live in Baltimore too and I just bought the Blogess's book online. I hope if makes me pee my pants it looks great!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Ohmigosh, just starting the introduction chapter will have you howling. But she keeps her chapters short, so there's always a good breaking point coming in case you don't have the time to get lost in it.

      Did you get an e-book, or just ordered it online. Because she does footnotes too, that are HILARIOUS, and I wonder how they'd read in electronic format.

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    2. You would be proud. I made her order a crabcake. :)

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    3. p.s. Misty - the rollercoaster buddy got crabcakes at Red Brick Station that were apparently very "lumpy". He always gets crabcakes if they're available, so has his standards.

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  2. First: Love the Princess Bride homage. :)

    Second: Those are some fine looking feets!!

    And the rest . . . I so wish you had gone to B&N BEFORE we met, so I could peruse that book with you! I am so jealous. I want it, but don't wanna spend the money or get it in hardback. I hate hardback books. I know, I'm weird.

    It was fun and great meeting you. And I am honored to be your double-extra-special Secret Squirrel. :)

    Oh, and I want a doughnut. :p

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    Replies
    1. You know, I don't usually buy hardcover books unless they are secondhand or on sale, but am feeling flush because I realized I have one extra payday that I hadn't figured on before I leave! (which of course I should be saving for the jobless days.)

      If we were reading it over lunch, we wouldn't have needed food - we'd be laughing to hard to eat, anyway! I'm SO glad I got it! No buyer's remorse at all!

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  3. The only thing I enjoy more than waterfalls are fresh donuts... *~*

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    1. They are yummy. ...the donuts. That particular waterfall is actually kind of chlorinated, so probably not so yummy.

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  4. Now that is an office snack worth sharing. I would have jumped at a doughnut long before the prunes. I wonder if there are prune doughnuts.

    That water walkway looks similar to the one in Indy.

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    1. Gross. But google it. There probably are. At a nursing home!

      I didn't know there was a water walkway in Indy! Yea! I'll feel right at home. ...I sense a day-trip...

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  5. Lovely little mentions here and there throughout this post! Kept me smiling happily - and also made me lose track of your visit to Baltimore. I hope a certain someone is gratified by all the subtle hints and statements lol... Such a nice post to wake up to!

    And, just for the records, I absolutely love doughnuts!

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    1. Bozo! You're back! I'll have to check your blog to see if this is temporary or not! I'll get the next Elizabeth post ready to go at a moments notice - but not today.

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  6. That's twice now you have dropped a Princess Bride quote and made me want to watch the movie again.

    Good grief, so much for "spare time" :p

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    1. I try to do my part. There was a high schooler at my church who never got my Princess Bride references, and was uninterested in seeing it...thinking it a "kid's movie". Sigh. What's happening to this generation?

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  7. Ah Baltimore. I used to live there, and it was terrible. Every time I went to the inner harbor I would be beset on by bums wanting change. At least five would claim to be deaf. God I hated that place. Don't go ever back.

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    1. Hmm...I've been to the Inner Harbor 3 times, and never beset by bums. Granted, on this trip I didn't linger too long.

      I actually am more familiar with DC.

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  8. Apple Cider donuts? Never heard of those. But I want one, love Apple Cider, love donuts, can it go wrong from there?

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    1. The apple cider is an ingredient in the dough, and they are covered in cinnamon-sugar. Yum.

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  9. I just started reading the Bloggess's book, too. I was laughing outloud, too.

    I'm glad you met Misty and that she made you eat a crabcake.

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    1. I'm proud to say a friend of mine from high school bought the book because she read my raves about it on Facebook. Apparently I have a small but powerful circle of friends!

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  10. Did you say boyfriend? I thought he was your internet fiance?

    And also, dang it Red, I really want a donut.

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    1. He *is* my internet fiance, but the rollercoaster buddy would almost certainly not take that seriously because he is not on thew internet if at all possible. Also, by the time I find out if he's still pishing for my return, Brett & I will have met, and will be... something else without any internet preface.

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I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.