The Little Things, They Pile Up

Sitting here trying to get caught up on work, so I can get caught up on...Mom issues, mostly. Got a bill from the hospital where she was recently tested, but the bill doesn't even say what date it's for, much less what it's for or how they arrived at that number. That should be an entertaining call. Meanwhile, my younger uncle, Rick, and my older uncle's best friend Carl filed a motion to become the guardians of my older uncle, Jim. They didn't mention this to Mom, probably as not to upset her. Backfired. Now she's paranoid and convinced they're sneaking around. I figure it best to call Rick and find out what's going on before Mom calls him, plus have to decide if we're going to the competency hearing or not. Also, Mom is wibbling as to whether she wants to visit Jim this weekend. I'm free, so I told her I'd drive her, but she hasn't made up her mind if she wants to go. It would be nice to know at least a couple days before we go...

Eh. Off to straighten out a boo-boo with my electronic banking (my mistake, not theirs, but needless to say it ought to be fixed.)

Baseball And I, Not Meant To Be

I decided a few weeks ago, that come hell or high water, I was going to a baseball game on Saturday the 24th. Hell came. 103 degrees, high humidity, etc. So I passed on the game. This coming weekend, should my mother decide not to go to Williamsport, is completely free. Forecast as of now is for high 80s and clear. You guessed it. Every local team...is on the road. Emphatically on the road, in most cases (only one is within a 2 hour drive).

The fates really don't want me at a game, do they?

You Know You're From... Meme

Well, it's more both you know you're from and you've got more years in the cart than on the horse. At 40, I'm too young for many of these! Also, it's more Baltimore-specific than a Maryland thing, but Maryland is so weird/diverse Baltimore is really the only was you can do it. Italicized the ones that are true, and if some are true and some aren't I un-italicized the ones I didn't know.

You know you're from Maryland when :

• You rode on street cars.
• You remember the Bay Belle cruise that took you to Betterton and Tolchester beaches before the Bay Bridge was built.
• You watched on TV the shows Duckpins for Dollars, The Collegians, and Pinbusters.
• You also watched the Buddy Deane Show and Romper Room and Stu Kerr as Professor Cool.
• You know how to pronounce 'Towson.' (I LIVE there, fer cryin' out loud!)
• You remember what the Inner Harbor looked like before it was the Inner Harbor.
• You remember when White Marsh was just a marsh!
• You ate at Pollack Johnnie's, Bel-Loc Diner, Little Tavern, Gino's, and Read's.
• You remember Friendship Airport.
• You remember driving over the old Kent Narrows Draw-Bridge that snarled weekend traffic coming home from the Ocean.
• You love the Domino Sugar sign you can see across the harbor and the Bromo Seltzer Tower.
• You remember the rotating restaurant on top of the Holiday Inn on Light Street.

• You know Annapolis and Hopkins are national treasures, and you get a kick out of hearing them named in movies or TV.
• You know B&O is not body odor.
• You remember the wonderful spicy downtown smell of McCormick's.
• Every kitchen has a can of Old Bay and King Syrup.
• You refer to your state as 'Murilyn.'
• You and your Mom shopped at Braeger Gutman's, Hutzler's, Stewart's, The May Company, Epstein's, Woolworth's . .
• Shopping on The Avenue meant Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown.
• You know where 'Downey Ocean' is.
• You remember the Civic Center, Gwynn Oak Park, and Carlin's Park.
• You know Pam Shriver is from Maryland.
• You know how to eat steamed crabs, but also know how to tell the males from the females.
• You don't think that Assawoman Bay is a strange name.
• M R Ducks makes perfect sense.
• You have fond memories of Memorial Stadium.
• You still root for the Orioles even when they aren't doing well.
• Everybody knows what a 'zink' and 'payment' are.
• When anywhere else, you can only laugh when you see signs saying 'Maryland Crab Cakes!'
• You say 'Blare Road' for Bel Air Road
• You remember Jerry Turner and Al Sanders.
• You remember Oprah and Richard Sher together in the mornings on Ch-13.
• Vince Bagli was 'the ' sports announcer on TV.
• You remember Mayor Schaeffer swimming with the seals at the National Aquarium.
• You swore Frank Perdue. Kinda looked like one of his tender chickens.
• You know which bridge they're talking about when someone says, 'The bridge traffic is backed up.'
• You revere the names of Johnny U, Brooks, Frank, Boog and Cal!