How ya doin' Hon?

Now that I have spent some time in Baltimore, I am learning more about its history. Apparently there is a whole dialect referred to as "Balmerese" which originates from the 1960's. Baltimore was pronounced "Balmer" and many words such as wash were pronounced with an additional "r" and sounded like "warsh". If you will think back to movies like Hairspray and Cry Baby which were based on Baltimore, you will recall beehive hairdos, spandex and a lot of blue eyeshadow. This past weekend, I felt as if I had taken a ride in a time machine to that era. Charlie and I attended Hon Fest. Hon is a "Balmer" term of endearment, short for honey, and Hon Fest is a festival dedicated to honoring the historic working women in Baltimore during the 1960's. Pretty much anything that appears tacky is appropriate. We saw foot tall beehives, gold spandex, leopard prints, curlers, big belts and earrings and heard the words "Hey Hon" resonating throughout the street. While the festival was a bit over-rated in my opinion, it was worth satisfying my curiosity.

Charlie and I also visited another vineyard out in the country. It was quaint, with good wine and a colorful host. In a brief 30 minutes, we knew pretty much her whole history. We left the vineyard and drove on back roads not knowing where we were going but enjoying the beautiful scenery. Maryland really is a pretty state once you get away from the sky scrapers. I have really enjoyed my time in the big city. I love driving to work in the mornings and observing the hustle and bustle of men and women walking to work. Men are in suits carrying their brief cases and the women are in their dresses and tennis shoes just destined to end up in the back of a magazine on the "don't" list of how to dress. An occasional homeless person is sitting in a window seal asleep, oblivious to new day surrounding them. Oh yes, the constant sirens, horns honking, yelling, trains...these things are just background noises to me now. In the city, you pass people from every walk of life. The stench of urine hits your nose well before you see the homeless guy sitting at the bus stop. The site of yellow tape surrounding a crime scene viewed from my apartment window makes me uneasy but none-the-less, I refused to be held hostage because of fear. It would appear that I will have a little longer to enjoy or be annoyed by these things. I will be extending a few extra weeks before I take a very needed month off. I am looking forward to seeing family and friends and eagerly waiting the birth of my new niece or nephew.

Gurlz Weekend

Four beautiful women roaming around a big city, exploring and dining out...No, not a scene from the new Sex and The City movie featuring Samantha, Carrie, Charlotte or Miranda. Three of my friends-Wendy, Seana and Angele-flew up last weekend. It was nice to see some familiar faces. It always amazes me how we can be apart for so long and pick right back up where we left off. Everyone had arrived by early Friday. After lunch overlooking the harbor, we walked around Fells Point admiring the cute dresses and clothes but knowing that none of us were going to lay down $300-400 to buy them. A few souvenirs were purchased and we returned to my apartment to relax. We headed to Little Italy for some authentic Italian food. Our waiter had to warm up to us and by the end of the night kept us all entertained. I couldn't tell if he was interested in us getting our fiber or wanting a bigger tip as he kept pushing for us all to get salads. "You do not want your greens?" He was very insightful with his many quotes such as, "Life is not always about hot dogs and hamburgers." I am being sarcastic of course. Friday night we ended up playing card games until we had to go to sleep.

Conveniently located near my apartment and still in our pajamas, we got coffee and donuts from Dunkin Donuts Saturday morning. Not moving to quickly, we finally headed out the door and shopped a little in Hamden, the neighborhood where the movie Hairspray was filmed. We then drove a little north of Baltimore to Basignani Vineyard. The drive was beautiful with rolling hills and cute stone cottages, a big change from the city. The tasting room was quaint and dusty. I get the whole vintage look but seriously. How about dusting? This would not be the best place for someone with allergies. We enjoyed sampling wine and had a picnic on the grounds. Even in the shade it was somewhat hot but tolerable. After resting up, we headed to the inner harbor to take in the sights, by that I mean people watching. We started out with dinner outside until a quick lightening storm decided to sneak up. We retreated inside and left when it appeared to be clear. Besides battling the hole in the air mattress, the weekend fun and relaxing for all. The girls got a dose of what I see and deal with on a daily basis living in the city. It was fun having a girls weekend and I hope we get to do it again soon. Thanks for visiting girls!!!