Artscape!

I knocked off work early yesterday, leaving to go to the laundromat about 3 p.m. I didn't have enough towels to accommodate three overnight guests. I wasn't expecting Doug to arrive until 5 p.m., so I figured I had plenty of time. Honestly, I thought he'd be a little later than that because he's always so busy, his schedule often slips.

Well, he called me about an hour later to say he was ten blocks away, and my towels weren't dry yet. He hung out on my back porch (well, just a little landing for the stairs from my back door) while I cursed the dryer. I guess I shouldn't have expected quick results when I'm drying a double load of towels. I finally pulled them all out and lugged them back home to let him in. I threw towels over every thing I could find, so they could finish drying.

By the way, the laundromat is not air-conditioned. It was around ninety degrees again yesterday. Carrying a load of damp, heavy, hot towels home was not fun. I immediately rinsed off in the shower to cool down a little.

Doug and I stopped by the thrift store, Dreamland, where I picked up a cheap straw hat for the canoe trip on Sunday, then we drifted into Artscape. After we had made a loop through all of the artists, we met up with his sister Jann, her husband Austin and their daughter Shannon and wandered around some more.

We went to the Belvedere to have dinner at the Owl Bar, which I had never been to despite living just a block or so away for the past five years. Nick, our server, complimented Doug on his septum piercing. :-)

Back to Artscape, where the crowds were continuing to thicken. Our little party added Bob and Ed and wandered around some more.

Heh. Bob and Ed stopped to get something to eat while the rest of us continued on, then we hooked up later. I spotted them before they found us, so I walked up to them without them seeing me and just started ambling along with them. They were so intent on looking for us that they didn't see me. When Bob turned to find me by himself, he was visibly startled, as if I had suddenly appeared out of thin air, which was just the reaction I was hoping for. He called me impish. >:-)

Jann, Austin and Shannon said their goodbyes and the rest of us went to Ted's house. Ted is Bob's boyfriend, but he's in Rehoboth for the week. We just sat and talked for a bit. Doug passed out. Bob, Ed and I drove up to the Baltimore Eagle so Ed could have a look around.

When we returned, we couldn't get Doug to wake up completely, so we decided that he and Ed would stay with Bob rather than me, so I really didn't have to wash all of those towels. :-)

Whew.

It's been a long day, and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon.

I woke up this morning, showered, etc. and waited outside for Doug and the boys to pick me for brunch at Morning Edition, which is out towards Fells Point. It's like a little Vermont cafe and the menu has all kinds of lovely things on it. Knowing that Doug would order two or three muffins for the table to share and keeping in mind that I would have to eat again later to take my meds, I settled on just a salad.

We drove back to Ted's house in Mt. Vernon so Bob could move some laundry around, then we walked a short distance to Baltimore's Washington Monument and climbed to the top to take a look at the city. I'm an admitted big sissy — I had to rest several times climbing up the stairs to the top.

We walked back down to a small import shop, A People United, which has lots of nice things. Doug bought a small horn bowl for his altar and joked with the saleslady until she playfully whipped him on the ass.

Jeff has arrived in Baltimore; he's at Artscape now. I'm home, packing my bags and fixing my lunch for today and tomorrow's trip.

It's been lots of fun seeing my city again with folks that don't take it for granted. I've lived here for 15 years and I've never been to the Washington Monument, for instance.