Posts Tagged Baltimore
Inside, There Beats a Heart
Proof now exists that I am not a cold and heartless person. Tonight, I assisted an old lady on my walk home from work.
On my way out of work, I had stopped off at Jos. Bank for some additional shirts. After that, I headed home on my usual route, heading up Conway Street towards Camden Yards. I was minding my own business, listening to one of my many podcasts I listen to on my iPod.
As I approached the intersection of Conway and Sharp Streets, right near Old Otterbein Church, I saw a woman who had just finished talking to two men. It looked like she was asking for directions, and the two men did not know where to send the woman. The woman was a senior citizen, and she reminded me of my grandmother. I decided to approach her and offer her some help.
She was heading to Highlandtown looking to catch a bus from downtown. I admitted that I did not know what buses ran where, but I suggested some possible routes the buses could take–Pratt Street or Eastern Avenue came to mind. She mentioned she was doing a favor for a friend, and she had accompanied another friend downtown to play bingo. I pointed out where Pratt Street was located, but I noticed she did not seem too confident about where it was. I offered to walk with her over to Pratt Street, so we made our way.
She mentioned she used to live downtown on Charles Street, but she was a little lost given where she was. I offered that the area near Camden Yards has changed a lot in the last few years, and it has probably changed even more from her time living downtown.
We made our way to Pratt Street. There was now a new problem: where to catch a bus. The best thing I could think of was to get her to a covered bus stop, where more information on where the buses head would be. Again, though, that was a four block walk from the intersection of Pratt and Sharp Streets. There was also the problem of bus fare, as she was checking her change, and I was not too confident that bus fare was that inexpensive. I mentioned hailing a taxicab, but she was not too keen to the idea.
While waiting on Pratt Street, we missed one bus, and a Charm City Circulator came by to the stop we were at. The Circulator was not going to get this lady to where she was headed. I decided to hail a taxicab, checking my wallet and seeing that I had $20 in cash. She offered me some money for helping her–three dollars. I politely declined.
The woman said that was not necessary, but I opened the door to the taxicab. I handed the driver my $20, mentioning that she was headed to Highlandtown, making sure the lady mentioned her final destination. She thanked me and said I did not need to do this, and I replied “It was my pleasure. Get home safe.”
The most important thing to me was to get her to where she was going safely. She is someone’s grandmother, and I thought it important she get to where she was going safe. With that thought, money was no object: I just wanted to make sure this grandmother got home safe, and I was happy to do it.
Missing Snowpocalypse 2010
I am currently in Boston, awaiting the Beanpot on Monday night. I was fortunate enough to leave Baltimore before the beginning of Snowpocalypse 2010.
I have been virtually enjoying it via Twitter, Facebook, and text messages. Still, the best forecast I have seen, summing up how I feel about our rash of weekend snowstorms, comes from Jim Kosek at Accuweather.com.
"And the snow beast continueth."
Alas, Poor Baltimore
After entering into a plea agreement, Mayor Sheila Dixon will resign effective 4 February 2010. I was never a fan of Mayor Dixon, as I voted for Keiffer Mitchell. The reports at the time of her varied shady dealings and clear ethical issues were enough to sway me then. When she was elected mayor, I personally thought that my fellow citizens were truly daft.
Surprisingly, though, the one thing that I expected from her never took place. She never made that one terrible gaffe while in office. Granted, I never found her to be a erudite speaker in public or on the airwaves. Still, she did not “screw up” as I had expected.
There were some policy changes that I still disagree with. While the tree-huggers who inhabit my fair city have been brainwashed into thinking that the change to trash pickup in this city was a good idea, I still despise it. I need not look much further than my neighborhood to see the rigorous enforcement of the various laws around trash that has clearly taken place.
Now, we await the assumption of the power by current City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Never have I been more dismayed over this turn of events. From the stories I have heard from her time in the Baltimore Office of the Public Defender to my personal experience attending social events where she has been present. In all of my dealings, she has always seem to me to be detached and somewhat annoyed to be where she is. To me, she offers nothing more than the cachet of her father’s last name.
Maybe Rawlings-Blake will be a surprise in office. I can only hope.
Lost Pit Bull in Pigtown
UPDATE: Pickles has been found and returned to his owners!
Forwarded by a friend from Baltimore Craigslist:
On FRIDAY, December 18th, Pickles, a brown pitbull with a white muzzle and white chest, escaped at the intersection of Ostend & Scott Streets in South Baltimore (Pigtown). He may have been spotted on Sharp Street in Federal Hill on Friday afternoon. He is 8 months old, weighs 35 pounds, and was wearing a BLACK HOODED SWEATSHIRT when he ran away. He also has a blue collar with tags with his name, our phone number, rabies vaccination and MICROCHIP ID number. He is a bit shy around new people, but is really a very nice little dog. He also has a large MD SPCA tattoo on his right inner thigh and is microchipped. If you see Pickles or catch him, please contact Peter at 570-762-1838 or Monica at 410-599-4958. WE ARE OFFERING A $500 REWARD TO THE PERSON WHO CAN GET OUR DOG BACK TO US. Thank you, Peter
Fellow Pigtowners, please be on the lookout for Pickles, a lost pitbull whose owners desperately want his return. If you find him, please contact Monica and Peter at the numbers above.
Movember Approaches
After some persuading by Evan accompanied by the reminder that this is for a good cause, I have decided to participate in Movember. What is Movember?
MOVEMBER* is the month formerly known as November, when men commit to growing a Mo’ to raise funds for prostate cancer research and to raise awareness for men‘s health! That’s right, we’re bringing back the Moustache this November with a bar crawl the likes of which SoBo HAS NEVER SEEN. If you’re mo’ enough to join a global movement changing the face of men’s health, come join us on Movember 21st!
– MovemberBaltimore.com
Essentially, I will be grooming a moustache in an effort to raise funds for prostate cancer research and for the LIVESTRONG Foundation. Yes, I assure you, there will be photos of the moustache I groom.
As part of the local team, Boh Knows Movember, there will be a bar crawl on 21 November 2009. Mark the date in your calendars, as the proceeds benefit an excellent cause. Donations to the Boh Knows Movember team can be made here.
Contribute to the cause as my teammates and I sport the ’stache for men’s health!
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