Because I want to let my friends and family know that I am not up to anything either. Pedaling and living, taking and giving. Mostly taking.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
It's Recreational- I'm in Control
Shelley and I took a long walk through the city today. Saw and did some awesome shit. The pictures are posted in the order they were taken- this was the first. 200 yards from our stoop, on another stoop, sat this cat toy. The Bean had to tell me that. I stared at it for thirty seconds, at a loss as to what the f*** it could be. When she told me I laughed for a long time.
Comic Con took place this weekend in Baltimore. These cats were everywhere a person turned. When I came up on this group, I swore aloud that I was getting their photo- I was upset with myself for pussing out so many times before. When I asked if I could take their photo, one of the girls became visibly bothered and turned away, and I felt terrible. But then, another of the girls saw me, got excited, and loudly stated, "Alright, strike some poses, this shit just got real!" Her enthusiasm bolstered the group, everyone complied with smiles on their faces, and I felt a little less like a dick.
They anchored an old Navy ship in the Harbor for the weekend. Actually, it was placed within fifty yards of the Constellation, which is one of the sister liberty ships (and a permanent fixture in Baltimore).
That's Shelley in my blue backpack. The enormity of the ship was gnarly to behold- really mind blowing. That being said, as we continued to walk the length of the ship I couldn't help but know that I was looking at an antique. From far away, it was awesome in power. Up close, the rust, rivets and exposed sheet metal made the ship appear really delicate.
Markings on the ship that mean nothing to me but were intriguing anyway. i watched some UFO conspiracy show on The History Channel earlier. So, yeah. It's probably some UFO shit. If I had to guess.
We saw this bike on the way to a frozen-yogurt joint in Fells Point. Shelley knew I wanted a closer look, and said, "Come on, let's cross the street so we can walk by it." Team player, that one. It's a Honda Shadow. Not the most powerful bike, not the most expensive bike. But a great beginner bike in the classic cruiser styling. Looks like a Harley, for a quarter of the price (and, unpatriotic as this may be- it is a Honda: they run for a long, long time). My first bike will look a lot like this one.
I got vanilla yogurt, sprinkled with fresh strawberries...'cause I'm all that is man, yaddadamean?
The view from a dock in Fells Point. Ate our yogurts here and took in the traffic on the water. Across the way is where some of the heavy-industry joints (the ones that are still active) are located.
Bodies in the windows in Little Italy. The place to be in Baltimore if you're looking for pasta, guidos or bocce ball courts.
So this is where things get interesting.
Alyssa, a friend of Shelley and me, heard about how I wouldn't shut the hell up about finding a place to swim in the city. Long story short- Alyssa gained access to this rooftop pool in downtown Baltimore and, friend that she is, extended the invitation to Shelley and I to come break it in with her.
What a head trip. Three stories up. Full of people from (at least currently) other walks of life than my own. No yelling or splashing (or excessive consumption) as is usually requisite at my swimming time. No one else in cut-offs. Just different. But still really fun! Like visiting a new NASA exhibition, I left with a lot more questions than answers. But really, really interesting and really really fun.
Hanging over the wall next to the pool- the view from above. See, mom? I hang near churches, and stuff...Besides, a pool like that? I bet God was across the street too.
This was exactly what I saw as I laid back in my adjustable sunning chair, drying off next to the pool. I know. Head trip.
Cold-chilling, never shutting the f*** up. Woot woot!