From AIDS Walk 2005, Support Us This Year! 

AIDS Walk NYC!

Visit my fundraising website at http://aidswalknewyork2006.kintera.org/petesab to sponsor me at the AIDS Walk. We're heading up to NYC this weekend to walk on 5/21. It's an incredible event that really makes you feel like we have a chance against the epidemic. Any support you can lend is most appreciated, and if you'll be in NYC this weekend, come walk with us!

 

Pics as Promised

A good Monday morning to you! As promised, here are some snapfish links for ya. This was a great Baltimore weekend celebrating Allie's birthday. Duckboat rides, ghost tours, mussels, good times had by all. OK, not many pictures taken, and these may not be all that exciting. Click HERE. I took them from the Duckboat in the Inner Harbor. I think it's a cool view of the city and really gives you a feel for some of the development that's going on in town.

Also, found on the camera some pics from our trip to Atlanta for Easter. Gorgeous long weekend of fun with the fam, check it out.

OK, back to work!

 

The Neighborhood 

Spring Sprang Sprung

So you must be thinking that my computer must have melted down and we haven't gotten around to getting a new one. Or perhaps our camera has imploded and so no pictures = no fun blog. Well no, not exactly. Above is a great pic from a snow storm on Federal Hill a couple months ago, but that's just the last time the camera was used! (For more pics of sleigh-riding after the storm, click here) I know, the passing of Allie and my birthdays, lovely spring coming into bloom, Orioles games and fun bar-b-ques...but the memory card on the camera is still empty! I know, I don't know how it happened either. Maybe the digital media for photography isn't as novel so it doesn't get as much use. Or maybe the people at www.gofugyourself.com are so freakin' clever that I read their blog and can't imagine how I could even pretend to offer something worth reading when such clever commentary is out there.

It's also true, I've done a bit of traveling. A couple trips to San Diego, a trip to Destin Florida, all business. Although, we did have a lovely long weekend in Atlanta with the Iece and Phews, so there have got to be some pictures on our camera! I'll look into that.

Otherwise, I think you should look into the Gulf Coast. Coming from the northeast, the gulf coast didn't even register on my list of places to visit for it's soft beaches and lush vegetation, but for a couple weeks out of the year before the flies eat you and before the water becomes toxic with acid and flesh eating parasites, it really is gorgeous. It may take an unnatural amount of time to get to some of these destinations (yeah, 10 hours to get to Destin Florida with flights, layovers, delays, and a 1.5 hour drive) but it's an interesting adventure if ever you're looking for it.

Ok, go smell some flowers, grill up a hotdog, and flip on the baseball game!

Santallie! 

Yeep

Hello there. Yeah, it's been a while since I've had any good pictures for your enjoyment. I've got one up there that I realized I haven't posted yet, and it's a goodie :)

Things are good here in Baltimore. It's a pretty mild winter and I could really use some snow. There are only a few more weeks of potential snow weather, so it's not looking good, but I can hope. There's just something about the electric chatter before a city-crippling 6 inches of slush. It's entertaining to no end to watch paranoid drivers and those fearing the loss of dairy products lining up for miles for a precious gallon of milk.

Went to the Blue Agave not too long ago, and I've got to say, I have no idea what all the fuss is about. Yeah, there are some unnecessarily complex dishes and sure, the average entree is $20 (no mexican restaurant should have average entree of over $12), but the food just wasn't special. I wouldn't say it was even good. I admit, I did not have one of their renowned Margaritas, but the food did not impress. So, if you've got a great Mexican joint in Bmore, let me know, I'd love to try it. No Way Jose Cafe, not bad. Holy Frijoles was awesome the last time I was there, but haven't been there since they moved out of the broom closet they once occupied and I need something closer downtown. Gimme a good 'ol messy nacho plate!

'tis the season

Season's greetings to all. And that season, of course, is winter cuz it's getting cold! We've had a couple snow falls already, just this past week, but it seems that we've actually dodged the worst of it. Tuesday we had an inch fall, but none of it actually stuck to the roads and then Thursday night we had a good 3 or 4 inches, but west of the city reported 10 inches.

It's nice to see the snow again. Our tree is all set up and decorated. We have stockings hung by the chimney with care. A chemically treated log is snapping away in the fireplace. It's quite lovely really :)

A couple weekends ago, Allie and I took a trip up to Gettysburg, PA. It was the weekend of Thanksgiving, actually. After a crisp quiet turkey day, we woke up and headed up the road to a neat little B&B right in downtown Gettysburg. It was a cool little town, though Civil War obsessed. I'm still not sure what to think of B&Bs- I can't get over the feeling of being a guest in someone else's house, but there is a certainly level of comfort in the homely atmosphere. Check out some Gettysburg pics here. (Who knew Civil War rifles were made in Windsor, VT?)
So this past week our DSL finally got running. We've had it for about 2 months now, but I finally got a chance to call the company and get them to figure out why our transfer speeds were slower than dial-up and why we'd lose a connection every 10 minutes. It was excrutiating and entirely prohibitive to being online at all. So I'm hoping this means I may be a bit more attentive to this blog :)

Big shoutout to Gregorio- happy birthday!

Haha, got a great pic from a couple weeks ago. Joe landed this trout and it was the only catch of the day. I swear to you, he threw the lure in the stream empty, and pulled it out with this lunker on it.

Back in Bmore Again

Well hello there. Fancy meeting you back here again. Sure, it's been a month since I've posted, but you should see what we've gotten done in that month! We're back here in Baltimore, started our new jobs, and overcome the initial life upheaval panic. We've settled into our new house, and gotten ourselves familiar with the new neighborhood. I've grown accustomed to a leisurely post work walk home and the brisk stride in, in the morning. It's nice, I must say.

Allie is an honest to goodness teacher. Yes, she is sitting next to me grading, why do you ask? We've been to an O's game or two, taken more than one nice walk around the harbor, and drank my fair share of Natty Boh. We've met up with all the Bmore peeps, had some fish at John Stevens, caught a show at the Baltmore Theater Project, and rocked hard to the White Stripes and The Shins at Merriweather with Kevin and Gabe (Truly amazing! The Stripes just continue to get even better.). We miss you, family, but it is nice to be back in Crab City, The City That Reads, Mobtown, Baltimore Believe...

Friday night was dedicated Farewell Pete D. Night- you will be missed sir, but good luck to you. Tim, Trish, and the clan came down from Lancaster on Saturday, and of course, good times had by all. Had a ball with those photogenic kids, so check it out by clicking here. Also, check out that album for the last picture- an amazing morning shot from fishing on the Liberty Reservoir on Sunday. Went out with Eric, didn't catch a darn thing, but enjoyed every minute of the beautiful day.

One side note about the Monster Is My Sauce, post from Aug 27th...if you didn't read the comment, check out http://www.venganza.org/index.htm to clear up any confusion and to keep Elise out your mental looney bin :) (PS, thanks for adding a comment, people should do more of that.)

Jimmy James, Orio, Case, Punky, Meg, Aileen, Katie, New Friend Michelle- you've got a home in Bmore.

Lovely Pittsburgh Church Wall 

Baltimore-Bound

Yeah, it's been a while. I was blinded for over a week and it took almost a full month to entirely and fully recover from that, but here I am, staring at a computer screen with no pain. Hurrah.

You'll notice on the right side of the screen there, are some new links for fun stuff. Go ahead and click right on down the list and enjoy. First 3 are sites about our new neighborhood in Baltimore (moving at the end of this week!), so get a feel for it and begin planning your visit immediately. Also is a link to Elise House's great website- very well written updates and observances from San Francisco. Check on that every now and again and enjoy some witty wordsmithing and some fun photos. Also is James' website, which while updated once a year or so, has a very funny video running on it that is well worth watching.

Had a great time at Tom and Monica's wedding in Pittsburgh last weekend. The 8 hour drive could have been a bit shorter, but a great trip all around. Good times, good friends, celebrating a great event. Click for pics!

The Monster is my Sauce, I Shall Not Want

Masterful, Ms. Elise House, masterful.

"I have recently developed a prayer to FSM, that I though I might share, for it is meat and right so to do.

Our Monster, who art flying,
hallowed be thy spaghetti.
Thy boiling come, thy sauce be done,
on earth as it is on pasta.
And give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our gastric bypasses,
as we forgive those who lipo against us.
And lead us not into evolution,
but deliver us from monkeys,
for thine is the linguine, the rigatoni,
and the fusilli,
forever and ever, RAmen."

"Another prayer, uncovered after years of study of the ancient we-Brew, a malty language I aled to decipher:

The Flying Spaghetti Monster is my pirate,
I shall not want.
He make me lie down in green pesto,
he leads me beside boiling waters,
he restores my sauce.
He flies me on the path of spaghetti,
for his name's sake.
And even though I walk
through the valley of the garbage of death,
I fear no disposal.
For he is with me, his noodle and his meat balls,
they comfort me.
He preparest a table before me, in the presence of my enemies.
He annointest my head with olive oil,
and my bowl overflows.
Surely carbohydrates and pirates shall follow me
all the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the noodly grasp of the Flying Spaghetti Monster forever.
RAmen."

Fascinating Avian Hangover Initiative

** New Zealand wood pigeon palaver **
Wood pigeons are rescued in New Zealand after becoming drunk on guava berries

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4131674.stm

Who's that kid? 

Quick Update For Ya

This one is going to be quick. I hurt my eye pretty good last Friday and staring at the computer ain't so good fer it. They called it a corneal abrasion, but in reality I gouged about 30% of my cornea out with my fingernail. Coulda been while I was taking my contacts out, coulda been in my sleep, they say I probably wouldn't have known it when I did it. Let this be a lesson to ya! Sleep in mittens.

Two weeks ago, Allie and I spent a great weekend in Lancaster, and finally here are the pictures of some adorable little-ones. Thanks for having us!

This Week In Casey
Check out The Kid getting to write a nice little piece on his baseball hero. Good on ya.
For all the pub, you'd think the man himself might comment once in a while. You know, one for the fans.

OK, I have to go back to sitting in a dark room with my eyes closed listening to TV. Hope the weekend is treating everyone well.

Downtown Baltmore From the East 

"The Mets have been piling up quality starts like Anna Benson's Web site piles up hits."

For those of you tracking "Casey-Watch" 2005, you will most certainly recognize this line! If not, check it out. I first read this and my jaw dropped - "He didn't actually write that." "He did really write that! How did he get his editor to go along with that?" LOVE IT!!!!! For anyone who doesn't understand, Anna Benson is the model wife of starting Mets pitcher Kris Benson. Well done Case, truely top notch. It's good to see that those late nights watching Def Comedy Jam have helped to contribute to your journalistic career. Also, check out this Casey gem about a Mets top pitching prospect who just bought a one-way ticket to the OR. Later in the article, about a different 'challenged' hurler - "Apparently Ishii isn't done as a starter just yet" writes Mike Casey. I disagree Mr. Casey, just because he is getting a start, doesn't mean that he is not DONE as a starter!

PS- Now that hockey is coming back, I really hope we won't lose your baseball insight, because I'd hate to have to read hockey articles.

In other news, Nick will begin moving into his new home at the end of this month and he will begin his reign as East Baltimore's most considerate slum lord. Check out some pictures on his rooftop deck with truly the best view in all of Baltimore. Mighty impressive, sir, mighty impressive. Great stain job, by the way, very professional. I will note that Nick very much enjoys staining outdoor wood structures, so anyone with a deck to stain, give him a call and he'd be happy to help, or just do it for you!

Happy birthday to Ken Card! Peddle safely.

Last week Atlanta made it's yearly month-long tour of the northeast- Mike, Patti, Christopher, Austin, and Julia all piled into their Bob The Builder bus and swept the coast in public appearances. Here are pictures from their Saturday Maywood stop. Click This! It was WONDERFUL to see the fam, makes me regret only getting to see them all once or twice a year, but it makes those visits all the more special. Also, Austin, I am so sorry, but somehow I didn't get a picture of or wth you! I'm sorry buddy! Uncle Al, also, my appologies.

Have a good weekend folks, we will be down in Lancaster, so there are sure to be some more adorable little ones pictures posted next week for all you little ones groupies. Have a good one!

Good Monday to You

Hot off the presses, the latest from famed Newsday reporter Mike Casey - article. An interesting firsthand look at Saturday's WNBA allstar game. This article makes me want to pay attention, if for nothing else, than to see what Diana Taurasi can do. Hopefully what she can do is rescue the league from a revenue shortage and pull it from media obsurity.

In newslessness, no job news. Although, Allie did begin a few day temp stint today. This weekend, in our efforts to avoid death by hurricane, we had a very nice quiet weekend at home including a bike ride, some couch sitting with Yankee games, and some resume mailing by Allie. By the way, if anyone has any connections at all with a private high school in the Baltimore vacinity, let me know!