A day at the Harbor

Okay, so just for the record...August 15th 2008, HELL froze over.

Given the overall happiness from the peons at work, the head of our dept realized (thanks bucky) that things were not well in munchkinland. One of the things he is trying to do is to improve moral (I think those of us involved know the biggest way to improve moral) and very generously has given everyone in the dept a day off with pay. Way cool, huh?

Not to let something like that go to waste, V, R, Butch and myself set off for the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. (or as Butch laughs at my pronunciation...Bawlmer). Butch and I used to spend a good bit of time there as I had season tickets to dem O-ri-o's, and we'd have dinner there and walk up the street to Camden Yards for the game. After 15 years, I gave my season tickets up a couple of years ago. Is it any wonder? sorry, i digress, that's another too long story.

We took the subway in from Owings Mills and I forgot to tell V that Lydia always had to take a Dramamine. She got a little green there towards the end of the ride.

We wandered around and decided to do the boat tour. There are 4 boats and a lighthouse at the harbor. The Constellation one of the oldest navel vessels still around and has been at the center of the Inner Harbor since it was built. The Coast Guard cutter, Taney, is the last vessel that survived Pearl Harbor, it was decommissioned in the late 80's. The lightship Chesapeake, and the submarine Torsk. V and I went on the Constellation and the Taney, but after that subway ride she was not going into that submarine, and I've been in it and knew I didn't like it. So the boys went on all 4 and V and I waited patiently while they (Butch) read every single thing on every bit of history of these boats (see Williamsburg trip for another example).

This is from the deck of the Constellation looking across to the Aquarium with the lightship Chesapeake to the left and the submarine Torsk to the right. World Trade center is the building on the far left (worlds tallest 5 sided building....woo, hoo)

By the looks of this picture Butch is telling R how something works. He's got that look on his face and he is majorly talking with his hands. Nice shot of Federal Hill in the background.

Butch and R on the deck of the Chesapeake. It made me laugh since it looks like there is a really big building coming up from the deck.

We topped the day off with a McHenry draft beer and a crab cake from Phillips...mmmmm!

Odie's World-Odie's World-Odies World

Today's guest Blogger is the one and only Odie of Odie's World......

Hi all, Odie here. We were out at the park on Saturday with our people and decided to stop by drafter and Butch's house. They were actually home and trying to scare a bunny with the horn of the big truck. Unfortunately, they were parked in the garage when they blew the horn so that might account for them saying huh? alot. Didn't scare the bunny though. Because of AB having to be on a leash, I also had to have one on and I didn't get a chance to chase him. But more about that dumb leash later.

We got to sniff around the backyard while our people got watered with something in a green bottle. I got him to knock it over so I could take a taste, but it was pretty nasty. Something from Canada. Personally, I prefer Brown Dogs. drafter brought some water out for AB and myself, we were really parched after that park walk.

Here's a picture of us with our people.

Okay, here's the story about that dumb leash. I don't have to wear it when I'm at home, but out for walks and all, they make sure I have it on. Well, I don't run away and I listen when I'm spoken to, but AB is a totally different story. She's too crazy to be let loose on the world. Maybe, when she gets a bit older she'll be better, but in the meantime I have to put up with this....

Now, you see that my person can not manage to not get that leash knotted up around my legs? Well, we're out relaxing on the back patio, sippin on some cold ones, and my male person was not paying attention and didn't see when I walked under this chair. Well, the next thing I know that chair was chasing me across the patio. Everyone started screaming and I'm just trying to get the heck away from that dumb chair and my man is trying to catch me and drafter is trying to get my leash unwrapped from the chair leg and the dumb chair is still chasing me. So finally drafter gets the chair, and my man holds me down and they get me untied from that stupid chair leg the leash was tangled around. I'll tell you, that was some scary chair. I kept my eye on it the rest of the night.

We hung out and AB ran circles around the yard for a while. It was starting to get dark so I couldn't find any bee's and of course I didn't get a chance to chase any bunnies. We took off and headed home after that. It was fun, but I still don't trust that dumb chair.

Quick check in

Way busy and just wanted to check in. We're at the Ringold Street houses all the time it seems. We got rolling on 326 and the renovation, and got stopped by finally getting the deadbeats out of 328. They were not the most awful we've ever had (that was reserved by the Nurse and her jobless husband who had fleas so bad we bombed the house 4 times-after we pulled every carpet from the place). But we've been over there cleaning the place. I swear, in the year and a half they were there, I truly don't think they owned a mop or a vacum cleaner. I've been on my hands and knees cleaning who knows what off walls and (shutter) bathroom. Butch has spent 5 days in the kitchen trying to clean what hasn't been cleaned in 18 months. He actually had to resort to a putty knife for cleaning the oven.
Just a word of advice....if ever anyone ever tells you that you can make money through investing in rentals...punch them, they lie. There are houses we actually have decent people in, that pay their rent and actually clean, but you have to go through about 3 crappy tenants before you get a good one. Anyway, we're pretty much done in 328 and can go back to 326 and the renovation. Thank heaven for R! He's the day shift (Butch and I are the 2nd shift) and he's has kicked butt working there!
gonna run, too much to do and too little time......