Didn’t we spend the day in Baltimore, like, a week ago?

Why yes; yes we did. And then we drove home, and then the washing machine exploded, and then I bit off way more than I could chew with work, and have been buried ever since then. I uploaded the photos almost immediately, but didn’t finish naming them all until about ten seconds ago.

With no further ado… MY HOMETOWN: LET ME SHOW YOU IT.

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Big thanks to David and Bonnie for putting us up (even though all we really did was sleep there, and suck down bagels in the mornings!). We appreciate your space and the time you spent with us!

First up that day was David taking us to Fort McHenry. This is where I admit to drinking the Kool-Aid, because as Tim already knows from watching the Olympics with me, that I have no time for anyone who doesn’t know the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner. Maybe it’s the latent fifth-generation (fourth? I can’t remember) Baltimore in me, but … just… learn the lyrics. I know it’s hard to sing, I get that nobody can hit that one note. But that doesn’t excuse you from knowing the lyrics! It’s our national anthem! You call yourself an American?! :looks around: … uhm. Yeah. Anyway. The fort was nice.

Next was a quick trip to Poe’s grave, followed by the rest of the morning and early afternoon at the Visionary Art Museum — really loved it! Quirky, cool things in there. And a gift shop that very much reminded me of Lightning Salvage.

After that we tried to decide what to do until meeting Mim and DA for dinner (y’all should know both of them from the comments here). We walked over to Harbor Place and were going to take the ferry to Fells Point, which we could then take back to our car near the Museum, but it started raining and the ferries close in the rain. We thought about going to the top of the World Trade Center there, but the observation deck closed right before we got there. We wound up getting tickets to tour the USS TORSK, as Tim has been watching a lot of submarine shows lately, and after admiring all the buttons and levers and extremely close quarters, we walked back to the car and drove to Fells Point.

The rain let up in just enough time to let us sit and eat outside, and the meal was fabulous — made more fabulous by actually being able to meet Internet friends in person. And here’s where I thumb my nose to people who say you can’t make real friends over the Interwebs, because meeting them was like meeting up with old friends I’ve had for years who just live in another city. Technically Jain has known me since I was wee, what with being my mom’s best friend from high school and college days – but she hasn’t seen me since I was about four years old. It was really great to meet her and Data Angel in person, and really, I feel I’ve known them In Real Life forever.

The end of the day saw Tim make a surprise drive-by to Harbor Place again, so I could get a better photo of the Domino Sugar sign than I was able to get in the rain; and after that it was back to Bonnie and David’s to get to sleep so we could wake up in the morning and make the Long Drive Home.

Did I mention we stopped at South of the Border? And went to the top of the Sombrero? TRUE STORY. Hopefully it won’t take me a week to get you those photos.