Δαφνη Ευτυχια Αρθουρος

I wound up wimping out clothing-wise for seeing my relatives at the Inner Harbor. I wore the same black pants that I've worn the past two days. But I did wear the red leopard-pattern velour top that my sister in law said I should've worn last night at the Christmas party. (It would've made more sense to wear it there, and to wear the black velour top today, I guess, but since I'd already worn the black yesterday ...) I could've worn a different black top, but I didn't want to repeat the all black thing right away. And I'm running out of "not too femmy" tops suitable for today's weather that go with these pants.

The top was flashy enough to upset Mom but the outfit as a whole wasn't so girly that she could make a big scene. (She made a small scene. Said I should close my cape because my top was giving her sunburn (it's a little fancy, but it's not bright). Later, she made a comment about not riding the elevator with me. And a few times she made a face. She wasn't happy.) My excuse is that I don't have that many winter tops that I can wear with these pants, but I'm also glad I didn't go entirely to something "safe". I don't feel like I hit a middle ground -- I feel like I caved -- but I do feel like I got away with a wee tweak to the boundaries. I also wore the boots that I wore last night, even though I didn't have slush as an excuse this time. (I'm counting last night as precedent for getting away with the boots. And they do have chunky heels, not spikes.)

I found a great parking space, only to discover that my container of parking-meter quarters in the car was empty. So I wound up parking over in Little Italy and walking several blocks. (The exercise was probably good for me, but my body is complaining -- I'll be needing Ultram, at least.) I met up with everyone else in one of the shopping plaza thingies, and we walked to the WTC and went to the observation deck on the top floor. Yes, the building I got "detained" for allegedly photographing a few days before Thanksgiving, in the fog. And yes, I could see my house from there. Then we poked our noses into the ESPN Zone so my cousins could see what it was like. Everyone else headed toward Bowie, and I came home to write this, grab a guitar, and change lenses. I figure I might as well head over to Mom's too, and get a free dinner and have a little more time to talk to folks. Got some stuff I really need to do at home in the next few days though.

It was obvious from the observation deck how flat Baltimore is. It doesn't feel flat when you're walking up Charles St., but down here by the water isn't exactly a hilly part of the state. I said we should make a side trip to Frederick.

Actually, I'd love to show them "my" Baltimore -- the corners of it that I get to, not just the Inner Harbor. Charles Village, Mount Vernon, even show them my place on the seedy side of Union Square. Or at least show them the harbor at night, the way I usually see it. I want to show them Catonsville -- the strip along rt. 144 with Bill's Music and Appalachian Bluegrass -- and the photogenic middle of Ellicot City. I don't want to just show them the touristy parts; I want to show Annapolis as I know it, including the Key School, and cool restaurants in Olney and Rockville and Washington, and Sandy Point and Skyline Drive (I'm trying to remember whether they saw those last two when they were here twenty four years ago). Yeah, they enjoyed Hooters (which they'd just left when I caught up to them), but I'd rather show them Paper Moon and the Olney Ale House.

Ah, but I digress -- I was planning to talk mostly about clothes. *shrug* Before getting dressed, I called my brother's cell phone again to see if I could get a "read" on the situation. The impression I got was that this probably wasn't the time to push too far (though someday I'll have to anyhow, even if there's never a good time). So I'm putting that off until I'll have my sister in law to back me up verbally. I think my cousins would've argued my side today, but I'm not absolutely certain. And I have no idea how my aunt and uncle are going to react.