My husband diagnosed me
Yes, my husband has become a psychologist and has diagnosed me with adult onset ADHD. His conclusive evidence of my disorder: my short attention span, my lack of ever completing a project I start, I make coffee in the Keurig and forget to place a coffee cup under it, and my complete lack of following through on my blog posts. I am very capable of admitting when he is wrong. I have to say though, he's spot on I believe with this one thing.
So, in a last ditch effort to prove I do have the capacity to follow through on things I am updating my blog! Well, not only to prove a point to my husband but, also to keep all our adoring fans up to date.
So where did we leave off? Oh yes, I had just regaled you with a tantalizing tale of how Baltimore wasn't what my head thought it up to be, I was terrified of being car jacked, and compared to our cozy home we loved our apartment was a shanty.
Since then, we have had some fun, some real good company, and yummy food.
Our first weekend here we met up with Lunch Box in a fabulous little area called Fells Point. And this was the Baltimore I had imagined!! On the harbor! With cobble stone streets! Federal Era Row houses! Shops, bars, restaurants galore!!Yes this is what my little heart desired of the big city. That particular night Box took us to an outstanding place called One Eyed Mikes. It's actually the very first Gran-Marnier Club, and their food was delish. A hop, skip, and a jump down the cobble stones is a bar called "The Horse You Road In On." This little historical gem just happens to be the last place ole Edgar Allen Poe got liquored up before passing away. Box and his friend Meghan then took us to a lively little bar called "The Cat's Eye." The title reminded me of an old Stephen King movie but, this was quite a spot. A jazzy little band playing, and packed to the gills. Turns out this place has live music every day of the year, even Thanksgiving and Christmas. What they also have....the title of #15 top place to have a drink before you die (I'm guessing Edgar just picked the wrong bar.) We had a great time, as we always do with Box.
After that fun filled jaunt, we jumped into our Bel Air life. Tainted air apartment and pain-in-the-rear-good-for-nothing-contract breaking-lying-lying-incompetent- recruiter/travel company drama. This drama is still going on 6 weeks later.
(The jist: my recruiter was an idiot, who had no clue what she was doing and got me jipped out of a few hundred dollars. She got fired, which should be some recompense but, alas the company is still holding out on me and is making me finish my contract before paying us $300 of the around $450 they owe us for travel expenses.)
On a lighter note. We've gotten to B-more a few times to visit. Once to see Box at his work establishment and old haunting ground. A quaint little place called "Souris" a bar/restaurant that's been around since before Baltimore had highways. Family named still. And, has a bullet hole above the bar in the tiles where a gun was once shot off to calm down a rowdy crowd. I love history lessons!!! Another time Box took us to an area called Canton, right around the corner from Fell's. This is where we ate at "Momma's On the Half Shell." This is also where I'd love to go again because the seafood, especially the shell fish was outstanding. Now Florida has some oysters, but so does the Chesapeake Bay area....and, I'll tell ya they know how to grow 'em. Box and I gorged ourselves and made annoying, "Mmm, oh this is so yummy," noises the whole time we ate. My poor non-seafood eating hubs had a sandwich he liked!! He did not like our exclamatory love at every bite however. This Momma's had it all food, fun, and character.
(I will say, the bathrooms in all these B-more row houses turned establishments are difficult to get to. One due to the people, but mostly the location. Down-stairs in the very back. So when in B-more, don't wait til you really have to go, start making your way to the rest room early.)
I could wander in Fell's Point and Canton forever yet, I do know I must explore more of Baltimore, and we will. We just aren't real excited about doing it without Box yet. My one outing on my own to the city was fairly safe......until dark. I took an AWHONN course at Sinai Hospital and took a little trip to the largest mall I've ever seen after. All went well until I was meeting up with hubs back in our loved Fell's for dinner at a little place called "Blue Moon Cafe." (Here they only ever serve breakfast 24/7 and have the most amazing concoction of Captain Crunch French toast! Yes, that's right, it's worth the drive.)
Here's where the trouble began.....
Me: "Siri direct me to Fell's point"
Siri: "I can do that for you" ......up pops Google maps with 3 different ways to get to Fell's from my point in Towson.
Me: "Why would I ever take route 1 or 2? They put me back on the inner loop and 10 more minutes of driving. I'll take option 3 with the most direct path."
Direct Path: "HA HA HA I just led you right through where we film the Wire, REALLY!"
This was way worse than my first night in the city. I passed 8 cop cars (all lite up trying to catch something/somebody), and 3 ambulances. All those row houses that I think are so quaint....not so quaint with a homeless hooker yelling at the ambulance to run people over; and, definitely not adorable broken down with drug deals going on the outside of once was probably a great brick facade. On top of this, I caught EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT! My car is small, and I don't have tinted windows. However, these non-tinted windows allowed me to see the little blue blinking lights on every street lamp. Which, I learned from Box are the video cameras placed in the major crime areas to catch everything going on. So, at least if I was car jacked-beaten-left in the ghetto someone would have caught it on tape.
I am undaunted though. I will venture out again. I'll just make sure my pistol is loaded and not locked in my glove box. I'll also make sure I'm riding with my husband or the Baltimore police.
Other than our inner city adventures, we've also made it up to Philly to see Mike. We stayed the weekend with Mike and had a great time. Safely. Mike drives a big truck and, we went to see Amish people, and they do not have ghettos. Our Amish adventure was nice. The country side is beautiful, and rolling hills and miles and miles of farms aren't what I expected right outside of a place like Philly. I loved seeing people riding in horse drawn buggies. I have to say though, I think they must get cold in those in the winter.
Mike also took us into downtown Philly. We were headed in the direction of the Liberty Bell. The traffic was atrocious, so Mike put us out to walk while he parked. We walked right up to the Liberty Bell, and a ceremony with ribbon cutting and, the ringing of the Centennial bell at Independence Hall. We then got to tour Independence Hall. And again, I love history. Especially our nation's history. It's amazing how much such a young country has experienced, how far we've come, and how much there is to still see.
Back in Bel Air, we've found a spectacular family run dairy where we buy our milk and cream fresh in glass bottles. We found a huge and beautiful Susquehanna State Park on a big river with plenty of creeks for our pups to roam in the warmer weather. We also have another park called Gun Powder Falls a few minutes away, with a huge creek. Both offer tons of hills and trails which we cannot wait to take advantage of more as continues to warm up here. There's also "Sean Bolan's." A great little Irish pub with excellent chowder (not so great wings).
We're getting geared up for and Eric Church concert in Reading, Pa tomorrow night being followed with a 30th birthday weekend in NYC, and a inexplicably beautiful Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. the weekend after.
We've got some serious fun going on.
As well as some serious life changes.
Thursday night while we were out to dinner I got a copy of my acceptance letter to Vanderbilt via e-mail. We had a celebratory drink, and then a sobering conversation.
Was I, the woman who cannot even focus on coffee long enough to get it in a cup, going to be able to undertake three years in highly rated and incredibly intense Master's program? Better yet, is this something we want to put ourselves in suffocating debt for?
After considering all the pros and cons; and weighing the fact that the whole reason I went to nursing school was to eventually become a midwife.........we decided.
Of course I was going!! My gosh, if I can stay focused long enough to do this, my already amazing job will become this unbelievable career that most people could only dream of (or they just may not have the stomach for.) As a labor and delivery nurse I have had some amazing experiences with amazing women, some I'm lucky enough to keep in contact with and watch their families grow already; but, there are few things better in than world than being a part of the birth of a baby (one being a parent to one of those babies I'm sure.) I'll get to become an even bigger part of what I love already, I'll get to be there from beginning. I'll be and even more instrumental part of one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced, every single day. (Seriously, I know I'm getting a little granola here but, come on people, it's not called the 'Miracle of Birth' for nothing!)
This decision also spawned more....
One important finding being since we have a home in Gainesville, full of family and friends (more than half of which will have new babies at that point :) to keep Matthew occupied (the adults, not the babies) while I'm studying and stressed out over the next three years; we should move home for school (unless we win the lottery and can afford rent in Nashville and our mortgage.) So we will be packing up here at the end of April, setting off to who knows where for three more months of exploration, and packing it all back up to head home in August to pursue dreams back Home......which also works out great for Matthew and football season too.
So, in a last ditch effort to prove I do have the capacity to follow through on things I am updating my blog! Well, not only to prove a point to my husband but, also to keep all our adoring fans up to date.
So where did we leave off? Oh yes, I had just regaled you with a tantalizing tale of how Baltimore wasn't what my head thought it up to be, I was terrified of being car jacked, and compared to our cozy home we loved our apartment was a shanty.
Since then, we have had some fun, some real good company, and yummy food.
Our first weekend here we met up with Lunch Box in a fabulous little area called Fells Point. And this was the Baltimore I had imagined!! On the harbor! With cobble stone streets! Federal Era Row houses! Shops, bars, restaurants galore!!Yes this is what my little heart desired of the big city. That particular night Box took us to an outstanding place called One Eyed Mikes. It's actually the very first Gran-Marnier Club, and their food was delish. A hop, skip, and a jump down the cobble stones is a bar called "The Horse You Road In On." This little historical gem just happens to be the last place ole Edgar Allen Poe got liquored up before passing away. Box and his friend Meghan then took us to a lively little bar called "The Cat's Eye." The title reminded me of an old Stephen King movie but, this was quite a spot. A jazzy little band playing, and packed to the gills. Turns out this place has live music every day of the year, even Thanksgiving and Christmas. What they also have....the title of #15 top place to have a drink before you die (I'm guessing Edgar just picked the wrong bar.) We had a great time, as we always do with Box.
After that fun filled jaunt, we jumped into our Bel Air life. Tainted air apartment and pain-in-the-rear-good-for-nothing-contract breaking-lying-lying-incompetent- recruiter/travel company drama. This drama is still going on 6 weeks later.
(The jist: my recruiter was an idiot, who had no clue what she was doing and got me jipped out of a few hundred dollars. She got fired, which should be some recompense but, alas the company is still holding out on me and is making me finish my contract before paying us $300 of the around $450 they owe us for travel expenses.)
On a lighter note. We've gotten to B-more a few times to visit. Once to see Box at his work establishment and old haunting ground. A quaint little place called "Souris" a bar/restaurant that's been around since before Baltimore had highways. Family named still. And, has a bullet hole above the bar in the tiles where a gun was once shot off to calm down a rowdy crowd. I love history lessons!!! Another time Box took us to an area called Canton, right around the corner from Fell's. This is where we ate at "Momma's On the Half Shell." This is also where I'd love to go again because the seafood, especially the shell fish was outstanding. Now Florida has some oysters, but so does the Chesapeake Bay area....and, I'll tell ya they know how to grow 'em. Box and I gorged ourselves and made annoying, "Mmm, oh this is so yummy," noises the whole time we ate. My poor non-seafood eating hubs had a sandwich he liked!! He did not like our exclamatory love at every bite however. This Momma's had it all food, fun, and character.
(I will say, the bathrooms in all these B-more row houses turned establishments are difficult to get to. One due to the people, but mostly the location. Down-stairs in the very back. So when in B-more, don't wait til you really have to go, start making your way to the rest room early.)
I could wander in Fell's Point and Canton forever yet, I do know I must explore more of Baltimore, and we will. We just aren't real excited about doing it without Box yet. My one outing on my own to the city was fairly safe......until dark. I took an AWHONN course at Sinai Hospital and took a little trip to the largest mall I've ever seen after. All went well until I was meeting up with hubs back in our loved Fell's for dinner at a little place called "Blue Moon Cafe." (Here they only ever serve breakfast 24/7 and have the most amazing concoction of Captain Crunch French toast! Yes, that's right, it's worth the drive.)
Here's where the trouble began.....
Me: "Siri direct me to Fell's point"
Siri: "I can do that for you" ......up pops Google maps with 3 different ways to get to Fell's from my point in Towson.
Me: "Why would I ever take route 1 or 2? They put me back on the inner loop and 10 more minutes of driving. I'll take option 3 with the most direct path."
Direct Path: "HA HA HA I just led you right through where we film the Wire, REALLY!"
This was way worse than my first night in the city. I passed 8 cop cars (all lite up trying to catch something/somebody), and 3 ambulances. All those row houses that I think are so quaint....not so quaint with a homeless hooker yelling at the ambulance to run people over; and, definitely not adorable broken down with drug deals going on the outside of once was probably a great brick facade. On top of this, I caught EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT! My car is small, and I don't have tinted windows. However, these non-tinted windows allowed me to see the little blue blinking lights on every street lamp. Which, I learned from Box are the video cameras placed in the major crime areas to catch everything going on. So, at least if I was car jacked-beaten-left in the ghetto someone would have caught it on tape.
I am undaunted though. I will venture out again. I'll just make sure my pistol is loaded and not locked in my glove box. I'll also make sure I'm riding with my husband or the Baltimore police.
Other than our inner city adventures, we've also made it up to Philly to see Mike. We stayed the weekend with Mike and had a great time. Safely. Mike drives a big truck and, we went to see Amish people, and they do not have ghettos. Our Amish adventure was nice. The country side is beautiful, and rolling hills and miles and miles of farms aren't what I expected right outside of a place like Philly. I loved seeing people riding in horse drawn buggies. I have to say though, I think they must get cold in those in the winter.
Mike also took us into downtown Philly. We were headed in the direction of the Liberty Bell. The traffic was atrocious, so Mike put us out to walk while he parked. We walked right up to the Liberty Bell, and a ceremony with ribbon cutting and, the ringing of the Centennial bell at Independence Hall. We then got to tour Independence Hall. And again, I love history. Especially our nation's history. It's amazing how much such a young country has experienced, how far we've come, and how much there is to still see.
Back in Bel Air, we've found a spectacular family run dairy where we buy our milk and cream fresh in glass bottles. We found a huge and beautiful Susquehanna State Park on a big river with plenty of creeks for our pups to roam in the warmer weather. We also have another park called Gun Powder Falls a few minutes away, with a huge creek. Both offer tons of hills and trails which we cannot wait to take advantage of more as continues to warm up here. There's also "Sean Bolan's." A great little Irish pub with excellent chowder (not so great wings).
We're getting geared up for and Eric Church concert in Reading, Pa tomorrow night being followed with a 30th birthday weekend in NYC, and a inexplicably beautiful Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. the weekend after.
We've got some serious fun going on.
As well as some serious life changes.
Thursday night while we were out to dinner I got a copy of my acceptance letter to Vanderbilt via e-mail. We had a celebratory drink, and then a sobering conversation.
Was I, the woman who cannot even focus on coffee long enough to get it in a cup, going to be able to undertake three years in highly rated and incredibly intense Master's program? Better yet, is this something we want to put ourselves in suffocating debt for?
After considering all the pros and cons; and weighing the fact that the whole reason I went to nursing school was to eventually become a midwife.........we decided.
Of course I was going!! My gosh, if I can stay focused long enough to do this, my already amazing job will become this unbelievable career that most people could only dream of (or they just may not have the stomach for.) As a labor and delivery nurse I have had some amazing experiences with amazing women, some I'm lucky enough to keep in contact with and watch their families grow already; but, there are few things better in than world than being a part of the birth of a baby (one being a parent to one of those babies I'm sure.) I'll get to become an even bigger part of what I love already, I'll get to be there from beginning. I'll be and even more instrumental part of one of the most beautiful things I've ever experienced, every single day. (Seriously, I know I'm getting a little granola here but, come on people, it's not called the 'Miracle of Birth' for nothing!)
This decision also spawned more....
One important finding being since we have a home in Gainesville, full of family and friends (more than half of which will have new babies at that point :) to keep Matthew occupied (the adults, not the babies) while I'm studying and stressed out over the next three years; we should move home for school (unless we win the lottery and can afford rent in Nashville and our mortgage.) So we will be packing up here at the end of April, setting off to who knows where for three more months of exploration, and packing it all back up to head home in August to pursue dreams back Home......which also works out great for Matthew and football season too.
Naomi,
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post! I love to read about all your adventures but I am more excited to hear you are coming home. Our first new mommy class is scheduled to start April 19th. Have a great adventure and keep writing :)