Baltimore, ‘nough said!

There was definitely some promise for the Baltimore weekend that lay ahead with some family and friends being in the area. We got started a little late from Charlotte. I don’t think anyone is surprised about that though at this point in the trip. We had to pick up a few people, which actually turned into just one. So we picked up our friend Mary in Richmond and ventured through Washington, DC during rush hour. We made Aaron drive, so Mary would get the full driving experience. You see, he gets a little frustrated, especially in traffic. We had a few good laughs, but it really wasn’t that bad. We rolled into Baltimore and stayed with some family. Another friend of mine came up and we all played a few sets of Rock Band before heading to Federal Hill to meet up with Nolan’s friends. It was a good set with Heidi on the drums, Aaron on the guitar, and me singing my face off. The bars were somewhat quiet for a Friday night, but that didn’t stop us from having fun and enjoying our different levels of bubbles. I was surprised, though, at the end of the night when they called last call, that I couldn’t order a beer, just a shot. Who said shots??

It was such an eventful weekend. We went to the inner harbor on Saturday and enjoyed the great weather and good company. It didn’t take long to find a restaurant and enjoy some famous Maryland crab cakes. That’s what Maryland does!! All the sports bars were pretty crowded because of the college games, so we just went back to the house and watched them there. We also had to get ready for a house party.

I always wanted to partake in a Rock Band house party and that is basically what this party turned into. Almost everyone got into it and had a great time showcasing their talents. The water pong was alive and well and there were some incredible shots, including one where the ball was balancing on the corner of four cups. I have never seen that before, but it was pretty unbelievable. The turning point of the evening was when we started the flip cup tournaments. Some were good, some have never played before, but we all enjoyed the camaraderie and challenge. Nolan and a few of his friends peaced out a little while after that to head to Federal Hill, where his friends lived, and I decided it would be a good idea to walk to the bars. I realized my mistake a few hundred yards down the road and we went back to the house to call it a night.

The next morning was a little rough. I had the help of three lovely ladies and that was it. Almost everything was going wrong for me. I slept in past my alarm. The RV coach batteries were dead, so I had to plug it into the house. Then the RV was low on gas, so the generator went out. We also needed ice, so I had to run to 7/11 for a pickup. I plugged the RV back into the electrical outlet to start the generator again because I needed to put the jacks up so we could leave. Well I put the jacks up and unplugged the RV, but didn’t realize the steps were out over the curb. When I put the jacks up, the steps got got on the curb and I didn’t notice until I jumped back into the RV to leave. It was one of those mornings, so I had to plug the RV back in and put the jacks back down and get the steps unstuck. Quite entertaining I suppose for everyone else, but I was furious on the inside, especially since I didn’t have any help from the other two on the trip. One was not even there and the other was using his birthday wish of not doing anything. Finally, I got everything done and we were off to the gas station. I used the time to pump the gas to cool down and it was very beneficial for a little bit.

We got to the RV lot with the help of my friends and the guy wasn’t going to let us in. So, Heidi quickly told the guy what we were doing and he caved without any questions. I suppose 31stadiums.com can go along way. Thanks Heidi. We set up the tailgate and I started preparing the dip, the shrimp, the pineapples, and the hotdogs. The bloodies were delicious and Nolan and his friends finally showed up and started to enjoy the festivities.

Aaron and I went to the game with Holly and Nick and had a great time routing for the Ravens. It was a defensive game and the Ravens were proving tough against the undefeated Indianapolis Colts. I thought the Ravens could pull it off, but in the end, it was a former Raven, Stover, who successfully connected for the game-winning field goal to help the Colts stay undefeated.

It was a great weekend, with good company and fun activities. We enjoyed hosting a few friends and staying with family. Can’t wait to come through this area in a few more weeks.