Archive for July, 2007

Crime News Elsewhere

Published by Carol on July 31, 2007 in Seriously, Now.... 2 Comments

Good grief — in some places, even Vacation Bible School is a dangerous place to be:

Four Assaulted at Vacation Bible School
A man allegedly unlawfully entered through an open back door of the Graham Road Methodist Church at 2929 Graham Road and assaulted four people inside. Just after 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 17, an employee of the church encountered the suspect just inside the door. The suspect immediately pushed the woman to the ground and punched her repeatedly, then ran to the basement of the church. He assaulted the bible school teacher and was eventually subdued by two men at the church. They were able to restrain the suspect until police arrived and took him into custody. Three victims and the suspect were transported to INOVA Fairfax Hospital with non life-threatening injuries. No weapon was seen or implied.

The suspect, Steven Rock, 54, of 2802 Summerfield Road in Falls Church, was charged with four counts of assault and battery, one count of unlawful entry and one count of disorderly conduct.

If I remember correctly, the Graham Road area wasn’t very nice, but I haven’t been there in many years — apparently it hasn’t changed much?

I stumbled upon that tidbit looking up information on someone I knew years ago — when I was…maybe 10 or 11. Sad to say, she didn’t fare well over the years, and she was found dead in an apartment building from an apparent drug overdose. That was back in 2003 and I couldn’t find any follow-up info. What a horrible way to die, poor thing. Oddly enough, this information came on one of those “woe is me” kind of days, so it definitely makes me stop and realise how lucky I am. Onward and upward.

No tag for this post.

Housing Boom? Where?

Published by Carol on July 30, 2007 in Baltimore. 14 Comments

Apparently investors in my neighborhood and others around the city are defaulting on their home loans in record numbers, according to the Sun. To be honest, I’m glad…in a way. Not glad that people aren’t paying their bills — but glad that people are finally waking up to the fact that you can’t rip people off and expect to get away with it forever.

I love my neighborhood. It’s fantastic. Close to downtown and Federal Hill, full of wonderful people who I’ve grown close to over the years we’ve lived here, and I really enjoy living here 99% of the time. On the flip side, it’s most definitely not the kind of neighborhood I’d expect to pay $250,000 for a house — no matter how much tacky black granite you slap on the counters. And that’s one of the reasons why I don’t own a home here — they’re way overpriced, most of them renovated by faux-contractors and hucksters. Slapping a magnetic sign on the side of your Ford F-250 doesn’t make you a contractor, Bubba. Hightail it back to the hills and let a professional do it. Honest to God this is no lie — I know of one guy who hired crackheads off the street to install plumbing in his “investment properties”. He’d pay them 10 or 20 bucks and let them go at it.

Some of the things I’ve seen in houses in my neighborhood:

  • Crown molding hung upside-down
  • Exposed wiring hanging from the ceiling
  • Joists cut in half
  • Floors that sloped so badly you couldn’t have furniture with wheels — everything would roll to one side of the house!
  • Rooms with no electrical outlets
  • Carpet that wasn’t tacked to the floor
  • This one takes the cake: Hardwood flooring that was installed wrong side up. I am not making this up.

Obviously, some of these things aren’t so bad — you could fix them easily. But when you’re paying $250,000+ to live in Pigtown, why on earth should you have to fix things in a “brand new” renovated house? Especially basic things that shouldn’t require fixing. If you don’t know how to install crown molding, perhaps construction shouldn’t be your career choice, Einstein.

Don’t get me wrong — there are some excellent developers working in my neighborhood and around the city. But it just seems like everyone jumped on the real estate bandwagon and now that wagon is out of control and headed straight to hell. I hate to say “I told you so” — but damn. Spend ten minutes with any decent urban planner and you’ll understand why having so many homes on the market is a recipe for disaster in a developing neighborhood like mine. Or like Reservoir Hill…or even the crown jewel of rehabbing — Canton. This isn’t the Field of Dreams, folks. You can build all you want, but they might not come to buy. Or even rent.

Hopefully housing prices will take a deep plunge and they’ll be snapped up by people who actually want to live in them and commit to their respective communities. That’s the number-one key to building healthy neighborhoods, and I’m hoping to be one of those people some day. But for now — I’m content to sit back and watch the show.

And in other news….the Walmart and Sam’s Club in Port Covington will be closed. No surprises there — the developer never finished the shopping center project and it doesn’t look like they’re going to. Just another out of state investor screwing over city residents…and the city allows it to happen. Why do we pay taxes again? Remind me?

No tag for this post.

Pizza Pie In My Eye

Published by Carol on July 29, 2007 in Baltimore. 2 Comments

Some background: Baltimore, in my humble esteem, is a City That Sucks when it comes to pizza. Yes, yes — we all know about Iggie’s…and to be fair, I love their pizza. But they don’t deliver — at least not to my neighborhood — and really, when I want pizza, I usually want it when I’m at home. It’s like pasta — you don’t order it in restaurants. So when a new place near Hollins Market opened up, I was excited.

Zella’s is close enough to my house that I could walk…and delivery is definitely available to my neighborhood. Score on both counts! I ordered the spinach and artichoke pizza the first two times (minus the mushrooms, please) and it was delivered quickly and by a very pleasant delivery person. Reasonably priced - I think it was $16 or $17. I’d rather eat my food than dissect it, if you know what I mean, so I won’t go into details about the crust and toppings except to say that both were wonderful and generously applied, in that order. Tonight I made up my own pizza, thanks to Baby M, who decided that he does not like artichokes anymore. I also ordered a Greek salad, which was really good. Fresh, and had lots of feta and black olives. The dressing was good, too. My only complaint about the salad was — where were the pepperoncini??? Luckily, I have a jar in the fridge. A very small complaint, as I imagine most people don’t even eat them…but they were missed.

Seriously, if you’re in the neighborhood, stop by Zella’s. I’ve never been there, but from what I hear from other neighbors, it’s nice inside. The food I’ve had has been excellent, and the delivery/ordering has been flawless. I really hope they stick around for a long time — we need dinner places in the neighborhood!

No tag for this post.

Fun With Google Analytics

Published by Carol on July 28, 2007 in Baltimore and General Madness. 2 Comments

Some of the keywords people search for really scare me. Like the person who ended up in my site by searching for “hot 10 year olds”. Dude. You know that person who searches the online sex offender registry twice a month and warns the neighbors about the new pervert in the ‘hood? Yeah — that’s me. So trust me, you won’t find that kind of stuff here. And you don’t want me finding you.

Other keywords make me laugh — apparently I’m not the only one who searches online for “pig-shaped candies”. Unfortunately, I’ve never found any that were available for purchase in bulk. So…if you other searchers have any luck, would you let me know?

And then there are the usual “Pigtown Drugs Prostitutes”, “Baltimore High Crime” and my personal favorite - “bad things Baltimore”. Yeah, we have a lot of those things here — but we have good stuff, too. Don’t make the trip unless you’re able to handle both. Please.

I had to feel sorry for the guy who searched using the question “Do sun chips have fiber?” Why yes they do. Lots more than potato chips or pretzels, and they can be a little…much…if you eat too many. You’ve been warned.

For the person who wanted to know who’s running for city council in the 9th district — I have no idea. I don’t live there. I live in the 11th district, and I’m voting for Bill Cole.

I was a little nervous for the person who searched “I am a woman at gunpoint”. Honey if someone’s holding you at gunpoint, calling 911 might bring help faster than doing a Google search. Unless you live in Baltimore City, and then it’s a crapshoot. I might find you faster than the police — who knows? Hope everything turned out okay.

No tag for this post.

Too Bad We Can’t Erase The Mayor That Fast…

Published by Carol on July 27, 2007 in Baltimore. 0 Comments

This morning on my way to work, I noticed that someone had tagged both walls along Otterbein off Washington Boulevard with some badly-done graffiti. Something about “orphans” but I couldn’t make out the rest, since it was so bad. I asked a few of my customers if they had any cans of spraypaint at home, preferably bright pink/orange/yellow/green — you know, happy springtime colors. I was going to paint flowers and smiley faces over it — since apparently tagging over someone else’s tag is the ultimate ‘dis’. I was originally going to paint “You suck” over both, but then someone suggested the smiley face and I rolled with it…until the city’s graffiti removal team showed up.

Damn.

Two people in a van, and that graffiti was history in ten minutes or less.

Show’s over folks, move along. No smiley faces or flowers here.

Oh well — with my luck, I would have gotten caught with a can of Krylon in my hand, and ended up in the Sun. So I guess it’s for the best. I’ll save this plan for next time. But I have to say — I was pretty damn impressed with the graffiti removal people. They showed up in less than a half hour after I got to work (and no, I’m definitely not the one who called — remember, they ruined my big plan!) and they were done and gone in fifteen minutes.

I called 911 about a man laying motionless on the sidewalk the other day, and an hour later, he was still there. I guess if I had spraypainted him, the city might have responded a little faster?

And in other news…

Nike has suspended their contract with Michael Vick, and he’s been dropped by AirTran Airways. I guess cruelty to animals doesn’t pay. Jerk.

No tag for this post.

Ugh.

Published by Carol on July 26, 2007 in Baltimore and General Madness. 4 Comments

Does anyone have an allergy medicine they’d recommend? Mine are out of control this year and I took…something yesterday — I forget what, and it made me so loopy I could barely function. I had so many customers, so much to do, and I ended up on the floor alternating between laughter and yelling “Where did all these people come from?” Yeah, not such a great day.

On the other hand, I ended up going to bed at 7:30 and felt pretty good today. On yet another hand…I feel pretty miserable now. Sneezy, stuffy, and itchy. And I’m now on my way to the pool. Aaack. I never had allergies until I moved to Baltimore. I have no idea what I’m allergic to, probably just the air.

So…suggestions? Recommendations?

No tag for this post.

Eep.

Published by Carol on July 24, 2007 in General Madness. 11 Comments

I’m watching Sandra Lee. You know, the frowsy “chef” on the Food Network? The one who opens bags, boxes, and cans of crap and calls it “cooking”? That Sandra Lee. Anyway, she just took a tray of teriyaki drumettes…wingettes…something, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they weren’t really rats. She’s now making dip to serve with the rats…rat-ettes.

So a few loose ends I should tie up, since I haven’t posted about these topics in a while.

1. Mr. Unsuitable and Inappropriate has been cut loose for the time being. We’ll see if I renew interest in him, but for now — meh. He’s nice to look at, and that’s about it.

2. Business at the cafe is picking up a bit — I guess Summer really is winding down.

3. I found my Moosewood cookbook, but the Swiffer dry duster and the USB cable for my camera are still AWOL. I don’t hold out much hope, frankly, for either item.

4. Even though it disgusts me at times, I am staying firmly put in Pigtown. I love my neighborhood, despite its…ahem…issues. And just so we’re clear - Washington Village DOES NOT EXIST.

Okay, I have to interrupt my list for a moment. Sandra Lee, in her drunken stupor, just said “If you have some wet towelettes in your living room…” Who in the hell keeps wet towelettes in the living room? If you do, please don’t tell me about it. I don’t want to know why you have wet towelettes in your living room. This isn’t that kind of blog, despite my occasional use of the ‘f’ word. Back to the list.

5. M (that would be “FH” for some of my readers) has stopped trying to get back into my good graces. Yes, there was last week’s phone call…but then he was a no-show on Friday. Glad I wasn’t counting on him for anything. Pfft. He must not be calling The Trash, either, because I’ve had a series of hangup calls from restricted numbers. Get a life.

6. I still love my new hairdresser, and my new-ish blonde highlights make me squeal with glee.

I think that’s it for now. Sandy’s making white trash cocktails using peach schnapps and ice cream.

No tag for this post.

Ahhhh….

Published by Carol on July 21, 2007 in General Madness. 0 Comments

I’ve discovered that an evening at the pool with good friends, Coronas, and Chinese food really does make it all better. It’s the secret to happiness that you won’t read in any book. Got it? POOL, CORONAS, and CHINESE FOOD. These three things in tandem make life worth living.

That’s all.

Carry on.

No tag for this post.

We’re Number One!

Published by Carol on July 16, 2007 in Baltimore. 9 Comments

Surely 180 murders in a six and a half month period should have shoved Baltimore into the number-one slot for murderous cities in the US? At least we’re number one in something…

I’m thinking martial law might be a nice idea right about now.

And to the realtors who keep yapping about “gentrification” and “revitalization”…and “oh of course things are getting so much better”… — Please. Shut. The. Fuck. Up. If one of your clients buys a house and is subsequently added to the homicide list, well, let’s just say I’d hate to be you. And I’m tired of your angry customers charging into my cafe asking me when the change is going to come. The change you promised them in order to sell that $250,000 rehab. Knock it off. I’m not on your payroll, so I don’t have to sing the same tune. I can afford to be realistic, as it’s in my best interest to do so.

Yes, Baltimore will get better. Yes, things will most definitely change. But a whole lot of work needs to be done in order for that to happen, and I don’t expect to see much out of our current mayor and administration. Sheila Dixon is in way over her head — she’s never been particularly effective in any public office, but as mayor, her incompetence is glaring. Change is needed, and it will happen. I think in ten years this will be a completely different city — in a good way. In five years, you’ll see the changes start to take hold, and in another five, this will truly be a world-class city. Then you can get in on it.

Hopefully by then we’ll be Number One in something positive.

No tag for this post.

Hmm.

Published by Carol on July 14, 2007 in Farkity Fark Fark. 10 Comments

I’m thinking of changing the cafe around a little. The restaurant I have isn’t quite the restaurant I intended to open, and I have to admit — I’ve not been that happy over the past two months or so. Sure, working 6-7 days a week every week hasn’t helped — but the dissatisfaction runs a little deeper than that. I was really looking to open a more traditional coffeehouse and not a sandwich shop that also serves really good coffee.

The furnishings don’t really suit me, either.

So…am I nuts for doing this? What I’d like to do is focus on the coffee and pastries, and maybe offer a rotating menu of sandwiches, or maybe even do away with the sandwiches altogether. I’d also like to get rid of most of the tables and chairs and have couches and armchairs with coffee tables/side tables.

Maybe I could do a seasonal food item — like the fresh mozz in the summer, a fall offering, winter, etc…? I really need to make some changes…and soon.

No tag for this post.

Bad Behavior has blocked 241 access attempts in the last 7 days.