Baltimore

Finally the Baltimore pics are up.

Eventually I'll have a blog of more substance but for now - pictures.

So I took Harold to the water ....

I know I had promised photos of Baltimore and I will eventually. However, last weekend Jon and I went to Geneva Ohio for the Great Lakes Medieval Faire (review eventually) and -- of course -- Mine (and Harold's) first view of Lake Erie.

Definitely awe inspiring.

I loved the combination of resort town feel with down home country charm.

I think we'll be back.

Meanwhile --- photos:

G'mornin Harold

I have to laugh at that - having your muse wake you just to say good morning.

Then again there are worse things.

I find myself for the first time in literally ages longing for my camera. I literally itch for it. The photos I wish to take, the areas I long to photograph and chronicle, places new to discover and places to rediscover.

It's been a long time since I've felt that.

Perhaps it's the age old excitement over turning another year older. Perhaps it's just the blissful idea of no concrete plans, no demands, for the next 3 days.

Perhaps -- just perhaps -- the idea of a few pints in Fells Point wooed my picky muse.

Either way, there will be pictures this weekend :)

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The photo above was taken of The Inner Harbor in Baltimore from the walk by Rusty Scupper winter 2007. Oh yes, there will be Rusty Scupper in my future this weekend as well ;)

Harold insisted :)

Since this year July 4th falls on a Friday and July 5th falls on a Saturday, Jon and I decided to spend that weekend in Baltimore. Yes I know it's a little bit silly (just a little) when we're so close but I remember the unending marathon of 2006 when it was so very hard to get OUT of Baltimore after fireworks. With a hotel room, this won't happen. We're also staying in a lovely lil area 1/2 between Fells Point and The Inner Harbor -- Little Italy.

Yes pictures will be taken. These are the photos from July 4 2006.

Besides, I've been to The Capitol for July 4th celebrations and frankly I think Baltimore is more user friendly and has much nicer fireworks displays. When faced with the lovely idea of a 3 day weekend and where to celebrate Independence Day AND my birthday it really was a no brainer.

Of course Harold insisted I let it be known -- in case anybody happens to wander up Baltimore way and wants to say hi.

We may do a tour, we might do another visit to Poe House (which I've not photographed before), we may just wander around Fells Point and Little Italy -- the plans are deliberately loose. We don't have to get a spot and be locked in (ala The Capitol last I was there) and hey if it rains (which less than friendly people have taunted me with) then by damned it rains.

It's not like we'll melt or anything .....

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The photo above is from July 4, 2006, (Inner Harbor Baltimore) where I found that allllll day plus hours getting out afterwards rather takes the joy out of the excursion ;)

Harold's Blog

wait? Harold's blog?

As a matter of fact .....

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In all honesty, this blog (with it's rather oddish title) was at Harold's back during the hightime glory days of Y!360. Sometimes things just wanted to be put on paper -- ok well in cyberspace anyway -- that wasn't of a social blogging nature.

This was it.

Later it was where I started working through the multiple illnesses with Mom and Jon's diagnosis. Here is where I said the things that could -- and probably would -- get me blasted on the more social platforms.

In a desperate attempt to re-woo my picky muse, I'm converting this back to "Harold's blog". It won't have angst (maybe snark though - he is a snarky lil bugger), it might have poetry (or prose) and more than likely more photos. Those are still Harold's favorite mode of expression.

On That Note: have you ever just watched the hands of a gifted magician? No no no -- NOT to catch how he or she does the 'trick'. I'm talking about the grace of movement of sleight of hand. It's rather a ballet in and of itself.

Haven't noticed? Take a look sometime. Remember, magic is where you find it -- you have only to take a moment to notice.

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The photo above is from Virginia Renaissance Faire 2006. Sometimes it's the little things you find in the out of the way places that bring the most joy. For such a small faire it's truly one of our favourites.

A series of partially related thoughts:

subtitled One Too Many Blogs

I took that picture last year of Mom's roses. She insisted we simply MUST have tea roses in front of the house. I'm not exactly a rose person. However I caved and we planted them. When she fell ill in January and into February, I made mention that I hoped she'd be able to see them bloom this year. She didn't make it that long. I'm still sorting out the mess she had made with her name (and the multiple name changes), with some property she sold on contract, and the lack of a will. She is still currently residing on her dresser in her old room because no action feels quite right: everything I consider doing with her ashes seems wrong. I guess when in doubt do nothing eh? Sometimes that is the best solution. Other times .....

We recently had to do a medication change for Jon. He and the Mirapex had MAJOR issues. Ignoring it did not make it go away either. I blogged about it on Life's Little Ironies - I won't go into it here except to say thank goodness that part is partially fixed. Now to wait on a fix for Parkinsons.

Speaking of Life's Little Ironies - Wordpress currently apprears to be my main blog. I had it hidden for a while but then decided why not eh? I still cannot quite get back on the social networking merry-go-round. I try and try and it just seems like too much work. Actually quite a bit of life seems like too much.

Which leads me to this: unless I feel markedly better in the next few weeks, I think I will visit my physician regarding anti-depressants. Actually I've had clinical depression before. This doesn't feel like it. This feels more like the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) I had back in 1991 only I don't freak when it rains. It just feels like everyone is moving 100 mph and I'm moving about 35 and I wake up in the middle of the night with my mind racing over all the things that simply must be done. However I can't link this feeling to one event. Then again there's been quite a lot of chaos in my life in the last 6 months from Mom's stroke, illness, cancer diagnosis and death to Jon's Parkinson's diagnosis, to issues with his mother's estate ... it definitely hasn't been quiet and calm.

Which leads me back full circle to Mother's roses. We lost one of them. Sort of symbolic yes? I will replant with a red one - she would've liked that.

Staking my claim

I am hereby reclaiming my life.

I cannot choose how others act but I can choose how I re-act to their actions.

I cannot always choose the circumstances, but I can choose to adapt to them.

I have the power over how I feel.

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I've been slacking off recently, not going to the gym and not watching what I eat, all in the guise of "well I've been depressed." Guess what? That's Bullshit. Yes some things have happened recently. Some of them have been posted here. Some have been posted elsewhere. Some just conveyed quietly to friends. Still other things I have been quietly attempting to deal with on my own.

So yes it sucks - majorly - many of the things that have happened in the last few years. However, I have my health, I have my job, and dammit I have my choices.

Henceforth, I will be responsible for myself and my choices.

I choose:

• To watch what I eat, when I eat and more importantly what I eat
• To excercise with some semblence of regularity because it makes ME feel good
• To attempt to learn a new task or skill each day
• To live without the actions of other affecting my behaviour
• To live without fear or regret
• To understand that Jon's disease is just that - his disease and his responsibility
• To focus on the positive
• To understand each new day is just that - a new day; a new beginning.

So that's that. Sometimes it just has to be said. Sometimes it has to be read.

Sometimes it just has to be.

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I took the photo above last year in Washington. The city squirrels are afraid of nothing. That chutzpah is something I rather admire. Perhaps I should take a page from their book eh?