Not quite falling into fall

I was planning to go leaf spotting in New England this coming week, but, while I could get reasonable air/train fare, I couldn’t find cheap enough accommodations in New Haven. Add in that the only two museums that I’d be interested are closed – the Peabody Museum of Natural History is closed for renovations and the Shoreline Trolley Museum is hosting a special ticketed event for Halloween. Sure, I can walk through the Shops at Yale, but I’m not a parent/student/alumnus, so it’s kinda pointless.

I want to do something different with this blog, but the more I researched the trip, the less interested I found myself in it. Sure, a day trip to Springfield, Ma sounds like fun, but would it be worth it – especially since I never cared for basketball.  Plus, I still need to get back, but the only flight back to BWI is at 8:30 on Monday morning – and I don’t want to waste a full day back in Baltimore… so I’d take the 4.5hr trip back on Amtrak (better leg room, more flexibility).

However, 4.5hrs is a long time for my ADHD addled self to be seated, so I’d probably get off for lunch in Stamford. I’m sure there’s SOMETHING to do there for the rest of the day and then catch a 3hr train back to Baltimore the next day. Even with more reasonable accommodations, this itinerary makes no sense.

I may have talked myself out of this trip, but I prefer to think of it as saving up for my next one…

The best kind of busy

So, yesterday, I received word from the leasing office in Baltimore. I had been “approved” for a unit in one of the buildings I toured with a move-in date of June 26^th.

I would have preferred a place further uptown… but I can still “waitlist” for them if this doesn’t work out. Besides, this building is close to a grocery store and directly across the street from a convenience store. Plus, it’s walking distance to both Light Rail and Metro subway and it’s directly on the Purple Line connecting Charles Village (JHU) to Federal Hill.

Anyway, I spent most of today doing mundane things like forwarding my mail and getting utilities hooked up in my name. Unfortunately, most of my afternoon was spent on a nearly hourlong call with an overly talkative Xfinity rep to set up internet/TV service (I was promised it would be a max of 15 minutes). Truthfully, I only wanted internet service, but she insisted it was a “package deal.” I’m not even sure if I want the “free Peacock streaming” that comes with it.

Then I suddenly remembered that I still needed to pay my last month’s rent, Unfortunately, I forgot that the leasing office closed earlier due to the holiday, so I got there probably just as they were preparing to leave. This explains why the agent (Jason), while not unfriendly, made it clear he was kinda going through the motions of helping me while repeating that he couldn’t do anything until Tuesday (as the office is closed for Memorial Day).

This was a shame since he had just given me a shocking closing rent. To be fair, they’ll probably charge me for the flooded toilet their maintenance guy threw a profane fit – which I can literally still hear every time I use the bathroom – about having to fix. But the excuse he gave me was “lack of notice.” The incident I just mentioned happened in SEPTEMBER, and they were aware of my apartment search well before that – that incident just solidified it. But, yeah, they had “no idea” (in fact when Jason’s colleague Christian called me to “confirm” the move out, his exact words were: “yes, I already know that. I just need ‘confirmation’ in the office”). I get the sinking feeling I could lose this on a technicality.

I don’t have to worry about that until Tuesday. I just need to force myself to clean up some of the papers and such on the floor, sort through my clothes for donation/trash, and decide which furniture I’m moving north. That’s more than enough to keep me busy for the weekend, finishing this post is just a bonus.

Photo: I got the shot

First shot today. Second shot on June 2nd.

Goodbye, January

It’s been a while since I posted here. I’ve been sick the past several days. I don’t think it’s COVID, but it’s definitely not “fun” either, and it would definitely impede any idea I had of traveling in the coming week.

Conveniently enough, I had a long-planned trip to Baltimore to look at houses that I had my eye on since December (four out of 25 have either sold or are contingent). In fact, I’m scheduled to fly into BWI tomorrow afternoon… or I would be if the Northeast wasn’t being slammed by a massive snow/ice storm through Tuesday morning.

(Baltimore is in the purple area under the “g”)

You see the plan was to go to Baltimore from Monday to Thursday, take a MARC train to DC and catch a train from there to Winter Haven, Florida (for the opening of LEGOLAND Florida’s new pirate show) and be back with everything posted by next Sunday. Sure, maybe, I’ll be better in time for the show, but I’m not taking any chances on this as getting COVID on top of this will only make things worse!

Besides, the parks will still be there next month…

October programming notes

Today is the first day of October, so I decided to let you know that I will be visiting and probably commenting on the fall/Halloween festivities at both Disney and Universal. Disney is already booked, but I have not reserved a day at either Universal park (I assume they require “reservations” to enter, they tend to copy what the other parks do), but it will probably be next week some time to give myself time to plan… and to space out my posts a bit.

I have no plans for Thanksgiving (since my parents died last year, that option’s out), but I have no problem visiting either a theme park or even spending a weekend downtown for a change. Black Friday at Sanford Zoo? Why no… oh yeah, because SunRail doesn’t run on holidays making it slightly harder to get there for early Friday morning (as the zoo closes super early for “cleaning and sanitation reasons”). I can take the train back without any problems.

I wanted to do a few different things this year. I couldn’t do that for several months, but I’m hoping to make up for it as the year closes. Will you join me?

Photo: Awesome news

PSA: New content coming

So, as I said before on this blog, my lease is expiring sometime in June. This weekend, I plan on doing something about it. I’ll be touring apartments in both Baltimore and my former (future?) home state of Pennsylvania. I’ll still post photos/travelogues of various events and destinations, they just won’t be exclusively Disney.

Case in point, look for content about my trip on this blog as well as a few non-apartment hunting related destinations in the coming days.

PSA: Remember to “like” my Facebook page as well

Remember to like my page on Facebook. Contrary to what this page implies, I’m actually quite friendly plus I have a slightly better response rate than I do here.

Afternoon updates

Normally, I “live blog” my way through these storms, but I haven’t decided if I am or not this time around. Yes, it keeps me focused on things outside my crudely furnished apartment. I know it hasn’t even made non-landfall yet, but I’m already sick of hearing about it. #burnout

I hate to “break tradition,” but they are as much fun to read as they are to write. Maybe, I’ll change my mind tomorrow… after the scheduled meme post drops.

 

Photo: Fantastic Facebook news