January 13, 2006
Update: Water Crisis 2006
I have water! Yay!
Posted by eBill at 05:24 PM | TrackBack
January 12, 2006
Miracle on Myth Street
I was on the verge of posting a long rant about Baltimore's inability to effectively conduct public works of any sort. I arrived home from work to discover I had no running water. After a brief investigation, I and several neighbors discovered a broken water main on our block. We all called 311 and we all spoke with irritated representatives that told us, "Yeah, we know about it already."
The last time I dealt with a broken water pipe that belonged to the city, I had to take two days off work in order to bail water out of basement. Between bailing sessions, I called 311 to plead with them to send someone to take care of the problem. On the third day someone finally came to fix the problem.
I waited for a couple hours this evening for city workers to arrive and finally decided I was probably in for an entire weekend without water. I has just settled down for a long, angry rant when out on the street there arose such a clatter. I sprang from the computer chair to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. [Blah, blah, blah] When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a Public Works sleigh, and eight men in work gear.
It was a Christmas miracle ... a few weeks late but a miracle nonetheless.
It remains to be seen if I have water in the morning though. But, hey, credit where credit is due.
Posted by eBill at 07:36 PM | TrackBack
January 08, 2006
Highlandtown Logic
I went to the USPS satellite office on the corner of Highland and Bank on Saturday to mail my last $0.37 letters and pick up a book of the new $0.39 stamps. I completed my transactions without event. A Hon was standing in line behind me so I moved to the side of the window to deal with arranging my change in my wallet, stowing my stamps, etc. The following is the conversation in was privy to between the Postal Clerk and said Hon:
INT. USPS SATTELITE OFFICE - DAY
An older Highlandtown Hon walks up to the Postal Clerk's window which has a large sign taped to the inside stating that there no one- or two-cent stamps available.
HON: I need a book of the new stamps.
PC: That'll be $7.80.
HON: So, you don't have any two-cent stamps?
PC: No, but we have three-cent stamps.
HON: Are all of the postal offices out of two-cent stamps?
PC: I don't know but if you would like some three-cent ...
HON: I've got six thirty-seven-cent stamps in need to use up.
PC: We have three-cent stamps.
HON: That doesn't do me any good.
Posted by eBill at 02:55 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
December 22, 2005
First, A Pleasant Post
We went to Gecko's again last night. Gecko's is rapidly moving it's way up our list of favorite places. They have awesome margaritas and excellent food. Oh, and this guy has got to be THE nicest bartender in Baltimore Maryland the United States the world the entire galaxy. If you get a chance, stop by and sample their fare. Excercise caution though, I am convinced they put crack in the margaritas. Oh, and the Chesapeake Chili is freakin' awesome! Sweet, spicy, and seafoody!
Posted by eBill at 12:11 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 02, 2005
Whaddya Expect? It's Highlandtown ... Hon.
I awoke last night thinking I heard a noise. I was trying to make sense of the display on my alarm clock which seemed to be trying to convey the ridiculous message that is was three O'clock in the morning when I heard the noise again. It was my doorbell. At three O'clock in the morning! As I fumbled around looking for an article of clothing with which to cover myself, I attempted to mentally produce a list of potential late-night visitors. All things considered, this should have been an easy task. However, in my severely groggy state, I was operating at a mental capacity just slighly above that of a republican and therefore lucky that I figured out how to don a pair of boxer shorts.
I plodded down the stairs to the kitchen, staggered to the door, and looked through the glass to find nothing but empty sidewalk. "Shit," I thought, "they must have given up and gone home. I hope it wasn't an emergency of some sort."
*Ding dong*
"What the fuck?!?! Oh, yeah ... there's another door."
I stumble toward the front door and sure enough there is a silhouette backlit by the corner street light peering through the door glass. As I approach the door, I realize there is a second silhouette. By this time, the mind fog was beginning to burn off and it occurred to me that, in general, only two types of silhouettes appear outside ones door at three in the morning: those of criminals and those of cops. While not a hard and fast rule, the latter tend to use the doorbell more often than the former so I thought the cops were outside my door. Ah, but this is Baltimore and it seems there is at least one other group of folks that might show up outside one's door at three in the morning: Teenage girls.
Standing ouside my door peering through the glass were two girls of about fourteen, give or take a year. More likely take a year. "Why would two teenage girls be peering through my window at three in the morning," I thought, "Peering through my window...Holy shit! I'm not wearing anything but boxers and there are two very underage girls looking at me through the window. Not good!" I quickly moved close enough to the door to block their view below my torso and loud enough to be heard through the door glass said, "What?!"
"Is Paul here," one inquired.
"No."
"Does Paul live here?"
"No."
"Does Paul live over there," she inquired further while pointing at the row house directly accross the street from me.
"Don't know."
And that was it. As if it were three in the afternoon, these two dumbass, teenage girls rang my doorbell repeatedly at three in the morning looking for some dickhead friend of theirs named Paul. What did they do next? They walked right over to the house they pointed at earlier and began ringing the doorbell.
Posted by eBill at 09:37 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack