Baltimore, MD

I'm in Baltimore this week, at an elderly property that was built when Fell's Point was a rough area, and is now full of cafes and condos and yuppies! Which is great in that affordable housing can be in cool neighborhoods, but could be a downer in the way that Cabrini Green is to Old Town... sure, mixed income is great in theory, but do you really think families on welfare are going to start shopping at Whole Foods?

Alas. This place is full of elderly residents who curse like sailors and all seem to have tiny dogs, and is run by a Polish Byzantine priest and another woman who assures me I will be fluent by the time I leave. Both were thrilled to hear that I am part Polish, but less than thrilled to hear that I was raised Lutheran. I found myself defending the ELCA and the rights of homosexuals over lunch, within several hours of meeting these folks... sigh. It's a good thing I am not quick to offend, because a lot of people seem quick to point fingers.

All of the rental cars were sold out or over $400 by the time this trip was booked (*cough* three days ago), and I have been advised not to take my beloved long walks through B-more, so I am left to the whims of Yellow Taxi... thank goodness Manny, my Nigerian cab driver slash entreprenuer gave me his personal cell phone number for all of my taxi needs! Urg.

And in addition to all of the confusion getting here, my trip is being extended a day... we thought I was going to look at a sample of 15 files, and the manager thought I was looking at all 110. Looks like I will fall somewhere in between, and then Manny will have to rush me off to the airport before the priest knows what hit him...