Well this is a city that I have had the pleasure to return to and visit a very old friend, Hashie and her family. I was very lucky enough to have met Naomi last time I was in town, a little under a year ago. She heard I was on my way back into town and picked me up from the bus stop which was super awesome cause it was raining and cold as shit outside! Riding over the high-rise highways allowed me to see how beautiful this city really is within its harbours and architecture and landscapes. Chatting to Naomi, listening to Trance music and gazing out the window was one of those moments where everything just felt amazing and amplified by 1000%. Headed into Cockeysville in Baltimore County was exceptionally beautiful as I hadn’t seen it so bare as in no leaves on the trees and no real colour. It was like we drove into the middle of a country town that was just coming out of an Ice Age. Ironically, that was exactly that. Like most other places throughout the USA, Baltimore was one place that really took a hard beating to the winter weather this year. The trees were pale and the grass was completely dead but every now and then I saw some beautiful pine trees that glistened and really stood out with green needles and small brown pine cones.
Naomi was a champ and took me around to do a few bits n pieces before meeting up with Hashie and headed back to her place for a long catch up, wishing Darius a mega happy 4th birthday, hangin with Tiff and the went out for YUMMO pizza. To also return with drinks and have the pleasure of meeting Aurora. Drinks, rolling around on the living room floor in fits of laughter, random conversations, great music and FANTASTIC company… wow it was a night that will forever be locked in the memory bank! Yet again, one of those moments in life where it’s just such an amazing feeling to see another very old friend and further developing of the recent and the creation of the new ones!
Over the course of the week I unfortunately came down with a cold and wasn’t too flash but I pushed through. Hashie was a total champ with Tea-ing me up something fierce but I may have perhaps shared my cold also… SORRY Lady!!! The next day was abit harsh for a few ladies as they may or may not have had too many the night before but clearly the pictures show that a few more than usual was definitely consumed. So after a priddy chilled out afternoon of cruising around and hanging out I too had another pleasure of meeting Aurora’s gorgeous son Indigo! At this point I thought it was a great opportunity to cook up a hearty Italian pasta dish for the gang and the kids. Without even realising what the time was, we were eating dinner by 9pm…. Hashie had work in the morning and Aurora was super nice n dropped me off at the local bar for a cheeky pint as it was still early on a Friday evening. Gosh this was definitely a place that took me by surprise as there were a real good cover band but some of the patrons, WOW!!! Lets just say I sat at the bar and laughed my ass off at a couple old Grab-a-Granny ladies dancing around with the young college guys. Then I had the fantastic neon sign on my forehead light up that says “HI, I think you should come talk to me” GUUHHH, seriously I wish someone would give me the off switch to this cause it hardly ever works in my favour. At 3 separate occasions by 3 separate guys, I had nothing but Indian guys come up to me and try stooooopid lines on me like “so do you come here often” and “you’re next drink’s on me” even though I had my backpack on and was leaving the bar after paying my bill. I had the bartender at one point in tears after she and I spoke about the first guy and seen the second one come up for a go. I mean I was laughing but cringing at the same time… but the poor bastards just really didn’t get the picture! HAHA! With a quick escape I found a cab and my bed in the hotel.
Saturday night was a lot of fun, Hashie and Aurora organised to take me out to one of the gay bars in the city with a couple of Hashie’s mates Megan and Mel. Mannnnnnn we had such a blast, yet again laughing over the small things, listening to some of the best and worst top 40’s in the 80’s and current era! Photo central again, sooo many funny moments with these guys and the introduction to wet pussy shots also! YEP, all over your face goodness! The drinks, holy shit… I had to go back to the bar to get my drink topped up with soda 3 times cause they poured a ¾ pint of vodka with a dash of dry… I honestly thought I was going to die. Then it really got me wondering as to how the hell does one person really know how many standard drinks they’ve had when ALL bars priddy much free pour whatever they feel like?!?!?! Especially for the people that are driving??? Ehhh I still don’t know how they can afford to do that and also get away with free pours to this extent. At least I can say I got my money’s worth that’s for sure! I made the courageous decision to continue to party on as the club/bar we were at was closing. Yeah, Nahhh not a good idea, finally found the other bar to go to, to only pay $15 to get in to only then work out that there is no liquor license. Clearly I wasn’t impressed nor really in any mood to pay $4 for a glass of juice or soda…. So I left. I struggled to get a cab that would take me back to the county but I had a limo guy come talk to me and tell me how he was bout to kick out some drunk guy out of his limo and wanted to know if I was interested in getting a lift. I sent him on his way to kick out the dude and come see me when he was ready. 2 min later I was rolling in a stretch limo back to the county with mad beats and comfy leather seats all by myself! From what I was told it should have been an easy $60 cab ride home, but I got a bargin $40 deal in a limo! Happy days!!!!
Mornings were becoming harder to sleep in as every day at 5.30am there was a bloody delivery to the hotel or to the fast food joint next door which took nearly 20 min each day and loud as! The morning after clubbing was exceptionally louder I think… and feeling really rat shit with the cold also, I managed to get my shit together and head out to Darius’s Birthday Party and finally got to see Hashie’s mum again AKA Mum! Good food, relaxation, great convo’s and of course heaps of kids! But one of the things that tripped me out the most was the fact that it started to snow! It was sooo light and fluffy it was melting as it landed on the ground. After a great afternoon it was an early night for most of us as the weekend was beginning to catch up on us.
ST Patricks Day finally rolled around and yep, I packed my bag, pulled on my boots and walked 40 min to the post office in about 4 inches of snow that fell during the night. I needed to send about 4kg of summer clothes that OBVIOUSLY I wouldn’t be using between Baltimore and Ireland. It was a priddy easy walk and it was a clear sunny day which was making the walk somewhat nice but the wind was something that I could of done without. Posted my package and stopped into the local Applebee’s for a cheeky pint before heading back to pack. Naomi joined me at the bar for a chat while I finished my drink and then after a quick pitstop at the hotel we were on our way over to Hashie’s and then to the Irish bar for the celebrations at The Stil. This place is actually a great looking venue and its huge, but these guys put up a massive marquee and porta-loo’s outside beside the bar as there were an easy 200 people if not more with a cover band, food stalls, beer tents, Irish memorabilia etc… it was something that I haven’t ever seen but I was getting right in the middle of it. However after a couple hours I was getting tired and late for that matter and we all decided to call it and head back over to drop me off at the hotel as I still needed to pack and bus it out in the morning. Yet again, these bloody see-ya-laters are only getting harder and harder however I couldn’t thank Hashie, Naomi and Aurora enough for all their time and effort and driving me around and hanging outs then and I still can’t now cause it was truly an amazing time just to stop being a tourist for a second and just hang out with friends aka family. Amazing time in B-town meeting new friends and seeing my old friend and sharing sooo many laughs and photo’s are coming soon! Next stop Philly!
