Weekends Away

I spent this past weekend at home (mostly) instead of going out. It's a good thing! I spent some time with my mother and grandmother who were visiting from out of town and getting a start on fixing up my place. More on that soon (I promise!) when I have two-and-a-half seconds to breathe and am not in the midst of tech week. But until then, I leave you with an experience I had away from Baltimore a couple of months ago.

B, one of my best girlfriends from college moved back home to St. Mary's County to teach after graduation. It's about two hours away from Baltimore in Southern Maryland. We see each other considerably less now that we live so far away and have grown up jobs, but I spent a weekend with her in April. One of the highlights of our time together was the annual opening of the Tiki Bar, an open air hut that serves domestic beer and mixed tropical cocktails on picturesque Solomon's Island.

The Tiki Bar opening is ridiculous. People plan their work schedules and time off around this weekend every year. They come from all over. And by "all over," I mean all over the country/world. People sail into Solomon's Island, dock their boats, and get trashed on over-priced alcohol. And the owners of the Tiki Bar apparently make their cost for the entire season in that one weekend charging people $7 for mai tais and rum punch. Everything they make from there on out through the rest of the summer is purely profit.

Needless to say, the place was crazy. We went for the experience and decided to never do it again. I did meet some friends in line for drinks however. I decided to buy a round for the crowd we were with, and I stood en queue for 30 minutes.

This lovely couple motorcycled in from Northern Virginia and kept me company while I decided between cocktails.



The next day, we explored downtown Leonardtown and Solomon's Island by day. The weather was lovely, and now that we're "old," we had fun checking out the shops and monuments. Of particular note, is the segregated World War II monument in downtown Leonardtown. It was segregated by "coloreds" and "whites" when it was originally erected post WWII. They took it down a few years ago to clean and restore, and put it back the same old way. I guess in some places in this state and this country, we're still not good enough to be commemorated on the same plaques as one another.







Finally, I found a sign that reflects how I feel parking in Federal Hill on our way back to the car on Solomon's Island. For the record, it was affixed to the garage of a parish house, which makes it slightly more acceptable. I still want one for myself. If anyone knows where to find one, please let me know.



I think spending time with and maintaining meaningful friendships as well as getting away (even if it's really not that far) are both essential in not going clinically insane. I suggest times like this to all.