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Travelogue.
Within two hours of meeting ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
deelaundry in Baltimore last Saturday, we'd already come up with a Stargate Atlantis AU set in the late 1800s to early 1900s set in Canada where Rodney's a lighthouse-keeper and John's a retired naval officer who's working in a shipyard, with Ronon and Teyla as merchant traders. It set the tone for the weekend rather nicely.
Saturday I had to get up at five-thirty but overslept and had to leap out of bed at six to catch a bus at six-twelve to get on a plane at nine to get to Baltimore just after ten. It was worth it, because running up to someone to hug them is one of the best things in the world.
We walked around the little Italian neighborhood and had lunch at a nice sit-down place, and then got confused trying to find our way to the Entertainment Museum - another tone-setting item, because Baltimore's streets and the surrounding highways aren't well labeled. It was always worth getting lost in the end for two reasons: the places were awesome, and it gave us time to talk without excessive disruptions.
The Entertainment Museum was a pop-culture retrospective, very serious about its somewhat absurd subject matter. She went more for the TV stuff, we both liked the historic examination of works for children and the original art for comic strips like Krazy Kat, and when I got into the room with all the comics I had to hold myself back from throwing myself against the glass and making obscene noises. No, really. They had a copy of Action Comics #1, the comic that just sold for a cool million dollars, right up front, and I practically screamed when I saw it. First appearance of Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Impulse, Green Lantern, the Flash, Elfquest #1, 30 Days Of Night, major storylines and stuff like Watchmen and Miracleman and Will Eisner's A Contract With God, and it was stunning for me, to see all these items I've read about and seen reproduced, there as the real thing.
After that, we went to Hamden, and once fortified with flavored mochas, wandered in and out of little independent shops selling things we hadn't thought existed, which are some of the best. I didn't get anything, but was terrifically tempted by a shelf of little owl figurines.
Getting to the hotel and finding a place for dinner was complicated by the lack of proper signage. We ended up fed and comfortable with enough time for her to show me Overboard, which was cheerful and fun and starred actors that knew to embrace the absurdity.
Sunday, we got lost on our way to the Baltimore Art Museum, which I put down to Baltimore copying Bolinas and not having any signs that tell people exactly where or when they need to turn to get onto the next exit. This was after we arrived at a shopping mall too early for anything to be open, and by the time lunchtime rolled around I was fighting to not be snappy. It worked when I managed to find a local restaurant, Donna's, where we could sit down and relax just a couple of blocks from the museum itself. I had green tea. More sensibly, she had a mimosa.
We saw the Cezanne exhibit and wandered throughout the permanent collections, having much more fun with the fully-furnished rooms and more classic pieces than the modern installations, some pieces of which we joked could be purchased at Ikea at very reasonable prices.
The mall was open by the time we were done with the museum, so we hit it up for the one store selling the simple items we needed: she needed a new laptop case and I needed a nice purse for Monday, both of which we found within the leather goods outlet and managed to leave soon afterwards. Getting to her house after that was much easier than trying to find our way around Baltimore, and we didn't try to squeeze a movie in but just went to bed.
Monday, I had my own appointments to meet: I'd arranged to see a pair of archivists and talk to them about their jobs, their careers, and what-have-you. The trouble I had with the Metro was, in retrospect, the same sort of trouble everyone who doesn't know one-day-passes kick in at 9:30 gets, and I managed to get to both appointments with plenty of time, and even got some free time in the National Mall to myself for lunch and walking.
I got a tour of the National Archives and the Museum Service Center, and saw some pretty amazing stuff - the DNA evidence from the OJ Simpson murder trial, the inner workings of the Archives, firsthand pictorial accounts of Little Big Horn done by Sitting Bull himself, and handwritten notes of an extinct language that included their word for "to run." And I thought that was one of the most beautiful things - that the language had a word for that.
The whole day was gray, wet, overcast, and would have been depressing if I hadn't grown up with weather like it. Other than the snow on the ground, the cloudy sky and naked trees let me feel like I was home.
That night, after a brief stop at Whole Foods, I cooked dinner and we watched The Station Agent. I love that movie to pieces, and I'm glad she liked it, too.
Tuesday was weird. She got me to the airport on time but soon I found she'd gotten me there too early because the plane was delayed by nearly an hour. I dealt with it by reading more of a novel and reminding myself I didn't have any connecting flights. It was over fast, and I got back to the house early enough to go grocery shopping, do laundry, and watch Lost.
So all in all, a weekend well spent.
deelaundry in Baltimore last Saturday, we'd already come up with a Stargate Atlantis AU set in the late 1800s to early 1900s set in Canada where Rodney's a lighthouse-keeper and John's a retired naval officer who's working in a shipyard, with Ronon and Teyla as merchant traders. It set the tone for the weekend rather nicely.Saturday I had to get up at five-thirty but overslept and had to leap out of bed at six to catch a bus at six-twelve to get on a plane at nine to get to Baltimore just after ten. It was worth it, because running up to someone to hug them is one of the best things in the world.
We walked around the little Italian neighborhood and had lunch at a nice sit-down place, and then got confused trying to find our way to the Entertainment Museum - another tone-setting item, because Baltimore's streets and the surrounding highways aren't well labeled. It was always worth getting lost in the end for two reasons: the places were awesome, and it gave us time to talk without excessive disruptions.
The Entertainment Museum was a pop-culture retrospective, very serious about its somewhat absurd subject matter. She went more for the TV stuff, we both liked the historic examination of works for children and the original art for comic strips like Krazy Kat, and when I got into the room with all the comics I had to hold myself back from throwing myself against the glass and making obscene noises. No, really. They had a copy of Action Comics #1, the comic that just sold for a cool million dollars, right up front, and I practically screamed when I saw it. First appearance of Batman, Spider-Man, the X-Men, Impulse, Green Lantern, the Flash, Elfquest #1, 30 Days Of Night, major storylines and stuff like Watchmen and Miracleman and Will Eisner's A Contract With God, and it was stunning for me, to see all these items I've read about and seen reproduced, there as the real thing.
After that, we went to Hamden, and once fortified with flavored mochas, wandered in and out of little independent shops selling things we hadn't thought existed, which are some of the best. I didn't get anything, but was terrifically tempted by a shelf of little owl figurines.
Getting to the hotel and finding a place for dinner was complicated by the lack of proper signage. We ended up fed and comfortable with enough time for her to show me Overboard, which was cheerful and fun and starred actors that knew to embrace the absurdity.
Sunday, we got lost on our way to the Baltimore Art Museum, which I put down to Baltimore copying Bolinas and not having any signs that tell people exactly where or when they need to turn to get onto the next exit. This was after we arrived at a shopping mall too early for anything to be open, and by the time lunchtime rolled around I was fighting to not be snappy. It worked when I managed to find a local restaurant, Donna's, where we could sit down and relax just a couple of blocks from the museum itself. I had green tea. More sensibly, she had a mimosa.
We saw the Cezanne exhibit and wandered throughout the permanent collections, having much more fun with the fully-furnished rooms and more classic pieces than the modern installations, some pieces of which we joked could be purchased at Ikea at very reasonable prices.
The mall was open by the time we were done with the museum, so we hit it up for the one store selling the simple items we needed: she needed a new laptop case and I needed a nice purse for Monday, both of which we found within the leather goods outlet and managed to leave soon afterwards. Getting to her house after that was much easier than trying to find our way around Baltimore, and we didn't try to squeeze a movie in but just went to bed.
Monday, I had my own appointments to meet: I'd arranged to see a pair of archivists and talk to them about their jobs, their careers, and what-have-you. The trouble I had with the Metro was, in retrospect, the same sort of trouble everyone who doesn't know one-day-passes kick in at 9:30 gets, and I managed to get to both appointments with plenty of time, and even got some free time in the National Mall to myself for lunch and walking.
I got a tour of the National Archives and the Museum Service Center, and saw some pretty amazing stuff - the DNA evidence from the OJ Simpson murder trial, the inner workings of the Archives, firsthand pictorial accounts of Little Big Horn done by Sitting Bull himself, and handwritten notes of an extinct language that included their word for "to run." And I thought that was one of the most beautiful things - that the language had a word for that.
The whole day was gray, wet, overcast, and would have been depressing if I hadn't grown up with weather like it. Other than the snow on the ground, the cloudy sky and naked trees let me feel like I was home.
That night, after a brief stop at Whole Foods, I cooked dinner and we watched The Station Agent. I love that movie to pieces, and I'm glad she liked it, too.
Tuesday was weird. She got me to the airport on time but soon I found she'd gotten me there too early because the plane was delayed by nearly an hour. I dealt with it by reading more of a novel and reminding myself I didn't have any connecting flights. It was over fast, and I got back to the house early enough to go grocery shopping, do laundry, and watch Lost.
So all in all, a weekend well spent.
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Sheppard not only works in the area, he's the Harbor Master.
Such a great weekend; thank you.
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And next time, you should go to the AVAM. It is wonderful and magical. Also, they have an awesome gift shop.
Aaaaahh, Baltimore, how I love you.