Crab Picking Woes

        Life is full of cruel irony at times. I love steamed crabs, we recently got a crab guy, great crabs, great price, steamed to perfection. The mustard is good, leg meat pulls out every time. The irony comes in the fact I have a dead right hand and a left hand with increasingly less dexterity. I have these beautiful crustaceans in front of me and lack the ability to pick them. My family picks them for me, but where is the fun in that? I start out trying, but it’s like watching a squirrel trying to drive a car. I’ve given up a lot of things, I will not give up crabs!

The Kids Have Jobs, And Medical Marijuana Law In Maryland A Joke

Both my minions, both the kids, have full time jobs, both with benefits, both excited to leave the house today.  My first job was running numbers when I was 5 with my grandfather, I'd run into the High's store to get a brown paper bag and a cookie, but I digress!  I hope the boy turns this into a career and that the girl sees she needs to finish her education.  A father can hope?

Doctors appointments are on my horizon, making up for not having insurance since January.  Going to ask about medical marijuana for the pain?  MD just past laws reducing the penalty for patients that use it with a doctors blessing, saying it's OK to use and possess it, but if you get caught buying it you are subject to arrest.  Wait, let me read that again... Yep, that what it say!  So it's still not illegal to smoke marijuana in MD, and it's OK to possess it MD, it's just still illegal to buy it!  Wouldn't it be easier to just let me go to Walgreens pick it up with a KitKat bar?

Aquaponics For Food And Fun

Who knows anything about aquaponics? I am suddenly struck by the whole concept of being able to grow all my own food, including fish in one system, you can even grow shrimp and crayfish! If I can figure out how to hook it all up to a small solar charger and battery I will be in absolute hog heaven! OK, I have a little bit of research to do, see how much it costs to get started, what kind of fish...alright, I have a lot of research to do, but it's what I do! I wonder if I could get the University of MD involved, have them set it up, use it as a teaching tool, and best of all pay for it?

Maryland Backyard Wildlife

The backyard wildlife is great right now, all the sparrows have left for Capistrano. We have a ton of cardinals, blue jays, finches, even woodpeckers and a small bluish bird that I can't figure out. Just so happens we have the fattest squirrels in Maryland, squirrels that prefer sunflowers over acorns, I thought they lived on acorns. A new pride of feral cats are here, beautiful Siamese blends, shame we have to get rid of them. Think the cats chased away the chipmunks, or ate em? It's been fun watching this year.

Why Don't We All Plant 2 Zucchini At Church To Give Away to Our Hungry Neighbors?

Was reading this piece about an 11 year old girl that stole my idea for feeding the hungry when it hit me, she didn't steal it, she just did it. Why can't I go to churches, go to my church, see about planting 2 zucchini plants? Anyone that's ever seen how many zucchini you get off just 2 plants would agree, that's a lot of food for people who don't have anything to eat. We must have 15 churches just right here in Perry Hall, that's 30 zucchini plants, or a lot of zucchini! People see how easy it is, maybe next year we plant 4? It could, and should be an explosion of food, think about it.

Darlington Apple Festival and Me In My Wheelchair

Going to the Darlington Apple Festival tomorrow, was going to bake a pie for the competition, but didn't have the energy after my 2 hour MRI. Music, food, and what should be a beautiful day in a small town just north of here. Love the local little festivals like this. Hope there are a lot local foodies, maybe some local honey, didn't get any this summer. Taking my chair, so I'll be buzzin all over the streets of Darlington, GO APPLES!

Sex at the Rec Center, and Harris-Kratovil Still Not Responding To My Question

It was another beautiful day here, took my chair and went to the park, met a friend and sat. We had a good time, talked about our thoughts on life, had a few laughs. Time to head home I have to go past that little parking lot I had the problem with the other day and of course there's a car parked there again. They weren't in a handicapped spot, they were just having a sexual encounter in the middle of the day, FYI, your windows aren't that tinted!

Resent my emails to Harris-Kratovil today, still no answer. This is what I sent.

Sent to Kratovil, cc'd to Harris

I am resending this question as I have not yet heard any response, I look forward to your response.

Andy

I saw one of your ads last night, it claimed Harris is in favor of
raising the sales tax to, or by 23%. My question is when did he say it,
in what context, and where can I find it? I eagerly await your answer.

Andy

Sent to Harris, cc'd to Kratovil

I am resending this question as I have not yet heard any response, I look forward to your response.

Andy


I am trying to figure out an ad I saw last night, it was a Kratovil ad
claiming you were in favor of raising the sales tax to, or by 23% . My
question is did you say it, or do you know what the Kratovil camp is
talking about? I eagerly await your answer.

Andy


Once again, you would think the one telling the truth would respond?

What Does a Yellow Curb Mean?

Are yellow curbs universal? Does a yellow curb mean no parking in Abilene, or Spokane? It used to be mean that in MD, but they must have changed that to I'll only be a minute so I'm not parked? People are ignorant slobs, the only good people being the ones that read my blog! People of Baltimore, pay attention! Rules do apply to you, all of the time, even when you're in a a hurry! And you people that leave your car running with your kids in while you illegally park at an ATM are going to the 3rd level of hell!

Two Blizzards in Three Days, Kids Routines Interrupted, and My Wife Is The Greatest

This was the end of cleanup #1.


The boy in typical snow attire.


The wife making snow removal look good!


The girl in her wild child garb.


And this is round 2! 2 all out blizzards in 3 days, crazy man. Baltimore is at a standstill. Schools are closed, government is closed, no trash pick up, Dunkin Donuts was closed for Pete's sake! People have had it, enough is enough. The old snow record was 62.5", this year so far we are at 77.3", and we ain't done yet. My crew is cheering on spring.

The boy is going crazy, definitely the most time he's spent home in the last 5 years. Can't figure out why the lanes are closed, he would walk in this mess to bowl. He keeps telling me how much money they are losing, he takes that personally. The girl has a rollerskating show coming up in March, 200 kids, just like the ice capades, and they aren't able to have practices. She is in a panic, thinks it's going to be her fault it snowed. Neither of the kids got my, ah screw it attitude when it comes to work, probably a good thing.

The wife has been pulling double duty, cooking, cleaning, and her new role as shovel queen. I guess that's more than double, but you get it, she is just that good. She never complains, always has sunshine blasting out of her a... she always cheery. This has her down a bit, mainly because this was always mine. Not because it's a mans job, rather because I love it. I would sit out in this weather, just can't anymore, and that gets us both down. She's dealing with it better than me, she's upstairs picking out her outfit for tomorrow!

Got the Blues, Taking Over the World, and Pains Are Real Pains

Had the blues all week, just couldn't shake it. It would probably be considered more then just the blues, but who's counting? Things are looking up, but I still don't fell well, add to it that these periods now effect my eyes, and my overall health, it's not a fun thing. We will soldier on, do what needs to be done, cross all my I's, dot all my T's, see where it takes use. School is upon us, the boy got his electric bike, the girl is taking the semester off to build the bank account, and recharge. Bring on the next challenge!

I am getting ready to take over the world, look for me in a store near you. I'm tired of certain things, and I've decided if I was running the show, things would run more smoothly. I'm not starting with any of the big things, I'm thinking rules will be a good muster point. Got an automated call from the high school, it would be a big help to fill out the blue emergency cards, the ones they give you with a note, must be completed by such and such a date. No more please do it. Do it or your child gets sent home. They chase these people for months, not under my system! I never filled these cards out myself, told the kids I couldn't sign anything, against witness relocation rules. Tomorrow I'll solve the tinted window problem in Maryland.

I've been having pains, pains that would drop a sensible person to their knees. The pains are what I think are where my muscles used to be? They hit, and boy do they get your attention! It's a lot like a Charley horse, but not with as much cramping, just the pain. My arms and legs jump all over the place, twitching like a fat kid near cake! The pain is new, this didn't suck enough the way it was, thanks MS fairy. I will do what I can, and hope that it will go away, I've had great luck with THAT strategy so far!

Multiple Sclerosis, Meeting With Bioness, Travel Difficulties, and This Weather is Killing Me

I am impressed by the level of customer service I am receiving from the Bioness company. The representative that emailed me on Saturday did in fact call me on Monday, that alone puts a check next to their name. He asked me how I would like to handle the issues instead of telling me, nice touch. I had an appointment already scheduled with Dankmeyer, the place I got the stimulator from, the representative said he would check with his associate to see if she was available that day as he was already scheduled someplace else. Later the same day I received a call from her confirming she would be there to iron out any issues, swish! Like I said, either this is really good customer service, or they want me to stop whining on here, either way, I get what I need.

My mother had eye surgery today, it kills me I wasn't able to go down and be there. In the overall scope of things, this was a minor procedure compared to the things she has had in the past, but I still would have liked to have been there. Deep down I suppose I'm still a real momma's boy, but why wouldn't I be, she has always, unequivocally, been there for me. I hate MS for things like this. That 3 hour drive is no longer in my repertoire, more and more it's becoming obvious that driving is a short term project. As long as she knows I would have been there I suppose that is enough, it will have to be.

I have a tough time when the seasons change, not the emotional tough times some have, mine is physical. It takes me a few days to adjust as it gets warmer, or as it gets colder. This weather here in Maryland is killing me! As if I'm not lethargic enough, the constant changes in the weather is taking what energy that is left, leaving me a quivering, listless, numb, mass. EWWWWWWW! That was disgusting. It's 85 today, but will be 60 tomorrow, check please!

Baltimore County Government, Rec and Parks Land Acquisition, and No Trespassing as a Marketing Strategy

Ya ever get a bee in your bonnet over something that normally you wouldn't notice? I am in the middle of that right now with this piece of property here in Perry Hall. When I first starting working for the Sheriff's Department in 1983, the Sheriff was ordered to take a piece of property for the common good so it could be made into a park. The part went someplace else, but 3 three houses still got torn down in about 84? I know the one house belonged to an elderly couple who got uprooted to someplace else. That's the easy part of the story for me, this is when it gets a little strange.

I'm waiting for the land records copy to get here to see if I can figure out why the County tax records show they bought the property in 1997? There is also a private company operating a nursery on the site right now. My councilman told me the County leased the property to them for $1135/acre for the entire year, that's $10,215 for the entire year. Google property in Perry Hall to see why that's an incredible deal! The nursery has no sign, the mailing address is a PO Box, and their water supply is a fire hydrant! Sweet deal if you can get it. Rec and Parks says it is advertises when the County has property to rent for farm use on the County website, and the Jeffersonian Newspaper. I couldn't find any record of the ad, and is a nursery considered a farm?

Like I said, I usually don't care about this sort of thing, but the answers I got were insulting. I asked if they thought it was odd that the only signs at the address were do not enter, and no trespassing? They asked me how I knew the nursery put those signs up? I told them I obviously didn't know who put them up, but I knew it wasn't me, and logic says the county didn't rent the land to them and then put up do not enter signs! I called them today to see if I could get in on this action, but they told me they haven't had any property up for lease for a couple of years. That's odd, the nursery was the only bid in February of this year?

Ocean City, Friends, and Time Together

We are home from the Ocean, what a great time! We had a blast! My body is not going to be talking to me tomorrow, but sometimes you have to take a chance it will get mad. We met up with the sister and one of the nieces on Friday night, so we were able to combine 2 things. We got together at one of the guys soon to be retirement home in Bethany Beach last night, what a good time, their home is beautiful! They bought the modular home that I wanted for my homestead out in the middle of nowhere, great house.

We all played pool, ate a ton of food, laugh so hard we almost cried, and forgot for a weekend that we had any responsibilities or worries. For most of us it has been about 25 years together, and it has been great! We are all a little older, for me the daughter is the same age I was when I met them, 21, and not one of us is any wiser. At one point it was so loud I realized we were yelling to hear the person sitting across from us. The wife got to rest a little bit, we got to spend some time being a couple, it was like we were dating again.

We went to the parents house on Friday on the way down, and stopped today on the way home. We went up to the board walk today before we headed out, it was absolutely gorgeous weather! I don't walk the boards like I used to, but I can still do one of my favorites, people watch! I sat there in my shorts watching people pass by in parkas and fur coats. After a long weekend together I heard a few parents threaten their kids with bodily harm and a few couples show utter disdain for each other. This all happened while I sat and watched my baby flit from store to store, looking for that one winter beach bargain you have to find, and smiling and waving to me as she entered each store. What a lucky guy I am!

Multiple Sclerosis, A New AFO Brace, and Gas Leak Fixed

It took me a couple of days to recover watching the city and county workers putting my money to good use. Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water, bang, BGE comes to fix a gas leak! I didn't know what to expect after the orgy of ineptitude I had witnessed earlier in the week, but I was ready for them. They rang the bell about 11 in the morning, a very polite young guy and his partner were here to fix the problem. Partner? How were they going to fix this massive gas leak with just 2 guys? I looked out as his partner took the shovel out of the back of the truck, I guess I didn't rate a backhoe twice in one week.

The guy assured me they would be quick, and they would make it look like they had never been here, right I thought. I closed the door and went into the kitchen, looked out the window and the guy was already up to his shoulders in the hole! I'm not kidding, and 5 city water workers were asleep in his truck! I'm telling you, BGE must be running that place like a business? I shook my head and went into the living room when the doorbell rang again? The BGE guy said they were finished and needed to come in and restart out appliances. I looked around him and the hole was gone, grass was growing, and they had planted flowers! BGE beat the water department hands down, but they were more fun to watch!

The LDN seems to be going OK, nothing major to say in either direction. Like I said, I start therapy Monday, so I'm hopeful that will show a benefit. I was going to hold off getting the new brace, you know me and positive thinking, but I think the old one is wearing out, and it is a little uncomfortable, so I need to go see about that regardless of any progress I was hoping for. I have to locate my prescription in my file cabinet full of prescriptions! It's ridiculous how many prescriptions I've had this year, Dr Weil would not approve. Once my body starts to heal itself, no more medicine for me, but until then, pass the LDN, vitamin D, Lisinopril....

Multiple Sclerosis, Leg Pain, and Those Crazy Water Main Guys

I have had a blast today watching the city and county workers out front to fix the water main break. They got here about 8:30 this morning, broke up a piece of asphalt about 1 yard square around 10, then slept until lunch in their trucks. After lunch they looked at the hole for a few minutes, then got back in their trucks to sleep until they left at 2:30. The funny thing is, that's not what I called to complain about. I complained that they threw their trash out on the street before the left, bad form!

The night crew got out front about 3, they waited for the Miss-Utility guy to finish marking everything before they dug any hole. I don't understand why the utility company needs someone to tell them where the utilities are, but what are ya going to do? They dug a hole finally about 4, put a pump in, and pumped the hole out for 3 hours before they turned the water off! They went for dinner, took a nap, and are out looking at the hole right now. There were a total of 17 guys here at one point working in a hole big enough for one guy. Maybe that's why our water bill has gotten so expensive?

I had a neuro appointment, but they canceled on me, I'm trying not to take it personally. They rescheduled me for next week, so it's not that long a wait. One of the things I plan on asking is what I can do about my legs always hurting. I think I need a new chair to help with the pain, the ones I have aren't working. If I don't have the leg thingy up, my legs dangle, causing them to hurt. It's not always good for my lower back to have my legs up. I also need to figure a way to get up out of the chair easier. I have a small hitch I need to work past when standing up, that almost standing, almost sitting position. I need something to grab hold of, to either pull or push myself up.

Multiple Sclerosis, LDN, Choking, and Family Time

Happy New Year! I am feeling so positive I can't stand it. I was reading a thingy on a website about a clinical trial for LDN that ended in 2007, with the report being issued just this past September. I think I was encouraged by what I read, more because I was able to find that someone had done a trial for LDN! Way to go Italian doctors! I hope this leads to other doctors and researchers going out on a limb and taking a chance with more existing medicines. I need to find out if I should stop my Rebif injections before I start my LDN, I sure hope so!

Every time I go to see the neuro, they ask me if I am having a problem with choking, and each time I tell them that I'm not. I've been thinking about it, and I think I may have misunderstood what they were asking? I equate choking with putting something in your mouth and not being able to swallow it. I have discounted all the times I just start choking! I don't mean to the point of needing the Heimlich maneuver, but I cough and sputter, well choke. I kinda think this may be what they are asking? Any thoughts? Anybody else just choke on air, or is it just me?

I got to see the aunt and uncle from Massachusetts over the weekend, it was great. The problem is they moved for good from Maryland, so we are less likely to get to spend time together. I took care of ordering a dumpster for them, and I hate doing that kind of thing! I'm such a halfwit, I always worry I am going to do get the wrong one. Because they always have been so good to me, we took them out to dinner one night and had a blast. The aunt reimbursed me for the dumpster the next day, her math skills must not be so good, she accidentally wrote the check for the same amount as dinner over the cost of the dumpster? I guess I should just say thanks, and tell you how much I appreciate everything? I really do.

Baltimore Food, Where To Go For Good Eats

Where is the best place to eat in Baltimore? Some would say it would be places like Ruth Chris, or Flemming's, or even McCormick and Schmick's. I wouldn't know, I've never been, the wife has, but she didn't let me go. They're probably good, but it's not real food. Real food is a Captain Harvey's cheese steak, a Coffman's hot dog with everything, or a Casa Mia's crab cake. G &A's in Highlandtown is still going strong, So are the places on corned beef row, as was pointed out in my Aunt's comment.

I wonder about some of the places that I used to love, but haven't been to in a long time. I remember going to Uncle Eddie's in Essex with my father, one of his favorites. My mother tells the story of her father going up with a pot and having the people at Ho Joy's fill it with shrimp egg foo young for the whole family, and him calling it Tojo's. Does anyone remember when Stewart's was still a drill in? They still have the best root beer and something called a steam burger. Perring Place over on Cleanleigh Dr. is one of those place's that people are regulars. They don't have to order, it's Thursday so the waitress knows what they want.

We went a while back to our favorite "local" Italian restaurant, Roma's. Imagine our surprise to find it is a vacant lot now? I don't know if it still is, but it was when we went, and we had coupon! My Uncle's and grandfather still think I used to stop and eat shrimp off of their sandwiches from Zannino's East Point. Perkin's is gone, a great place to go for pancakes. For a long time it was the only restaurant in Perry Hall besides Gino's! Who doesn't love a Pizza John's ground beef pizza? You aint lived until you have the grease from one of those dripping off your elbows!

Like people who know me always say, I'm simple! I don't think they mean it same way I do, but them's be the breaks. I'd rather have a big daddy pub burger from Charle's Village Pub in Towson than I would an expensive meal from someplace that made me wear pants. I also like $1 crabs from Bill's seafood more then $80 a dozen ones from Phillip's. Is Whitey and Dot's still down off Wilson Point on the water? I remember you would go in and pick your steak out of display case. Good Eats! I love food, yeah, it's a surprise, but I do. I'm getting ready to start a cooking club, could be fun, don't ya think? I'm sure I missed a bunch of great neighborhood eats, tell me about them, maybe I'll go give them a try!

Multiple Sclerosis, Vitamin D, and Binkert's Meat Market

I was just thinking, while I take my vitamin D, should I still be taking my Rebif injections? I will be the first one to admit it, I am looking for any reason I can to stop these damn shots, but has anyone asked that question yet? Are the 2 things compatible? Does one cancel the other out? Somebody tell me that Rebif doesn't turn vitamin D into sulfuric acid or some other thing that doesn't belong in my body! I need to get in touch with my neuro I suppose to get some answers on why I feel so bad. Is there anything wrong with the D regiment, or is this how I am going to feel from now on? Nah, it's the Rebif!

I remember when I was a kid, my one set of grandparents, who weren't any relations at all, but they were to me, used to let me eat these really strong, really greasy, really good sausages. They were always out on the kitchen counter with really funky cheese, both sitting under a glass cake plate. They were great! Did ya ever have the sausages that you had to peel the casing off before you ate it? I love it! There's this place on Philadelphia Rd called Binkert's that sells that kind of sausage. I took the boy a few years ago and the smell alone almost killed him! They must have 40 things that end in wurst!

I just read that Binkert's had a fire on Monday and is closed. That's really sad, and not just because I can't go for the best liverwurst, or German mustards, or even the sauerkraut. It's too bad because we don't have enough old world food sources here in Baltimore anymore. Hausners is gone, so is Pollock Johnnies. OK, PJ's maybe isn't a good example, but their hot dogs with everything were excellent! I think there is a German butcher shop on Harford Road, but I can't remember the name. We don't have markets like they do in the city, so I suppose I'm stuck with Weis! Yikes, that's not good. Do they even make head cheese, or souse, or lugenworther? Oh well, good luck to Binkerts, I miss ya already.

The Parade of Gold, Congratulations Michael Phelps

Wow, Michael Phelp's won like 100 medals or something, pretty impressive. Maybe the taxpayers will build him a swimming complex like they built Cal Ripken a baseball one? Sounds like quite a blast down at the old Fort McHenry, a good time had by all. It has to be a gala, Billy Bush is the emcee for Pete's sake! The County Executive for Baltimore threw Michael a big Blast the last time he came home, naming a street after him if I remember. They are also giving him a parade in Towson, Michael's hometown. Who is paying for this, by the way? Surely my state and local government aren't paying for it, meaning me?

Come on, are we that starved for celebrities that we need to spend the kind of money they are going to fork out? I'd probably go, but I can't afford the gas to get down there! I don't see any sponsors anywhere on the web page? They do have the County, City, and State seals at the end, does that mean it's there because it's their ball? Cool, the new economic plan has already worked in Baltimore! I'm glad to see we have taken care of all the people who need help, the ones who are having a hard time. We must have, we are giving welcome home parties to celebrities, that must come after, right?

Sadly, no it doesn't come first that we help people in need. Michael is an ambassador to China, we all know what that means. Wait, what does that mean? Is China going to fill all the empty business parks along Rte. 43? Because Michael lives here is China going to buy up more of our debt then they do say Florida? The city sure doesn't have anything more important then an "atta boy" for an Olympian. Am I the only one that doesn't get it? Is the rest of Maryland, nay the country, so enamored by famous people that it's anything goes? I suppose so, but anyway, way to go Mike!

Maryland Slots And Horse Racing

Are the race tracks in Maryland in charge of what happens with the slot machines in Maryland? Every time I hear anything about slots, they always tie in what the race track owners would like to see. Who cares what they want to see, not me. Are we supposed to allow slots, but only if they go in the race tracks? If they go other places are the tracks still going to get a cut? Why are we even considering cutting the tracks in on the slots, if we get them?

Slot machines bring in lots of money evidently, the places that have them are always packed. I know my parents are comped meals, usually 4 a month, for all my inheritance they spend at Midway Slots in Delaware! I don't think that's a race track, it's a fair grounds maybe? What ever it is I can tell you this much, it aint Pimlico! It's clean, bright, and in a nice neighborhood, none of which is the case for Pimlico. Where are MD's other tracks? Are they the garden spot Pimlico is? I can't see people flocking there to play slots, or eat their comped meals at the seafood buffet.

Is the hold up with slots all over how to share the money with racing? Why racing, why not Burger Kings? I mean, you gamble when you go to either of them, why not give them both slots. Are the tracks privately owned? If they are I say earn your own money, slots are paying for things we all want, not your family business. Have you ever gone to a bar? I've been in a couple, I admit it, even if my mother may read this. Of course I think it's just her and Slammer that read it anyway! But my time hanging around bars I noticed people dumping tons of money into video slot and video poker machines. They were always being used, and they were entertainment purposes only! Just think if they paid off in cash!

Ever been to Vegas? Me and my family went for a funeral I think, they have slots everywhere, including the bathrooms at the airport! Stores that sell lotto tickets get a percentage the tickets they sell right? Why can't we do the same thing with slot machines? Put them in bars, like the ones they have now, and let them pay off, like they do now, but make it legal to do. Bar owner gets something, winner gets something, and we the people of Maryland get not only slots to play locally, but a nice revenue from other visitors. Anybody can get one, bars, grocery stores, churches, give em all slots. Let's not give the lobbyist free run with this. Make sure we put someone in charge the can tell the racing families no. I'm not working, I'd be will to tell them to go shit in their respective hats. Let's do this thing and make a fortune to be used on the people that really need a hand. Tell me where you think the money should go?