Two Parts Equal A Whole Lotta Fun
I was ready for a good weekend. The outlook was bright with good weather and lots of activities. I was even able to work from home on Friday. Albeit, I had to wait for a appliance repairman. He never showed. Figures. Even that debacle wasn't able to damper the spirits. The weather was wonderful, and everyone was outside on our block by 5pm. Spring is really here.
After a quick run, Teresa and I joined our neighbors for the socializing that is Clement Street. I can't believe how lucky we are to have stumbled into this block. Everyone is amazingly friendly and warm. There are young couples, young adults, new families, and those that have lived on the block for forty years. Its fantastic. We managed to recruit a few for a happy hour trip to Little Havana. They included Ryan, James, and their friend Andrew.
I wasn't surprised to see the crowd. The place was spilling out on to the deck. The onslaught of spring brought the crowds. We setup a decent spot near the shuffle board. The bar was in close vicinity in order to replenish the glorious Miller Lite bottle. We learned that Andrew is a teacher, and he works over on the other side of MLK. I can't imagine loosing kids to jail. The conversation steered away from work and back to our block. Teresa and I still getting the full scoop from Ryan and James. They have the gossip down to a tee, yet they have only lived in our area a few months longer. Those last few months of warm weather were priceless for meeting the neighbors. It really is wonderful now that everyone has emerged from their homes.
Our stomachs soon longed for non-liquid nourishment. It was virtually impossible to grab new beers, let alone food. We left Little Havana and walked south to Fort Avenue. We convinced Teresa to try Rafters. It looks like a dive sports bar, but the food had been highly recommended. There were no crowds, and we grabbed some tables next to the bar. Like so many of the establishments, this place is a converted row home. The owners are Philly transplants, and have brought with them quality cheese steaks – or so I am told. I was about to eat my hand so, lackluster food would even work.
After we placed our orders, attention turn to the bartenders t-shirt. It was plain with the number sequence 21230 across the chest. That just happens to be our Zip Code. Sweet. I wanted one. It seemed to be tied to a contest between Canton and Federal Hill, but the barkeep had extras upstairs. Before my steak and cheese fries arrived, I had myself a new awesome t-shirt. This place is cool. The best part was the t-shirt for Teresa. It is a bright orange Yuengling half-shirt. Today, I think she wore it to school. The food then arrived, and I was astonished at the quality of the cheese fries. The steak was good as well. All and all, much better then Hilltop. We had a new take out place.
The early evening activities finished after dinner. We walked back to our street and said goodbye to Ryan and James. Teresa settled down for the night, but mine was only halfway gone. Scott and Joanne so kindly picked me up on the way to DC for Buzz. Was it smart to drink my way through the afternoon? I was soon about to find out, but I was happy with the decision. That was one of the best Friday afternoon's of the new Spring.
It is easy to ride from Baltimore to Nation. Its down in Southeast so, 295 is the best option. We arrived just in time for the start of Heidi's performance. Her group, MathPanda, was booked in the front room from 930pm until 1100pm. I had not yet seen them live. Its an interesting group comprised of Heidi on vocals, a DJ, and three MCs. Heidi has a melodic singing voice. The DJ is multi-talented. He produces all the music along with spinning and scratching. The MCs are three Princeton grads that compose intricate lyrics. Its a hodgepodge of people. I mean, an eclectic bunch up on stage. I really enjoyed Heidi's last song. The tempo was faster then her first few tunes. The MCs were hard to understand. I don't think it was the sound in the room so much as the style of the performance. Some of the DJs tracks were awesome and very original. It was a great set.
The headliner of the evening was Lee Burridge. Before the beginning of his set, we hung out in the front room. I can stand to listen to Drum 'n Bass, but its not my favorite. It was exciting to hear the music start in the main room. Pete and I grabbed some spots right in front of the DJ booth.
Lee Burridge is a small guy. His wiry frame was barely visible from the dance floor. He was meticulous when choosing and playing records. I have seen some DJs jump all over the booth, but Lee stayed put. He slowly got the room moving, and he started to clamp and jump a bit. Those first few records had us dancing, and the meat of the set had us jumping. It never ceases to amaze me how much fun a record can be in that environment. You can feel the music in your toes and the excitement in your ears. I wish we could have stayed until the end, but I'm not sure Scott would have stayed awake.
We found Joanne, and filed out into the morning. I was very thankful for the ride. Both Joanne and I feel asleep halfway up the B/W Parkway. The next thing I remember is pulling into the stadiums in South Baltimore. Thanks Scott.
What a crazy Friday. I spent about twelve hours on fun time. I really love my neighborhood and all of its immediate options. You can't beat walking almost everywhere. It was good to travel down to DC. Buzz will be closing its doors at Nation to make way for a baseball stadium. We will have to hit up another show or two. Digweed anyone? Looks like its going to be a good spring and summer.
