how now brownpau
I hopped on the 8 Bus this morning to try and get to FCF, but having forgotten to write down the church’s phone number and address, I instead managed to get myself marvelously lost after disembarking at York Ave and Cold Spring Lane. After half an hour of unsuccessful wandering through the area, the melodious bells of Govans Presbyterian finally drew me in to its old stone walls, where I found fellowship, warmth, and beautiful hymns.
I’ll try again next week.
Hey, cool: Scottish Christian has the same free Celtic Cross image on his layout as the one I use. (See FreeFoto.com for more.)
Today I put on my sandals and ventured out to try the “BWI Bus Trick,” which is the only cheap way to get to Washington, DC from Baltimore by public transit on weekends (when the MARC train isn’t running and Amtrak is just too expensive). The route consists of taking the Light Rail to BWI, taking the B30 bus (leaves every 40 minutes) to Greenbelt Metro station, then taking the Metro to wherever you want to go in Washington. It takes two to three hours.
Along the way, I found another church in my immediate area: Old Otterbein, a UMC church. But for tomorrow, I think I’ll try braving an early morning bus ride to check out Kyriosity’s church, FCF.
My Pula.ph domain is expiring in one more month, and I’m wondering whether it’s worth continuing. I just don’t have the time or money to maintain a full-blown investigative urban legends resource on my own, and I’m hardly in the proper location for it anyway. Should I just let it die, and relegate the archives to the subfolder they’re currently in now?
Or is anyone interested in updating the urban legends blog collaboratively? Well, I have a month to decide whether the $70 is worth the domain renewal, or if it’s better spent on an Ikea Poäng chair. ;)
If you’re in the Philippines, don’t have access to a credit card, and are looking for cheap webhosting, check out DreamCodeDesign. I think those are pretty good prices for a locally hosted Filipino blog page.
(And sorry to the folks at DreamCode for my inadvertently leaving up some archived negativities even after the owner was so nice about it all. :)
Via blogs4God: “The Twinkies Project.” I haven’t had this much fun since the Exploding Coke Bottle.
Spaceweather.com: “Sunspot 87 has developed a twisted delta-class magnetic field that harbors energy for powerful solar flares.” Doesn’t that sound like something Mr. Spock would say after looking through the mysterious blue eyepiece on his science station? Astronomy rocks my socks, man.
“Shop 2000,” aka “Tik Tok Easy Shop” — that’s the name of the giant robot convenience store that sprouted up in DC on 18th Street near Adams Morgan. And guess what, surprise, surprise: it’s a McDonald’s project. The official website, and some commentary on MeFi.
Black guy, well dressed in slacks, polo, and necktie, comes running down Inner Harbor, asking passersby where the nearest Rite Aid or CVS Pharmacy is. As he reaches me, I tell him that there’s a CVS at Lombard and Light.
Closed, he replies.
Rite Aid on Broadway Street at Fells Point, then, I tell him, but he says it’s too far, and this is an emergency. He’s had a flat tire, needs a tire jack for his car, where his kids are waiting. He says a passing policeman took him to a gas station, but he had forgotten his wallet at home, and the gas station would not take a personal check from him for the amount needed — $5.88. He has $2, can I spare $3.88?
I don’t have the change for 88 cents, but I do have exactly $3 of loose bills in my pocket. I give them to him, frowning. This isn’t some sort of modus operandi, is it?
Spreads his arms, palms out, to show that he is decently dressed. Aw c’mon, look at me, he says, I’ve just had a bad day. Thanks, man, I’ll get the 88 cents somewhere. Look, he says, I work at <forgot the address> if you drop by, I’ll give you back three dollars. Thanks.
He walks off. I only then realize that he isn’t sweating or breathing heavily from his exertions. Well, it is a cold day. But… why would he leave his kids in a car with a flat tire? In Downtown Baltimore, of all places?
I walk towards home, in the opposite direction. If it’s a scam, I mutter to myself, I fell for it: hook, line, and sinker. Oh well, three dollars poorer, an experience richer.
Story of my life.
An hour earlier, I gave a quarter to a beggar asking for change among the tables at Harborplace Food Plaza, then sternly told him off when he asked for more. Minutes later, a couple at another table gave him an extra plate full of onion rings, for which he thanked them. And thanked them, and thanked them, and thanked them.
Perhaps God was telling me something.
Lovely weather! We’re down to 62°F in Baltimore, and the rain’s going to be continuing in bursts through the week. This is the first time I’ve had to turn on the electric heater by my bed. (And to think I was worrying about having to endure Manila-like heat all through September.)