Vague Idea Racing: Just Breathe

It has been, and will continue to be, a hectic month.

Last weekend, The Pie and I took an Amtrak up to Baltimore to see Pearl Jam. She likes Amtrak. I like Pearl Jam (she does now as well). We both like putzing around new places and seeing things. I did a terrible job taking pictures while we were there walking twenty eight miles in less than three full days. I'm either extremely talented at living in the moment or too lazy to pull out my phone to capture things you can see in a google image search.

Pickles are a thing in Baltimore, so much so that they annually fesitvate in their honor.

We walked to Fells Point. We seent where Edgar Allen Poe had his last drink before being found in the streets four days later, dying from either alcohol or rabies? Who knew back then? Musta been a lot easier to be a doctor in 1849.

"Flicked" it says.

We walked all the way to Fort McHenry, and also somewhere in there, saw Pearl Jam.

I experienced what I'll call "feelings" towards the end of the concert. I have some connections between their music and my friend that I lost in 2020 and some crazy thing with my father who passed sixteen years ago. It's good for the soul, I guess.

All in all, it was an incredible experience that was totally The Pie's idea. I'm fortunate to have her on my side.

These are spotted lanternflies. They're everywhere. They're a problem. I didn't know until the last day of our trip that it is the duty of every citizen to destroy them on sight. That explains the woman I'd seen running that morning who took a slightly longer stride and placed her foot on the sidewalk with authority, sending one beady-eyed bugger to meet their maker (assuming all bugs go to heaven). I thought she was insane. I was just poorly informed.

About Pearl Jam, I was slightly amused when Eddie Vedder made a few political comments, and the guy next to me booed. If you like Pearl Jam enough to pay this much to see them, I woulda thought you mighta known Pearl Jam is not exactly apolitical. I expected my seat neighbor to yell "JUST DRIBBLE!"

Oh, and one other thing of note. I went down to the hotel lobby bar to have a beer by myself while The Pie took a nap. The person next to me nudged my shoulder and said, "my husband said you're a cyclist."

What went from an awkward conversation (for me) with two strangers from Spokane that sometimes went political ended with us happening to both knowing Jeremiah Bishop and that he once helped Chris Eatough in the pits at a 24 Hour Worlds who ended his six year streak of World Championships at the same race I started my streak (one).

And here we are now in Baltimore to see a band.

I have no idea when I will post up again. I'm leaving Saturday for some destination to the north for nine days. I'm going van-tripping with Watts, and to be honest, I don't necessarily know where we're going. I just know that we will be riding mountain bikes in places I've not seen, so that's all I need to know.