Some things of interest:

1. Where did the firetruck that was going the wrong way down Penn Street finally end up at? I assume somewhere on Portland or Freemont–but just curious if there was a fire or something. Anyone know?

2.  There’s alot of houses available on Dover Street all of a sudden. Where did the people go? Alien abduction?

3.  The Wistro is going to have a Euchre tournament (according to the Ridgely’s Rag).  Wait, what? Did we suddenly get picked up and dropped down in the middle of the U.P.? People in Maryland don’t play Euchre.

4.  I heard that the new possible Grand Prix @ssholes want to turn it into a 10-day event? WTF. Seriously? Do they not realize what an inconvenience this was for 5 days–but to turn it into a 10 day thing? You can’t disrupt peoples lives and livlihoods like that.  Let it go, SRB. We don’t NEED or WANT another failure of a Grand Prix race.  It was a FAILURE the first time around–why keep beating a dead horse?

5.  That’s all I’ve got. It’s been a slow week in the Pinky and Brain household.

The Ridgely’s Rag came the other day, as per usual, and among all the other useless information, was a paragraph pushing the sale of calendars featuring the ‘dogs of Ridgely’s Delight’.

For the super low affordable price of $20, you can be the proud owner of this sure to be classic calendar.

Are they serious?

Dear EcoBen,

You know I’ve read your comments
And here I plan redress
To acknowledge your noted concerns
And issues that continue to press

On us like parking and meth addicts
The homeless, the rude, and the drunk
On garbage and neighborhood clean ups
And pot that smells of skunk

You noted that the neighborhood
Is much cleaner than before
But it’s so often our fellow residents
That make cleanup such a chore

It’s true the alley behind Dover
Has been cleaned for everyone
But what of the asshole dog owner
Who tosses his poop bag down then runs?

I openly opposed the Gran Prix
Of this there is no doubt
But you say it’s the Grand Prix money
That brings all this clean about

The Board must do more
Than just authorize clean up crews
I know what I’d like to see—
Some actual Ridgely’s news

More than the Ridgely’s Record
That we call the Ridgely Rag
Because it contains no useful news
Mvitolo is such a drag!

How about meeting minutes
From the monthly drunken fest
Posted online for everyone
To read at their own behest?

I’d also like less committees formed
And more viable solutions
Since when did forming another group
Become the resolution?

Can you and your fellow Doverians
Bring about new thoughts
Like slowing the speeders on Emory
And fixing parking spots?

I won’t be at the meetings
My face you’ll never see
I am a nameless/faceless blogger.
And I value my anonymity.

I guess our hood is just a bunch of chickens

According to Mike, the intrepid manager at PotBelly, someone pulled the fire alarm at the Baltimore Convention Center on Saturday–resulting in 27K some Otakon attendees to flood the streets. AWESOME! I wish I was there to witness THAT event! Obvs, there was no fire and noone was hurt–just mass chaos in costume would have rocked.

Also, got my edition of the Ridgely’s Record.  Did you know we have a softball team? And that it plays like, neighborhood rivalry games? And that they are playing the Pigtown Pigs on Saturday, August 7? You didn’t? Me either! I mean! Well, technically, it would be Pigtown East v. Pigtown West.

As avid co-ed rec players and team captians from years past in our previous city, the Brain and I were just talking about how much we missed playing softball since our move to Baltimore. We successfully ran a team for a few years through the local county rec department. Unfortunately, we are going to be out of town this weekend (darn) and will be unable to come and jeer…I mean, cheer on the Ridgelys Raiders. Whatev’s. It’s not like we was gonna offer to play.

Oh yeah–if you’ve noticed, there’s been alot of new residents moving into the ‘hood over the past week or so. If you notice a new resident, be a good neighbor and make sure they know the garbage and recycling pickup schedules. And the subsequent rules re: open cans and garbage, etc. It might not make that much of a difference (since the current residents don’t adhere to the rules) but if they know, they might be able to start off on the right (lawful) foot.

Later, b1tches. I gots me some actual work to do.

Cut it out and make your own!

So, I get my latest and greatest Ridgely’s Record (online since the paper form may or may not show up during the actual month printed), and it’s chock-full of great information.

Who do I think I am? Especially when, it seems, one of my favorite topics of discussion are the trash and rats (usually simultaneously since one breeds the other).

For example, we have a rat problem.  Really?!? I hadn’t noticed. It’s not like I haven’t espoused about the rats on this very website previously AT ALL. You can read about my lack of rat postings Here or Here. Oh, I’ve also never posted anything about the garbage being a problem either, so you wouldn’t find that posted here.

And the discontinuation of the bulk trash pickup? Again, that’s not something I’ve ever written about. I mean, you could click HERE, and it wouldn’t take you to a post about bulk trash pickup.

Now, it seems the latest battle (besides the forming of a committee to fight the rat population) is dog poop. Yes, I do contend that it can be a problem–and yes, an indordinate amount of dog poop is being left on the streets.  But if used correctly, the neighborhood rats will contend with the dog poop. It’s almost a case of the childrens song, The Old Lady That Swallowed A Fly.  You know the one I’m talking about–she swallowed a fly, then she ate the spider to eat the fly, then the bird to eat the spider, and then a cat to eat the bird, etc. Now that I think about it–if we use the resources already at hand, we can become an economically sustainable community! Like Biodome–but uglier and smellier!

However, I so appreciate waking up in the morning, opening my door to get the morning paper, and finding a lovely plastic bag wrapped bundle of poopy joy on my steps. I see that someone has taken the suggestions by the Record to heart by choosing to not use someone elses trash can to place your poop in. However, if it comes down to a choice between someones open garbage can on the street, or the front steps of someones house (who doesn’t even HAVE A dog), please go with the garbage can. I think I smell a new subcommitte being formed as we speak—the ‘poop patrol’ will surely be instituted at the next drunken bar fest..I mean, meeting of the Ridgely’s Delight Neighborhood Association.

The latest and greatest issue of the monthly neighborhood rag  is now available.  It showed up in my mailbox earlier this week, and I just felt like making a few comments about the information in there.

1. Apparently, we have a new business in the ‘hood.  A bed and breakfast of all things. What’s that you say? A business that intentionally brings in MORE people to the already cramped confines of a landlocked historic neighborhood? Say it isn’t so! Oh, but it IS! And as the owner stated, “parking is at a premium in this neighborhood.”  Really? I hadn’t noticed that! Apparently, guests are issued a ‘parking pass’  to use the parking lot located south of Washington Boulevard (Iseland/Paca area?) I’m not quite sure, as the former area known as ‘Pigtown’ is too high falutin for little old me.  Are these official area 5 parking passes for use in a neighborhood lot? And if so–how did they get so many issued to them. I call SHENANIGANS!

2.  Some photographer took pictures of the rooftops of Ridgely’s Delight, and is now selling them. Hey Robert McClintock, the link provided in the reader doesn’t work. I tried it. TWICE. I don’t want to buy a picture of my rooftop–but I was kind of curious to see what it looked like.  Unlike some of the houses in the neighborhood, I don’t have roof access.  I’m sure it’s just a picture of a heatpump unit, but still.  Just curious. Anyways, this concept has been done SO many times–except usually by a crop duster to farms in rural areas.  Those are scenic pictures.  Rooftops? Really?

3. And the coup de grace this month? Why, it’s a community meeting AND the monthly happy hour held in the same week (tonight and Friday).  TWO opportunities to get a drink (and get drunk)  and hang out with your peeps from the ‘hood to talk about the issues that directly impact you and your neighbors, such as:  the Gran Prix cars flying off course and hitting our historic houses, garbage pickup, always being able to find a parking spot because we don’t have a parking problem, and kissing the asses of the neighborhood businesses (even though we don’t patronize their establishments and they bring riff-raff into the neighborhood) ? Good thing there’s that self-imposed three weeks of sobriety before the next event.

Got an opinion? Got a beef? Want to have your voice heard? Hit me back with a comment already.

As I was reading the Ridgely’s Record on-line yesterday, I came across these briefs  in the April 2010 issue (soon to be shoved in your mailbox, whenever someone gets around to it).  I hope you enjoy rolling your eyes while reading them as much as I did!

Thank You (reprinted exactly as posted, sans commas and all)

• To Walt from Dover St. for constantly keeping the 700 block of Dover free of trash and weeds.
• To Ben from Melvin St. who thought he may need to miss a community clean-up so he spent one weekday morning removing trash and debris from Penn St. in front of the tot lot.
• To Dave from Washington St. who took a trash can and shovel to Conway Park and picked up the excess dog poo left over after the winter storms.

Really? You toot your own horn to the little neighborhood newsletter because you did something good for your community? Are you so eager to gain praise that you brag about your good deeds to garner praise? That’s like going to the gates of Heaven, and slipping the gate attendant angel a 5-spot for faster service.

Practicing random acts of kindness IS a good philosophy to have–however, the joy in giving to others is not in the praise, but in the knowledge that it was done selflessly.  Begging for recognition and praise thereby NEGATES your good deed, and turns it into a selfish act.

You know, Walt, I appreciate your efforts on Dover Street, but why can’t you expand your maintenance to the 600 Block? Those guys need some serious help getting their street cleaned up. Maybe you can put together a crew and do that, m’kay? Especially considering that there are 20x the number of people who live in the 600 block as opposed to the 700 block, AND that’s where the on-street parking is.

And Ben, you rock for taking the initiative to clean up trash and debris from in front of the tot lot. Lord knows that all the big garbage that the regular garbage truck won’t pick up gets dumped there (mattresses, air conditioners, etc).  My question is–did you call 311 to schedule a bulk-trash pick up? Let me know how that worked out for you.

And lastly, to Dave from Washington Blvd who lowered himself to pick up dog poo from the park.  Hello? The only people I ever see using the beloved park on Conway are PEOPLE WALKING DOGS. And since we have notoriously lazy dog owners who can own an animal but not spend the time to pick up it’s poo, well, what did you expect to find when the snow melted? Tulips? If all the abandoned dog poo in Ridgely’s were flowers, we could…well, we could do something that requires a CRAP load of flowers.

Oh yeah,  just in case you haven’t read it yet, the community meeting is at Frank and Nic’s on April 7. Have fun at the monthly social gathering.