Half-baked Baltimore bloggables

Must.end.blog.hiatus…although.half.asleep. (insert proverbial cold water splash here, plus just a few thoughts about my Baltimore trip before I crash for the night*)

Loved Inner Harbor. Lots of people milling about, enjoying the water, the breeze; recreating, restauranting, relaxing—nice.

Un-enamored with Hilton Hotel. Enjoyed the view of Camden Yard (although, unfortunately, no games to ‘spectate’ from our room). Staff was hospitable, warm and friendly. But!

• No free WiFi ($13.95 per day or $10/10 minutes in the hotel business center). No way would I pay that. My co-worker and I discovered we could get free access in the Marriott lobby across the street, making it inconvenient to perform my usual scan of the portable world.
• No mini fridge in the room. We had wanted to buy a few groceries to eat healthier and cheaper. Sans fridge, our options were pricier and more “preserved.”
• No coffee maker in the room. “Nicki” and I are coffee connoisseurs. Our own brew would’ve been better, for fewer bucks.
• No normal-sized ironing board. The one we had was, Nicki astutely observed, appropriate for Barbie clothes.
• Paying for parking cost more than the value of my Tercel.

I realize these sound like the complaints of a small-town, non-profit administrator who was raised by the Queen of Frugality. But there you have it.

Professionally, my trip was everything I’d hoped for and more. I am appropriately overwhelmed, overloaded, inspired and energized to help transform my community—so help me, God!

*The water wasn’t cold enough—I crashed before finishing this. Picked up after the Barbie ironing board in the a.m., then had to get the kids ready for school. Back to my regularly scheduled life!